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“For the moment, Captain Cronley remains in command of the monastery. How long he will retain command depends in large measure on how much damage to our relations with General Gehlen has been caused by his taking over the interrogation of the NKGB agent.
“As you may have surmised from this odd uniform I’m wearing, I’m a Marine. In the Marine Corps, when you want the real story behind what looks like a FUBAR situation—you do know what FUBAR means, right?”
“Yes, sir,” Dunwiddie said.
“Fucked Up Beyond All Repair, sir,” Tedworth helpfully furnished.
“Correct,” Frade said. “What you do is rustle up a couple of senior non-coms and ask them what the hell’s going on, what went wrong, and what they think should be done about it. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the truth as opposed to them telling you what they think you want to hear.”
Frade pointed at Tedworth.
“You first, Sergeant. Be advised I will tolerate no bullshit.”
Tedworth, visibly uncomfortable, looked as if he was carefully considering his reply. Finally, just perceptibly, he gave a fuck it! shrug.
“Colonel, maybe Captain Cronley should have talked it over first with Colonel Mattingly and he probably should have been more tactful with Bischoff when he told him to butt out, but other than that, he was right.”
“Captain Cronley isn’t famous for his tact, is he?” Frade said, and then pointed at Dunwiddie.
“Sir, I agree with Sergeant Tedworth,” Tiny said.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Frade asked. “What is your assessment, Sergeant, of the damage Captain Cronley’s actions have had on his—which are of course our—relations with General Gehlen?”
“Sir, I don’t know.”
“What is your assessment of General Gehlen?”
“Sir, do you mean do I like him?”
“Try that.”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“But?”
“He’s a general, sir. And a German. Generals, and maybe especially German generals, don’t like having their decisions, their orders, questioned. Particularly by junior officers.”
“But?”
“That’s it, Colonel.”
“Where is the Russian?”
“In his cell, sir.”
“And General Gehlen?”
“He’s in his office, sir.”
Frade pointed at Tedworth.
“You will take me to the Russian.”
“Yes, sir.”
He pointed to Dunwiddie.
“You will present my compliments to General Gehlen. You will ask him if it will be convenient for him to meet with me in Captain Cronley’s office after I’ve spoken to the Russian.”
