Meanwhile, back in the tunnel, LeBeau had finally shown up again to do his part in the running back and forth.
"What is up next?" he asked as he came in.
"Poetry," was Kinch's curt reply. "And I think you guys will approve of this more than you did of Klink as a lifesaver."
LeBeau rubbed his hands. "That sounds good. Tell me!"
Kinch handed him the note, and one look was enough to get LeBeau to squeal.
Hogan grinned, too. "I doubt the Kommandant will be very pleased, but hey, that's the game, right? You better run that over to the ladies. And tell Newkirk to leave the ladies for a few minutes to do his share in the estafette."
"Sure." LeBeau quickly clambered back up the ladder. "By the way," he remembered just before he swung his legs over the bedframe. "Has anyone tracked down Baker yet?"
Two pairs of eyebrows were raised.
"Baker?" Hogan asked. "Why - has he gone missing?"
"We're trying to find him so he can repair the speaker system, with Kinch busy down here and all. But so far it seems as if he's disappeared off the face of the earth."
Kinch and Hogan exchanged a glance. "You don't say..."
"Well, you better get up there and have the poetry winners announced. I'm sure Baker will show up again some time."
"Right." And LeBeau disappeared, to go and hand the note over to Katie for her turn with the announcements.
"Thank you, LeBeau." Katie gave him a radiant smile, and out of nowhere, LeBeau's face betrayed that he fell in heavenly love that very instant.
"Mademoiselle Katie..." he murmured. "Will you marry me?"
But Katie was already climbing up on the porch again and announced,
BEST POEMS, FILKS AND SONGFICS
.
Gold:
LET IT BLOW!
by konarciq
and
THAT KLINK IS SUCH AN IDIOT,
HE THINKS HE CAN BE GENERAL
by Me
.
Silver:
Hochsty the Snowman
by konarciq
.
Bronze:
The Guards' Top Secret Morale Booster
by konarciq
"Now there's a poem I approve of," Newkirk chuckled. "Klink is an idiot - no doubt about it."
"Aw, he's not that bad, Newkirk," Carter pointed out. "If it wasn't for the war, I'm sure he'd be a right decent guy."
"Well, rather you than me." Newkirk prodded LeBeau. "Hey, what's with you?"
LeBeau let out a sigh. "Did you see her smile?"
"Whose?"
"Katie's..." LeBeau was clearly off in dreamland.
"Oh dear." Newkirk shook his head. "He's in love. Again. Hey mate, what happened to those other chums of yours? Wilhelmina and Suzette and the insatiable Marya and all that..."
"They're not here. Katie is."
Carter nodded. "That makes sense, doesn't it, Newkirk?" He frowned. "Not that I approve of it, mind you, but..."
(To be continued...)