Lester's but came to the conclusion that the fewer the number of people who knew of his plan, the better.
He put William Kane temporarily out of his mind and asked his secretary to find George, who was now a vice president of the Baron Group. He had grown along with Abel and was now his most tr ' usted lieutenant. Sitting in his office on the forty - second floor of the Chicago Baron, Abel looked down at Lake Michigan, on what was known as the Gold Coast, but his own thoughts returned to Poland. He wondered if he would ever live to see his castle again, now well inside the Russian borders under Stalin's control. Abel knew he would never settle in Poland, but he still wanted his castle restored to him. The idea of the Germans or Russians occupying his magnificent home once again made him want to ... His thoughts were interrupted by George.
'You wanted to see me, Abel?'
George was the only member of the group who still called the Chicago Baron by his first name.
Tes, George. Do you think you could keep the hotels ticking along for a few months if I were to take a leave of absence?'
'Sure I can,' said George - %Vhy, are you finally going to take that vacation you promised yourself?'
'No,'replied Abel. 'I'm going to war.'
'What?' said George. 'What?' he repeated.
'I'm going to New York tomorrow morning to enlist in the army. 9 Tou're crazy, you could get yourself killed!
'That isn't what I had in mind,'replied Abel. qMng some Germans is what I plan to do. Ile bastards didn't get me the first time around and I have no intention of letting them get me now.'
George continued to protest that America could win the war without Abel.
Zaphia protested too; she hated the very thought of war and little Florentyna, just turned eight years old, burst into tears. She did not quite know what war meant, but she did understand that Daddy would have to go away for a very long time.
Despite their protests, Abel took his first plane flight to New York the next day. All of America seemed to be going in different directions and he found the city full of young men in khaki saying their farewells to parents, sweethearts and wives, all assuring each other that the war would be over in a few weeks but none of them believing it.
Abel arrived at the New York Baron in time for dinner. The dining room was packed with young people, girls clinging desperately to soldiers, sailors and airmen, while Frank Sinatra crooned to the rhythms of Tommy Dorsey's big band. As Abel watched the young people on the dance floor, he wondered how many of them would ever have a chance to enjoy an evening like this again. He couldn't help remembering Sammy explaining how he had become maitre d' at the Plaza. The three men senior to him had returned from the Western Front with one leg between them. None of the young people dancing could begin to know what war was really like. He didn't join in the celebration - if that's what it was. He went to his room instead.
In the morning, he dressed in a plain dark suit and went down to the recruiting office in Times Square. He had chosen to enlist in New York because he feared someone might recognise him in Chicago and all he could hope to end up with would be a swivel chair. 'Me office was even more crowded than the dance floor had been the night before, but here no one was clinging on to anyone else. Abel hung around the entire morning in order to fill out one form that would have taken him three. minutes in his own office. He couldn't help noticing that all the other recruits looked fitter than he. He then stood in line for two more hours waiting to be interviewed by a recruiting sergeant who asked I - Lim what he did for a living.
'Hotel management,' said Abel, and went on to tell the officer of his experiences in the first war. The sergeant stared silently at the five foot seven, one hundred and ninety pound man with an expression of incredulity. If Abel had told him he was the Chicago Baron, the officer would not have doubted his stories of imprisonment and escape, but he chose to keep this information to himself and be treated like any of his fellow