“Yes. Captain Swift thinks you’d had a drink or two before takeoff on the last couple
of flights.”
“He’s a goddamned liar!” Larry snapped.
“Why would he he?”
“Because he’s afraid I’ll take his job away.” There was a sharp anger in Larry’s voice.
“The son-of-a-bitch is a timid old maid who should have been retired ten years ago.”
“You’ve flown with four different captains,” Sakowitz said. “Which ones did you
like?”
“None of them,” retorted Larry. He saw the trap too late. Quickly, he added, “I mean
—they’re all right. I have nothing against them.”
“They don’t like flying with you either,” Sakowitz said evenly. “You make them
nervous.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means that if ever there’s an emergency, you want to be damn sure about the man
in the seat next to you. They’re not sure about you.”
“For Christ’s sake!” Larry exploded. “I lived through four years of emergencies over
Germany and in the South Pacific, risking my fucking neck every day, while they were
back here sitting on their fat asses, collecting big salaries, and they don’t have confidence
in me? You must be joking!”
“No one says you’re not great in a fighter plane,” Sakowitz replied quietly. “But
we’re flying passengers. It’s a different ball game.”
Larry sat there clenching his fists, trying to control his anger. “OK,” he said sullenly.
“I get the message. If you’re through, I have a flight leaving in a few minutes.”
“Someone else is taking it over,” Sakowitz said. “You’re fired.”
Larry stared at him unbelievingly. “I’m what?”
“In a way, I suppose it’s my fault, Douglas. I shouldn’t have hired you in the first
place.”
Larry got to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury. “Then why the hell did you?” he
demanded.
“Because your wife had a friend named Bill Fraser…” Sakowitz began.
Larry moved across the desk, his fist crashing into Sakowitz’s face. The blow
propelled Sakowitz against the wall. He used the momentum to bounce up. He hit Larry
twice, then stepped back, fighting for control. “Get out of here,” he said. “Now!”
Larry stared at him, his face twisted with hatred. “You son-of-a-bitch,” he said. “I
wouldn’t come near this airline again if you begged me!” He turned and stormed out of the
office.