"We've been waiting for you," Dr. Parker said. "This is Patricia Hanrahan, another friend of Tom's."

"Hello, Dianne," Patricia Hanrahan said softly.

Dianne made the connection.

"You're the general's wife," Dianne said. "Tom's told me about you."

"He talke4 to me about you too," Patricia Hanrahan said.

Dr. Parker had taken her arm and was leading her off the corridor.

"Where are we going?" Dianne asked.

"We have to talk, and I don't want to do it in the corridor," Dr. Parker said.

"Talk about what?" Dianne said as uneasiness swept through her.

They were now in a small room furnished with chrome pipe vinyl-upholstered furniture, two small tables, and a Coke machine.

"Tom's gone, Dianne," Dr. Parker said.

"Tom's gone? What do you mean, Tom's gone'? Where did he go?"

"Tom died at seven-fifteen this morning," Dr. Parker said.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Patricia Hanrahan said.

Part of Dianne's brain told her this couldn't be true. Another part told her it was.

"What the hell happened?" she asked, barely audibly. "Nobody really knows," Toni Parker said. "What the hell happened?" Dianne repeated angrily.

"It was probably the infection..." Toni Parker said. Probably? He's dead, and you don't know what killed him?"

"Oh, God!" Patricia Hanrahan said, and sobbed. "Yesterday morning, early yesterday morning, his temperature began to rise to a dangerous level," Toni Parker said. "We managed to reduce it during the day. When I called you, we thought we had it under control. And then it went up again, and we were unable to reduce it."

Dianne looked at her.

"Do I have to say they did every thing humanly possible?" Toni Parker asked, having considerable difficulty keeping her voice under control.

"You weren't there?" Dianne accused.

"I was with him most of the afternoon," Toni Parker said. "And last night. I was there when he died."

"What happened?" Dianne asked.

"There was interference with the nerve system," Toni Parker said in a flat voice. "And with the chemical balance of the body. I don't know what the autopsy will reveal, if anything." "Autopsy? Oh, God! They're going to cut him open?"

"Maybe we'll find something that will help the next time," Toni Parker said.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am," Patricia Hanrahan said.

"Why didn't somebody call me?" Dianne asked very softly. "I could have come yesterday, last night."

"I made that decision," Toni Parker said.

"Thanks a lot," Dianne said bitterly.

"He was comatose," Toni said. "He was in intensive care. You wouldn't have been allowed in there. I thought we all thought that we would be able to reduce the fever. I prayed we could."

"I should have been here," Dianne said, and then more angrily: "I should have been here!"

"I'm sorry," Toni Parker said. "Good God, I'm sorry!"

"Where is he? Can I see him?"

"No," Toni Parker said quickly, positively, as if she had anticipated and dreaded the question.

"Why not? Why can't I see him?" Dianne said. "Jesus Christ, why can't I even see him?"

For the first time she wept. Toni Parker put her aims around her and held her. Patricia Hanrahan, biting her lips, dabbed at the tears in her eyes.

A minute later, still holding her, Toni Parker said slowly, levelly, as if carefully choosing each word, "Tom's father is here, Dianne. When Tom's condition was considered to be life threatening, he was notified, and he flew down here."

"You told him? He was ashamed of Tom, and Tom couldn't stand him, but you told him? And not me?"

"That was done by administration," Toni said.

Dianne pushed herself away from Toni Parker and went into her purse for a handkerchief.

"What happens now?" she asked, after she had blown her nose. "When the body is released " "Released?"

"Mter the autopsy," Toni said. "There is some concern about contamination."

"What about when the body is released'?" Dianne asked. "Oh, Mary, Mother of God!" Patricia Hanrahan said.

"We think it's best if the remains are cremated," Toni Parker said. "Mr. Ellis has agreed."

"So?" Dianne asked. "What difference does that make?"

"Mr. Ellis has decided to place Tom's ashes in the VA cemetery in Fayettevilie," Patricia Hanrahan said. There will is considered to have of wounds suffered in combat." I don't know what the hell you're leading up to," Dianne said, "but something."

"Mr. Ellis has been asking about Tom's things," Patricia Hanrahan said. "He's asked about Tom's car."

"The sonofabitch walked out on him, had nothing to do with him when he was growing up, but he shows up to get Tom's car, right?"

"Tom made a will before he went to Vietnam," Patricia Hanrahan said. "We don't know yet what's in it. It's with the Judge Advocate General. I don't know... Is it possible he made provision for you?"

"I don't think so," Dianne said bitterly. "He went over thinking I was too good for him."

"Oh, my dear!" Patricia Hanrahan said. "Will he sell the Jag to me?" Dianne asked. Toni Parker and Patricia Hanrahan exchanged glances. "I'm afraid not," Patricia Hanrahan said after a moment. "How will we know until we ask him?"

"My husband asked him," Patricia Hanrahan said. "My husband told him about you and said that he thought you might want to buy the car."

"Tom's father said that this was probably the only chance he would ever have to own a car like that, and if he sold it, his wife would just spend the money." "It's outside," Dianne said.

The funeral will be at ten tomorrow morning," Patricia Hanrahan said.

"The funeral or the cremation?" Dianne asked. "The cremation will be today," Toni Parker said.

"I know," Dianne said, bitterly bright, "as soon as the body is released.""

"You can stay with me," Toni said. "Is his mother coming?" Dianne asked. "She said she can't afford to come," Patricia Hanrahan said.

"Would she come if I sent her a ticket and paid for a motel?"

"I don't know," Patricia Hanrahan said. "I could call and ask if you want me to."

"She was hardly what you could call an ideal mother," Dianne said. "But she was his mother. Would you, please?"

"I'll do it right now if you'd like," Patricia Hanrahan said.

"Can I get you anything?" Toni asked. "You want a ill or a chaplain? Anything?"

"No," Dianne said, and a moment later: "Thank you."

Patricia Hanrahan called Sergeant Major Taylor and got the number, then she told the operator to charge the call to his quarters phone and called Tom Ellis's mother and told her that if she could come, there was a fund that provided transportation for next of kin, and motel expenses.

"You're very good at that, aren't you?" Dianne said admlnngly when she had told Tom's mother she would get back to her within the hour with the details.

"I try to be," Patricia Hanrahan said. "Honey, if Tom's car is important to you, perhaps you could talk to Mr. Ellis or Tom's mother after the will is probated. Or my husband could. Maybe you could say something at the funeral, to both of them."

"I'm not going to the funeral," Dianne said. "I'd spit in his eye if I went to the funeral."

"Are you sure?" Toni Parker asked. "About not going to the funeral, I mean?"

"I said my good-byes to Tom, my hello and my good-bye, down the hall," Dianne said.

"You're going back to Duke?" Patricia Hanrahan asked. "Or home?"

"Back to school," Dianne said. "I don't want my father feeling sorry for me."

"I'll take you," Patricia Hanrahan said.

"You don't have to do that," Dianne said. "I'll rent a car."

"I'll take you," Patricia Hanrahan said. "Tom would want me to."

She picked up the doll with the black lace panties and the green beret and handed it to Dianne Eaglebury.

Office of the Commanding General U.S. Army Special Warfare School and Center Fort Bragg, North Carolina 1130 Hours. 2 March 1962 First Lieutenant Charles J. Wood, Jr." Infantry, aide-decamp to Brigadier General Paul T. Hanrahan, jumped to his feet when the tall mustachioed officer entered the outer office.

"Good morning, Colonel," he said. "May I help you?" Tom Ellis, Craig Lowell saw, had been replaced by a proper aide-de-camp. This one was everything a good aide-de-camp was supposed to be and probably everything that Tom Ellis was not. This one was a ring-knocker on whose hand was proudly displayed the ring signifying graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was erect, looked as if he had shaved ten minutes ago after a daily haircut, and was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

He had probably been selected, Lowell thought, because he would not remind Hanrahan of Tom Ellis.

"Good morning, Lieutenant," Lowell said. "My name is Lowell, and if the general is not tied up, I'd be grateful if he could give me a moment of his time."

"I will see if the general is occupied, sir. Would you care to tell me the nature of your business?"

"I'm paying my respects. Lieutenant, while here on temporary duty."

Lieutenant Wood went to the general's door, knocked, was told to enter, entered, and closed the door behind him.

"I'll bet he makes life interesting," Lowell said to Sergeant Major Taylor.

"The lieutenant does make us all toe the line," Taylor said.

"Isn't that Tom Effis's car outside?" Lowell asked.

"Mrs. Hanrahan told me his mother came down for the funeral."

"Very nasty, Colonel," Taylor said. "Both of them thought the car, and the rest of his stuff, was theirs." "Isn't it?"

"Not until the will's probated. They were both highly pissed when they couldn't take his stuff home with them." "Christ!" Lowell said. "I hope his mother finally gets it," Taylor said. She was, I gather, the nicer of the two?" "No. On a nice scale' of one to ten, they'd both run about one and a half. But the mother would sell the car to Ellis's girl. His father wants to play sport with it."

"How did Dianne take it?"

"She paid for the mother to fly down for the funeral, but she didn't go herself."

"A brother and a boyfriend buying the farm in a year is tough," Lowell said. "How long is the legal business going to take?"

"I don't think the JAG is busting their ass to hurry anything. Ellis's father as much as accused them of trying to steal his stuff."

"The general will see you now, Colonel Lowell," Lieutenant Wood said from the general's open door, and then, when Lowell got to the door, he formally announced him: "General, Lieutenant Colonel Lowell."

Lowell marched in, stopped three feet from General Hanrahan's desk, saluted stiffly, and announced, "Lieutenant Colonel Lowell, C. W." sir, requesting an audience with the commanding general, sir."

General Hanrahan returned the salute.

"I would hate to thinic you're making fun of my aide, Craig," he said. "No, sir," Lowell said.

"You are being then a paragon of military courtesy, which makes me think you want something I'm not going to want to give you." You have always had a suspicious nature, General."

"Where you're concerned, I. have every justification. Charley, this is Colonel Lowell." "whom I have known since he was younger than you.

"The colonel and I have met, sir," Wood said. If he ever asks for anything, you check with Sergeant Major Taylor, Colonel Mac, or myself before you give it to him. He is not a nice man." "yes, sir."

"Tell Colonel Mac, please, what the cat has dragged in, and ask him if he is free," Hanrahan said.