NEW POLISH WRITING
513
time." Wysilek looked at him with sheepish eyes and tried to
continue.
"Get ou t of here, " repeated the colonel impatien
tI
y.
Journalist Wysilek understood the command and bowed in
front of the Commission. He left the room staggering even more
than his predecessor, Tymoteusz Bryk.
"It
must have been that hooligan with grey hair who got him
soused," remarked the major in civili an clothes, the representative
of the Department. His forehead wrinkled . He was clearly preparing
an indictment against Bryk.
The representative of the Party opened a file and started leafing
through papers.
Kopycinski from the Publishing House, who still had not recov–
ered after the impertinence of Tymoteusz Bryk, cast a frightened
glance at the chairman, the colonel with a Ph.D.
"In my opinion .. ." he started and faltered.
According to the prearranged order, the third to be reaccredited
was Nina S. She was editing the "Poli sh Cooking" section at the
weekly, as well as the "Lonely Hearts Corner." She knocked gently
at the door and popped in her pretty, girlish face.
"Am I disturbing you?" she whispered.
"By no means." The colonel made a hospitable, gentlemanly
gesture.
A noise could be heard behind Nina's back, and journalist
Wysilek shoved her aside, forcing his way into the room. "I remem–
ber!" he shouted triumphantly. "The one who told me about the
war was Rysiek Kurczak . That is Comrade Ryszard Kurczak!"
The representative of the Party wrote something down on a slip
of paper. Probably the name. The colonel with a Ph.D. drove away
the overzealous journalist with a threatening growl.
"Please, sit down comrade!" H e gall antly gestured for Nina to
sit in the chair. " Well , at last, " he sighed with relief and smiled
warmly. He looked with pleasure at her quite good, slightly hairy
legs . She was swaying on these legs like a sailor on pay day. She col–
lapsed on the chair, rolled her eyes coquettishly, and went limp. She ,
too, was drunk.
The colonel with a Ph .D. reddened like an apoplectic.
" I t is a farce!" he rattled and pou nded his fist on the table.
Nina S. jerked her head.
" What, what?' " she shrieked.
The reacc reditation was postponed till the next day.
