The Honor of Spies

"Generally, I have the feeling that he's trying to ingratiate himself with me so that he can find asylum here. So far as von Deitzberg flying to Montevideo is concerned, I had the feeling--feeling only, nothing to back it up--that he would not have been distressed had von Deitzberg been arrested at the border."

"Why didn't you have him arrested?" Nervo asked.

"I want to arrest him--if it comes to that--for something more than having illegally entered Argentina. Blowing up airplanes, for example. Or hiring members of our criminal community to have another go at my friend Cletus."

Nervo grunted.

Martin went on: "The thought occurred to me that once I had arrested him, what would I do with him? The president would have to be informed immediately, of course. And he would have questions. 'How did he get into Argentina? ' I would then have the choice between pretending I had no idea--in other words, lie--or telling the president about U-405."

"Which would make the president then wonder both how you knew about U-405," Capitan Lauffer said, "and why you didn't arrest him on the beach at Samborombon Bay."

"And that would involve el Coronel Schmidt and his Mountain Troops," Nervo said. "And the German SS men who also came ashore, whom Schmidt took with him to San Martin de los Andes. And why didn't you arrest the lot?" He turned to Lauffer. "Tell me, Roberto, what would El Presidente do if this was laid before him? Seek the wise counsel of el General de Division Manuel Frederico Obregon, the director of the Bureau of Internal Security, to see what he made of it?"

"I'm afraid, sir, that's just what he would do," Lauffer said.

"I don't swim well with my hands tied," Nervo said. "So confiding in El Presidente doesn't seem to be an option."

"If SS-Brigadefuhrer Ritter Manfred von Deitzberg . . ." Wattersly began, and then stopped. "Was that right, Martin?"

"That was correct, Coronel."

". . . is the major problem, the solution seems obvious. Any suggestions, Rodriguez?"

Frade thought: What's he talking about? What obvious solution?

Certainly, he's not suggesting . . .

Enrico popped to his feet, came to attention, and barked, "If Don Cletus approves, mi coronel,

the Nazi bastard will be dead before the sun sets tomorrow."

"Good chap!" Wattersly said.

"Let's see what the Nazi bastard is up to before we do that," Clete said evenly.

"But, my dear fellow, you heard what Alejandro said. What he's up to is blowing up your airplanes and then killing you and the Froggers, not necessarily in that order. I say nip the whole bloody thing in the bud."

"I'd like to see who he contacts here, people we don't know about," Frade said.

Nervo grunted.

"So would I," Nervo said. "We can always kill him later."

"Well, now that that's come up," Wattersly said, "I am a bit curious to see if he tries to contact Coronel Schmidt."

"The Mountain Troops guy?" Clete said. "I thought he was Juan Domingo Peron's good buddy."

"Not exactly, Old Boy," Wattersly said. "You're really not aware of the di chotomous feelings Erich has toward your Tio Juan?"

"That's Schmidt's name, 'Erich'?"

"Erich Franz Schmidt. His mother and mine are cousins," Wattersly said. He paused and looked between Martin and Nervo. "We're getting off the track a bit here, but I think he should hear this. Agreed?"

Martin nodded. Nervo said, "I agree."

"Erich believes--he's from Bavarian Roman Catholic stock; they tend to be devout and nonquestioning--that Stalin, Communism, embodies the Antichrist, and that Hitler and the Nazis are fighting on the side of God.

"He is not a fool. Foolish, sometimes, but not a fool. He fully understands that Juan Domingo Peron's fascination with Fascism and National Socialism is based not so much on religious conviction but on what's good for Juan Domingo Peron.

"Erich is offended by Peron's morality, as manifested in his sexual tastes. He was one of the colonels who went to discuss them with him. You've heard about that, of course?"

"No," Frade said simply.

"A number of his fellow coronels went to Juan Domingo and asked him, in essence, 'Juan Domingo, what about this thirteen-year-old girl?' To which he replied, 'What's wrong with that? I'm not superstitious.'"

"Jesus Christ!" Clete said. "Is that true?"

"Unfortunately," Wattersly said. "I know because I was a member of the delegation."

"That degenerate sonofabitch!" Inspector General Nervo said bitterly.

"Now," Wattersly went on, "when furthering the interests of the Germans--protecting the landing site at Samborombon Bay, for example, or shooting up your Casa Chica in Tandil--coincides with what Peron wants, Erich will do it. He is sure God wants him to.

"But, and this is the point of this, he does not want Peron to become president--and will do whatever he thinks is necessary to see that Peron doesn't."

"That's not in the cards, is it?" Frade asked.

"Edmundo hasn't touched on this, Cletus, so I will," Inspector General Nervo said.