Nola began to translate. Canidy held up his hand for him to stop.

"Let them answer the damn question," Canidy said.

The brothers remained silent. Then the one on the left spoke in Sicilian.

Nola translated: "Antonio says they understand some English but cannot speak it well."

Bullshit, Canidy thought. Canidy thought. But no need to call them on it right now. But no need to call them on it right now.

"What about who strung up the fishermen?" he said.

"The SS," Nola said. "I asked them that earlier, before you came. Sturmbannfuhrer Muller's men, on his orders. Muller himself was at the pier when they were"-he searched for the appropriate words-"put there."

Nola looked at the Budas, then went on: "Antonio said three SS officers from Messina arrived the next day. One was an obersturmbannfuhrer . . He stayed for only a few hours, had angry words with Muller, then left." He stayed for only a few hours, had angry words with Muller, then left."

Canidy nodded but was not sure what to make of that.

"Did you ask about the nerve gas, Frank?" Canidy went on, still looking at the brothers.

"Yes."

"And?" Canidy said, turning to Nola. "Jesus, don't make me pull this out of you like a bad tooth." Canidy said, turning to Nola. "Jesus, don't make me pull this out of you like a bad tooth."

"And," Nola went on, "they said that they know nothing about any poison gas."

"Did they say if they knew anything about what was aboard the cargo ship that blew up?" Canidy said.

Nola turned to the brothers and asked the question in Sicilian.

There was some discussion, first with Nola, then between the brothers, then again with Nola.

"They say," Nola finally explained, "Sturmbannfuhrer Muller ordered the ship unloaded of all contents. They got everything off except the last of the canisters of fuel. They were to get that remaining gas off the next day, but then..."

What? Canidy thought. Canidy thought. Just gas was on it? Just gas was on it?

He said to Nola, "There was only fuel in the cargo hold when the ship went up?"

Canidy saw that Tweedledee -Or is Antonio Tweedledum?- -Or is Antonio Tweedledum?- nodded. nodded.

"Only fuel, nothing else?" Canidy said, looking directly at Antonio.

"Si," Antonio replied. Antonio replied.

Nola said, "He said yes."

Canidy glared at Nola.

"No shit, Frank...I know what si si means." means."

Fuller chuckled again.

Canidy looked back to Antonio.

"What did you take off of the ship? And where did it go?"

Nola answered, "It went in the warehouse."

"But what was it, is my question," Canidy said.

Nola looked to Antonio and repeated the question for him in Sicilian.

There then came a long involved reply, with input this time from Brother Giacomo, and much gesturing of hands and waving of arms by both brothers. Canidy recognized the name Muller.

"There was a little of everything," Nola said, now making the same gestures as he spoke to Canidy. "There was mostly cases of food, what I believe is called 'field rations' for the soldiers? There was the fuel cans. And there was some crates of ammunitions, 'bullets'? Muller wanted those off first."

Canidy considered this, and nodded.

"And," Canidy said, "all this went into one of your warehouses?"

"Yes," Nola said. "The one that the Germans have begun to take over."

"How do you mean?"

"We have two working warehouses," Nola said. "One is still all ours. The other, the Germans are slowly taking over. As part of our agreement, they allow allow us to unload their materiel and store it, alongside whatever we have in there. But they have posted armed guards, and we do not have same freedom in that warehouse as we do in the other." us to unload their materiel and store it, alongside whatever we have in there. But they have posted armed guards, and we do not have same freedom in that warehouse as we do in the other."

Canidy thought that over, then looked at Antonio.

"Bullets?"

Antonio nodded.

"Many bullets," he said. His thick tongue made it sound like buh-lets. buh-lets.

"Is there any way that I could get inside the warehouse?" Canidy said to Antonio, then looked at Nola. "Any way to get past the guards?"

Antonio said something in Sicilian.

Nola shrugged. "Not impossible. The military items, they are very careful about. Not so much everything else of ours. They do not check it closely. Particularly if they are expecting to get a piece of it."

Canidy thought about that.

"I might need to get in and take a look," he said.

"Okay," Nola said.

There was a long moment's silence. Then Canidy said, "What about the villa?"

"I didn't ask," Nola said. "There wasn't time."

"Have at it," Canidy said, waving his arm toward the Budas.

Nola went on for some time in Sicilian. When he was done, the brothers didn't say a word. They just simply shook their heads.

Nola said something else and their reply was terse.

"As far as they know," Nola said to Canidy, "there was only one explosion. The ship. No explosion from the villa. And they have not heard of anyone else speaking about any villa exploding."

So, Canidy thought, Canidy thought, the damn thing still is in one piece? the damn thing still is in one piece?

And still full of yellow fever....

"Do they know Whatshisname Cordova?" Canidy said.

Nola spoke to the brothers, and Canidy recognized the names when he said, "Alfredo Cordova," "Alessandro Paterno," and "Simone Cesareo."

The brothers shook their heads.

Shit, Canidy thought. Canidy thought. But no real surprise. But no real surprise.

Those are Rossi's people from the university.

Not fishermen from the docks.

"When can I get in the warehouse?" Canidy said to Antonio.

Antonio shrugged and replied in Sicilian.

Nola translated: "Anytime after today."

Canidy glanced at Fuller, who tried to maintain a stoic face, but Canidy could see uncertainty in his eyes.

Then, out of the blue, Fuller yawned massively, which almost caused Canidy to do the same.

He checked his wristwatch.

We've been going almost twenty-four hours-damn near nonstop since we got off the submarine.

We've got to be careful not to get so tired that we get sloppy.

Fuller made an apologetic face.

Canidy turned back to Nola and thought about what had just been said.

"Anytime after today?" he repeated.

Antonio stood up. Giacomo did the same.

"Why not today?" Canidy said.

"Buh-lets," Antonio said by way of explanation, then rattled off something to Nola in Sicilian. Antonio said by way of explanation, then rattled off something to Nola in Sicilian.

Nola translated: "They've got to go to work. They've been told to put the crates of bullets from the warehouse aboard a ship that has docked here from Messina."

"And if I can go into the warehouse tomorrow," Canidy said after a moment, "then that means they'll be done with that by tonight."

Nola nodded.

[FOUR].

Palermo, Sicily 1301 5 April 1943 The two warehouses that Francisco Nola ran his import-export business out of were six blocks up Christoforo Colombo from the office building. When they got to the warehouse that the Germans were not using, Nola went upstairs to its small box of an office that overlooked the floor, brought a pair of binoculars down to Canidy, then went back inside the office.

The warehouses had skylights and each was reasonably well lit by sunlight.

Canidy stood with the binocs to his eyes. He was just inside the great double doors. Fuller was behind him, also out of sight of anyone on the docks, watching the activity at the other warehouse over Canidy's shoulder.

Under the gaze of the armed guard, Giacomo and Antonio Buda supervised the work of maybe ten longshoremen. The workers hand-carried or wheeled on low manual lifts the crates and other containers. Their steady line went from inside the great double doors out to a staging area on the dock beside the ship. There the cranes on the ship's deck lifted the materiel up and into the cargo holds.

Canidy looked intently through the glasses at some pallets. They were topped with the Germans' version of jerry cans, these particular ones painted a sand color.

I could've made them with my naked eyes.

They're damn near identical in looks-and, I'd bet, function-to our jerry cans.

Probably meant for North Africa and never got there in time.

The metal sides were stamped with lettering and Canidy focused in on that:

WEHRMACHTKANISTEREN. KRAFTSTOFF 20L FEUERGEFaHRLICH.

Leave it to those tight-ass Krauts to label the obvious.

I sure as hell hope they're flammable.

Beside the pallets were wooden boxes the size of footlockers. These were labeled: 8MM MAUSER.

Well, those are the rifle rounds.

And then he saw larger wooden crates. These were huge. Two or more of the Mauser boxes of ammo would fit in a single one.

Canidy adjusted the eyepieces of the binocs to get a clearer view. Then he read the stenciled marking: SONDERKART.6LE.F.H.18 T83 10.5CM. SONDERKART.6LE.F.H.18 T83 10.5CM.