VON RIBBENTROP
FOREIGN MINISTER
MOST SECRET
Goltz idly handed the message to Gradny-Sawz and looked at Gr?ner. "We have another situation, don't we, Herr Oberst, where, thanks to the nonavailability of our delicate cryptographic officer, you already know infor-mation you are not authorized to know?' "It would appear so."
"You are now authorized to know it," Goltz said with a smile. "So what is your reaction to this?"
"May I speak freely, Herr Standartenf?hrer? Offer a professional observa-tion that in another context might be considered disrespectful?"
"Of course."
"The Americans and the English knew the Oceano Pacifico is the replace-ment for the Reine de la Mer before they dispatched their vessels to find it."
"How could they possibly have known that?" Gradny-Sawz demanded.
"If they weren't sure, they would have shadowed her with discretion. When they `intimidated' her, they were thumbing their noses at us."
"To what purpose?" Goltz asked.
Gr?ner did not reply directly.
"And they are by now probably wondering what 'materiel' the Oceano Pacifico has aboard that merits the attention of the Foreign Minister, after coor-dination with Canaris, Doenitz, and, especially, Bormann and Himmler."
"You're not really suggesting the enemy has intercepted that message, much less have been able to decrypt it?" Goltz asked.
"There's no question that they have intercepted it," Gr?ner said. "And if they haven't managed to decrypt it yet, it won't take them long."
"I refuse to believe that!" Gradny-Sawz said indignantly. "German cryp-tography is the best in the world!"
"And I would further suggest, Herr Standartenf?hrer," Gr?ner went on, ig-noring Gradny-Sawz, "that other connections will be made. Your name is listed as a special recipient. 'Who is Standartenf?hrer Goltz?' They have an Order of Battle, Herr Standartenf?hrer. They know who you are. 'What is the SS-SD li-aison officer to the Office of the Party Chancellery doing in Buenos Aires? Why is he being made privy to this particular message? Is it because there is a con-nection between him and this mysterious materiel von Ribbentrop is talking about?'"
"You certainly seem to be greatly impressed, Gr?ner, with the capabilities of our enemies!" Gradny-Sawz said.
"I am paid, Herr Baron...," Gr?ner began coldly, but was interrupted by Goltz.
"Anton, sssssh!" he said. "Oberst Gr?ner is not pleased with what he con-siders to be his duty to tell me."
"I don't think it reasonable to assume, Herr Standartenf?hrer," Gr?ner said, "that the Americans or the English have any idea of the nature of the "materiel' they will correctly suspect is aboard the Comerciante del Oceano Pacifico, but because of the interest shown by our senior leaders in it they will conclude that it is important. Given that, they may decide it is in their best interests to destroy the 'materiel,' and worry about the indignation of the Spanish and the Argen-tines later."
"By destroy it, you mean sink the Oceano Pacifico?" Goltz asked, and then answered his own question. "Why wouldn't they have done that on the high seas when they found her?"
"They found her before this message was sent," Gr?ner replied reasonably.
"Permission to speak, Herr Oberst?" Peter von Wachtstein asked. Gr?ner nodded. "Herr Oberst, I have the feeling that I am listening to a discussion I per-haps should not be hearing."
Gr?ner looked at Goltz. Goltz looked at Peter for a moment.
"Give Hans that message, Anton, please," Goltz ordered.
Gradny-Sawz did so reluctantly. Goltz waited until Peter had read the mes-sage, and then went on.
"The 'materiel' to which the message refers, Hans," Goltz said, "is for use in repatriating the Graf Spee officers. Some of it is military in nature, shortwave radios, that sort of thing, and small arms. Some of it is passports and other doc-umentation. There is even some money. It would be very inconvenient if it were lost, and embarrassing, if the documents, in particular, fell into the wrong hands."
Like hell it is, Herr Standartenf?hrer, Peter thought. What you 're talking about is money. The money von Lutzenberger told me the replacement ship was bringing in. And the loss of a few small arms and radios and "some money" wouldn't even be brought to the attention of Himmler, Canaris, and company.
"Yes, Sir," Peter said.