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Chapter FortyThe Hero spends a pleasant day with Sister Tugboat"
Once, long ago, a bright light shone. It was there in the midst of darkness, but it was unafraid. It promised so much to the weary people who bathed in its illumination."  He put the book down and turned to his acolyte. "I will not read you the rest," he said.
From
The Nine Canons of Turkmenistan,
a romantic comedy written by Principio Marx, paternal grandfather to Karl Marx. Not related to the Marx brothers. Or the maker of Marx Electric Trains, except through the Cohen gene marker, passed through a tribalchief in Namibia.The Gospel according to NostraChapter TwoTony is a good planner. He was going to have the day off on Thursday, havingworked until nearly midnight on Wednesday, so he set up a field trip for me to the NavalGunnery Range. My boss approved. Of course, my boss didn't know that it was really adate, since Tony had the Officer in Charge of Surface Craft call and make the offer, to broaden my knowledge of the Navy. This took me out of the office for a whole day,officially. I was really excited.It really looked official too, since Tony picked me up at my office in a gray Navytruck, which he had checked out to use during his project. He wouldn't tell what the project was, exactly, but it had to have some weight for the Navy to let its motor poolgive an Air Force officer a vehicle and keep it as long as he wants. By ten we were onour way down to the facility, but we didn't go straight there. About half way down, Tonyturned off on a dirt road that headed toward the water. I thought he was familiar with thearea. I asked, "Is this a back way in.""No. There's no hurry to get there. I told the boat people we'd take an afternoontour. I don't know what's down this road, but it looks interesting." The road went intosome trees and ended almost right on the water. Tony hopped out and opened my door."Want to drink in the scenery?"He was right to try that road. It was really lovely down there by the water, and hedidn't have to say much more. I could tell that it really made him feel good, so I just joined in. I felt very close to him at that point, so I took his hand. We must have lookedunusual, a Navy officer and an Air Force officer in our uniforms, sitting on a rock by thewater, holding hands. There was no one else there to see us, so I didn't care. We stayedthat way for half an hour, making only a few references to interesting things on theestuary, or clouds, which were very few. I think I felt a great peace just then, and thatendeared Tony to me all the more. It was peace I felt, but an electric piece, and I waswondering if he felt the same. About me, that is. I suppose I would have made love tohim right then, if he had made love to me. But nothing happened. We just got back inthe truck, without anyone saying that's enough.
 
Tony laughed as we started back up the road. "I am going to take you, for lunch,to one of the wonders of the modern world. In the town of Little Craggy Creek there is adiner with the word 'Mom's' in the name. And it actually had decent food. You maytravel the world over, searching diligently, and you will never find another place with'Mom's' in its name that doesn't serve cardboard pork chops, brought to you by a waitresswith egg stains on her uniform. This place is truly wondrous."It was okay. For me, a hamburger is a hamburger. Tony doesn't eat hamburgers,so maybe he was carrying on about the place because of other things. We sat in thewindow, looking out at that nice little town. I wondered if my life would be better if Ilived in a pretty place like that, with someone like Tony. But what would we do? Fish?Hand knitted sweaters? What do people do here? Probably work for the Navy. I alreadydo that, and I have the area around Washington to play in. I would probably go crazyhere, even if someone like Tony were really great to be around all the time. Because, asfar as I've seen, no one's great to be around all the time. It was nice looking out thewindow and dreaming, though. I don't remember what we talked about.We went over to the installation. Tony was pretty familiar with the layout anddrove straight to the docks. He told me there wasn't much else of interest here, unless Iwas cleared into the firing facility, and even that wasn't all that great unless they wereshooting downrange. It was the boats we were after.There were two petty officers waiting for us on the dock, and we didn't waste anytime jumping in the boat. They didn't care if anyone wore lifejackets - in fact, theylaughed when I asked if we had to. Then we took off down the bay. I talked with one of the pettys while the other piloted. Their job was to make sure nobody was around whenthe range was hot, and that nobody took up boat residence on the range. They were kindof like traffic cops and security guards all in one, and they knew the place like the back of their hands. That was the best part - we pulled into little coves and inlets that you wouldnever know were there unless you really knew the place. The boat itself was pretty faston the open water, and we got all the way down the range and back, both sides, even withthe delays in the secret places. I honestly didn't even know the range existed before Tonyarranged this tour for me. The petty officers have a good job, and they obviously enjoytheir work. Tony looked so out of place in his Air Force uniform, until I looked at theexpression on his face. He was enjoying it. Plain and simple, and he seemed to belong.The pettys sensed that too. They liked this Air Force major.We were back at the dock about quitting time. It was already getting dark. Wedecided to have dinner back in Alexandria, but before we got to the gate Tony said he'dlike to watch the last light on the bay. We found a quiet spot and parked. I started to feelas I did when we stopped on the way down, and I just let myself go. I put both hands onhis face and kissed him, just as hard as I had in the BOQ, when I didn't know what else todo. He kissed back. I made all the signals I could, and he understood. It was really anexperience, making love in a Navy truck, with two different service uniforms strewn allover the seats and floor. I'm not ashamed to say that I got everything I wanted out of him,and the glow that gotten me started just grew, so I felt really good when we were through.Tony could see that.
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