Orders Is Orders by L. Ron Hubbard Read Free Book Online

he sat back against the wall.
    For a long time, Mitchell listened to his snores. At length he got up and paced nervously
     around the huts, looking out into the plains for cavalry and spotting occasional bombers
     which flew along the horizon.
    Now that he was left to himself, he knew how tired he had been made by the nervous
     strain. His mouth and throat felt raw and he was a little sick to his stomach.
    Shunkien was so very far away and the dull, muttering thunder in the air said that
     the way was hard.
    Mitchell came back to his pack, thinking he might refresh himself with a shave. The
     bulge of the bottle was under his hand. Unwillingly he unbuckled it and read the label.
    His throat was so dry and his mouth was so parched. . . . Canadian Whisky. Five Years Old. One Quart. Just one drink wouldn’t do any harm. Just one drink . . . But if he took that drink
     he would finish the bottle. He knew he would.
    And still . . . Just one, small drink . . .
    His mouth was set as he forced himself to put the bottle back. He padded it so that
     he could not feel the sharp corners.
    He had won. He ought to throw the damned thing up against the wall, but he could not.
    Wearily he asked himself, would he win next time?
    Shunkien was so very far away!

Chapter Seven
    A T noon Wednesday, two regiments of Chinese infantry and three batteries of artillery reinforced the fragments defending Shunkien. A half-hour later their
     howitzers began to wham in the streets, pounding the Japanese on the ridge and succeeding
     in blasting two tanks which had sought to blast the gates.
    At one, Japanese bombers were on their way and at exactly two-thirty-five Shunkien
     was again mauled from the air.
    Jackson, his white hair standing straight up on his head and his thin hands trembling,
     bent over his radio operator’s desk. “Some of the women are getting hysterical, Billy.
     Get the USS Miami, if you can, and find out what’s been done.”
    The youth laid his cigarette on the edge of his desk and leaned through the smoke
     to throw the starter switch on his auxiliary generator.
    Jackson watched him intently, jumping when a bomb exploded close enough to make the
     floor shake. The machinery salesman, red face glistening, touched his arm.
    “Mr. Jackson,” said the salesman, “I been checking over the supplies like you told
     me and I can’t find much but ham. If you’d let me and Stevens slide out, maybe we
     could scare up a Chinese willing to sell us some supplies. I . . . I haven’t got much
     use for ham, Mr. Jackson.”
    “We haven’t any money,” said Jackson tiredly.
    “I thought of that. A lot of us have got banker’s checks. I’ve got five hundred and
     it’s at your disposal.”
    “You don’t know these Chinese,” said Jackson. “Knowing they would be looted no matter
     who won, most of the bankers have fled or hidden their money. And back here, nothing
     buys but gold at a time like this.”
    “Shucks, Mr. Jackson, you aren’t very likely to find any gold on a bunch of Americans these days. Maybe I could jawbone a few crates of canned goods. There was a store
     a couple blocks from here.”
    “I can’t allow it, sir,” said Jackson.
    “But why not?”
    “In the first place, the attempt would fail. In the second place . . . well . . .
     ah . . . the fact is . . .”
    “Say, something’s eating you and the doc. What is it? I don’t see anything wrong with
     getting out for a spell. I’m not afraid of these bombs. I’m going to try anyhow.”
    “No, no!” said Jackson swiftly. He pulled the rotund salesman over into the corner.
     “You see . . . the fact is . . . a couple of the native boys report . . . well . .
     . cholera.”
    “I’ve had a cholera shot,” said the salesman. “I’m not scared of that . It’s just that I don’t care much for ham. You see . . .”
    “You’ve had a cholera shot, true. All of us have had one . But you see . . . You won’t spread this?”
    “Of course not!” said