By Order of the President (Presidential Agent 1)

“When I was growing up, sir, my mother thought it would be useful if the Russians won. We lived right on the East/West German border, sir.”

“And Hungarian?” the president asked.

“An elderly grandaunt who was Hungarian lived with us, sir. I got it from her.”

“General Walters . . .” the president began, then paused. “I suppose protocol would dictate that I refer to him as Ambassador Walters, but I think he liked being a general far more than he ever liked being an ambassador. Anyway, he told me that languages just came to him naturally, that they hadn’t been acquired by serious study. Is that the way it is with you, Major?”

“Yes, sir. Pretty much.”

The president studied Castillo carefully for a moment and then asked, “You think you’re up to what’s being asked of you, Major?”

“Yes, sir,” Major Carlos Guillermo Castillo said, confidently.

“Okay. It’s settled,” the president said. “I was about to say, ‘Good luck, thank you for coming, and one of the Hueys will take you back to Fort Stewart to wait for Matt . . . for the secretary.’ ”

“There’s no reason for him to stay at Fort Stewart, Mr. President,” Hall said. “Actually, I promised him the long weekend off if we finished here quickly.”

The president nodded, then asked Castillo: “Well, we are done. Any plans?”

“Yes, sir. I promised my grandmother a visit.”

“She’s where?”

“Outside San Antonio, sir.”

“Would a chopper ride to Atlanta cut some travel time for you, Major?”

“Yes, sir. It would. But a ride back to Fort Stewart is all I’ll need, sir.”

“How’

s that?”

“Sir, I’m going to meet a cousin at Savannah. We’re going to Texas together.”

The president raised his voice. “Nathan!”

A very large, very black man appeared almost immediately from inside the house. He had an earphone in his ear and a bulge under his arm suggested the presence of either a large pistol or perhaps an Uzi. Right on his heels was one of the secretary’s Secret Service bodyguards.

“Yes, Mr. President?”

“See that Major Castillo gets to a Huey and that it takes him back to Stewart,” the president ordered.

“Yes, Mr. President.”

The president offered Castillo his hand and put a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ll see each other again,” the president said. “Thank you.”

“I’ll do my best, Mr. President.”

“I’m sure you will,” the president said.

Secretary Hall shook Castillo’s hand. Hall said: “See you in my office at noon on Tuesday.”

A Secret Service Yukon rolled up a moment later. The president and Secretary Hall watched as Castillo got in the front seat and they waved as the SUV started off.

“A very interesting guy, Matt,” the president said.