condensed master

Will Bonner
reappear. "I'll be blunt," Will continued, "you're homosexual and they are holding
a past activity against you, isn't that the truth?" The agitation intensified, now
becoming quite visible but Gerald still remained silent. It was quite obvious that he
was struggling to cope with the substance of the questions, "furthermore, they have
something about you so devastating that it forced you to accept their proposal to
join the organization." The pressures inside him must have increased to bursting
point. He stood up and turned away with his back to Will in an effort to hide his
feelings.
Why isn't he retaliating? Gerald still remained silent. Am I going too far?
Sympathy returned once again and Will quickly suppressed it. "I don't give a damn
what I'm threatened with, I won't do anything with you unless I know more about
you."
Gerald turned and sat down his head slightly bowed, and eyes fixed in one
position on the table. "Yes, what you say is the truth. I have nowhere to turn, and
do as I'm told. I live in an apartment downtown and work in an office close by.
From time to time I'm asked to gather information."
"From other homosexuals in the military?"
"Yes, just little bits and pieces that I pass on." His head bowed a little further
and Will for one moment thought he was going to burst into tears.
"You haven't asked about me, so I assume you already know."
"Yes, I've been told enough."
"Your friends don't know what you get up to, do they?"
"No, but I haven't many friends. Do you have any?"
"No, I guess you could call me a loner, which is better under the
circumstances." Gerald nodded in agreement. He seemed to be recovering from
the previous session of conversation, and an unusual relationship was beginning to
develop between them. A car appeared in the clearing and a family got out to
picnic.
"We must move away now," Will suggested, and as Gerald walked quickly
towards the car in that typical female fashion Will once again questioned, "what
have I got myself into?"
Very little was said as they made their way back towards downtown Honolulu
but it was Gerald who broke the silence. "We both haven't eaten since breakfast,
shall we stop for a meal?" Will hesitated. The more time he spent with Gerald the
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