He parked the LaSalle beside the staff cars, and they walked to the rear door of the farmhouse. A first lieutenant, wearing the insignia of an aide-de-camp, opened the door as they reached it.
"Good afternoon, sir," he said to Sessions, giving McCoy a curious look. "The general is in the living room. Through the door, straight ahead, last door on the left."
"Thank you," Sessions said, and added, "I’ve been here before."
In the corridor leading from the kitchen, they came across a row of Marine overcoats and caps hanging from wooden pegs. They added theirs to the row.
Then Sessions signaled for McCoy to knock on a closed sliding door.
"Yes?" a voice from inside called.
"Captain Sessions, sir," Sessions called softly.
"Come in, Ed," the voice called. McCoy slid the door open. Then Sessions walked into the room and McCoy followed him. There was five officers there: a major general and a brigadier general, neither of whom McCoy recognized; Colonel Wesley; Lieutenant Colonel Rickabee, in civilian clothing; and a captain wearing aide-de-camp's insignia. There was also an enlisted Marine wearing a starched white waiter's jacket.
The brigadier general shook Session's hand, and then offered his hand to McCoy.
"Hello, McCoy," he said. "Good to see you again."
McCoy was surprised. So far as he could remember, he had never seen the brigadier general before. And then he remembered that he had. Once before, in Philadelphia, after he had just returned from China, they had had him at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, draining his brain of everything he could recall about China and the Japanese Army. Two then in civilian
clothing had come into the third-floor room where he was "interviewed." One of them, he realized, had been this brigadier general. And with that knowledge, he could put a name to him: He was Brigadier General Horace W. T. Forrest, Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, USMC.
"Thank you, sir," McCoy said. What did Rickabee mean when he said Forrest was "one of my admirers"?
"I don't believe you know General Lesterby?" General Forrest said, gesturing to the major general.
"No, sir," McCoy said. He looked at General Lesterby and saw that the general was examining him closely, as if surprised at what he was seeing.
Then General Lesterby offered his hand.
"How are you, Lieutenant?" he said.
"How do you do, sir?" McCoy said.
"And you've met Colonel Wesley," General Forrest said.
"Yes, sir," McCoy said.
Wesley nodded, and there was a suggestion of a smile, but he did not offer his hand.
"Tommy," General Lesterby said, "make one more round for all of us. And two of whatever they're having for Captain Sessions and Lieutenant McCoy. And that will be all for now."
"Aye, aye, sir," the orderly said.
"And I think you should go keep General Forrest's aide company, Bill," General Lesterby said.
"Aye, aye, sir," General Lesterby's aide-de-camp said quickly. McCoy saw that he was surprised, and even annoyed, at being banished. But he quickly recovered.
"Captain Sessions, what's your pleasure, sir?"
"Bourbon, please," Sessions said. "Neat."
"Lieutenant?" the aide asked.
"Scotch, please," McCoy said. "Soda, please."
Not another word was spoken until the drinks had been made and the aide-de-camp and the orderly had left the room.
General Lesterby picked up his glass.
"I think a toast to the Corps would be in order under the circumstances, gentlemen," he said, and raised his glass. "The Corps," he said.
The others followed suit.
"And under the circumstances," Lesterby said, "to our oath of office, especially the phrase 'against all enemies, foreign and domestic.'" He raised his glass again, and the others followed suit.
Then he looked at McCoy.
"Obviously, you're a little curious, McCoy, right? Why I sent my aide-de-camp from the room?"
"Yes, sir," McCoy admitted.
"Because if he is ever asked," General Lesterby said, "as he very well may be asked, what happened in this room today, I want him to be able to answer, in all truthfulness, that he was sent from the room, and just doesn't know."
McCoy didn't reply.
"The rest of us, McCoy," General Lesterby said, "if we are asked what was said, what transpired, in this room this afternoon, are going to lie."
"Sir?" McCoy blurted, not sure he had heard correctly.
"I said, we're going to lie," General Lesterby said. "If we can get away with it, we're going to deny this meeting ever took place. If we are faced with someone's knowing the meeting was held, we are going to announce we don't remember who was here, and none of us is going to remember what was said by anyone."
McCoy didn't know what to say.
"And we are now asking you, McCoy, without giving you any reasons to do so, to similarly violate the code of truthfulness incumbent upon anyone privileged to wear the uniform of a Marine officer," General Lesterby said, looking right into his eyes.
When McCoy didn't reply, Lesterby went on: "As perverse as it sounds-as it is-I am asking for your word as a Marine officer to lie. If you are unable to do that, that will be the end of this meeting. You will return to your duties under General Forrest and Colonel Rickabee, neither of whom, obviously, is going to hold it against you for living up to a code of behavior you have sworn to uphold."
McCoy didn't reply.
"Well, Sessions," General Forrest said, "you're right about that, anyway. You can't tell what he's thinking by looking at him."
"Yes, sir," McCoy said.
"'Yes, sir,' meaning what?" General Lesterby asked.
"You have my word, sir, that… I'll lie, sir."
"And now I want to know, Lieutenant McCoy-and I want you to tell me the first thing that comes to your mind-why you are willing to do so."
"Colonel Rickabee and Captain Sessions, sir," McCoy said. "They're in on this. I'll go with them." General Lesterby looked at McCoy for a moment. "Okay," he said. "You're in. I really hope you don't later have cause-that none of us later has cause-to regret that decision."
McCoy glanced at Captain Session. He saw that Sessions had just nodded approvingly at him.
"I presume Colonel Rickabee has filled you in at some length, McCoy, about what this is all about?"
"Yes, sir," McCoy said.
"Just so there's no question in anyone's mind, we are all talking about a brother Marine officer, Lieutenant Colonel Evans F. Carlson, who is about to be given command of a Marine Raider battalion. We are all aware that Colonel Carlson was awarded the Navy Cross for valor in Nicaragua, and that he was formerly executive officer of the Marine detachment assigned to protect the President of the United States at Warm Springs, Georgia. We are all aware, further, that he is a close friend of the President's son, Captain James Roosevelt. Because we believe that Colonel Carlson's activities in the future may cause grievous harm to the Corps, we see it as our distasteful duty to send someone-specifically, Lieutenant McCoy here-to spy on him. This action is of questionable legality, and it is without question morally reprehensible. Nevertheless, we are proceeding because we are agreed, all of us, that the situation makes it necessary." He looked around the room and then at General Forrest. "General Forrest?"
"Sir?" Forrest replied, confused.
"Is that your understanding of what is taking place?"
Forrest came to attention. "Yes, sir."
"Colonel Wesley?"
"Yes, sir," Wesley mumbled, barely audibly.
"A little louder, Wesley, if you please," General Lesterby said. "If you are not in agreement with us, now's the time to say so."