'Shut up!' Yoshima said. 'The man lies. Everyone knows. Stinking Yank!'
Yoshima turned his back on Brough and looked up at the King. 'Give me your water bottle!'
In a dream, the King got his bottle off the shelf and handed it to Yoshima.
The Japanese poured the water out, shook the bottle and peered into it.
Then he tossed it on the floor and moved to Tex. 'Give me your water bottle.'
Peter Marlowe's stomach heaved again. What about the water bottles?
his brain screamed. Are Mac and Larkin being searched? And what happens if Yoshima asks for mine? He gagged and staggered to the window.
Yoshima worked his way around the hut, examining every bottle. At last he stood in front of Peter Marlowe.
'Your water bottle.'
'I —' began Peter Marlowe, and again nausea overwhelmed him and buckled his knees and he was beyond speech.
Yoshima turned to Shagata and said something furiously in Japanese at him.
Shagata said, 'Hai.'
'You!' Yoshima pointed at Grey. 'Go with this man and the guard and get the water bottle.'
'Very well.'
'Excuse me, sir,' the King said quickly. 'His water bottle's here.'
The King reached under his bed and pulled out a bottle, his spare, kept in secret against a rainy day.
Yoshima took it. It was very heavy. Heavy enough to contain a radio or part of a radio. He pulled out the cork and upended it. A stream of dry rice grains poured out. And kept pouring until it was empty and light. No radio inside.
Yoshima hurled the bottle away. 'Where is the radio?' he shouted.
'There isn't one —' began Brough, hoping to God Yoshima wouldn't ask him why the Englishman, who was visiting, should put his water bottle under a bed.
'Shut up.'
Yoshima and the guards searched the hut, making sure that there were no more water bottles, and then Yoshima went through the water bottles again.
'Where is the water bottle radio?' he shouted. 'I know it is here. That one of you has it! Where is it?'
'There's no radio here,' Brough repeated. 'If you like we'll strip the whole hut for you.'
Yoshima knew that somehow his information was wrong. This time he had not been told the hiding place, only that it was contained in a water bottle, or 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. And I'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 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?'
