The Hostage (Presidential Agent 2)

"Of course. Excuse me."

"The mines were placed there by the East Germans to keep the West Germans from rushing over there to take advantage of the manifold benefits of communism," Castillo went on.

"Karlchen, be careful!" Frau Gertrud ordered.

"And just this side of the still-polluted soil there used to be a road on which members of the U.S. Army used to patrol… This is really marvelous champagne, Helena! Might I have another?"

"Yes, of course," Helena said, and snapped her fingers impatiently at the maid, who hurried up with her tray.

Castillo took an appreciative swallow and went on: "As I was saying, there was a road on which valiant Americans of the Eleventh and Fourteenth Armored Cavalry Regiments patrolled to keep the West Germans from escaping into East Germany.

"One of those heroic young Americans was someone you both know. Second Lieutenant Allan Naylor came here just about straight from West Point, after pausing only long enough to take a bride and the basic officer's course at Fort Knox-"

"Naylor was here?" Torine asked. "Fascinating."

"As a second john, and later as a major," Castillo confirmed. "And he learned, of course, the legend of the Haus im Wald."

"Karl!" Goerner warned. Castillo ignored him.

"Would you like to hear the legend?" Castillo asked innocently.

Torine was silent.

"I would," Kranz said.

"Well, the legend was that in this house, which was known to the stalwart troopers of the Eleventh and Fourteenth as 'the Castle,' there lived a blond fair maiden princess who was ferociously guarded by her father, the king, also known as 'the Old Man.' He didn't keep the fair maiden in chains or anything like that, but he did do his best to keep her away from the Americans, who, as any Frenchman and many Germans will happily tell you, are bent on destroying culture around the world."

"Don't you think that's enough?" Goerner asked.

"I'm almost finished, Otto," Castillo said.

"I don't think you're being funny anymore, Karl," Otto said.

"Then don't laugh," Castillo said. "Well, one day, inevitably, I suppose, the inevitable happened. An American knight in shining armor rode up. Actually he was flying in the left seat of a Dog Model Huey. He set it down right there, on the cobblestones next to the stable."

He pointed.

"He had several things going for him. He was an Army aviator, for one thing, and everybody knows they possess a certain pizzazz. Most important, he was a Texican.As Fernando will tell you, handsome young Texicans send out vibes that women simply cannot resist. And such was the case here.

"He looked up at the mansion and saw the beautiful princess. She saw him. Their eyes locked. There was the sound of violins. The earth shook. Fireworks filled the sky. A choir of angels sang Ich liebe dich and other such tunes. And about nine months later they had a beautiful boy child who stands here before you."

"Oh, Karlchen!" Frau Gertrud said, emotionally.

"Your father was an Army aviator?" Kranz asked. "Where is he now?"

"He didn't make it back from Vietnam," Castillo said, evenly.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me, too," Castillo said. "Lecture over. I hope you took notes, as there will be a written exam."

"Why don't we sit down?" Helena said.

"Is that a true story, Onkel Karl?" a very young voice inquired.

It showed on Helena Goerner's face that she had not been aware her children had been standing in the door and really didn't like it that they had.

"Ah, my favorite godchildren," Castillo said. "Yeah, Willi, that's a true story."