“Well, don’t get so excited. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Was he a popular guy?”
“No, I don’t suppose he was.”
“That sounds mighty familiar to me.”
“I think it was an accident, though,” said Hodges and he said the words lightly, not making the mistake of sounding too interested as he had before.
“This is the toughest steak I ever ate,” complained the dark Lieutenant.
“That’s one of the horrors of war.”
“It sure is.” They finished their dinner.
Hodges thought of the night that the Chief had disappeared. He could remember himself building a house of cards. He could hear the Chief and Bervick arguing. Then they went out together and he had stayed inside building his house of cards. He had gone out on deck once. Duval had been sitting on the railing and Bervick was fixing the ventilator. Then he had gone back inside.
“Want some water?” asked the waiter, filling his glass and Hodges thought of the splashing sound and of Bervick coming back into the salon alone.
“What’s the matter with you?” asked the dark Lieutenant.