Death and Honor (Honor Bound 4)

“Why the sudden interest in the Hipódromo de San Isidro?”

“That was Dorotea’s idea. I asked her where we could have lunch so that (a) I could be pretty sure the guy at the next table was not working for El Colonel Martín, and (b) I would not run into my Tío Juan. She first said at the Jockey Club, then changed her mind and said here would be even better.”

“I knew it was too much to hope that you’d developed a sudden interest in thoroughbred racing. Well, Dorotea was right. I don’t think Martín could get past the guard downstairs.”

“And my Tío Juan?”

Duarte shook his head.

“This and the Jockey Club are beyond his pocketbook, Cletus. Well beyond.”

“Then I’m not liable to run into him here?”

“No, you’re not. But if you want my advice—which I’m sure you don’t— maybe you should invite him here for lunch sometime.”

“I can’t stand the sonofabitch. You know that.”

“El Coronel Perón can be very useful to you, Cletus.”

“So everybody keeps telling me. Actually, that’s the reason I asked you to meet me here. I wanted to ask you how useful he would be to me if I wanted to start an airline.”

“ ‘Start an airline’?” Duarte parroted, almost startled by the announcement.

Frade nodded.

“You mean here?”

Frade nodded again.

“Argentina has an airline.”

“Not a very good one,” Frade said. “The few airplanes Aeropostal has are small and old, and they only fly to a couple of places, none of them out of the country.” He paused. “Not like Varig, for example.”

“Cletus, you will forgive my asking, but has this anything to do with what El Coronel Martín and some others—completely without justification, of course—think you are doing?”

Frade ignored the question.

“Varig, the national airline of Brazil, is flying Lockheed Lodestars—just like mine—all over South America. As an Argentine, I feel a little embarrassed that Argentina isn’t. Doesn’t this embarrass you?”

Duarte rolled his eyes.

“Cletus, you may or may not know this, but Brazil is an ally of the United States in their war with Germany, and the Americans—”

“Humberto, you may or may not know this, but I seem to remember that America is also at war with the Japanese—actually, I have some painful memories of their airplanes—and with Italy, too, although from what I hear, the Italians don’t seem to have their heart in it. How many hundred thousand of them surrendered in Africa?”

Duarte, smiling, shook his head and went on: "... and the Americans are therefore willing to sell to Brazil certain aircraft they are not willing to sell to Argentina.”

“Well, if the Americans think that the Argentines think the Germans and the Japanese are going to win the war, doesn’t that make sense?”

“Argentina is neutral in this war, Cletus, and you know it.”

“So people keep telling me. But let’s not go down that street. If what you say is true, why doesn’t Aeroposta buy some airplanes from Germany? Could it be that Germany doesn’t have any airplanes to sell?”

“Are you suggesting that the Americans would be willing to sell airplanes to Argentina?”

“Just for the sake of argument, let’s say I have reason to believe this Argentine could buy, say, a dozen—maybe more than a dozen—Lockheed Lodestars.”

“You didn’t answer me before when I asked if this has anything to do with what El Coronel Martín—and others—suspect you are doing for the OSS.”