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u started El Hakim on the road to Paradise。〃
He keyed the inter and started talking as he shooed Jake out with his left hand。 Jake didn't even get a chance to say thanks。
Crystal City； Jake was informed by Henry's aide； was across the Pentagon's south parking lot； on the other side of the highway； southeast of the Pentagon。 NAVAIR was in buildings JP…1 and JP…2； in the northern portion of the Crystal City office plex。 He wandered out into the corridors and walked along slightly dazed。 A real job！ A big job！
Although the aide had suggested the shuttle bus； Jake decided to walk。 After asking an air force officer in the parking lot which set of tall buildings was which and getting a careful sighting across a pointing finger； Jake began walking。 The wind was chilly； but not intolerably so。 Under 1…395； across a four…lane boulevard dodging traffic； under U。S。 Route 1； the hike took about ten minutes。 He accosted a pedestrian and building Jefferson Plaza 1 was pointed out。 In he went； punched the elevator button and after waiting what seemed to be an inordinately long time； rode to the twelfth floor； the top one。
They did have a set of orders。 It took the civilian secretary five minutes to find them； and in the interim Jake visited with three officers he knew from his shipboard days。 With the orders in his hand； the secretary called a yeoman； who put the captain to work filling out forms。
Jake was eating lunch in Gus's Place； a mercial cafeteria on the ground floor of the plex； when Toad Tarkington spotted him。 Toad came over； tray in hand。 〃Saw you sitting over here by yourself； CAG。 May I join you？〃
Jake moved his tray and Toad off…loaded his food onto the table。
A group of junior officers twenty feet away began to whisper and glance in their direction。 〃How has your morning gone？〃
〃Same old stuff；〃 Toad announced as he placed his large brown manila envelope full of orders and forms on his chair and carefully sat on it。 〃Got my picture taken for my permanent building pass； which I'm supposed to pick up this afternoon。 I must have signed my name fifty times this morning。 Every naval activity between here and Diego Garcia will soon receive notification in triplicate that I can be found sitting on the bull's…eye at this critical nerve center of the nation's defenses； ready to save the free world from the forces of evil。〃 Toad made a gesture of modesty and slowly unfolded his napkin。
〃I hear we're going to be putting that new officer fitness report form together； though just why the heck they got the two greatest aerial warriors of the age over here at NAVAIR to do that sort of beats me。 Ours not to reason why。。。〃 He glanced at Jake to get his reaction as he smoothed the napkin on his lap。
Grafton sipped his coffee； then took another bite of tuna salad。 〃But what the hell；〃 Toad continued cheerfully。 〃Plying； walking； or sitting on my ass； they pay me just the same。 Do you know there are 3。4 women in Washington for every man？ This is the place。 Bachelor city。 Sodom on the Potomac。 A studly young lad ought to be able to do pretty well with all these lonely females seeking to satisfy their social and sexual needs。 Mr。 Acmodation； that's me。 I figure with my salary…〃
〃The sexual revolution is over；〃 Jake muttered as he forked more tuna salad。 〃You missed it。〃
〃Been carrying on a guerrilla campaign； sir。 Indomitable and unconquerable； that's the ol' Horny Toad； even in the age of latex。 I just dress up like the Micbehn man and go for it。 A fellow could always spring a leak； I guess； but the bee must go from flower to flower。 That's the natural order of things。〃 He chewed thoughtfully。 〃Have you noticed how those people over Acre keep weaking looks at us？〃
〃Yeah；〃 Jake didn't look around。 Although the room was wed with civilians and uniformed men and women eating and carrying trays and visiting over coffee； the tow junior officers two tables away had been glancing over and speaking softly since Jake sat down。
〃It's been like that all day with me；〃 Toad said with a hint of despair in his voice； then sent another mouthful of food down behind his belt buckle。 〃At first I thought I had forgotten my pants； but now I think it's the hero bit。 Asked two admirers for dates this morning and got two yeses。 Not bad for a Monday。〃
〃It'll pass。 Next week you'll have to spell your name twice just to get into the men's head。 How's your leg？〃
〃Got a couple girders in it； sir。 One of them is a metal rod about a foot long。 But I passed my flight physical。 Those Israeli doctors did a good job。 Aches some occasionally。〃
〃We were damned lucky。〃
〃That's an understatement；〃 Toad said； and proceeded to fill Jake in on how he had spent the last five months。
After lunch Jake hiked back across the streets and parking lots to the Pentagon。 His temporary pass so excited the security cop that he nodded his head a quarter inch as Jake walked by。
mander Rob Knight was several years younger than Jake and had more hair； although it was salt…and…pepper。 He wore steel…rimmed glasses and beamed when Jake introduced himself。
〃Heard about your little adventure in the Med last year； Captain。 It's been pretty dull without El Hakim to kick around；〃 Knight grinned easily。 He had an air of quiet confidence that Jake found reassuring。 Like all career officers getting acquainted； Knight and Jake told each other in broad terms of their past tours。 Knight had spent most of his operational career in A…6 outfits； and had been ordered to this billet after a tour as manding officer of an A…6 squadron。
〃I came by to find out everything you know about the A…12；〃 Jake said lightly。
Knight chuckled。 〃A real kidder； you are。 I've been soaking up info for a year and a half and I haven't even scratched the surface。 And you see I'm only one guy。 The A…6 coordinator sits here beside me； and on the other side of the room we have the F…14 and F/A…18 guys。 One for each airplane。 We don't have a secretary or a yeoman。 We do our own mail。 We make our own coffee。 I spend about a third of my time in this office； which is where I do the unclass stuff and confidential。 Another third of my time is spent upstairs in the vault working on classified stuff。 I have a desk up there with another puter and safes。 The rest of my time is spent over at NAVAIR； in your shop； trying to see what you guys are up to。〃
〃Just one guy。〃 Jake was disappointed； and it showed。 He felt a little like the kid who met Santa for the first time and found he was old and fat and smelled of reindeer shit。 〃One guy！ Just exactly what is your job？〃
〃I'm the man with the money。 I get it from Rear Admiral Costello。 He's the Aviation Plans and Programs honcho。 He tells me what we want the plane to do。 We draw up the requirements。 You build the plane we say we want； you sell it to me； and I write the checks。 That's it in a nutshell。〃
〃Sounds simple enough。〃
〃Simple as brain surgery。 There's an auditor that es around from time to time； and he's going to cuff me and take me away one of these days。 I can see it in his eyes。〃
They talked for an hour； or rather Knight talked and Jake listened； with his hands on his thighs。 Knight had a habit of tapping aimlessly on the put