Johnnie Read online

  “I am a soldier.”

  “I know. Stand like this. Stiff. That’s better. Where Dorp finds you young men, I don’t know. Just remember to keep quiet and do as you’re told, then you’ll be all right. You carry my wrap, over your arm, like that, and my bag.” She laid the white velvet cape just so over his left arm, thrust the white velvet purse in his hand. “You follow me. One moment—”

  She went to her dressing table, opened a golden box, and pulled out a handful of stuff. Johnnie didn’t whistle. His mouth merely pursed. She hung four bracelets on one wrist and three bigger ones on the other. The rocks in them would put out your eyes. On her ring finger she slipped a ruby, big as a reflector.

  “Now. We won’t wait for Trudy. She’s probably been called downstairs. Come along and remember, don’t speak unless you’re spoken to. Ottomkopf is a terrible stickler for discipline.”

  “Yes, Princess,” he grinned.

  “And don’t do that,” she said sharply.

  “Do what?”

  “Don’t smirk.” Her green eyes were harassed. “Don’t smile at all.”

  He grinned again. “Not just a little one?”

  Her face was suddenly angry. “Do as you’re told!”

  “Okay, Princess,” he said.

  She seemed about to explode but she didn’t. She only said, “Don’t call me that,” and she muttered, “Wait until I see Dorp. And Trudy.”

  He followed her to the staircase. She gathered her skirts and floated down with dignity, one hand just touching the balustrade. He followed, not so lightly. At the foot of the stairs she turned a warning glare. Then she smoothed it off until her face was a beautiful picture. She floated across to a double door. There were two guys outside it, one on each knob. One had yellow hair like Johnnie’s, not curled, and one had brown hair. Neither one was as big as Johnnie. Their faces were screwed up tight, not a smile in a faceload. When Magda floated between them, the two acted like jumping jacks. They bowed to her and they bowed to each other and they swung open the door.

  Not until he was following Magda into the room did Johnnie notice. Those guys had had on chauffeur suits just like his, even to the silver snakes on the collar. The reason he took notice then was because there were so many suits just like that already in the room. Otherwise he probably wouldn’t have taken note; the room itself was knocking him loopy.

  The first thing that hit him in the eyes were the three chandeliers. They were probably made of cut glass but they looked like big hunks of diamonds. The next thing he saw was Trudy and she was something to whistle at. She had on white skirts like Magda’s but instead of brilliants there were ermine tails spotting them. The little white wisp above the waistline was even skimpier than Magda’s. The hardware on her wrists was brighter than the chandeliers.

  When he got his eyes off Trudy, Magda had already left him behind. He stuck out his boot to follow per orders but Trudy’s bracelets were wig-wagging him to stand still. At least he gathered that was the signal. Anyway he stood still and watched.

  Magda had floated up to a guy standing on a red velvet platform and she was curtseying to him just as if he were King of the May. He didn’t look it. He looked like the squirt, Theo. Only he wasn’t Theo. Theo was wearing one of the chauffeur suits with his face screwed up like the jumping jacks outside. As a matter of fact the King of the May had on one of the same kind of suits only his had a lot more silver embroidering it and there was a whole chestful of medals dangling on the front. This guy was a little taller than Theo but he had the same pasty face, the same patent leather hair. Johnnie figured it must be Rudolph, the one who had this house in such a tizzy.

  Rudolph was smoking a cigarette in a three-inch long black holder with silver snakes on it. He gave Magda a nod then turned up his nose as if she smelled bad instead of like cape jasmine. Well, maybe he didn’t like the smell of jasmine. Johnnie did. Reminded him of home, down around Corpus Christi way. Every man to his own smells.

  By that time Johnnie had located Dorp. He was bursting the seams out of his white tie and tails. Probably rented it. His shoes still weren’t good, the patent leather was wrinkled across the toes. But Dorp—at least Pudgey was Dorp to Johnnie till he found out different—looked happy. His fat face was bisected by a blissful smile. He was the only one in the room wearing a smile. The chauffeur squadron didn’t even look human. And Dorp’s pal, the glass-eyed, hatchet-faced menace, looked more sour than ever. He was standing beside Rudolph with a big ribbon across his middle, like pictures of the little New Year on magazine covers only the ribbon was red, and instead of a diaper he was wearing full dress like Dorp. His gray head looked as if it needed a shave.

  This room was really something. The windows were covered with red velvet and all the chairs were red velvet. The one on the platform had a canopy of red velvet with a golden crown and scepter embroidered on it. Even the rug was red velvet. If he hadn’t just come down the stairs with Magda, Johnnie wouldn’t have believed he was in the same house he’d entered half an hour ago. This room and Magda’s room certainly didn’t fit with Aunt Clotilda’s parlor downstairs.

  Magda came out of the curtsy just as if she were used to making one every hour on the hour. She pulled out all the stops in her voice. It throbbed. “Rudolph, I cannot believe you are here at last. You must tell me all of your travels, all the excitement. But you are tired, my dear—”

  “I’m not tired,” Rudolph put in. He had an adenoidal tenor. “And there wasn’t any excitement.”

  “Ah, but your escape!”

  “It was dull.” Rudolph’s lip pouted. “I thought it would be exciting.” His beady black eyes glared at the man beside him. “But it wasn’t. Herr Ottomkopf put me on the plane in Mexico City. I flew to El Paso.”

  “You just come from El Paso?” Johnnie burst out happily. He ceased. The way everyone in the room turned on him he might have been announcing that he had a bad case of cholera. “Well,” he began in explanation.

  Magda was ice. “Quiet,” she commanded. “I’m sorry, Rudolph.”

  Dorp’s hands waggled. He spoke English now but so thickly he reminded Johnnie of Captain Katzenjammer. “I regret, Your Highness. I regret much, but the draft it takes so many of our young men and we must train more, sometimes with such little time.” His voice oozed away under Rudolph’s empty stare. The silence was so rugged that Johnnie could feel his ears sizzling.

  Rudolph’s adenoids began again. “From El Paso I had to come by train. Unendurable!” He fanned his face with the cigarette holder. He had a big ruby on his finger, too. Johnnie never had liked guys who wore jewelry. He knew for certain he wasn’t going to like Rudolph. Highness or no highness, let Rudy make one crack about Texas and he’d pop him one. But Rudolph didn’t. He jabbed the cigarette at the glassy-eyed man beside him. “If you could come by plane, Herr Ottomkopf, why must I endure days on the filthy train?”

  Ottomkopf bowed. “For safety, Your Highness.” He had a worse accent than Herr Dorp. “I have explain. The incognito—”

  “I didn’t like it,” Rudolph said, and the steel spine of Ottomkopf wobbled just a trifle.

  Magda poured oil. “It’s all over now, Rudo. From now on you travel by plane, the best planes. Dinner is prepared. Shall we—”

  “I’m not hungry,” Rudolph said petulantly. He popped his cigarette holder like a water pistol. The stub fell to the carpet. Herr Ottomkopf with no expression picked it up. He passed it to the black suit next to him. That guy passed it on. Johnnie never did see who finally swallowed it. He was looking at Trudy again. Cute as a button, a Sonja Henie button, she was. But she was on pins and needles about something. It was making her blue eyes jump around. It couldn’t be that she was jealous of Magda taking over the great Rudo. Nuts to that.

  Herr Ottomkopf fitted another long white cigarette into the long black holder. He struck a match. Nobody made a false move until the ritual of His Highness’ cigarette was over and the first blast of smoke exhaled.

  Magda smiled.
“We have your favorite foods prepared, Rudolph. I remembered each one.” Johnnie wasn’t too dumb to catch that glint on Trudy’s face. She’d done the remembering, not the gorgeous Magda. “Wienerwurst. Head cheese and pickled walnuts. And apple cake and champagne.”

  “I’m not hungry.” Rudolph repeated. “I ate at the station.”

  Everyone glared now at the Number One boy next to Ottomkopf. He snapped his heels and, without relaxing his face, recited, “It is true. His Highness wishes to eat. He eats. I remain with him.”

  “I was hungry then,” Rudolph explained loftily. “I’m not hungry now. I had a bowl of chile con came and a double chocolate malt.”

  Johnnie winced. The junk they called chile in any eating house east of Kansas City was slop for the pigs.

  “Now I’m going to Ruprecht’s party,” Rudolph announced.

  That one really threw them. The big shots actually moved from their invisible chalk marks on the red rug. Big stop signs were written all over their faces but nobody yelled, “No.”

  Magda finally cried, “You can’t do that!”

  Johnnie found out then why everyone had kept quiet. Rudolph’s face turned to a regular neon sign, half green, half red. Furthermore it took on the look of a particularly mean little oaf who had a mud ball in his fist and no one near enough to disarm him. He closed his mouth tight and said nothing.

  Dorp began dripping, “What she means, Your Highness, is that with all the risks we have took, it is not wise you leave mine house until time we go to the Clipper.”

  “I’m going to Ruprecht’s,” Rudolph stated nastily.

  “It’s impossible.” Trudy was tiny but she stepped right up to him. “Ruprecht himself agreed that it was wiser if he didn’t try to see you. We’d have had him here otherwise. But the danger of him being followed—the F. B. I. follows him night and day.”

  “Ruprecht’s at a party,” Rudolph said. “I’m going too. I’m invited.”

  “He doesn’t even know you’re here!” Dorp’s face was full of little rivulets running down into his fat neck.

  “He does too,” Rudolph countered. “I telephoned him.”

  “You telephoned him!” This time they were kicked in the teeth. They turned balefully as one man on the Number One boy.

  He didn’t flinch. He clicked his heels and recited, “It is true. His Highness wishes to phone. I remain outside. He phones.”

  “And did you think of the F. B. I. waiting to apprehend His Highness?” Dorp shouted. “Did you not know you were to come direct to headquarters from the train?”

  Rudolph mused, “When I want to do something, I do it. I want to go to Ruprecht’s party. And nobody’s going to stop me.” He stuck out his chinless chin at the whole roomful.

  That stymied them. All but Trudy. She said, “Don’t be an ass, Rudolph. Ruprecht isn’t alone. He’s a guest of Lessering.”

  “I know it. Ferenz Lessering is my friend.” Rudolph blew smoke. “I owe him one hundred fifty thousand rudls. Or rather the kingdom does. He’ll be glad to see me.” His eyes popped. “And I’m not an ass, Trudy.”

  “You are if you do anything so utterly, utterly—”

  “Icky,” Johnnie supplied.

  “Quiet!” Magda yelled. She turned back to Rudolph. “Don’t you see it’s a trap? It must be a trap. Ruprecht agreed—”

  “You’re all being revoltingly stupid,” Rudolph said. “I am going to Ruprecht’s party right now. I like parties. The Clipper doesn’t leave until morning. It is not yet eight o’clock. What do you expect me to do until tomorrow? Sit and eat wienerwursts!” He shuddered. “Janssen!”

  The Number One jumping jack clicked again.

  “My coat.”

  “If you insist on seeing your brother,” Herr Ottomkopf gritted, “I will attend you.”

  “And I,” Herr Dorp sighed.

  “Of course, I’ll go with you, Rudo,” Magda purred. “If you really need to see Ruprecht so badly.”

  Johnnie looked for Trudy to make it a quorum. Somehow she’d slipped out of the room. Probably while he was watching Janssen perform.

  Rudolph drew himself up but he didn’t protest. Janssen helped him into a black coat that buttoned under his chin. Janssen put on the patent leather hair a black dress cap, officers’ cap. Johnnie frowned. He hadn’t caught it before. These weren’t chauffeur suits; they were soldier suits. But not of the U. S. Army. His stomach teetered for the first time.

  Dorp said, “Wait. Theo, you will come with me. We must have coats for the men. They cannot go into the street this way.” He paddled out. Theo goose-stepped after him.

  Magda turned. “My cape. Johann! Johnnie!”

  “Who, me?” He’d been watching Rudolph pop another butt to the floor.

  “Yes, you.”

  He brought it to her, laid it about her shoulders. She looked daggers but she wouldn’t stab him in front of the great Rudolph. She pulled the hood over her head, took the velvet handbag, fumbled in it. “My gloves. One moment, Rudolph. I forgot them.” Her smile would melt butter. She swirled, made swiftly out the door.

  Johnnie turned, followed her. She was almost at the head of the stairs before he started up. But he had his orders. Follow me. He hesitated just a minute before he opened the door of her room. Gloves might mean something like powder my nose. Just the same he went in. He wanted a word alone with her. He couldn’t go out on the street like this. What if the M. P.’s spotted him?

  He nearly backed out again fast. She was standing in front of her fancy dressing table. And she was just putting a little blunt-nosed shiny gun into the velvet purse.

  2.

  Magda saw his reflection in the dressing-table mirror. She whirled her white skirts. The velvet bag was closed now. “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

  He found his voice. “You told me to trail you, Princess.” He burst out with it. “What are you doing with that gun?”

  She held the velvet against her. She spoke carefully. “I think this is a trap. There are certain people who do not want Rudolph to return to his country.” She flared, “How dare you question me?”

  “Where is his country?”

  She had a pair of long white gloves and she began easing them over her wrist diamonds. “Did you ever hear of Luxembourg?”

  “No’m.”

  She was impatient. “Well, it isn’t Luxembourg but it’s near there. If you’ve never heard of it, the name wouldn’t mean anything.”

  He was suspicious. “Not Germany?”

  “No, not Germany,” she snapped. “Come along. I wouldn’t trust that idiot not to go off and leave me here.”

  “Listen, Princess,” he began.

  “Come along,” she commanded, shoving past him. “And I told you to stop that Princess stuff.”

  She made time on the stairs but she didn’t get away from him. The others were gathered in the second floor corridor. The soldiers had black coats covering up their uniforms. Dorp was giving orders with his fat fingers. The nails were still dirty. “You will go in this car—you in that—”

  Magda stated, “I, of course, will go with Rudolph.” She gave him the big smile, put her hand under his arm.

  Trudy shoved a coat at Johnnie. “Put this on. Button it up.” She had a little short cape of ermine around her shoulders.

  “I can’t go with you,” Johnnie told her under his breath. “Not without my uniform. Where’s my uniform?”

  “It isn’t back yet,” Trudy muttered. “You look all right. You might as well come along. I might need you. And it’ll be a good party.”

  Rudolph whined, “What are we waiting for? It’s a supper party.”

  “You stick with Magda,” Trudy ordered under her breath. “You’re her attendant.” Johnnie didn’t get to say any more. She slid back to Dorp and Theo, started with them down the stairs.

  The squadron stood at attention on either side. The two men who had been outside the throne room followed Dorp, Theo and Trudy. After them went Ottomkopf and
Janssen, Magda and Rudolph, with Johnnie bringing up the rear. He didn’t know what else to do. If he lost sight of Trudy he might never get his uniform back. He hoped the brownout was still working. It’d be too bad if the M. P.’s spotted him now.

  There were no strangers visible in the street. Two cars stood at the curb. The first was a Chevrolet sedan. One jumping jack was at the wheel. Theo climbed in beside him; Dorp and Trudy took the rear. The big black limousine behind it had the other jumping jack in the driver’s seat. Ottomkopf took his place beside him. Magda and Rudolph took up the back seat. That left jump seats for Janssen and Johnnie.

  The cars rolled away. Johnnie took out his package of cigarettes. “Smoke?” he offered Janssen.

  Janssen said sharply but softly, “No!”

  Johnnie lit his own. Janssen looked horrified. He was making gestures but Johnnie ignored them. If they meant that Johnnie shouldn’t have a cigarette that was too bad. Rudolph was smelling up the car with his brand. And Rudolph was complaining, “I don’t know that I like this plan at all, Magda.”

  “You want to reign, don’t you?”

  “Yes, certainly I do. That’s the only reason I left Mexico. I wasn’t afraid of those men Otto was always burbling about. I never laid eyes on them. I liked Mexico. I learned to eat chile. I dearly love chile, Magda. Who’s going to make chile for me at home?”

  “Chile.” She almost snorted it. “With a throne waiting.”

  “I came, didn’t I? But I don’t like it. How do we know it’s safe?”

  “The enemy can’t last another year, Rudolph. You’ll have to be on hand to take over, near, where you can fly over the border in a couple of hours.”

  “How do I know it isn’t just a trick to get me back there? Who is this dreadful little fat man, Herr Dorp, anyway? Where did you find him? How do we know he isn’t working for Hitler, trying to get me to go back and be a puppet king? I won’t be a puppet king. I’ll run away again. That’s why I ran away before.”

  “And because you didn’t like the bombs,” she slurred.