Read Johnnie for Free Online Page B

all out for. Maybe like Alan Ladd. Tall, almost six foot, blond, blue-eyed, and poured into his full dress suit.
    He left the babe flat and ambled past Ferenz to the group. “Hiya, Rudo,” he called. He was a little popped, maybe more than a little. He swayed when he clapped his brother’s shoulder and he held on to it. “See you brought the family.” He unloosed Rudy and beamed on Magda. “Hiya, Beautiful.” He pinched Trudy somewhere for she jumped and said, “Ow.” “Hiya, Toots. Well, I didn’t think old sourball Otto would let you come but here we all are together. That calls for a drink.” He pulled Rudolph to the wide doors.
    Ferenz lisped anxiously. “Wait a minute, Rupe. Just a minute, dear. When Shanks informed me that Rudolph was here, I arranged a little—” His face relaxed. There was a roll of drums as he was speaking. He nodded his head beatifically as the butler trumpeted, “His Royal Highness, Prince Rudolph of Rudamia!” There were gasps, applause, and a lot of craning toward the balcony. “Her Royal Highness, Princess Ermintrude of Trudamia. Her Highness, Duchess Magda of Trudamia.”
    “And entourage!” Ruprecht murmured. Entourage was a good fifty-buck word but it didn’t throw Johnnie. He was already thrown by Trudy stepping out on Ferenz’s arm. She should have looked like a midget hanging there but all of a sudden she really looked like a royal highness. She must have done this kind of performance before. The band struck up some kind of a march. The party, led by Magda and Rudolph, set out. Johnnie followed. But as soon as the others were surrounded by simpering women and bowing men, Johnnie ditched the parade. He’d seen the buffet over at the right. He sashayed straightaway toward it. He hadn’t known for some little time what those funny feelings were in his stomach. Now he knew. Food. The hamburgers he and Bill and Hank had put away at six o’clock weren’t exactly a full meal. This mess was a hungry guy’s heaven. Turkey and hams and a big pink rib roast, dishes full of everything.
    Johnnie heaved a plate at one of the gold buttons behind the table. “Fill ʼer up,” he suggested. From then on all he had to do was nod while Gold Buttons pointed to this and that and this. When there were about three layers he said, “Hold it.” He could come back for seconds, no rush for chow here. Everybody was too busy babbling around the royal entourage. Johnnie gathered up a napkin and a handful of silver. Big white napkins, the kind Mom had for company dinners back home. With a couple of fingers he managed to balance a cup of coffee. Three lumps of sugar, and cream you could cut with a knife. Ferenz must be (a) a farmer, (b) a hotel, (c) a hoarder in a big way.
    Nobody paid any attention to Johnnie when he walked out of the room. There wasn’t anyone on the balcony now. Johnnie picked the couch down below where Ruprecht had had the platinum babe cornered. He sort of wished the babe had been left over. But he didn’t need her now. He dived into supper. When he’d worked his way through the first two layers he had time to think. He wanted to think. It was essential that he think. Because he wasn’t asleep. He’d never fed this well in a dream.
    Being awake the first question was, how had he come to get mixed up in this screwy business? He was a little embarrassed by that one. He was always getting mixed up in something. Like the time in San Antonio when he—he blushed above his ears. No sense getting sidetracked. That babe had been a honey. But there were no flies on Trudy. On Magda neither, if she’d just stop pawing over Rudo, the goon, and be human. Cut out the girl angle. What was it all about?
    Well, they weren’t Nazis. Because they were waiting for Hitler to hit the banana peel and he for one hoped they were right about it going to be soon. He’d like to finish up this war fast and get back home to Texas. On the other hand why were they scared of the F. B. I. if they