'Good morning,' he said hoarsely as they got up.
Awata snapped gutturally at the guard. The guard bowed and fell into place beside Awata. Another curt order and the two men shouldered their rifles and walked away.
'It's over,' the Camp Commandant said throatily. 'Bring the wireless and follow me.'
Numbly they did as he ordered, and they walked out of the room into the sun. And the sun and the air felt good. They followed the Camp Commandant up the street watched by the stunned eyes of Changi.
The six senior colonels were waiting in the Camp Commandant's quarters.
Brough was also there. They all saluted.
'Stand easy, please,' the Camp Commandant said, returning the salute.
Then he turned to the three. 'Sit down. We owe you a debt of gratitude.'
Eventually Larkin said, 'It's really over?'
'Yes. I've just seen the General.' The Camp Commandant looked around the speechless faces, collecting his thoughts. 'At least I think it's over,' he said. 'Yoshima was with the General. I said — I said, 'The war's over.'
The General just stared at me when Yoshima translated. I waited, but he said nothing, so I said again, The war's over. I - I - I demand your surrender.'' The Camp Commandant rubbed his bald head. 'I didn't know what else to say. For a long time the General just looked at me. Yoshima said nothing, nothing at all.
'Then the General said and Yoshima interpreted, 'Yes. The war is over.
You will return to your post in the camp. I have ordered my guards to turn their backs on the camp and guard you against anyone who tries to force an entrance into the camp to hurt you. They are your guards now — for your protection — until I have further orders. You are still responsible for the camp's discipline.'
'I didn't know what to say, so I asked him to double the rations and give us medicines and he said, 'Tomorrow the rations will be doubled. You will receive some medical supplies. Unfortunately, we do not have much. But you are responsible for discipline. My guards will protect you against those who wish to kill you.' 'Who are they?' I asked. The General shrugged and said, 'Your enemies. This interview is over.''
'Goddam,' Brough said. 'Maybe they want us to go out — to give them an excuse to shoot us.'
'We can't let the men out,' Smedly-Taylor said, appalled, 'they'd riot. But we must do something. Perhaps we should tell them to hand over their weapons —'
The Camp Commandant held up his hand. 'I think all we can do is wait.
I'm — I think someone will arrive. And until they do, I think it's best we carry on as usual. Oh yes. We are allowed to send a bathing party to the sea. Five men from each hut. In rotation. Oh my God,' he said, and it was a prayer, 'I hope no one goes off half-cocked. There's still no guarantee that the Japs here will obey the surrender. They may even go on fighting.
All we can do is hope for the best — and prepare for the worst.'
He paused and looked at Larkin. 'I think that the wireless should be left here.' He nodded at Smedly-Taylor. 'You'll arrange for permanent guards.'
'Yes, sir.'
'Of course,' the Camp Commandant said to Larkin, including Peter Marlowe and Mac, 'you are still to operate it.'
'If you don't mind, sir,' Mac said, 'let someone else do that. I'll repair it if anything goes wrong, but, well, I suppose you'll want to have it connected twenty-four hours a day. We couldna do that — and somehow — well, speaking for mysel', now that it's in the open, let people share in the listening.'
'Take care of it, Colonel!' the Camp Commandant said.
'Yes, sir,' Smedly-Taylor said.
'Now we'd better discuss operations.'
Outside the Camp Commandant's quarters a group of curious bystanders
— including Max — began to collect, impatient to learn what was being said, and what had happened, and why the Japanese guard had been taken off the radio.
When Max could stand the strain no longer, he ran back to the American hut!
'Hey, you guys!' he managed to shout.
'The Japs're coming?' The King was ready to jump through the window and head for the fence.
'No! Jesus,' Max said, out of breath, unable to go on.
'Well, what the hell's up?' the King said.
'They've taken the Jap guards off Pete and the radio!' Max said getting his breath. 'Then the Camp Commandant took Pete, Larkin and the Scot -
and the radio - up to his quarters. There's a big powwow going on there right now. All the senior colonels are there - even Brough's there!'
'You sure?' the King asked.
'I tell you I saw it with my own eyes, but I don't believe it either.'
In the violent silence, the King pulled out a cigarette and then Tex said what he had already realized.
'It's over then. It's really over. That's what it's gotta mean - if they've taken the guard off the radio!' Tex looked around. 'Doesn't it?'
Max sank heavily onto his bunk and wiped the sweat off his face. 'That's what I figure. If they've taken the guard away, that means that they're gonna give up here — not go on fighting.' He peered at Tex helplessly.
'Doesn't it?'
But Tex was lost in his own private bewilderment. At length he said impassively, 'It's over.'
The King soberly puffed his cigarette. 'I'll believe it when I see it.' Then, suddenly, in the eerie silence, he
