Chase: Roman

pension is for mental injuries, not physical ones.’
        Chase wished that he had a drink with him, but he could not ask Judge to hold on while he poured himself one. For some reason he could not explain, he did not want Judge to know that he drank heavily.
        Chase said, ‘How did you find out?’
        ‘Followed you this afternoon,’ Judge said.
        ‘You don't have the right to -’
        Judge laughed. He said, ‘I saw you going into the Kaine Building, and I got into the lobby fast enough to see what elevator you took and which floor you got off at. On the eighth floor, besides Dr Cauvel's offices, there are two dentists, three insurance companies and a tax collection office. It was simple enough to look in the waiting rooms of those other places or to inquire after you, like a friend, with the secretaries and receptionists. I left the head doctor's place for last, because I just knew that's where you were. When no one knew of you in the other offices, I didn't even have to risk looking in Cauvel's waiting room. I knew.’
        Chase said, ‘So what?’
        He hoped that he sounded more nonchalant than he felt, for it was somehow important to make the right impression on Judge. He was sweating again. He would need to take another bath by the time this conversation was concluded. And he would need a drink, a cold drink.
        ‘Let me tell you why I was late calling,’ Judge said.
        ‘Go on.’
        ‘As soon as I knew for sure you were in the psychiatrist's office, I was aware of the necessity to obtain copies of his personal files on you. I decided to remain in the building, out of sight, until all the offices were closed and the employees had gone home.’
        ‘I don't believe you,’ Chase said, aware of what was coming, dreading to hear it.
        ‘You don't want to believe me, but you do. Now let me explain how it was.’ Judge took a long, slow breath before he continued: ‘The eighth floor was clear by six o'clock. By six-thirty I managed to get the door open into Dr Cauvel's suite. I know a little about such things, and I was careful; I did not damage the lock, and I didn't trip any alarms because there were none. I required an additional half an hour to locate his files and to secure your records, which I copied on his own photocopier.’
        ‘Breaking and entering - then theft,’ Chase said.
        ‘But it hardly matters on top of what the authorities would consider murder, does it?’
        Chase had no reply.
        ‘You'll receive in the mail, probably the day after tomorrow, complete copies of Dr Cauvel's notes on you, along with copies of several articles he had written for various medical journals. You're mentioned in all these and are, in some of them, the sole subject of discussion.’
        Chase said, ‘I didn't know he'd done that.’
        They're interesting articles, Chase. They'll give you some idea of what he thinks of you.’ Judge's tone changed then, became far more haughty and was touched with contempt. ‘Reading those records, Chase, I found more than enough to permit me to pass judgment on you.’
        ‘Oh?’
        ‘I read all about how you got your Medal of Honor.’
        Chase waited.
        ‘And I read about the tunnels and what you did in those - and how you helped Lieutenant Zacharia to cover the evidence and falsify the eventual report. Do you think the Congress would have voted you the Medal of Honor if they had known you killed civilians, Chase?’
        ‘Stop it.’
        ‘You killed women, didn't you?’
        ‘I said stop it.’
        ‘You killed women and children, Chase, noncombatants.’
        ‘You son of a bitch.’
        ‘Children, Chase. You killed children. What kind of animal are you, Chase?’
        ‘ Shut up!’ Chase had come to his feet as if something had exploded close behind him. ‘What would you know about it? Were you ever over there, did you ever have to serve in that stinking country?’
        ‘Some patriotic paean to duty won't change my mind, Chase. We all love this country, but most of us realize there are limits to -’
        ‘Bullshit,’ Chase said.
        He could not remember having been this angry in all the time since his breakdown. Now and then he had been irritated by something or someone, but never driven to the extremes of emotion.
        ‘Chase -’
        ‘I bet you were all for the war. I'll bet you're one of the hawks that