* * * * *
We met up again, right after lunch hour, to compare notes. Bob volunteered to go first.
"I sat down next to Thomas Schmidt. And, at one point, I asked him to pass me some butter. As soon as he had, I remarked about the calluses on his hands. Asking him if he did any kind of woodworking. And, he affirmed that he ran a woodshop right here in camp."
"So, I told him that I whittled in my spare time. Mostly, mantlepiece models of Allied biplanes, from the World War, that my dad could sell out of his souvenir shop on Coney Island. So, he nods and says..."
" 'Whittling. Ja! Das ist gut enough hobby to usefully fill one's spare time. But, in mein family? Woodworking was a vocation! Passed down from vater to sohn.' "
"So, as I see him smiling, I figure it's safe to ask my question."
" 'Are you thinking of expanding on that tradition? Is that why you moved to Wisconsin from Pennsylvania?' "
"Suddenly, he lost that smile as he replied that it was a little more complicated than that. And, then, he clammed up for the rest of lunch! How did you do, Sir Anthony?"
The latter replied that he had been seated next to Tobias Blair. Whereupon, he had broached the subject of Blair being an archery teacher.
"I told him that I had learned it from my late wife, who had learned it from her father, who had learned it from his favorite Red Indian hunting guide in Canada.* So, he replied that he had learned his archery from Red Indians, too!"
" 'I was born and raised at Fort Apache, Arizona, where my old man was top sergeant of the reservation police force,' he had added. So, I remarked that such an exotic upbringing must have contributed greatly to his own military career. At which point, he suddenly developed a most suspicious frown!"
" 'How did you know I was in the army?' he demanded to know. So, I pointed out that he was obviously still accustomed to coiffing himself in the American military style. Pretending, as I did so, that I had half-forgotten the colloquial term of 'crew cut!' "
"He then gave a mildly embarrassed laugh before telling me that I was correct. But, that he had left the army a long time ago. Over a slight 'disagreement' with a so-called 'superior' officer. His bitter words! Not mine."
"Anyway, I sensed that he was reluctant to discuss the matter any further, right then and there. So, I pretended to acquiesce. Fear not, though! I intend to challenge him to a good-natured archery match, one on one, much later this afternoon. Perhaps that will relax him enough to open up, much further."
Concluding his report, he now turned to me. Asking me if I had had better luck with Theo Wisemann. I shrugged.
"That depends on your definition of the word. I pretended that he looked familiar to me. Asking him if he had ever been a patient of mine during the war. Adding, of course, that I'd been a medical officer with the Lafayette Escadrille."
"He immediately shook his head. Telling me that he hadn't even been in Europe at that time! That he'd been in SouthEast Asia, working as a missionary among the hill tribes of Cambodia. So, I replied..."
" 'Really? What church were you working for? I mean, you must have had some success over there, if they've called you back home to work among under-privileged kids.' "
"That's when he became real taciturn."
We were quiet for the next few moments, trying to figure out a slyer approach to questioning these guys, when something suddenly occurred to me.
"Sir Anthony! When Mr. Galstaff first showed us Cassandra White's name, back in Milwaukee, he specified that she was a _volunteer_ staff member! Yet, we had asked for the names of _all_ the summer camp staff members who lived in Arbor Vitae. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but..."
He shook his head: "You're not wrong. Semantically, such a request would automatically be taken to mean the inclusion of names of salary drawers, as well as volunteers! Which raises the question: why were those three names withheld from us at that earlier juncture?"
"Assuming there was even a list, at all," countered Bob: "What you should be asking is _who_ withheld those names. The guy who compiled it? Or the one who _ordered_ him to compile it?"
This was true. Because, there were only two people who fit that description. Milwaukee Lodge President Austin Galstaff...and his assistant.
tbc
Giantess World
Chapter End Notes:
*Red Indian: obsolete British euphemism for Native Americans.