“Jawohl, Excellency.
“How soon can you leave?”
Von Wachtstein looked at his wristwatch. “With a little luck, Excellency, I could probably make it over there and back today, Sir.”
“Tomorrow morning will be soon enough for your return,” von Lutzenberger said. “Von Tresmarck will need time to settle his affairs and pack. I’m going to give you a note to Ambassador Schulker, explaining all this.”
“All this, Excellency?” Gradny-Sawz asked.
“So much of all this, Anton, as pertains to bringing von Tresmarck here for the flight to Berlin.” He turned to von Wachtstein again. “Could you put him up, Peter? Or shall I arrange a hotel room for him?”
“There’s plenty of room in my apartment, sir, and I would be happy to put him up. But it might be awkward vis-à-vis the Duartes.”
“How so?”
“I am often invited to dine with the Duartes, and I’m not sure their invitations would include him.”
“Anton?” von Lutzenberger asked.
Gradny-Sawz didn’t reply for a moment. He was always very careful when asked for an opinion. “My first reaction, Excellency,” he finally said, “if you agree, is that von Wachtstein’s relationship with the Duartes is so important—”
“Vis-à-vis Operation Phoenix, you mean, Anton?”
“Yes, sir. I believe the Anglo-Argentine Bank can be very useful to us in carrying out Operation Phoenix. And Humberto Duarte is Managing Director of the Anglo-Argentine Bank.” (In Argentine business, managing directors carried out the functions of presidents in American business.)
“Yes,” von Lutzenberger said. “We wouldn’t want them to think we were forcing anyone on them, would we—particularly an SS officer?”
“Not, I respectfully suggest, Excellency, if we can avoid that by putting up von Tresmarck in a hotel.”
Von Lutzenberger appeared to be thinking that over. He wanted Gradny-Sawz to remember (in case he was asked by either von Löwzer, von Deitzberg, or Boltitz) that it was he who had recommended that von Tresmarck stay in a hotel rather than in von Wachtstein’s apartment. “I think you are probably right, Anton,” he said finally. “Put him in a good hotel—the Alvear, if you can. Or the Plaza.”
“I’ll see to it, Excellency,” Gradny-Sawz said.
“And what, Herr Baron,” von Wachtstein asked, “should I tell Sturmbannführer von Tresmarck?”
Gradny-Sawz again looked uncomfortable.
Von Wachtstein pressed the issue. “He’s sure to ask, Herr Baron,” he added reasonably.
“I would think, wouldn’t you, Excellency,” Gradny-Sawz finally replied, “that there would be little harm in telling von Tresmarck that the three of us are being summoned to Berlin to assist both the Foreign Ministry and the SS in their evaluation of the unfortunate events on the beach?”
“Tell him, von Wachtstein,” von Lutzenberger said, “that all you know is that you’re all being sent to Berlin, and that it self-evidently has something to do with ‘the unfortunate events on the beach.’”
“Yes, Sir.”
“How soon can you leave, Peter?” von Lutzenberger asked.
“It’ll take me an hour, maybe a little longer, to drive to my apartme
nt, pack a small bag, and get out to El Palomar,” von Wachtstein said. “When I flew it over the weekend, the Storch had a little compass problem, but that should have been taken care of by now….”
“Where did you go over the weekend?” Gradny-Sawz asked.
“I made a small training flight, to keep up my piloting skills, Herr Baron, and just coincidentally found myself over Estancia Santo Catalina, where, by another coincidence, Señor and Señora Duarte happened to be.”
“Good for you!” Gradny-Sawz said. “And was there a chance to discuss investments?”
“I didn’t want to be too obvious, Herr Baron. I share your opinion that it is a delicate relationship that must be carefully nurtured.”