FYI, I'm sticking with Jack's capping of the office titles for now, till I sort out all the nuances. Keep correcting them tho, so I rememebr to look there at each instance, OK?

~S~

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SATURDAY RIDE 5


27. At the engine's noise, a strange feeling came over me which I have experienced several times both before and since. I was, suddenly, icily calm; my immediate part of the world seemed to be moving in slow motion. There was no longer any trembling in my hands as I fastened the strap of my helmet, and I scarcely noticed that my friends had started toward the Headquarter Company offices to take up positions to view the coming attraction.

28. I suppose now would be a good time to describe the layout of the building, which was at this time still at peace. Occupying one floor, it was shaped like the capital letter T. The main entrance was at the base of the T and was reached by ascending five concrete steps to heavy glass, double-swinging doors at the top. AT either end of the branches of the T were further glass double-swinging doors, with six or seven steps down to return one to street level.

29. Offices were on either side of the corridors, with the highest raking officers' suites closest to the front door. The other rooms were allotted, in declining importance, to lower grade officers, sergeants major, sergeants, and closest to the exits were the office rooms occupied by the clerks and a handful of civilian employees.

30. Putting my motorcycle into gear, I slowly the building for a brief reconnoiter. It was important that there be no staff cars parked immediately in front of the steps, nor could there be any group of people in the vicinity of the door. Once again my luck ran out—the coast was clear.

31. Circling away, I prepared to gain the momentum necessary to mount the steps. For a brief moment, I even entertained the hope that perhaps I could sneak through the offices and barely be noticed. Opening the throttle, I mounted the steps in picturebook style and, placing the front wheel against the doors, thrust them open and entered this bastion of military administration.