The Horizontal Lieutenant Page #2

Why not?

Why not?

Yeah, except I studied French.

Oh, sure.

Sometimes I wonder

how the high command

makes decisions in this army.

Maybe they use a ouija board.

You know, if it weren't

for you niseis,

I'd still think that sukiyaki

was an enemy general.

What's the matter?

When you say high command,

it ring a gong in my head.

There was a call for you.

Lieutenant Blue?

No, no, no, not

Lieutenant Blue.

Colonel Delgan...

high command.

Colonel Delgan,

and you forgot?!

What's the matter

with you, Tada?!

What time did he call?!

I think it was yesterday.

Yesterday.

You sent for me, sir?

Did I?

Who are you?

Lieutenant Wye, sir.

Oh. How come we don't see you

out with the ball

team, lieutenant?

We want that pennant,

you know.

As coach, I like to see

every man doing his part.

If you will recall, sir, I was hit

in the head with a foul ball.

Oh, that Lieutenant Wye.

Yeah, I place you now.

You hit .150 and can't

judge a high fly.

I'm afraid that's right, sir.

Aw, never mind. We're not

here to talk about baseball.

Lieutenant, uh, I think

we have a field assignment

for a man of your caliber.

Why, thank you, sir.

Active duty on Rotohan.

I imagine you've heard

of Rotohan.

Yes, sir... one of the islands

we took from the Japanese

about, uh, 8 months ago.

Right.

Well, we've got a man out there

now... Lieutenant Monk.

Good enough man, I suppose,

but he doesn't have

the special insight

required for this operation.

Could you, uh, give me a brief

fill on the job, sir?

In a word, stopping Kobayashi.

Stopping what?

I don't have time

to explain right now.

One of the boys

outside will brief you.

You're on a plane tomorrow.

Yes, sir,

and, sir, I don't know

what stopping Kobayashi means,

but whatever it is, I'll do

my best to stop it.

Good luck, lieutenant.

Than you, sir.

Hello, hospital? Lieutenant

Molly Blue, please.

What was the name

of that island again?

Rotohan.

She's got to be get there!

Well, page her or something...

top urgent!

Yeah, Rotohan, active duty...

replacing an officer

named Monk.

It's, uh, pretty

important stuff,

so it hurry up, will you?

Oh, it's important, all right,

only you're not replacing

Monk, he's replacing you.

That's impossible.

Why?

He used to play second base

for the San Francisco Seals.

Yeah, but...

but colonel said...

hey, I've got

to stop Kobayashi.

That's right. Kobayashi:

Possible name of a Japanese

holdout on Rotohan...

harmless, unarmed,

roams through hills,

steals things

from army stores,

preferably food and supplies,

but has also stolen

personal items,

including Colonel

Korotny's socks.

There's your crash

program, lieutenant:

Stop Kobayashi and help Colonel

Delgan win the pennant.

I think I'll throw up.

Can't say I blame you.

Of course, uh, a job on Rotohan

isn't without its peril.

You might, uh, die of boredom.

[Sarcastically] Ha ha ha.

Blue on phone:
A

Lieutenant Blue here.

Hello, Blue.

Hello. Who is this?

Uh, Merle.

I was wondering if I could

see you tonight.

I'm sorry, Merle, I'm busy.

To be perfectly honest,

I have a date.

Ok.

Well, I'll write

to you from...

Out there.

Merle, you mean

they're shipping you?

Yup.

And from all I hear,

it's a real hot spot.

What?

Blue:
When are you going?

Tomorrow.

Top secret stuff. I'd rather

not talk about it, naturally.

Naturally.

Will you shut up?

Listen, I'll break my date.

We've got 2 colonels.

Will you think

what you're doing?

Wait.

Listen, I've got to. The

poor guy's being shipped.

Hey, pick me up at 7:00.

Promise?

Sure. Sure! See you then.

Aren't you ashamed?

Yes.

[Hawaiian music playing]

They're really sending

you into action?

Yup. Orders cut, fully

briefed, leave at dawn.

Hiya, Blue.

Freddie, how are you?

It seems so sudden.

Yup. Tomorrow this time,

I'll be... out there.

Just think.

Yup.

Blue, darn decent of you to spend

this last night with me.

Oh, it's the least I could do.

Man:
Hello there, Blue.

I believe in keeping

up our boys' morale.

Uh, Blue, seeing as it is my last

night, I was wondering if...

hey, Blue!

Charlie.

Hey, how's it? Oh,

of all people!

Ok. My gosh! How are you?

When did you get back?

Nice to see you.

Yup, out there. Somewhere

in the war-torn Pacific.

Merle, I'm not going to ask

you what the job is.

Uh, frankly, I wish

you wouldn't.

Will it be... Dangerous?

Hell, no.

Oh. Good.

Well, of course, you

never can tell,

and seeing as we haven't

got too much time left...

hey, bluesy girl.

What's the good word?

Harry sutten! Not really.

How have you been?

Harry's been fine.

Blue, couldn't we go someplace

a little less public?

Your last night?

I should think you'd want

bright lights and...

People.

Bright lights and... People

give me a pain.

Couldn't we, Blue,

go someplace?

Well, I guess so.

Hey, this is my place.

Why, Tada, who told

you to stop here?

You did, this afternoon.

You said...

all right. All right.

Just for a few minutes, huh?

Just for conversation.

Ok, but, uh, I'll pick

the subjects.

Sit down, Blue. Sit down,

and make yourself comfortable.

Oh, Merle! Oh,

what a heavenly place!

How did you ever find it?

You're not keeping

it, of course?

I won't have much use

for it out there.

Say, would you mind if I tell

somebody about it, huh,

what with the housing

shortage and all?

Oh, it has wonderful

possibilities.

Just wait till I tell

Marv about this place...

Or Johnny.

Oh! Maybe don

would love it, too.

Oh, I bet he would.

Still, I think Marv

should have it.

Ok, Marv can have it,

but let's wait

till tomorrow, huh?

Blue, come on over and sit

on the couch.

Are you keeping a woman?

Me? What woman?

Oh, that? That's mine.

It's a haori.

What?

A haori.

[Laughs]

It's kind of a Japanese

housecoat. Oh?

Well, let's see

what it looks like.

Here try it on.

Ok. Ok.

I picked it up secondhand

in the city.

Usually they're quieter,

but this particular

one belonged to an actor.

Do you think it, uh,

does anything for me?

[Laughing] Oh. It

looks comfortable.

Oh, it's very comfortable.

See the sleeves?

Oh!

Boy, I like it!

Keep it on.

Sure.

Blue,

why don't you get

comfortable, too?

Take off your tie or...

Something.

Well... This jacket

is pretty tight.

Sure, sure.

Here, let me help

you with that.

Good.

Well...

One sleeve.

Got it?

Yup.

And...

There we are.

Now, you just sit

down and relax.

And take it easy!

There you are.

[Rattle]

Whoops!

[Laughs nervously] Gonna have

to practice on that one.

Now, uh, what can I get for you?

Would you like a drink?

Oh, no.

How about a cigarette?

Ok.

There we are.

Merle,

don't get any ideas.

Ideas? What do you mean ideas?

Who's got ideas?

Ow!

I just remembered, I'm

do in surgery at 7:00.

Don't think about surgery now.

I've got to think

about something.

Think about my morale.

Your morale is doing fine.

Let go.

Blue.

Please. This is not

conversation.

It'll do, though.

Just what were you

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