Blood and Honor (Honor Bound 2)

"I think el Almirante will fall, very late in the game, toward the side he thinks will win," Ramirez replied.

"Isn't it already very late in the game?" Per¢n asked.

Ramirez shrugged.

"The other question to be decided, preferably over this weekend, is who will assume power when we have taken action," Rawson said.

"Presuming we have the money to take action," Per¢n said, bitterly. "Money to bribe fellow officers! I-"

Rawson interrupted him. "How would you like to be President, Juan Domingo?" he asked.

Per¢n's face stiffened.

"Don't joke about something like that," he said. "Someone who doesn't know better might take you seriously."

"Maybe I am serious," Rawson said. "It's something to think about."

Per¢n shook his head in disbelief.

"My candidate is General Rawson," Ramirez said. "I have given General O'Farrell my written proxy vote."

"I never said I wanted to be President," Rawson said.

"Many people, not only me, consider you to be the logical choice," Ramirez said. "Now that Jorge Frade is no longer available to us."

"Why not you, mi General?" Per¢n asked.

"I do not wish to be considered. I am doing what we must do for the good of Argentina, not to assume political office," Ramirez said.

"For what it's worth, the Germans would be pleased if you were to assume the presidency, mi General," Per¢n said.

"You haven't mentioned any of this to any of your German friends, have you, Juan Domingo?" Rawson asked softly.

"You know better than that, Arturo," Per¢n said. "This is our business, no one else's. Which is not to say that the Germans won't heave a sigh of relief when we do it."

"Why, do you think?" Rawson asked softly.

"What's wrong with Argentina now, what has been wrong with Argentina all along, is a lack of order, a lack of efficiency, a lack of respect for authority. The Germans understand that."

Rawson shrugged.

"You don't agree?"

"The means by which the Germans have achieved order, efficiency, and re-spect for authority is more than a little frightening."

"You were delighted when National Socialism took power, as I recall," Per¢n said.

"That was before I came to understand what Se¤or Hitler really had in mind for Germany."

"You said-you gave a speech, I was there-you said 'only Germany can stem the spreading cancer of godless communism.'"

"I think the Germans will be pleased if we succeed," Ramirez said. "Be-cause it will probably accrue to their advantage. They would rather deal with someone they can trust. And like us, they have learned one cannot trust Castillo."

"Is there anything wrong with that, mi General?" Per¢n asked.

"Not if that's as far as it goes," Rawson said. "The only thing I can imagine worse for Argentina than Castillo staying in power is Argentina joining the Axis."

"The Germans will win this war, Arturo," Per¢n said firmly.