Empire and Honor (Honor Bound 7)

“Yes, sir.”

“Code phrase ‘I talked to Virginia.’ The Wizard really doesn’t want anyone to know about the SIGABA and the Collins, and I don’t think we should trust the ground lines between here and the Kloster.”

“Should I try to call Argentina, sir?”

“Yes, and set up a schedule. The Wizard can’t put an antenna on the Farben building either.”

Aha! The Wizard is Colonel Mattingly.

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, what a tangled web, right, Tiny?” Wallace asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“I told Freddy to get you anything you need,” Wallace said, as he offered his hand to everybody in turn. Then he walked out of the room.

Anyplace else, we’d have been called to attention, been dismissed, and then exchanged salutes.

Welcome to Oz, Lieutenant Cronley!

“I have the keys to your rooms outside,” Hessinger said. “Is there anything you need tonight before I go?”

You’re back to that spectacular blonde, you mean?

They followed him to the outer room. He handed them enormous keys attached to even larger brass room number tags.

“Is there anything?” Hessinger repeated.

“We understand why you’re so anxious to leave, Hessinger. We saw the blonde,” Tiny said.

“She seeks employment as a translator,” Hessinger said simply. “I am trying to help her.”

“Of course you are,” Tiny said.

“If you are asking if she is available, of course she is. But not for a box of Hershey bars.”

“Never buy cheap shoes or rent cheap courtesans, Hessinger. You agree?”

Hessinger bent over his desk and scrawled an address on a slip of paper.

“It’s not far. I recommend that you walk.”

“Presumably she has friends?”

“Many friends.”

“May we say that you sent us?”

“Of course.”

“There is something you can do for me, Sergeant,” Cronley then said.

“Yes, sir?”

“You have access to the files on the people we’re looking for?”

Hessinger nodded. “Of course, sir.”