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."Coffee, tea, or me?" she asked."Hello, Georgia," Lowell said."Would you like a little of the bubbly, since you're obviously disinterestedin me?""I would love some bubbly," he said, and shoved the folders on the table intothe briefcase.She poured the champagne."Would you like me to sit here, so we can stare soulfully into each other'seyes? Or next to you, where we could play kneesy?" she asked."Whatever pleases you," he said.She sat down next to him, sitting sideways on the chair, and touched herchampagne glass to his."Long time no see," she said."To coin a phrase," he said."Weren't you going to talk to me?""I wasn't sure you would remember me," he said."Ha!""And I seem to recall that you are married to the gentleman im thespectacles," Lowell said."I am," she said, "but what has that to do with anything?""If I were married to you, I don't think I would like an old friend like merushing up with lechery in his eye.""But you like women," Georgia said.It was a moment before he responded.Page 183 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Why did you feel you had to tell me that?" he asked.She poured more champagne in his glass."A couple of reasons," she said, shrugging."Among them, I don't want youshoving his head in a fire bucket."There was confusion on his face for a moment, and then he remembered."I'd forgotten about that," he said."I really think you had," she said, and laughed."I was under a certain emotional strain at the time," he said."Brian is very nice," she said."I want you to behave yourself when you meethim.""Am I going to meet him?""If I stay here, he'll come back.Not to be curious, but to be nice."I am older and wiser, Georgia," Lowell said."Far less prone to violence.""We are all older, damn it," she said."You have weathered the storm miraculously," he said."Flattery will get you everywhere," she said."It's not true, but I love tohear it.""You are a remarkably beautiful woman," he said."Even more beautiful than Iremembered.""Do you know how long ago that was?" she asked, surprise in her voice."Ten years and two months," Lowell said.And then he laughed."The tank is ina museum," he said."What"The tank is in the Patton Museum at Fort Knox," he said."I was there a whileback and saw it"She satisfied herself that he was serious, and then laughed herself."With a sign, no doubt, that says: In this tank, then on the front line, MajorCraig Lowell screwed Georgia Paige, September whatever, 1951'?"He had forgotten how her foul tongue sometimes offended him.He had beenoffended by the foul language of her director when he had visited her on herset in Los Angeles, and had shoved his head in a fire bucket.The act, he hadlater been informed, had rendered the director emotionally incapable ofpracticing his art and shut down the company for the day, and thus had costCraig, Powell, Kenyon and Dawes somewhere in the neighborhood of fortythousand dollars.He had forgotten, too, that she had achieved prominence by going aroundwithout a brassiere.He checked.She was wearing one now.She saw him looking."They are not yet pendulous, to answer your question," she said."Not yet."Page 184 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"I'm glad," he said."Why are you going to Germany? What do you do now?" she asked."I'm going to see my son," he said."God, I'd forgotten you had one," she said."He's fourteen.That's how long ago it was.""He doesn't live with you?""With his grandfather," Lowell said."I'm still a soldier.""You're still a soldier?" she asked in surprise, and then, before he couldreply, she asked: "What are you now? A general?""Colonel," he said."Lieutenant colonel.""I thought you'd certainly be at least a general by now," she said."So did I," he said."That sounded more bitter than Ha-ha," she said."A little of each," he said.The cabin attendant came and laid two trays of hors d'oeuvres on the table."May I bring a menu?" she asked."And would you ask my husband to come back here?" Georgia said."We'll eatwith the colonel."When she had gone, Georgia said: "I want you to meet him.""I'm delighted," he said."No, you're not," Georgia said."But you'll like him.He's nice.And he'sunderstanding.I'm understanding, and he's understanding.""I understand," he mocked."You bastard!" she laughed.She picked up a bacon-wrapped oyster and popped it in her mouth."Did you order these special?" she asked."Do you need oysters now? You're notas randy as you were when you were young?""Christ!" he said.Brian Hayes came down the aisle and stood by the table.He had, Lowellthought, a gentle smile."Say hello to Craig Lowell," she said."Hello, Craig Lowell," Brian Hayes said.Page 185 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlHis handshake, Lowell thought, was not quite John Wayne, but it wasn't exactlypansy.He did not look like a faggot, either."Colonel Craig Lowell," Georgia said."Oh," Brian Hayes said, making the connection.He smiled."The man whoextinguished Derek Nesbit in a fire bucket.I'm very happy to meet you,Colonel.How often, working with him, I have envied you.""I told the stewardess we'd eat here," Georgia said."Sit down.""How nice," Brian Hayes said."Craig is going to see his son in Germany," Georgia said."I see," Brian Hayes said."I am trying to get him to abandon that noble duty and come to Berlin withus," Georgia said."Sounds like a marvelous idea," Brian Hayes said, after a moment.He knows what she means, Lowell realized.And he doesn't give a damn."I don't think that will be possible," Lowell said."I'll only be in Germany aweek or ten days.""Then you're going right back?" Georgia asked
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