Cranz smiled at von und zu Aschenburg.
"Well, we'll have to get back to this. And soon. I'm really fascinated."
"Any time."
Cranz walked quickly out of the room. He did not close the door behind him.
Von und zu Aschenburg got to his feet and closed the door.
"What the hell was that all about?" he asked.
Von Wachtstein shrugged.
"I have no idea, but whenever Cranz smiles at me the hair on the back of my neck stands up."
"If you can rely on that, Hansel, you just might live through this war."
"I wonder what the chances of that really are?" von Wachtstein asked seriously.
Von und zu Aschenburg met his eyes, then shrugged, holding up his hands in a gesture of helplessness.
"Changing the subject, I really would like to have a look at that airplane."
"That might just be possible," von Wachtstein said. "I think I know how that can be arranged. It'll cost you, though."
Von und zu Aschenburg asked, with his eyebrows, what he meant.
"I'm not sure you're up to it," von Wachtstein said. "You're probably very tired from flying that far."
"Come on, Hansel!"
"If my sister-in-law, Senorita Isabela, were--how do I phrase this delicately?--satisfied with her relationship with you . . ."
"Screw you, Hansel."
"Precisely. Congratulations, you picked up on that right away. If El Bitcho, for reasons I won't--being an officer and a gentleman--discuss was really pleased with you--more precisely, satisfied after you . . ."
"Enough, Hansel!" von und zu Aschenburg said, but he was smiling.
". . . and wanted to show her appreciation, you, being the silver-tongued devil you are, you could probably talk her into convincing her mother, who is on the board of South American Airways, that it would be the courteous thing to show a Lufthansa pilot the newest addition to their fleet."
"Why do I think you're serious?"
"I am."
"What about Frade?"
"He's not here. He's got one of them in Chile . . ."
"They've got more than one?"
Von Wachtstein nodded, held up three fingers, and continued: ". . . teaching his pilots how to land in Santiago. He won't be back for a couple of days. Not that I think he'd really mind you getting a good look. He loves to show off that airplane. The other two are here. SAA pilots and flight engineers are getting checked out on them, usually by flying them back and forth to Montevideo. I think if El Bitcho talks nice to her mommy, Claudia can arrange a tour of one of them for you."
"That woman is a shark. The last time I had teeth marks on my neck for a week!"
"My mother-in-law did that to you?" von Wachtstein said, feigning shock.
"Your sister-in-law, Hansel."
"I don't know about a shark, but Isabela does remind me of a piranha."
"A what?"
"A small fish," von Wachtstein said, and held his hands about ten inches apart to show the size. "Native to this part of the world. Razor teeth, powerful jaws. They swim in . . . What do you say for fish when you mean packs, herds?"
Von und zu Aschenburg shrugged to show he had no idea.
"Anyway," von Wachtstein went on, "they have a show for tourists on the River Piranha. They kill a small pig and throw it in the water. The piranhas appear in less than a minute. Lots of them. When they pull the pig out a couple of minutes later, there's nothing but the skeleton."
"You actually saw this, or it is a quaint folk legend?"
"I saw it on my honeymoon. Alicia wanted me to see it. She said that would happen to me if I ever even thought of hiding my sausage in the wrong--anyone's but hers, in other words--hard roll."
"And are you a faithful husband, Hansel?"
Von Wachtstein nodded.
"Because of this carnivorous fish?"
"Because I'm in love, believe it or not. That's why I want to live through this war."
Von und zu Aschenburg met his eyes, then fell silent for a long moment. Finally, he said, "Well, let's go pay my respects to Senorita Piranha. I really want to take a look at that Constellation. You sure it won't get you in trouble here? Sucking up to the American enemy?"
"Not at all. It will be in the line of duty. Cranz will be pleased."
"Why?"
"It will be what is known as reconnoitering the enemy. I'm supposed to come up with a plan to make sure that SAA does not establish a one-stop service to Lisbon."
"How are you supposed to do that?"
"I don't know. Right now we're in the planning stage."
"What are you going to do, Hansel? Aside from warning Frade?"
"I don't know, Dieter," von Wachtstein admitted.
He kicked his desk drawer shut, stood, and made an exaggerated gesture bowing von und zu Aschenburg out of the room.
[TWO].
Office of the Ambassador
The Embassy of the German Reich
Avenida Cordoba
Buenos Aires, Argentina
1150 24 September 1943
"Baron von Wachtstein would like to see you for a moment, Exzellenz," Fraulein Ingeborg Hassell announced.
"Give me a few seconds, please," von Lutzenberger said, and quickly swept into his desk drawer a large manila envelope and a letter, and then--as an afterthought--took the yellow diplomatic pouch from which he had taken the manila envelope and also put it in the well of his desk.
Then he signaled for Fraulein Hassell to show in von Wachtstein. When von Wachstein entered, Kapitan Dieter von und zu Aschenburg was on his heels.
"We're sorry to disturb you, Exzellenz," von Wachtstein said politely, and then, looking around the room, added, "Gentlemen."
Cranz and von Gradny-Sawz were sitting at von Lutzenberger's conference table.
Von Wachtstein went on: "But I have an idea to get Kapitan von und zu Aschenburg onto one of the Constellations. I'd like to ask permission to try."
"How are you going to do that?" the ambassador asked.
"Senorita de Carzino-Cormano is a friend of the kapitan. I think she can suggest to her mother that it would be a courtesy to give von und zu Aschenburg a tour."
"And you think Frade would allow that?" von Gradny-Sawz challenged sarcastically.
"He's in Santiago, Herr Gradny-Sawz."
"And why would Senorita de Carzino-Cormano want to do this?" von Gradny-Sawz challenged.
"Open your eyes, for God's sake, Gradny-Sawz," Cranz said. "She looks at von und zu Aschenburg like he gives milk." He smiled at von und zu Aschenburg. "I was about to commend you for being willing to make any sacrifice for the cause, Aschenburg, but then I thought that your . . . charming . . . the lady isn't really going to be that much of a sacrifice, is it?"
"May I suggest I know the lady better than you do?" von und zu Aschenburg said. "But I really would like to get a look at one of those airplanes."
"I wish she were as interested in me as she is in you," Cranz said. "I would happily make the sacrifice you're implying."
There was dutiful laughter.
"Go ahead," Cranz said. "What have you got to lose?"
"As a gentleman, I obviously must decline to answer that question," von und zu Aschenburg said.
"With your permission, Exzellenz?" von Wachtstein asked.
"Let me know how it comes out," von Lutzenberger said.
Von und zu Aschenburg and von Wachtstein left, closing the door after them.
Cranz got up, walked to the door, locked it, and then went back to the conference table.
"May I have another look at that, please?" Cranz asked.
Von Lutzenberger handed him the letter that had been inside the manila envelope, the only thing that the diplomatic pouch had held.
"Von Wachtstein knows nothing of this, right?" Cranz asked. "You didn't let anything slip, Gradny-Sawz?"
"Of course not."
"And Boltitz?" Cranz pursued.
"No, he doesn't know anything about this. The only people who do are in this room, plus of course Raschner."
"I want it kept that way," Cranz said. "And your covert identity arrangements . . . Everything is in place?"
"Including, as of yesterday, a nice flat--two servants included--in a petit-hotel at O'Higgins 1950 in Belgrano."
Cranz nodded and said: "So all that remains is to see Oberst Peron, to get those Mountain Troops to provide security on the beach, and to move the special shipment and the SS guard detail to San Martin de los Andes. The latter may pose a problem."
"How so?"
"The incident at Frade's house upset Oberst Peron," Cranz said. "But I think I can deal with him."
[THREE].
Apartamento 5B