Free A Bell for Adano by John Hersey Page B

examine us,” roared Afronti. The slow one named Erba finally got out a sentence. It was one of the few beautiful sentences he ever managed to say, and one of the longest. He said: “When the people come and take water from my cart to drink for their thirst, I shall say to them: `Thank the Mister Major, my friends.”‘
    Major Joppolo said: “Get out of here. You are wasting my time and the time of all the people who are waiting outside that door.” And he gestured impatiently at the men.
    The cartmen went out, shouting and congratulating America.
     

 
     
    Chapter 7
     
     
     
    THE COMMAND post of the M.P.’s was housed in the Fascio, the one-storey building which had been the headquarters of the Fascist Party. It was simply a string of rooms facing on the Via Dogana, just off the Piazza. The walls of the. rooms were covered with pictures of various Fascist heroisms. Each room had a couple of desks, a filing cabinet, three or four uncomfortable chairs, and that was all. The building made a very convenient headquarters for both the M.P. s and especially for Sergeant Borth’s security detail, because the filing cabinets contained complete records on practically ev- eryone in town, both party members and anti-Fascists.
    On the morning when Major Joppolo called about the carts, there were three men in the main office of the M.P.’s. Besides Captain Purvis, there were Technical Sergeant Frank Trapani, who kept Captain Purvis’s records and was more or less his secretary, and Corporal Chuck Schultz, who was the M.P. on guard.
    Captain Purvis put down the telephone and said: “That Joppolo, I think he’s nuts.”
    Sergeant Trapani said: “What’s he done now, sir?” “Oh, hell,” the Captain said, “he’s always talking about democracy like it was his mother. He ought to relax and have a little fun. Bet he’s never been drunk in his life.” Corporal Schultz said: “He can have this Dago wine.” He put his hands over his belly and made a face. “Jesus, last night.”
    The Captain said: “Besides, he’s going to get us all in trouble.”
    Sergeant Trapani said: “What’s he done, sir?”
    An Italian stuck his head in the door just out of curiosity.
    “Get out of here, damn it, Trapani, tell that wop to get out of here and stay out.” Captain Purvis did not speak a word of Italian, and it made him feel frustrated. Trapani told the curious one to move along.
    “The carts,” Captain Purvis said. “Joppolo has the nerve to tell General Marvin he knows where he can stick the carts, he wants them to come back into town.”
    Sergeant Trapani said: “It wasn’t a very wise order in the first place, I think maybe the Major’s right.” “Right?” Captain Purvis put his palm against his cheek in a gesture of amazement. “Why hell, man, General Marvin’ll shoot him and us too. What do you think this man’s army would be like if everybody just did what he wanted and went around countermanding orders every day? We got little enough discipline in our army anyhow without going around ignoring orders, especially from generals.” Captain Purvis had been commissioned just eight months. He was very military.
    “Yes, sir,” Sergeant Trapani said. He knew what to say when his Captain started lecturing on discipline.
    “Well, I got my orders,” the Captain said. “I got to go out and take the guards off the road by the bridge and the sulphur works. But listen, I’m not going to burn for this guy Joppolo. He’s all right, but he’s just too serious. Damn it, I’d sure like to see him high just once.”
    Corporal Schultz said: “Last night, Jesus, I’ll never drink that stuff again.”
    “Listen,” the Captain said. “I don’t want to get in trouble and you don’t either. We got to carry out this order and let the carts back in, but if General Marvin should drive back through this town, we’d all get hung for it. Just to cover ourselves, well make out a report saying just what happened, that