Clete went to Perón and touched the sleeve of his dark blue double-breasted suit. “Tío Juan,” he said softly. “I have a problem. Can I talk to you about it?”
“Of course,” Perón said. “Of course you can, Cletus. We will make the time.”
“Thank you,” Clete said. “Perhaps now?”
Peron looked at him and then nodded. “Edelmiro,” he said, and when Farrell turned to look at him, went on: “Why don’t you and Humberto go in to the ladies? I need a moment alone with Cletus.”
That was an order, and he called Farrell by his first name. Colonels don’t normally call generals by their first names. I guess that establishes the pecking order, doesn’t it?
“Of course,” Farrell said.
When they had gone, Perón looked at Cletus.
“I don’t know where else to go with this, Tío Juan,” Cletus said.
“I am touched that you are coming to me, Cletus. How may I help?”
“I learned today that Alicia Carzino-Cormano is with child,” Clete said.
“My God! Yours?”
You filthy-minded bastard!
“Tío Juan, I have come to look on Alicia as a sister.”
“Then whose?”
“I can tell you in absolute confidence,” Clete said.
“Of course.”
“The father is the German officer von Wachtstein.”
Perón took a long moment to think that over. “I was not aware they had…become so close,” he said finally.
“The dirty sonofabitch!” Clete said. “Taking advantage of a decent girl like that.”
Perón smiled tolerantly. “There are those, Cletus, who would say the same thing of you,” he said, and chuckled. “Your wife’s father, for example.”
“That was different,” Clete said with what he hoped was just the proper amount of indignation and embarrassment.
“I happen to know Major von Wachtstein better than you do, Cletus. And I can see why Alicia was attracted to him. He’s very much the same kind of young man as you. In different circumstances, I’m sure that you would become friends.”
“With that Nazi sonofabitch?” Clete said. “Never!”
“Major von W
achtstein is an honorable man,” Perón said. “A highly decorated officer from an ancient German family of officers. Did you know that his father is a teniente general?”
“No, and I really don’t care.”
“I happen to know that Teniente General von Wachtstein is an honorable man, Cletus. Just as honorable, just as decent, as your father. Blood tells, Cletus. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that when Major von Wachtstein learns of this situation—I presume he doesn’t know?”
“According to what Alicia told Dorotéa, he doesn’t know.”
“When he does know, I am sure that he will behave as honorably as you did when you learned the consequences—forgive me for saying this, Cletus—of allowing your lust to overcome your good sense.”
“I wish, Tío Juan, that I shared your confidence in that bastard’s sense of honor.”