"I think that would be a splendid idea," Goltz said.
"If you'll come this way, gentlemen?" de Banderano said, and then added: "You speak Spanish very well, Mayor."
"Thank you. I spent some time in Spain," Peter said.
"During the war?"
"With the Condor Legion," Peter said.
Goltz picked up on the Condor Legion and guessed what they were talking about.
"Major von Wachtstein received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross from the hands of the F?hrer himself," he offered.
"For service in Spain?" de Banderano asked.
"For service in the East," Peter said.
De Banderano now had the satisfaction of confirming his snap judgment of the young officer. He was a fellow warrior in the war against the Antichrist Communists.
He waved them to seats around the wardroom table and ordered the stew-ard to bring coffee, sweets, and brandy.
"Curiosity overwhelms me," he said. "What are you doing in that river craft out here?"
"What did he ask?" Goltz asked.
"It was all we could find on short notice," Peter said, and then translated for Goltz both de Banderano's question and his reply.
"We are pressed for time," Goltz said to de Banderano.
"How may I be of service?" de Banderano asked.
"Shortly before you sailed from Sweden, Captain, several crates were loaded aboard your vessel by Obersturmbannfuhrer Hasselmann...."
Goltz paused until this was acknowledged-de Banderano nodded his head-and then continued.
"I tell you now, in confidence, Captain, that they contain certain materiel which will be used to repatriate the officers of the Graf Spee now interned in Ar-gentina. These officers will be brought-probably in groups of twenty or so- from their place of internment to your ship, and then transferred to submarines."
De Banderano had been very curious about the crates brought aboard the Oceano Pacifico under heavy guard at the last moment before he sailed. And once they were under way he went so far as to enter the hold to look at them. He actually considered opening them for a look. But they had been sealed with lead-and-wire seals that could not be broken without detection.
"Major," he said in German, "my German is not that good. This is obvi-ously of great importance. Would you please translate what the Herr Stan-dartenf?hrer just said?"
Peter did so.
"The Comerciante del Oceano Pacifico is at your disposal, Herr Stan-dartenf?hrer," he said when Peter finished. "And may I say, as a former Naval officer, that I am delighted to make a contribution to such an undertaking?"
"This project, of course," Goltz said, "has the personal support of Admiral Canaris, who was himself interned in Argentina-and escaped-during the First World War. And I have reason to believe that the F?hrer himself has a per-sonal interest."
"What would you like me to do?" de Banderano asked.
Goltz took a map from his pocket and laid it on the table.
The steward arrived with the coffee, pastry, a bottle of Spanish brandy, and three gold-rimmed crystal glasses. He filled the glasses.
"Have we time for a toast?" de Banderano asked, picking up his glass.
"Of course," Goltz said.
"To Adolf Hitler, our leader in the war against godless communism," de Banderano offered.