“You’ll be back,” Clete said. “They also need you for Phoenix.”
“I may not come back,” Peter insisted. “That possibility is real and has to be considered.”
“Peter,” Clete said thoughtfully, “why do you think they don’t think you knew beforehand where that boat was going to come
ashore?”
“When Goltz was showing de Banderano—”
“Who?”
“The captain of the Océano Pacífico.”
“OK.”
“—where he was to land the boat, he made a point of giving me that information, saying something like ‘it’s time for you to know.’ De Banderano picked up on that. He told the Ambassador and Gradny-Sawz.”
“And the guy who gave you the information? What about him?”
“I got it from the father of an embassy driver, a man named Loche. And he didn’t know what he was giving me.”
“I don’t understand. Why did Loche have it? And he didn’t know what it was?”
“He didn’t know about the landing. All he knew was that he had been ordered to have a truck at a certain spot. I knew why the truck was supposed to be there; he didn’t.”
Peter looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then shrugged. “OK,” he said. “That makes sense. So what do you need from me?”
“Alicia thinks she is in love with me.”
“I’ve noticed,” Clete said.
“If I don’t come back, she will want to wait for me.”
“OK.”
“If I don’t come back in two months, I will not be coming back,” Peter said.
“You don’t know that.”
“I don’t want her to wait for something that’s not going to happen.”
“How am I supposed to stop her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Dorotéa could help.”
“This is all noble as hell of you, Fritz, but I think you’ll be back.”
“I am now asking you, Cletus, for repayment of the debt you say you feel you owe me,” Peter said, very seriously.
“You have my word, my word of honor,” Clete said, just as seriously.
“Thank you,” Peter said, and put out his hand.
“You’re welcome,” Clete said. “What else?”
“What else?”
“What else do you want?”