"You can take me partway to my destination, then," Peter said.
"It will be my pleasure, Herr Baron Major."
"If by chance, Herr Steuben, either the Herr Standartenf?hrer or the Herr Oberst calls, you will tell them I am about our business, and will return their call on my return."
"Jawohl, Herr Baron Major."
"Let's go, Herr Loche," Peter said.
No questions will be asked. These are good Germans. Authority-me-has spoken, and good Germans do not question authority.
Now all I have to do is figure out where I'm going.
Two kilometers from Steuben's house, they came to a truck stop.
Truck stops have telephones.
"You can drop me there, Loche," he ordered.
With a great deal of difficulty, he reached Buenos Aires three times.
The butler at the Frade mansion on Avenida Coronel Diaz told him that Se¤or Frade was not at home, and politely refused to say any more than that.
The housekeeper at the house on Libertador told him that Se¤or Frade had been there earlier but had left, and suggested he try to call the mansion on Avenida Coronel Diaz.
Se¤or Humberto Valdez Duarte told him that he had no idea where Cletus was, but if he wasn't' at the house on Coronel Diaz or the Libertador house, the only thing he could think of was that he might be at the estancia. He added that he knew Cletus was back from Brazil, because there was a telephone call from Capitan Lauffer, General Arturo Rawson's aide-de-camp, telling him privately, and not for publication, that Cletus had been a hero of the revolution.
Although it was only sixty or seventy kilometers from Magdalena, he got through to Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo with much greater trouble. Se¤or Frade was not at home, but there was a possibility he might be at home later.
"You might try again in an hour or two, Se¤or, or perhaps in the morning."
Does that mean Clete is going to be there, or not?
If Standartenf?hrer Goltz arrives at Steuben's house and I'm not there...
What if somehow, I can get to Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo and Cletus is not there ?
I know his men are there, probably at the radio station. If that is the case, and Cletus is not there, I could give this information to his deputy; if his deputy is there. But where is there? / have no idea where on the estancia Cletus has placed his radio station-and I doubt very much that anyone will tell me. Es-tancia San Pedro y San Pablo is about as big as Pomerania, and I can't just wander around looking for it.
What is left?
Getting to Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo somehow. If Cletus is not there, I'll write down the position where the Comerciante del Oceano Pacifico will drop anchor, and the place on the shoreline where I will unload the Coronel Gasparo, and leave it for him. If he's not there, they will probably deny know-ing where he is; but after I leave-and I will have to leave, praying that I can get back to Magdalena before the good Standartenf?hrer shows up-they will very likely make an effort to reach him or his deputy. Getting in touch with the deputy would be just about as good as getting my message into Cletus's hand.
That suggests the very real possibility that an American submarine, having been provided with Oceano Pacifico'.? location by Kapit„nmajor Hans-Peter von Wachtstein, will arrive at the scene at just about the moment Kapit„nmajor Hans-Peter von Wachtstein sails the good ship Coronel Gasparo up to the Oceano Pacifico, and that she will fire her torpedoes just as the master of the Oceano Pacifico, Standartenf?hrer Goltz, and I are exchanging pleasantries.
Maybe that would be appropriate.
How do I reach Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo from here?
He made one more telephone call, getting through on the fourth attempt.
"Estancia Santo Catalina."
"Se¤orita Alicia Carzino-Cormano, please. Se¤or Condor is calling."
"One moment, por favor, Se¤or. I will see if the lady is at home."
"Oh, my God, Peter, where are you?"