"The Major works for me," Gr?ner said. "What pleases you would be con-venient for him."
"Perhaps if he came by here in time to take me?"
Gr?ner went to the door and motioned G?nther into the room.
"Do you know where the Major is, G?nther?"
"The Herr Freiherr is seeing to the Herr Standartenf?hrer's luggage, Herr Oberst," G?nther said. "He should be here any minute."
"Then it's solved," Gr?ner said. "I will leave you here in G?nther's compe-tent hands until von Wachtstein shows up, and then see you at the Residence."
G?nther smiled at what he perceived to be a compliment.
"You have been most kind, Herr Oberst," Goltz said.
"It has been my privilege, Herr Standartenf?hrer," Gr?ner said, and offered both his hand and the Nazi salute.
Goltz returned it, and Gr?ner started to walk out of the room.
"Oh, there is one more thing," Goltz called after him. Gr?ner turned to look at him. "I have to go to Montevideo, as quickly as possible. How difficult a trip is that?"
"I presume, Herr Standartenf?hrer, that you have visas for both Argentina and Uruguay?"
Goltz nodded.
"In that case, it is a rather pleasant trip. One catches a boat downtown, at ten at night, has dinner aboard, goes to a very nice stateroom, and wakes up in downtown Montevideo."
"That's the quickest way?"
"One can drive. There is a ferry across the Rio Uruguay at Gualeguaychu. It is about a six-hour drive, but one can, obviously, leave when one wishes."
"There is no quicker way?"
"We have a Fieseler Storch, Herr Standartenf?hrer. Von Wachtstein flies it. I'm sure it would be at your disposal."
The Fieseler Storch was a two-seat, high-wing observation and liaison air-craft powered by a V8 Argus AS 10c.3 240-horsepower engine that provided a top speed of 109 m.p.h. and a range of 400 miles.
"And how long would it take by Storch?"
"That would depend, Herr Standartenf?hrer, on how much of the journey one was willing to make over water. As the crow flies, one hour and thirty min-utes. That route is essentially over the Rio de la Plata. The Rio de la Plata ends fifty miles north where the Rib Uruguay begins. By flying north and then south over land to Montevideo, perhaps three hours."
"Be so good as to ensure that the Storch is available, should I need it."
"Of course, Herr Standartenf?hrer. Is that all, Herr Standartenf?hrer?"
"Thank you again, Herr Oberst."
Gr?ner left the room.
Adding his reaction to their brief personal contact to his impression of the dossier he had read in the Sicherheitsdienst headquarters in Berlin, Goltz de-cided very much the same thing about Gr?ner as Gr?ner had decided about him: Gr?ner was obviously bright and well-connected, and thus dangerous.
Goltz decided he was going to have to be very careful dealing with Oberst Gr?ner in the accomplishment of his mission.
Chapter Six
[ONE]
1728 Avenida Coronel Diaz