Major Freiherr Hans-Peter von Wachtstein was kept waiting in the foyer of the mansion while the butler went to determine if Se¤or Duarte was at home.
Humberto, in his shirtsleeves, appeared immediately through the door Pe-ter had learned led to the dining.
"I'm sorry to come like this...."
"Don't be silly," Humberto said. "I'm always glad to see you."
"Something has come up that I thought I should tell you about right away," Peter said. "And I really need to talk to Cletus."
Humberto looked at his watch.
"Cletus is taking the ten-o'clock train to Corrientes," he said. "He's proba-bly at the Avenida Coronel Diaz house. I'll call."
"Thank you."
"I'm just having a little dinner," Humberto said. "My wife is... indis-posed. Can I offer you something?"
"I don't like to impose."
Humberto took him into the dining room, ordered a maid standing there to set a place for Peter-only one place was set at the huge table, which Peter thought was sad-and then dialed the telephone.
Peter could hear only one side of the conversation.
"Cletus, I think it's important that we have a word before you board the train," he said. "Could you come here?"
"It's not that at all. I promise."
"The sooner the better."
"Thank you."
He hung the telephone up.
Peter's curiosity got the better of him.
"What's 'it's not that at all, I promise'?"
"Cletus had a very bad day," Humberto said, smiling. "Business all morning, then a long, long lunch discussing wedding plans, followed by a long, long afternoon doing the same thing. He told me that he had all the wedding plans he could stand for one day. I had the feeling he has had a couple of recuperative drinks."
"Why's he going to Corrientes?"
"He didn't say, Peter," Humberto said. "Let me get you a glass of wine."
"Can I offer you something to eat, Cletus?" Humberto asked when Clete walked into the dining twenty minutes later, trailed by Enrico.
"Enrico said the food is pretty good on the train," Clete said. "But yes, I will have a little whiskey and soda, thank you for asking." He turned to Peter. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, amigo, but if we keep meeting like this peo-ple will talk."
Humberto was right. Cletus has been drinking.
"I wasn't followed," Peter said. "I wanted you to hear about Standartenf?hrer Goltz, and I wasn't sure you would be at The Fish-The Horse-tonight."
"I wouldn't have been," Clete said. "Duty calls. I'm on my way to Corri-entes."
"Why?"
"I could say I am going to inspect Estancia San Miguel, but I'm at the point where I am forgetting which lie I told to which person," Clete said. "Actually I'm going to bring a C-45 in from Brazil."
"What's a C-45?" Peter asked. "An aircraft?"