The Honor of Spies

One who probably is looking down his professional nose at this American amateur.

I'm going to have to stay one step ahead of this guy.

And why didn't I think of that before?

"That's fine with me," Clete said.

"And we'll need a sheet for a background, Dorotea," Schultz said.

"And when the pictures have been taken," Clete said, "I'll fly Father Pedro to Buenos Aires in one of the Piper Cubs."

"Is that necessary?" Welner asked.

"The sooner we get the identifications, the sooner I can get everybody out of here," Frade replied.

"Yes, of course," Welner agreed. "Father, if Don Cletus flies you to Buenos Aires, when do you think you could have the identity cards ready?"

"Either late tonight, Father, or first thing in the morning."

"If you can bring the identity cards and meet me at Jorge Frade at, say, nine o'clock, I'll make a, quote, fuel stop, unquote, in the Lodestar on our way to Mendoza."

The priest nodded.

"I'll be there."

It took less time than Clete thought it would--about forty-five minutes--to complete the photography. Rodriguez and the nun had not returned from their clothes-buying expedition.

When the last picture had been taken, Clete motioned for O'Sullivan and Schultz to follow him from the temporary studio in the library out into the foyer.

He closed the door, then asked, "You know how to get in touch with Colonel Martin, right?"

"I know how to get in touch with his sergeant major, a guy named Jose Cortina."

"Good enough. Cortina's really a lieutenant colonel," Clete said. "And he's Martin's deputy. Call him and tell him I'm on my way to Jorge Frade and need to see Martin, really need to see him. Ask him to meet me at the airport. And if at all possible, have General Nervo there, too."

"Cortina's a light colonel?" Schultz asked rhetorically. "Who's General Nervo?"

"He runs the Gendarmeria Nacional."

"One of these days you are going to tell me what the hell's going on, right?"

"Just as soon as I get back from Buenos Aires."

The door from the library opened and Strubel--now Moller--came out. He was wearing a shirt and trousers Schultz had liberated from Rodriguez's wardrobe. They were much too large for him. Clothespins still in place at the back of the collar and on the rear of the suit jacket made them fit well enough for the camera.

"May I have a private word with you, Major Frade?" he asked politely.

"I already told Herr Kortig, Herr Moller, never to use my rank. Please don't do so again. And anything you have to say to me can be said before my men."

Moller considered that and nodded.

"Presumably, you have a means to communicate with either Colonel Graham or Herr Dulles?"

Clete nodded.

"I have a message that I would like to send to either, for transmission to Colonel Gehlen."

"We can arrange that," Clete said. "But Gehlen's another name I don't want used here. Any suggestions, Herr Moller?"

"I never gave that any thought," Moller confessed after a moment.

"Who's Colonel Gehlen?" Schultz asked.

"He runs Russian intelligence for the German General Staff; he's Herr Moller's boss. I'll tell you all about that, too, when I get back from Buenos Aires."

"The first Russian thing that comes to my mind is 'Samovar,'" O'Sullivan offered. "You know, that big tea kettle?"

"Too close," Clete said. "But there's nothing wrong with 'Teapot.' Make it 'Big Teapot' for Gehlen, 'Teapot' for Herr Moller."

"And the other one?" O'Sullivan asked.

"Teacup," Schultz said, smiling.

"Done," Clete said.

"Let's have your message, Herr Teapot," Clete said, smiling. "Just as soon as I get back from Buenos Aires, I'll be in touch with Washington; I'll include your message."

Moller was not amused.

He handed Clete a sheet of paper on which was written a series of characters in five-character blocks. It looked like gibberish, but Clete immediately recognized it for what it was: an encoded message.

"Three things, Herr Moller," Frade said coldly. "One, you are not going to send any messages in code to anybody. I don't want you reporting to Big Teapot anything that you or Teacup might hear or see here unless I know what it is. Two, you will give El Jefe your codebook just as soon as you can. Don't even think of trying to either hide or destroy it . . ."

"This was not my understanding of how things were to be done," Moller said.

"Three, if I learn that you or anyone else has tried to send a message to anyone without my knowledge, I'll have you shot."

Moller looked at him with cold eyes but didn't reply.

"Do we understand each other?" Clete asked.

Moller nodded. "But there is one thing I think you should understand, Herr Frade: Despite the circumstances, I consider myself and Kortig to be soldiers obeying the orders we have been given. Not traitors."

"Consider yourself anything you want to," Clete said. "Just as long as you don't endanger in any way anything I'm doing here."

Again Moller didn't reply.