sidneysheldon.astrangerinthemirror-第7部分

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e　learned。　He　did　four　and　five　shows　a　day　at　small　theaters　named　the　Gem　and　the　Odeon　and　the　Empire　and　the　Star。　And　he　learned。　And；　finally；　one　of　the　things　that　Toby　Temple　learned　was　that　he　could　spend　the　rest　of　his　life　playing　the　Toilet　Circuit；　unknown　and　undiscovered。　But　an　event　occurred　that　made　the　whole　matter　academic。　
　On　a　cold　Sunday　afternoon　in　early　December　in　1941；　Toby　was　playing　a　five…a…day　act　at　the　Dewey　Theatre　on　Fourteenth　Street　in　New　York。　There　were　eight　acts　on　the　bill；　and　part　of　Toby's　job　was　to　introduce　them。　The　first　show　went　well。　During　the　second　show；　when　Toby　introduced　the　Flying　Kanazawas；　a　family　of　Japanese　acrobats；　the　audience　began　to　hiss　them。　Toby　retreated　backstage。　
　〃What　the　hell's　the　matter　with　them　out　there？〃　he　asked。　
　〃Jesus；　haven't　you　heard？　The　Japs　attacked　Pearl　Harbor　a　few　hours　ago；〃　the　stage　manager　told　him。　
　〃So　what？〃　Toby　asked。　〃Look　at　those　guys　　they're　great。〃　
　The　next　show；　when　it　was　the　turn　of　the　Japanese　troupe；　Toby　went　out　on　stage　and　said；　
　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；　it's　a　great　privilege　to　present　to　you。　fresh　from　their　triumph　in　Manila　the　Flying　Filipinos！〃　
　The　moment　the　audience　saw　the　Japanese　troupe；　they　began　to　hiss。　During　the　rest　of　the　day　Toby　turned　them　into　the　Happy　Hawaiians；　the　Mad　Mongolians　and；　finally；　the　Eskimo　Flyers。　But　he　was　unable　to　save　them。　Nor；　as　it　turned　out；　himself。　When　he　telephoned　his　father　that　evening；　Toby　learned　that　there　was　a　letter　waiting　for　him　at　home。　It　began；　〃Greetings〃；　and　was　signed　by　the　President。　Six　weeks　later；　Toby　was　sworn　into　the　United　States　Army。　The　day　he　was　inducted；　his　head　was　pounding　so　hard　that　he　was　barely　able　to　take　the　oath。　
　
　The　headaches　came　often；　and　when　they　happened；　little　Josephine　felt　as　though　two　giant　hands　were　squeezing　her　temples。　She　tried　not　to　cry；　because　it　upset　her　mother。　Mrs。　Czinski　had　discovered　religion。　She　had　always　secretly　felt　that　in　some　way　she　and　her　baby　were　responsible　for　the　death　of　her　husband。　She　had　wandered　into　a　revival　meeting　one　afternoon；　and　the　minister　had　thundered；　
　〃You　are　all　soaked　in　sin　and　wickedness。　The　God　that　holds　you　over　the　pit　of　Hell　like　a　loathsome　insect　over　a　fire　abhors　you。　You　hang　by　a　slender　thread；　every　damned　one　of　you；　and　the　flames　of　His　wrath　will　consume　you　unless　you　repent！〃　Mrs。　Csinski　instantly　felt　better；　for　she　knew　that　she　was　hearing　the　word　of　the　Lord。　
　''This　a　punishment　from　God　because　we　killed　your　father；〃　her　mother　would　tell　Josephine；　and　while　she　was　too　young　to　understand　what　the　words　meant；　she　knew　that　she　had　done　something　bad；　and　she　wished　she　knew　what　it　was；　so　that　she　could　tell　her　mother　that　she　was　
　
　
　In　the　beginning；　Toby　Temple's　war　was　a　nightmare。　In　the　army　he　was　a　nobody；　a　serial　number　in　a　uniform　like　millions　of　others；　faceless；　nameless；　anonymous。　
　He　was　sent　to　basic　training　camp　in　Georgia　and　then　shipped　out　to　England；　where　his　outfit　was　assigned　to　a　camp　in　Sussex。　Toby　told　the　sergeant　he　wanted　to　see　the　manding　general。　He　got　as　far　as　a　captain。　The　captain's　name　was　Sam　Winters。　He　was　a　dark…plexioned；　intelligent…looking　man　in　his　early　thirties。　
　〃What's　your　problem；　soldier？〃　
　〃It's　like　this。　Captain；〃　Toby　began。　〃I'm　an　entertainer。　I'm　in　show　business。　That's　what　I　did　in　civilian　life。〃　
　Captain　Winters　smiled　at　his　earnestness。　〃What　exactly　do　you　do？〃　he　asked。　
　〃A　little　of　everything；〃　Toby　replied。　〃I　do　imitations　and　parodies　and。。　。〃　He　saw　the　look　in　the　captain's　eyes　and　ended　lamely；　〃Things　like　that。〃　
　〃Where　have　you　worked？〃　
　Toby　started　to　speak；　then　stopped。　It　was　hopeless。　The　captain　would　only　be　impressed　by　places　like　New　York　and　Hollywood。　〃No　place　you　would　have　heard　of；〃　Toby　replied。　He　knew　now　that　he　was　wasting　his　time。　
　Captain　Winters　said；　〃It's　not　up　to　me；　but　I'll　see　what　I　can　do。〃　
　〃Sure；〃　Toby　said。　〃Thanks　a　lot；　Captain。〃　He　gave　a　salute　and　exited。　
　
　Captain　Sam　Winters　sat　at　his　desk；　thinking　about　Toby　long　after　the　boy　had　gone。　Sam　Winters　had　enlisted　because　he　felt　that　this　was　a　war　that　had　to　be　fought　and　had　to　be　won。　At　the　same　time　he　hated　it　for　what　it　was　doing　to　young　kids　like　Toby　Temple。　But　if　Temple　really　had　talent；　it　would　e　through　sooner　or　later；　for　talent　was　like　a　frail　flower　growing　under　solid　rock。　In　the　end；　nothing　could　stop　it　from　bursting　through　and　blooming。　Sam　Winters　had　given　up　a　good　job　as　a　motion…picture　producer　in　Hollywood　to　go　into　the　army。　He　had　produced　several　successful　pictures　for　Pan…Pacific　Studios　and　had　seen　dozens　of　young　hopefuls　like　Toby　Temple　e　and　go。　The　least　they　deserved　was　a　chance。　
　Later　that　afternoon　he　spoke　to　Colonel　Beech　about　Toby。　〃I　think　we　should　let　Special　Services　audition　him；〃　Captain　Winters　said。　〃I　have　a　feeling　he　might　be　good。　God　knows　the　boys　are　going　to　need　all　the　entertainment　they　can　get。〃　
　Colonel　Beech　stared　up　at　Captain　Winters　and　said　coolly；　〃Right；　Captain。　Send　me　a　memo　on　it。〃　He　watched　as　Captain　Winters　walked　out　the　door。　Colonel　Beech　was　a　professional　soldier；　a　West　Point　man；　and　the　son　of　a　West　Point　man。　The　Colonel　despised　all　civilians；　and　to　him　Captain　Winters　was　a　civilian。　Putting　on　a　uniform　and　captain's　bars　did　not　make　a　man　a　soldier。　When　Colonel　Beech　received　Captain　Winters's　memo　on　Toby　Temple；　he　glanced　at　it；　then　savagely　scribbled　across　it；　〃request　denied〃；　and　initialed　it。　He　felt　better。　
　What　Toby　missed　most　was　the　lack　of　an　audience。　He　needed　to　work　on　his　sense　of　liming；　his　skills。　He　would　tell　jokes　and　do　imitations　and　routines　at　every　opportunity。　It　did　not　matter　whether　his　audience　was　two　GIs　doing　guard　duty　with　him　in　a　lonely　field；　a　busload　of　soldiers　on　their　way　into　town　or　a　dishwasher　on　KP。　Toby　had　to　make　them　laugh；　win　their　applause。　Captain　Sam　Winters　watched　one　day　as　Toby　went　through　one　of　his　routines　in　the　recreation　hall。　Afterward；　he　went　up　to　Toby　and　said；　〃I'm　sorry　your　transfer　didn't　work　out；　Temple。　I　think　you　have　talent。　When　the　war's　over；　if　you　get　to　Hollywood；　look　me　up。〃　He　grinned　and　added；　〃Assuming　I　still　have　a　job　out　there。〃　The　following　week　Toby's　battalion　was　sent　into　bat。　
　In　later　years；　when　Toby　recalled　die　war；　what　he　remembered　were　not　the　battles。　At　Samt…Lo　he　had　been　a　smash　doing　a　mouth…sync　act　to　a　Bing　Crosby　record。　At　Aachen　he　had　sneaked　into　the　hospital　and　told　jokes　to　the　wounded　for　two　hours　before　the　nurses　threw　him　out。　He　remembered　with　satisfaction　that　one　GI　had　laughed　so　hard　all　his　stitches　had　broken　open。　Metz　was　where　he　had　bombed　out；　but　Toby　felt　that　that　was　only　because　the　audience　was　jittery　about　the　Nazi　planes　flying　overhead。　
　The　fighting　that　Toby　did　was　incidental。　He　was　cited　for　bravery　in　the　capture　of　a　German　mand　post。　Toby　had　really　had　no　idea　what　was　going　on。　He　had　been　playing　John　Wayne；　and　had　gotten　so　earned　away　that　it　was　all　over　before　he　had　time　to　be　frightened。　To　Toby；　it　was　the　entertaining　that　was　important。　
　In　Cherbourg　he　visited　a　whorehouse　with　a　couple　of　friends；　and　while　they　were　upstairs；　Toby　stayed　in　the　parlor　doing　a　routine　for　the　madame　and　two　of　her　girls。　When　he　had　finished；　the　madame　sent　him　upstairs；　on　the　house。　
　That　was　Toby's　war。　All　in　all；　it　was　not　a　bad　war；　and　time　went　by　very　quickly。　When　the　war　ended；　it　was　1945　and　Toby　was　almost　twenty…five　years　old。　In　appearance　he　had　not　aged　one　day。　He　had　the　same　sweet　face　and　beguiling　blue　eyes；　and　that　helpless　air　of　innocence　about　him。　Everyone　was　talking　about　going　home。　There　was　a　bride　waiting　in　Kansas　City；　a　mother　and　father　in　Bayonne；　a　business　in　St。　Louis。　There　was　nothing　waiting　for　Toby。　Except　Fame。　He　decided　to　go　to　Hollywood。　It　was　time　that　God　made　good　on　His　promise。　
　
　〃Do　you　know　God？　Have　you　seen　the　face　of　Jesus？　I　have　seen　Him；　brothers　and　sisters；　and　I　have　heard　His　voice；　but　He　speaks　only　to　those　who　kneel　before　Him　and　confess　their　sins。　God　abhors　the　unrepentant。　The　bolo　of　God's　wrath　is　bent　and　the　flaming　arrow　of　His　righteous　anger　is　pointed　at　your　wicked　hearts；　and　at　any　moment　He　will　let　go　and　the　arrow　of　His　retribution　shall　smite　your　hearts！　Look　up　to　Him　now；　before　it　is　too　late！〃　
　Josephine　looked　up　toward　the　top　of　the　tent；　terrified；　expecting　to　see　a　flaming　arrow　shooting　at　her。　She　clutched　her　mother's　hand；　but　her　mother　was　unaware　of　it。　Her　face　was　flushed　and　her　eyes　were　bright　with　fervor。　〃Praise　Jesus！〃　the　congregation　roared。　The　revival　meetings　were　held　in　a　huge　tent；　on　the　outskirts　of　Odessa；　and　Mrs。　Czinski　took　Josephine　to　all　of　them。　The　preacher's　pulpit　was　a　wooden　platform　raised　six　feet　above　the　ground。　Immediately　in　front　of　the　platform　was　the　glory　pen；　where　sinners　were　brought　to　repent　and　experience　conversion。　Beyond　the　pen　were　rows　and　rows　of　hard