Adano to be a town of mysteries and a place of suspicion.
“Adano has been a Fascist town. That is natural, because the country was Fascist, therefore the town was also. But now that the Americans have come, we are going to run the town as a democracy.
“Perhaps you do not know what a democracy is. I will tell you.
“Democracy is this: democracy is that the men of the government are no longer the masters of the people. They are the servants of the people. What makes a man master of another man? It is that he pays him for his work. Who pays the men in the government? The people do, for they pay the taxes out of which you are paid.
“Therefore you are now the servants of the people of Adano. I too am their servant. When I go to buy bread, I shall take my place at the end of the line, and I will wait my turn. You too must behave now as servants, not as masters. You must behave as the servant of the man without shoes just as much as of the baron. If I find that any of you are not giving the type of service that I desire, I shall have to remove you from office.
“Remember: you are servants now. You are servants of the people of Adano. And watch: this thing will make you happier than you have ever been in your lives.”
Chapter 5
AT last, one afternoon a day or two later, the Major found himself alone with Giuseppe, the interpreter. “Giuseppe,” he said, “do you have natural blondes in this part of the country?”
Giuseppe winked understandingly: “Oh, so you got a pair a eyes after all, eh, boss?”
Major Joppolo said coolly: “Do you have natural blondes in this part, Giuseppe?”
Giuseppe said: “I guess a you seen the blonde in a church last Sunday, next a me, eh, boss?”
“Answer my question, interpreter,” the Major said severely.
“Okay, a boss,” Giuseppe said. “Blondes is natural in a north. Down here not so natural, a boss.”
“I thought not.”
The Major went back to his work. Giuseppe puttered around a bit and then said: “Boss.”
Major Joppolo answered with some temper. “What is it, Giuseppe?” he said.
“If a boss is a lonely, Giuseppe could fix a good date, maybe my friend a blonde.”
Major Joppolo said: “Who said I was lonely?”
Giuseppe said: “Boss, I been in a Cleveland, Ohio, I can tell what’s a like to be a long way from a home. Fellow gets a lonely.”
The Major said: “I haven’t got time to be lonely. I’m busy now, Giuseppe. “
“Yes, a boss.”
After he had worked a while, Major Joppolo said: “Giuseppe.”
“Yes, a boss.”
“Who was this blonde you were with last Sunday?” This time Giuseppe was very careful to keep his face grave, and to answer the Major’s question precisely. “Name’s a Tina. She’s a daughter a Tomasino. He’s a fisherman.”
“A fisherman? Is he a good fisherman?”
“Best a one, a boss.”
“Do the other fishermen respect him?”
“Sure, he’s a best a one.”
“Good, I want to see him, Giuseppe.”
This time Giuseppe couldn’t resist winking. “Sure, a boss, I get it.”
Major Joppolo said: “Bring him :n to see me early next week, Giuseppe. I want to start the fishermen going out again. It’ll supplement the food supply. By the first of next week, I’m sure I can get permission from the Navy.”
Chapter 6
I DON’T know how much you know about General Marvin. Probably you just know what has been in the Sunday supplements.
Probably you think of him as one of the heroes of the invasion; the genial, pipe-smoking history-quoting, snappy-looking, map-carrying, adjective-defying divisional commander; the man who still wears spurs even though he rides everywhere in an armored car; the man who fires twelve rounds from his captured Luger pistol every morning before breakfast; the man who can name you the hero and date of every invasion of Italy from the beginning of time; the father of his division and the beloved deliverer of Italian soil.
You
“Adano has been a Fascist town. That is natural, because the country was Fascist, therefore the town was also. But now that the Americans have come, we are going to run the town as a democracy.
“Perhaps you do not know what a democracy is. I will tell you.
“Democracy is this: democracy is that the men of the government are no longer the masters of the people. They are the servants of the people. What makes a man master of another man? It is that he pays him for his work. Who pays the men in the government? The people do, for they pay the taxes out of which you are paid.
“Therefore you are now the servants of the people of Adano. I too am their servant. When I go to buy bread, I shall take my place at the end of the line, and I will wait my turn. You too must behave now as servants, not as masters. You must behave as the servant of the man without shoes just as much as of the baron. If I find that any of you are not giving the type of service that I desire, I shall have to remove you from office.
“Remember: you are servants now. You are servants of the people of Adano. And watch: this thing will make you happier than you have ever been in your lives.”
Chapter 5
AT last, one afternoon a day or two later, the Major found himself alone with Giuseppe, the interpreter. “Giuseppe,” he said, “do you have natural blondes in this part of the country?”
Giuseppe winked understandingly: “Oh, so you got a pair a eyes after all, eh, boss?”
Major Joppolo said coolly: “Do you have natural blondes in this part, Giuseppe?”
Giuseppe said: “I guess a you seen the blonde in a church last Sunday, next a me, eh, boss?”
“Answer my question, interpreter,” the Major said severely.
“Okay, a boss,” Giuseppe said. “Blondes is natural in a north. Down here not so natural, a boss.”
“I thought not.”
The Major went back to his work. Giuseppe puttered around a bit and then said: “Boss.”
Major Joppolo answered with some temper. “What is it, Giuseppe?” he said.
“If a boss is a lonely, Giuseppe could fix a good date, maybe my friend a blonde.”
Major Joppolo said: “Who said I was lonely?”
Giuseppe said: “Boss, I been in a Cleveland, Ohio, I can tell what’s a like to be a long way from a home. Fellow gets a lonely.”
The Major said: “I haven’t got time to be lonely. I’m busy now, Giuseppe. “
“Yes, a boss.”
After he had worked a while, Major Joppolo said: “Giuseppe.”
“Yes, a boss.”
“Who was this blonde you were with last Sunday?” This time Giuseppe was very careful to keep his face grave, and to answer the Major’s question precisely. “Name’s a Tina. She’s a daughter a Tomasino. He’s a fisherman.”
“A fisherman? Is he a good fisherman?”
“Best a one, a boss.”
“Do the other fishermen respect him?”
“Sure, he’s a best a one.”
“Good, I want to see him, Giuseppe.”
This time Giuseppe couldn’t resist winking. “Sure, a boss, I get it.”
Major Joppolo said: “Bring him :n to see me early next week, Giuseppe. I want to start the fishermen going out again. It’ll supplement the food supply. By the first of next week, I’m sure I can get permission from the Navy.”
Chapter 6
I DON’T know how much you know about General Marvin. Probably you just know what has been in the Sunday supplements.
Probably you think of him as one of the heroes of the invasion; the genial, pipe-smoking history-quoting, snappy-looking, map-carrying, adjective-defying divisional commander; the man who still wears spurs even though he rides everywhere in an armored car; the man who fires twelve rounds from his captured Luger pistol every morning before breakfast; the man who can name you the hero and date of every invasion of Italy from the beginning of time; the father of his division and the beloved deliverer of Italian soil.
You
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