Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

"Trying to get rid of it," Castillo said. "You don't happen to know of some kind and gentle young lady of thirteen or so who would take it off my hands, do you?"

"You're serious? You brought that for Elena? What is it?"

Castillo gestured at Max.

"A little version of him. By way of Marburg, Germany, and Vienna," Castillo said, looking at Pevsner as he spoke, and not being surprised when he saw that Pevsner's eyes had turned to ice.

"Let me see it," Anna said, taking the puppy from Castillo, then holding it up and rubbing noses with it. "Charley, he's precious! Elena will be crazy with him. Thank you so much!"

"The small horse is the father?" Pevsner asked, indicating Max. "It will grow to be the same?"

"Yes, indeed."

Anna picked up a telephone, waited a moment, and then said, "Will you ask the children to join us in the library, please?" She hung up and turned to Castillo. "Alek said you might be bringing someone with you and . . ."

"I know," Castillo said. "Your husband always thinks the worst of me."

"If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck . . ." Pevsner said.

Castillo laughed.

A maid rolled a bar service into the room.

"What can we offer you, Charley?"

"I'm feeling Russian. Is that vodka I see?"

"How do you want it?" Pevsner asked.

"In a glass would be nice," Castillo said straight-faced.

Anna laughed.

"I meant, from the freezer, or with ice, or room temperature," Pevsner said, shaking his head.

"From the freezer, please," Castillo said.

Pevsner wagged a rather imperious finger at the maid and told her in Spanish to bring a bottle from the freezer.

"Your Spanish is getting better," Castillo said.

"Better than what?" Pevsner asked suspiciously.

"Better than it was," Castillo replied.

"What does he eat?" Anna asked.

"Puppy chow," Castillo said, and took a plastic zip-top bag from his jacket pocket and laid it on a small table. "I have more in the hotel. And I am assured it can be found in any supermarket in the country. This is Royal Canine Puppy Chow For Very Large Dogs. Max loves it."

"I'll have to write that down," Anna said, and went to an escritoire that looked as if it belonged in the Louvre and did so.

"I have a little trouble picturing you, Friend Charley, traveling the globe and caring for a puppy," Pevsner said.

"He brings out the paternal instinct in me," Castillo said piously.

"What were you doing in Germany. Visiting home?"

"Actually, I had to go to a funeral."