“It does seem strange, doesn’t it?” Martín said. “Of course, it is of no interest to neutral Argentina.”
“I understand, of course.”
The waiter delivered the coffee and placed the bill on a spike on the table. Martín saw that it was the fourth or fifth bill.
“Did I keep you waiting, Milton?” Martín asked, pointing to the spike.
“Truth to tell, I came a little early to escape someone in the embassy I didn’t want to talk to.”
“I don’t suppose you’d give me a name? So that I can avoid him too?”
Leibermann visibly thought that over. “Colonel Almond,” he said.
Martín was surprised that Leibermann had given him a name, and that one in particular, but his face did not show it.
Does he know that I had lunch with Almond?
Well, let’s see where it goes. I was going to tell him anyhow.
“Apropos of nothing whatever, does the name ‘Galahad’ mean anything to you, Milton?”
“Sir Galahad. If he had a first name, I can’t recall it. He’s a character in English folklore,” Leibermann said. “Sir Galahad: the purest of the Knights of the Round Table—are you familiar with these stories, Bernardo, are they part of Castilian culture?”
“Who alone of Sir Arthur’s knights succeeded in finding the Holy Grail,” Martín said. “I’ll have you know, Milton, I am an Old Boy of St. George’s School. I learned much more of English legend than I really cared to know.”
“I had no idea,” Leibermann said. “So I’ll bet you know all the words to ‘God Save the King,’ right?”
“Indeed I do,” Martín said.
“Why do I think you were not testing my knowledge of English legend?” Leibermann asked.
“Your Colonel Almond treated me to a very nice luncheon at the American Club,” Martín said. “The name ‘Galahad’ came up.”
Nothing showed on Leibermann’s face, although Martín was watching closely.
“Really?”
“He seems to think it is a code name,” Martín said.
r /> “A code name for whom?”
“He beat around the bush a good deal; I had to guess most of the time what he was talking about. But I had the feeling that he thinks our friend Don Cletus has someone in the German Embassy who uses ‘Galahad’ as a code name.”
“Past tense, of course. During the brief period during which Don Cletus was mistakenly suspected of being some kind of intelligence officer?”
“Present tense,” Martín said.
“But Bernardo, we both know that Cletus Frade has been discharged from the Marine Corps and is now a pillar of neutral Argentine society.”
“Of course. I wonder why I keep forgetting that? He’s told me himself on more than one occasion. And he certainly wouldn’t lie about that, would he?”
“Of course not.”
“Nevertheless, this is what your friend Almond believes. The way he put it—between intelligence professionals, that is…”
“Is that what you are, Bernardo? I always wondered how you occupy your time in the Edificio Libertador.”
“I’m in charge of security,” Martín said. “I thought I told you. Making sure the fire extinguishers work, protecting General San Martín’s sword, that sort of thing.”