Having just considered this problem, Bennington's question was a testing of Thornberry, not a request for information.
Thornberry was looking aggrieved, as if the fact was so obvious even the general could understand it. "Processing takes all day, sir, and this group does not arrive until late afternoon."
"Does the processing have to be continuous?" Bennington hoped his chief assistant would show a little flexibility.
But the question threw the bureaucratic psychologist into mental dishevelment. "I beg your pardon?"
"All we have to worry about is keeping them quiet tonight, then you can slip them back to normal in the morning and run them through as if they had arrived tomorrow."
Thornberry pursed his lips. "But that would mean—"
"A little extra work on the part of very few men," Bennington snapped. "We'll keep them away from the rest tonight by sleeping them in The Cage. A couple of men in Supply can move cots and blankets over there now. Feed them coffee and sandwiches. Call the Mess Hall and get them made up. At the same time I know you'll find three or four men who want the overtime for dishing it out.
"How long do you need to know if you can use hypnosis or if you need drugs, and wouldn't it be simpler to drug the whole lot?"
"No, definitely not the last," and for the first time Thornberry was being positive, "because we have to use a massive dose and they can't shake it till—day after tomorrow, at the best tomorrow afternoon."
"The Army can decide to hypno in two minutes with a spin-dizzy wheel and some lights. How long for you?"