OCR Text |
Show 211 i t became noticeable that Mrs Satterwhite had not yet spoken. Automatically heads turned in her d i r e c t i o n. "I'm pleased, Curtis; you know t h a t . For your sake and ours; much needs to be done." Her tone reined in the excitement; the General sat down and s e t t l e d back. "Damn r i g h t , " he said. "Total cleanup, inside and out. Start at the t a p ." Mrs Satterwhite nodded. "Good. That's the way." "Consolidate." he continued, "merge, cut out deariwoori. See where commands overlap." "Exactly. Look at us. Two quartermasters, two motor pool, two PXs. Even the housing - - " But that was the unexploded bomb. Unknowing she had walkec_| into dangerous t e r r i t o r y , and that word tripped the fuse. Harriet spoke up. "Housing?" Her glance sliced past Mrs Satterwhite and s e t t l e d on the General's face. "Now raally - - " And Mrs Satterwhite saw what she had done. She rushed in her forces: "Why should the two groups be separata? We know what a b s u r d i t i e s i t causes, how much misunderstanding. If the houses were assigned in the usual way, f i r s t come f i r st served - - " Harriet's eyes widened. "We were the last ones in." "And even so" - - Mrs Satterwhite could not hirie the bitter-neiss - - "you're slateri for a larger house than mine." Har-#ie4 aaaad a-t &er and pondered; then she rose and sat down |