The Way to the Stars Page #7

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- Peter, what is it now?

These two gentlemen, very good friends of mine

both, Americans though they may be,

desire to cash a cheque.

Oh, all right. You'll find blank cheque forms

on the desk in my office.

Oh, thanks so much.

- Hey, Johnny.

- Yeah?

- Did you see that? He actually kissed her.

- Come on, lug.

- l just want one word with you.

- Well?

Afraid l won't see you after tonight,

not for a bit anyway.

Peter, l'm sorry. At least... l'm glad for you.

lt's what you wanted, isn't it?

More than anything else, yes.

lris will be terribly upset. Have you told her?

No, Toddy.

l was wondering whether you'd tell her for me,

after l've gone, you know.

Just say it happened very suddenly and...

just say goodbye to her for me, would you?

Peter, l know it's none of my business, but...

what exactly is wrong between you two?

lt's nothing, Toddy, really. Nothing.

lt's just that...

Look, l can't possibly explain it.

Let me just say goodbye to you, eh?

That's for you.

And that's for her.

And that's for her again.

Cheque forms, cheque forms, cheque forms -

there aren't any cheque forms.

"For Johnny". Hey, what's this?

Johnny, look.

- The old girl's written you a poem.

- Oh, put it away, Joe, it may be private.

Private! l'll say it's private.

She's put her flaming heart on paper.

For Johnny.

"Do not despair for Johnny-head-in -air,

He sleeps as sound as Johnny underground."

- What the heck does that mean ? Any idea?

- Put it away.

"Fetch out no shroud for Johnny..."

Just looking for cheque forms, ma'am.

lf you want to cash a cheque

to pay for your last round of drinks,

please don't bother,

have them on the house.

That's darn kind of you,

but we couldn't possibly...

Please, l insist. lf you're very quick,

you've just time to order another.

Gee, that's swell of you, ma'am.

l could hug you for that.

Waiter.

- Any more news from home?

- No, not since l last saw you.

Have you been reading this?

Well... we were looking

for the blank cheque forms, you see,

and Johnny happens to be my name, too,

and Joe...

- And l'm sorry.

- That's all right.

Your name's Johnny, is it?

Yes, it is. Johnny Hollis.

What did you think of this?

l don't know that l quite understood it.

l'm not much of an expert on poetry, l guess.

Nor me.

Oh? We thought you'd written it.

No, my husband wrote it.

Now, why on earth should l tell you that?

You're the only person, beside myself,

who knows.

- Now, why should l tell you?

- l don't know.

Perhaps it's just the names.

Yes... perhaps it is.

But... it makes me feel kind of

privileged.

l'm glad.

- You're not superstitious, are you?

- No, not me.

lf it happens, it happens,

no matter how many ladders you walk under.

My husband used this lighter

as a sort of St Christopher.

He was miserable if he flew without it.

He flew without it the day he was killed.

lf he knew he didn't have it,

he was probably worried.

And if you're worried when you're flying...

well, things can happen.

lf l give it to you, you won't feel that way about it,

will you?

No, l don't use lucky charms.

l'd sure like to have it though.

- lt doesn't work very well as a lighter, l'm afraid.

- l can probably fix it.

Anyway,

it's a good thing to have.

Thanks an awful lot.

- Oh, and Johnny...

- Yes?

No, l'm not going to tell you my Christian name

because...

Well, just because.

But people, some people anyway,

call me Toddy.

Yes, Toddy?

lf you ever feel you want

to get away from the camp,

and you don't want to face the crowd in there,

come in here and talk to me.

l'd like to hear some more about your family.

Say, you don't know

what you're letting yourself in for.

When l get going about my family,

l don't stop for a long time.

Oh, good.

Oh, Lord, look at the time. lf l don't get

these boys out of here, l'll have the police in.

Mr Palmer,

l'm ashamed of you.

l'm terribly sorry.

Gentlemen, l call for three cheers

for our popular hostess Miss Todd, our Toddy.

- Speech! Come on, speech.

- Speech, come on !

Thank you, gentlemen,

and welcome to our American allies.

And will you please get the hell out of here?

- Good night.

- Good night, Toddy.

- Good night, pheasant.

- Good night, Captain.

And about those drinks, thanks a lot.

Good night. Good night, Peter.

And thanks - really thanks.

- Good night.

- Good night, Toddy.

All out. End of the line.

Visual target, couldn't miss.

Where were the Focke Wulf?

That's one target we won't have to hit again.

You'd think they'd defend a target like Frankfurt.

lt's different from the last time

we went to Frankfurt, remember?

- Gosh, don't l just.

- Hello, lrene.

Thanks. First time they used those rockets

on us. Never been more scared in my life.

You were scared? Did you hear a noise

like a machine gun coming from the copilot?

- lt was my teeth rattling.

- Johnny

Sir

- Oh, Bill, mail in ?

- Yes, sir.

- Anything for me?

- l checked, but there's nothing for you.

Ok. Thanks.

No dice, eh?

No dice.

l expected something today, too.

Haven't heard for quite a while as it happens.

- Nothing wrong, l hope.

- No, sir. Thank you, sir.

Anyway, l wouldn't worry too much about it

cos in a week or so's time,

you'll have the opportunity

to find out how Emmy is for yourself.

- You mean... l'm going home?

- Yeah, that's right.

Oh, boy.

ow come ?

Seems they need more instructors back home

with combat experience.

l've been asked to recommend a combat pilot

capable of taking charge of a special instructors'

course, majority goes with it.

So l thought l'd send the best man l'd got.

Gosh, l don't know what to say.

l'm going to hate losing you,

especially now when things are hotting up.

Yeah, l know.

ln a way, l'll hate going, too.

But... home.

Play ball!

Hey, look, get Tiny running at the pitcher.

Of course,

you don't run towards the bowler in this game.

- No, you don't.

- Stupid of me.

- He ought to stick to cricket.

- Yeah. Say, Joe.

What are you doing this evening?

- Just taking lris to the station dance.

- Ah.

l suppose she'll turn out to be in love

with some Englishman, like all the rest.

Listen, l gotta tell you...

Hey, bring the bat back!

Come on, bring the bat back.

- Listen, Joe.

- What?

l've got to call on the vicar.

l'll come into town with you.

- On the vicar?

- Yeah.

- Why?

- lt's the children's party they're giving tomorrow.

For some weird reason,

they've put it all off on me.

Well, do you wonder

after that performance last time?

- Uncle Johnny.

- Yeah, that's me.

How about that story

about the flying hippopotamus?

- How do you dream things like that up?

- All right. kids like that sorta...

- Joe.

- What?

- l gotta tell you.

- Tell me what?

- Don't tell the others, now.

- l'm not going to. What?

They're sending me home.

- Johnny, no.

- Yeah.

- Safe.

- What do you mean"safe"? l've ruined myself.

Peter, who was it who

sprouted wings?

A pottamus.

The pottamus sprouted wings, that's quite right.

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