training— and they usually don’t send kids straight from OCS to flight school. Or if he went into the warrant officer program, to learn to fly choppers, that’s eight months or so. He’s not an Army aviator, I’ll bet on that.”
“So what you’re asking me is what do you do if you go to the field and find that either Captain Portet or his son wants to fly our airplane?”
“Yes, sir.”
“First of all, I don’t think you should go to the field,” the ambassador said. “John is the senior pilot—responsible for the airplane. Have him at the field at half past seven.”
“Yes, sir,” Colonel Jacobs and Major Anderson said, almost in unison.
“You will introduce yourself as the embassy pilot, John, and inform Colonel Felter that you are prepared to fly him anywhere he wants to go.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If it develops that he wishes either Captain Portet or his son to fly the aircraft, after (a) inquiring into their qualifications to fly an airplane of that type, which may be, probably are, nonexistent; and (b) making them aware of the extraordinarily hazardous flight conditions in the Congo, you will offer no further objections or comments. They will take the airplane—” the ambassador said.
“Which, with a little bit of luck, will never be heard from again,” Charley said.
The ambassador gave him a dirty look.
“—and as soon as they are off the ground,” he went on, “I will, in compliance with my instructions—’SecState will be immediately informed of any contact initiated by Felter, and reasons therefore, and any actions taken by U.S. Embassy in regard thereto,’ or words to that effect—I will inform the secretary that the counselor to the President commandeered the embassy aircraft for purposes unknown, and that said aircraft was flown by persons not believed to be qualified to fly such an aircraft here in the Congo.”
“Yes, sir,” Colonel Jacobs said.
[ TWO ]
404 Avenue Leopold
Léopoldville, Republic of the Congo
0615 17 January 1965
Since Mobutu had made it plain that he didn’t want Kasavubu to suspect that he was going to defy the President’s frequent, and apparently firmly meant, announcements that he didn’t want American soldiers in the Congo, Jack would have guessed that Colonel Felter would have made the uniform of the day civilian clothing. Maybe, because he was going to fly the embassy’s Army L-23, a flight suit over civvies, but civvies. But Felter had said uniforms, so that was that.
It was a strange feeling to be sitting on the bed that had been his since he was a kid and lacing up Corcoran jump boots.
When he had finished dressing and was examining himself in the mirror, he had a quick mental image of Marjorie pinning the insignia on the jacket in their apartment in Fayetteville. It was a twice-pleasing thought, first because it seemed to be a wifely take-care-of-your-husband thing for her to have done, and he liked that, and also because she had bent over their bed for the pinning, and he had had occasion to consider once again that she had the greatest tail in the whole wide world.
Father Lunsford was already in the breakfast room when he got there, his uniform sagging under an array of ribbons and qualification badges that reminded Jack what a rookie he really was in the world of soldiers.
And Felter was there, too, in civilian clothing, causing Jack to wonder again if he wore ill-fitting suits because he wanted to look like a government clerk, or whether he just didn’t give a damn how he looked.
“Good morning,” Jack said.
“I thought I’d see that you got off all right,” Felter said.
Jack nodded, and wondered if he should have said, “Yes, sir.”
“Apparently, the ambassador had planned to use the aircraft today,” Felter went on. “He seemed a little annoyed when I told him we were going to need it.”
“Did you want to go with us, Colonel?” Father asked.
“No,” Felter said. “Mobutu made it pretty plain he didn’t want me up there, and when I thought about it, I decided the two of you can deal with this guy better if you’re alone.”
“If things go well,” Father said, “I’d like to get Doubting Thomas over here as soon as possible.”
“It’s your show, Father,” Felter replied. “You want me to get him on the next plane, or do you want to talk to him in the States first?”
“Can we message him to tell him that if he wants a leave, to take it now?”
“I’ll send it just as soon as you get off,” Felter said. “If