The Fighting President By Speaker Gerald Polley Page 39

The Warlock came to the microphones. "On behalf of myself and my men," he began, "I gratefully accept this award, and I want, at this time, to thank The American Air Force and Army units whose planes and helicopters did such a superb job of keeping the enemy at bay so we could reach our objectives and carry out our mision. And we must also thank American Military Intelligence whose information was almost perfect and gave us an opportunity to strike so swiftly and sweetly, that we were guaranteed success. You have some questions."
A reporter raised his hand and The Warlock pointed to him. "I can never understand your ranking system, Warlock," the man asked. "What would be your equivalent rank in our forces?"
The Warlock smiled. "I'd be a Major General, sir," he answered.
Another man raised his hand and The Warlock acknowledged him.
"Sir," the man asked, "are you a Black Death Unit, dying men willing to take on suicide missions?"
The Warlock grinned. "I'm sorry," he answered, "military units are not allowed to answer such questions. It is against protocall." He pointed to a female reporter.
"Warlock," she asked, "are you by chance related to the other Warlock Polley?"
"I only wish, ma'am!" The Warlock answered. "I believe my grandmother found we had a common ancestor back in the time of Henry the 8th. But that's a very DISTANT relationship, ma'am!"
Everyone laughed. Another female reporter raised her hand, and the Warlock acknowledged her.
"How badly are the sites you hit now contaminated?" she asked.
The Warlock looked to General Hayes, who came over and whispered in his ear. The Warlock then answered, "The two chemical sights and the biological site were destroyed in such a manner that they should be virtually hazard free in the future. Unfortunately when you blow up atomic bombs there's little that can be done with the plutonium. Those sites will be contaminated for thousands of years. But as soon as this is over we will help The North Korean people seal those sites and keep them from harming their people. But much better we destroyed those weapons there, than if they had been used on the field."
"One more question," The Warlock insisted, "my men and I are tired. We'd like to get some showers and get to bed."
One of the female reporters again raised her hand and the Warlock acknowledged her. "Are you married?" she asked. "I can't imagine a wife waiting for you to return from a mission like this one!"
"I'm a widower," The Warlock answered. "But I have four children, madame, three of them daughters, and they have the same feelings as any wife when I go on a mission."
"Thank you!"
The Warlock descended the platform, took up position before his men, and they marched off singing The Spiritist Anthem.