By Order of the President (Presidential Agent 1)

“That was my first reaction,” Netty said. “But Pastor Dannberg has apparently been aware of the boy since . . . since she became pregnant. It’s real, Fred.”

“And this helicopter pilot didn’t want to marry her?”

“She said she’s sure he doesn’t know about the child,” Netty said. “This wasn’t said, but it seems obvious to me: The family preferred that she bear this child . . . she was eighteen when she had him, by the way . . . out of wedlock, rather than the alternative, which was seeing the blood line corrupted by marriage.”

“What do you mean, ‘corrupted’? By an American, you mean?”

“Not just an American. According to her, the father of that blond boy is Jorge Alejandro Castillo. From Texas.”

“Oh, boy!” Colonel Lustrous said.

“Yeah, Freddy, ‘Oh, boy!’ ” Netty said.

“Let me see what I can do,” he said. And then a thought popped into his mind and he asked it aloud, “Does the boy know?”

“I don’t know,” Netty said. “She’ll have to tell him, if she hasn’t already.”

“Let me see what I can find out,” Lustrous said.

Netty met his eyes, then nodded, then stood up.

“You’re coming home for supper?” she asked.

He nodded.

“We’re having roast boar,” Netty said. “As we were getting in the Investment to come back, a maid came out with an enormous platter of food wrapped in aluminum foil. The maid said Frau Erika wanted me to have it; otherwise, it would go to waste.”

“I like roast boar,” he said.

“I know,” she said. “When you were a lieutenant, you and the colonel used to shoot them with Thompsons and give the meat to Saint Johan’s.”

“I’ve told you that story, have I?”

“I was here, dear,” she said. “A still-blushing bride. And I almost left you when you walked into the house staggering under the weight of the ugliest animal carcass I had ever seen and made it clear that I was expected to turn it into dinner. ”

He chuckled.

“There’s more than enough, if you want to ask anyone,” Netty said.

“The Naylors?” he asked.

“Why not?”

She walked to him, kissed him, and said, “Do me a favor, Freddy. Don’t put this on a back burner.”

“I’ll get right on it,” he said.

He led her to the door with his arm around her shoulder. Sergeant Major Dieter looked up from his desk.

“See if Major Naylor is available, will you, please?” Colonel Lustrous said to him.

[THREE]

Headquarters Eleventh Armored Cavalry Regiment Downs Barracks Fulda, Hesse, West Germany 0740 8 March 1981

“How are we doing, Sergeant Major?” Colonel Frederick J. Lustrous greeted Sergeant Major Rupert Dieter as he walked into his office. But before Dieter could reply, Lustrous went on, “But before we get into that, you might want to put a quiet word into the ear of the mess sergeant of Baker Troop, First Squadron.”

"Yes, sir?”