"Would you mind, Sir?"

Good for you, Son. Don't leave anything to chance.

"General Hyakutaka is ashore," Pickering summarized. "As soon as he believes he has an adequate force, he will start an attack on three fronts, counting the combined fleet as a front. I forget the names of the Japanese generals-"

"Major Generals Maruyama and Tadashu," Pluto interrupted him. "Did he have a date?"

"No."

"We have new intercepts indicating 18 October. Tomorrow."

Pickering grunted.

"Did Major Banning get into Japanese naval strength?"

"He did, but let's have it again."

"On 11 October," Moore began, "Admiral Yamamoto sent from Truk a force consisting of five battleships, five aircraft carriers, four cruisers, forty-four destroyers, and a flock of support vessels." He paused for a moment. "We don't know if Yamamoto himself is aboard; they're not quite under radio silence, but nearly."

"My God!"

"The Japanese do not commit their entire available force at one time," Pluto said. "Or so far haven't done that. It is reasonable to assume that they will commit this force piecemeal, as well."

"Even a piece of that size force is more than we have," Pickering thought aloud.

" 'My forces totally inadequate to meet situation,' " Moore said, obviously quoting.

"Who said that?" Pickering asked.

"Admiral Ghormley, in a radio yesterday to Nimitz," Pluto said.

"And there was a follow-up about an hour ago," Moore said, and started to read from a sheet of paper. "Ghormley wants all of MacArthur's submarines; all the cruisers and destroyers now in the Aleutians Islands/Alaska area; all the PT boats in the Pacific, except those at Midway; and he wants the assignment of destroyers in the Atlantic 'reviewed.' "

"They're not going to give him that," Pickering said. "And there wouldn't be time to send destroyers from the Atlantic, if they wanted to. Or cruisers from Alaska, for that matter."

Pluto shrugged, but said nothing.

"He also wants ninety heavy bombers; eighty medium bombers; sixty dive-bombers; and two fighter groups, preferably P38s."

"In other words," Hon said. "Essentially all of MacArthur's air power, plus a large chunk of what the Navy hasn't already sent to the area."

Pickering opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind, stopping himself from saying, He sounds pretty goddamn desperate.

Why did I stop myself? Am I starting to believe that I'm really a general? And generals do not say anything derogatory about other generals or admirals in the presence of people who are not generals or admirals. Like two young lieutenants, for example.

"He sounds pretty goddamn desperate," Pickering said. "Is he justified?"

"I don't think so, Sir," Pluto said. "My thought when I read that-in particular, the phrase 'totally inadequate,' and his obviously unrealistic requests for air support (I don't think there are ninety operational B17s over here, for example)-is that it's going to raise some unpleasant questions in the minds of Admiral Nimitz and his staff."

"Yeah," Pickering said.

"That's all I have, Sir, unless you've got some questions. Would you like to take a look at the map?"

"No. I've sailed those waters," Pickering said. "And I was on the 'Canal. Burn it."

"Yes, Sir."

The telephone rang. Moore limped quickly across the room to pick it up.

Instead of "hello," he recited the number. Then he smiled. "One moment, please," he said, and covered the mouthpiece with his hand. "Colonel Huff for General Pickering," he said. "Is the General available?"

Colonel Sidney Huff was aide-de-camp to the Supreme Commander, South West Pacific Ocean Area.

Pickering pushed himself out of the chair, went to Moore, and took the telephone from him.

"Hello, Sid," he said. "How are you?"

"The Supreme Commander's compliments, General Pickering," Huff said very formally.

"My compliments to the General," Pickering said, smiling at Moore.

"General MacArthur hopes that General Pickering will be able to join him and Mrs. MacArthur at luncheon."

"What time, Sid?"

"If it would be convenient for the General, the Supreme Commander customarily takes his luncheon at one, in his quarters."

"I'll be there, Sid. Thanks."

"Thank you, General."

The phone went dead.

Pickering hung up and looked at Hon.

"Sometimes I have the feeling that Colonel Huff doesn't approve of me," he said. "He didn't welcome me back to Australia."

"I wonder how he knew you were back, and here?" Moore wondered aloud.

"I think he likes you all right," Hon said. "It's that star you're wearing that's a burr under his brass hat."

"Why, Lieutenant Hon. How cynical of you!"

"That's what I'm being paid for, to be cynical," Hon said.

[TWO]

Lennon's Hotel

Brisbane, Australia

1255 Hours 17 October 1942

When Pickering arrived, with Sergeant George Hart at the wheel of the Studebaker President, MacArthur's Cadillac limousine was parked in front of the hotel.

"We're putting a show on, George," Pickering said. "Stop in front and then rush around and open the door for me."

"I already got the word from Lieutenant Hon, General," Hart said, smiling at Pickering's reflection in the rearview mirror.

Colonel Sidney Huff was waiting on the veranda of the sprawling Victorian building. He watched as Hart opened the door and Pickering stepped out; then he waited for Pickering to start up the walk before moving to join him.

He saluted. Pickering returned it and put out his hand.

"Good to see you, Sid," Pickering said.

"It's good to see you again, too, Sir," Huff said. "If you'll come with me, please, General?"

He led Pickering across the lobby to a waiting elevator. When MacArthur had his headquarters in the Menzies Hotel in Melbourne, Pickering remembered, one of the elevators was reserved for his personal use; it had a sign. This one had no sign, and was presumably available to commoners.