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Back The Fall of Valor Save as PDF
Chapters (51)
  1. Introduction by Michael Bronski
  2. BEGINNING
  3. II
  4. III
  5. IV
  6. V
  7. VI
  8. VII
  9. VIII
  10. IX
  11. X
  12. XI
  13. XII
  14. XIII
  15. MIDDLE
  16. II
  17. III
  18. IV
  19. V
  20. VI
  21. VII
  22. VIII
  23. IX
  24. X
  25. XI
  26. XII
  27. XIII
  28. XIV
  29. XV
  30. XVI
  31. XVII
  32. XVIII
  33. XIX
  34. XX
  35. END
  36. II
  37. III
  38. IV
  39. V
  40. VI
  41. VII
  42. VIII
  43. IX
  44. X
  45. XI
  46. XII
  47. XIII
  48. XIV
  49. XV
  50. XVI
  51. About the Author

“I had forgotten how good that is,” Grandin said. “It does have a mood . . .”

The band had shifted to a new tune, a slow swinging nostalgic melody like a college song, and in a few moments the voices of many young men and girls had taken up the refrain. They listened to the swaying dancers singing as they danced, moving in a slower tempo now, their heads together, many of them in public amorous embrace. The melody was not unlike the Alma Mater of Hauman’s own university—Where the vale of Onondaga­ Meets the eastern sky—or the Far above Cayuga’s waters With its waves of blue of Cornell, which was the same; but suddenly, with a mounting disbelief, John Grandin realized what he was hearing. At the same moment Mrs. Howard said:

“My god, did you ever hear anything more comic in your life? Listen!”

“Let’s re-­mem-­berr Pearl Har-­bor

As we go to meet the foe. . . .

Let’s re-­mem-­berr Pearl Har-­bor

As we did the Al-­a-­mo. . . .”

Heads together, lazily smiling, the young men and girls poured forth the song without thought as they moved slowly around the dance floor. It was a simple melody, the kind which, heard once, one knew immediately; it flooded the hall like a football song on the night of a rally before the big game; and like a football song, when sung in unison by a mixed company of young men and women, it was a love song as much as anything else. . . .

“We will al-­ways re-­mem-­berr

How they died for lib-­ber-­ty . . .

Let’s re-­mem-­berr Pearl Har-­borr

And go on to vic-­tor-­reee. . . .”

Grandin felt the need to escape the place for a moment or two. “Would you like to step out and get some fresh air?”

“You go,” Sarah Howard said; “I wouldn’t miss this for worlds.”

XIX

XIX

He found his way to the lawn back of the clubhouse. He crossed the lawn to a concrete breakwater which ran at right angles to the pier. In the half-­dark he bumped into a small bench. He lifted the bench, turned it around so that it faced the bay, and sat down in the cool night, his back to the club.

Heavy mist lay over the water, but through the mist could be seen small red and green lights bobbing or swaying back and forth, the night lanterns of boats anchored in the bay. Almost at his feet was the lapping water, washing against the breakwall in soft little slaps. He gazed below, but the water disappeared in the fog a dozen feet away.