“Yes, and as executive officer, too,” Larry said.
March started to say something, and then he realized exactly what Gray had said. On his first real patrol, he was asked to serve as second in command of a new submarine! It was unbelievable!
“But—Larry,” he said. “Do you think I can handle it?”
“If you think so,” the Skipper said with a smile, “then I think you can, too. I think you can handle just about anything on a submarine that you want to handle.”
“What about McFee?” March asked. “He’s been out before—been with you before. He’s had more experience.”
“No—not McFee,” Larry said. “Mac’s a wonder at his job, and he could take over just about any other submarine job in an emergency. But—well, Mac knows this as well as I do—he’s just not quite enough of an executive to handle this. I know that he just wouldn’t want the job. He doesn’t like to tell people what to do. He wouldn’t like to be a general manager, and that’s what an executive officer is, really.”
“Well, you know him well,” March said, “but won’t he feel a little funny about having a raw recruit, so to speak, put over him?”
“Not Mac,” Larry answered. “He’s not like that. Anyway, how about it?”
“Well—I’m mighty pleased that you’ve got enough confidence in me to ask me,” March said. “And I surely ought to have as much confidence in myself as someone else has. Okay, Skipper, you’re on.”
“Swell, March,” Gray said with a broad smile. “I don’t feel so bad about not having Ray now. We’re going to do a job in Kamongo.”