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water bottles, and tonight one of the men who owned it was, at this moment, in
the American hut. His eyes looked at each man. Who? Oh, he could certainly
march them all up to the guardhouse, but that wouldn't help  not without the
radio. The General didn't like failures. And without the radio 
So this time he had failed. He turned to Grey. "You will inform the Camp
Commandant that all water bottles are confiscated. They are to be taken up to
the guardhouse tonight!"
"Yes, sir," Grey said. His whole face seemed eyes.
Yoshima realized that by the time the water bottles were taken to the
guardhouse the one or ones containing the radio would be buried or hidden. But
that didn't matter  it would make the search easier, for the hiding place
would have to be changed, and in the changing eyes would be watching. Who
would have thought a radio could be put inside a water bottle?
"Yankee pigs," he snarled. "You think you're so clever. So strong. So big.
Well, remember. If this war lasts a hundred years we will beat you. Even if
you beat the Germans. We can fight on alone. You will never beat us, never.
You may kill many of us, but we will kill many more of you. You will never
conquer us. Because we are patient and not afraid to die. Even if it takes two
hundred years  eventually we will destroy you."
Then he stormed out.
Brough turned on the King. "You're supposed to be on the ball and you let the
Jap bastard and guards walk into the hut, with all that loot spread around.
You need your head examined."
"Yes, sir. I sure as hell do."
"And another thing. Where's the diamond?"
"What diamond, sir?"
Brough sat down. "Colonel Smedly-Taylor called me in and said that Captain
Grey had information that you've got a diamond ring you're not supposed to
have. You - and Flight Lieutenant Marlowe. Of course, any searching to be
done, I've got to be present. AndI've no objection to Captain Grey looking -
so long as I'm here. We were just about to high-tail it over here when Yoshima
busted in with his guards and started yakking about he was going to search
this hut - one of you was supposed to have a radio in a water bottle - how
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crazy can you get? Grey and I were told to go with him." Now that the search
was over, he thanked God there was no water-bottled radio here, and he knew
also that Peter Marlowe and the King were part of the radio detail. Why else
would the King pretend that an American water bottle belonged to the
Englishman?
"All right," Brough said to the King, "take your clothes off. You're going to
be searched. And your bunk and your black box." He turned around. "The rest of
you guys keep it quiet and get on with your game." He glanced back at the
King. "Unless you want to hand over the diamond."
"What diamond, sir?"
As the King began undressing, Brough went over to Peter Marlowe. "Anything I
can get you, Pete?" he asked.
"Just some water."
"Tex," Brough ordered, "get some water." Then to Peter Marlowe: "You look
terrible, what is it?"
"Just - fever - feel rough." Peter Marlowe lay back on Tex's bed and forced a
weak smile. "That bloody Jap frightened me to death."
"Me too."
Grey went through the King's clothes and the black box and his shelves and
the sack of beans, and the men were astonished when the search failed to
uncover the diamond.
"Marlowe!" Grey stood in front of him.
Peter Marlowe's eyes were bloodshot, and he could hardly see. "Yes?"
"I want to search you."
"Listen, Grey," Brough said. "You're within your rights to search here if I'm
here. But you got no authority - "
"It's all right," Peter Marlowe said. "I don't mind. If I - don't - he'll
only - think . . . Give me a hand, will you?"
Peter Marlowe took off his sarong and threw it and the inch of money onto a
bed.
Grey went through the hems carefully. Angrily, he threw the sarong back.
"Where did you get this money?"
"Gambling," Peter Marlowe said, retrieving his sarong.
"You," Grey barked at the King. "What about this?" He held, up another inch
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