The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck Read Free Book Online

go away?”
    Mayor Orden looked startled. “Go? No—no, stay.” He laughed softly. “I’m a little afraid,” he said apologetically. “Well, not afraid, but I’m nervous.” And he said helplessly, “We have never been conquered, for a long time—” He stopped to listen. In the distance there was a sound of band music, a march. They all turned in its direction and listened.
    Madame said, “Here they come. I hope not too many try to crowd in here at once. It isn’t a very big room.”
    Doctor Winter said sardonically, “Madame would prefer the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles?”
    She pinched her lips and looked about, already placing the conquerors with her mind. “It is a very small room,” she said.
    The band music swelled a little and then grew fainter. There came a gentle tap on the door.
    â€œNow, who can that be? Joseph, if it is anyone, tell him to come back later. We are very busy.”
    The tap came again. Joseph went to the door and opened it a crack and then a little wider. A gray figure, helmeted and gantleted, appeared.
    â€œColonel Lanser’s compliments,” the head said. “Colonel Lanser requests an audience with Your Excellency.”
    Joseph opened the door wide. The helmeted orderly stepped inside and looked quickly about the room and then stood aside. “Colonel Lanser!” he announced.
    A second helmeted figure walked into the room, and his rank showed only on his shoulders. Behind him came a rather short man in a black business suit. The colonel was a middle-aged man, gray and hard and tired-looking. He had the square shoulders of a soldier, but his eyes lacked the blank look of the ordinary soldier. The little man beside him was bald and rosy-cheeked, with small black eyes and a sensual mouth.
    Colonel Lanser took off his helmet. With a quick bow, he said, “Your Excellency!” He bowed to Madame. “Madame!” And he said, “Close the door, please, Corporal.” Joseph quickly shut the door and stared in small triumph at the soldier.
    Lanser looked questioningly at the doctor, and Mayor Orden said, “This is Doctor Winter.”
    â€œAn official?” the colonel asked.
    â€œA doctor, sir, and, I might say, the local historian.”
    Lanser bowed slightly. He said, “Doctor Winter, I do not mean to be impertinent, but there will be a page in your history, perhaps—”
    And Doctor Winter smiled. “Many pages, perhaps.”
    Colonel Lanser turned slightly toward his companion. “I think you know Mr. Corell,” he said.
    The Mayor said, “George Corell? Of course I know him. How are you, George?”
    Doctor Winter cut in sharply. He said, very formally, “Your Excellency, our friend, George Corell, prepared this town for the invasion. Our benefactor, George Corell, sent our soldiers into the hills. Our dinner guest, George Corell, has made a list of every firearm in the town. Our friend, George Corell!”
    Corell said angrily, “I work for what I believe in! That is an honorable thing.”
    Orden’s mouth hung a little open. He was bewildered. He looked helplessly from Winter to Corell. “This isn’t true,” he said. “George, this isn’t true! You have sat at my table, you have drunk port with me. Why, you helped me plan the hospital! This isn’t true!”
    He was looking very steadily at Corell and Corell looked belligerently back at him. There was a long silence. Then the Mayor’s face grew slowly tight and very formal and his whole body was rigid. He turned to Colonel Lanser and he said, “I do not wish to speak in this gentleman’s company.”
    Corell said, “I have a right to be here! I am a soldier like the rest. I simply do not wear a uniform.”
    The Mayor repeated, “I do not wish to speak in this gentleman’s presence.”
    Colonel Lanser said, “Will you leave us now,