"... the BIS is not as incompetent as generally believed. If they should ask questions of Herr Loche, it is important for him to give the right answers. Or the wrong ones, which would depend on your perspective, as we talked about this morning."
"Excuse me?"
"You said, 'under the right' circumstances the Brazilians might actually be able to shoot down the Condor. The semantics are interesting, wouldn't you say?"
"I'm sure the Standartenf?hrer took my meaning correctly this morning."
"Of course," Goltz said, smiling. "Now, you're going to have a role in this..."
"I would be honored, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"... but just what role has not been decided. I'm having dinner with Herr Loche tomorrow, and I'll broach the subject to him then. If that goes well, p
er-haps it would be a good idea for you to visit Bariloche.... You said you've been there. How did you travel?"
"By train, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"Well, perhaps you might drive to Bariloche, reconnoiter the road, examine the facilities at the Loche farm...."
"I understand, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"As I say, I have not yet had a chance to make firm decisions."
"I will hold myself in readiness, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"If things work out well with Herr Loche...," Goltz said carefully. "What I'm driving at, Hans, is that it might be very useful to us to have a place, per-haps more than one place-I'm talking about somewhere in the country, what do they call their farms?"
"Estancias, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"If we had an estancia, several estancias, I can see where that would be very useful to us in the future. Not only in connection with the repatriation of the Graf Spee officers, but in connection with other operations. There are two operations, which I'm not at liberty to discuss, which come immediately to mind. And I'm sure there will be others."
"Is the Herr Standartenf?hrer talking about buying an estancia?"
"Should we decide to acquire an estancia or two-and perhaps even the controlling interest in a business, a trucking firm, for example-it would be ab-solutely essential that our ownership be kept secret."
"I understand, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"The legal owner could be someone like Herr Loche or one of his friends, Argentine nationals who are good Germans. People we can trust."
"I see."
"But questions might be asked if Herr Loche were suddenly to start acquir-ing property. His business, as I understand it, while successful, is not success-ful to the point where he can buy another estancia."
"I see the problem."
"Bankers would be curious, is what I'm driving at. Which brings us to your relationship with the late Hauptmann Duarte's father. One would think that someone who had lost his son at Stalingrad would be interested in helping Ger-many in any way he could. But on the other hand, Herr Duarte is the Managing Director of the Anglo-Argentine Bank. How would you judge Herr Duarte's feeling toward Germany?"
"His nephew is an American, Herr Standartenf?hrer," Peter said. "And I think he believes we were connected with the death of his brother-in-law."
"That's unfortunate. You know, of course, the nephew is an American OSS agent."
"So I have been told."
"It may be necessary for him to join his father," Goltz said. "Which would, in your judgment, further tilt Herr Duarte toward the Allies? He is close to the nephew?"
"Frade is going to be married shortly..."
"Oh, really?"