"I'll believe it can locate something within a hundred yards when I see it."
"Where are we going to put it?"
"It works line of sight," Schultz said. "Which means the target has to be be-tween the transmitter and the horizon. So it has to be on the highest ground you can find. On ships, they mount it as high aloft as they can get it. That's another problem here. The land here, by Samboromb¢n Bay, is flat. There are only a couple of hills. If the Germans anchor their ship more than thirty miles off-shore, then it will be over the horizon, and the radar won't work."
"The radar at Henderson Field spotted Jap planes a lot further away than thirty miles."
"When you aim at the sky, there's no horizon," Schultz explained. "The limiting factor there is really the strength of the bounced-back signal."
"In other words, you don't think this thing will work?"
"I'll believe it when I see it."
"If we can get it into the country, have you located a place where they can put it up?"
"Yes, Sir. And I got everything we need-concrete, timber, even a genera-tor-to put it in operation."
"I really hope you're wrong, Chief," Clete said. "I don't want to have to lo-cate that damned ship with a Piper Cub."
"Yeah," Chief Schultz said. "Well, I been wrong before, Mr. Frade."
Clete sensed that this was one of those times when Chief Schultz did not think he was wrong.
"Let's go back and see if Dave's finished his report," he said.
Chapter Thirteen
[ONE]
Office of the Minister of War
Edificio Libertador
Avenida Paseo Colon
Buenos Aires
1445 11 April 1943
Major Pedro V. Querro pushed open the left of the twelve-foot-tall double doors leading to the office of Teniente General Pedro P. Ramirez, waited until he had the attention of the Minister of War and then announced, "El Teniente Coronel Mart¡n is here, mi General."
Like Querro, Ramirez was in civilian clothing. An hour before, Mart¡n had called to tell him that it was important to see him immediately, and Ramirez di-rected Mart¡n to meet him in his office. His home in the suburb of Belgrano- like those of other senior government officials-was patrolled by the Polic¡a Federal, and he thought it likely that a note would be made if anyone saw the BIS counterintelligence chief paying him a Saturday-afternoon visit. He had been waiting for Mart¡n for fifteen minutes, and he didn't like to wait for any-one.
Ramirez impatiently signaled for Querro to show him in. Mart¡n marched into the office, his brimmed cap under his left arm. At the last moment, he re-membered his right hand was holding a briefcase, making it difficult to render the called-for salute.
Ramirez smiled as Mart¡n hastily transferred the briefcase to his left hand, therefore causing the brimmed cap to be dislodged. Mart¡n managed to catch it with the side of his arm before it fell to the carpet, and saluted. The maneuver fell somewhat short of the precision expected.
"Good afternoon, mi Coronel," Ramirez said as he returned the salute.
"May I suggest, mi General, that we close the door?" Mart¡n said.
Ramirez again made an impatient gesture with his hand.
Querro started to close the door.
"Will my presence be required, mi General?" he asked.
"Martin?" Ramirez asked.