By Order of the President (Presidential Agent 1)

Otto snorted.

“You can’t stick around a couple of days?” he asked.

“I’d like to, Otto, but . . .”

Otto shrugged.

Not a word, not a single word, had ever been exchanged between them about what Castillo did. But that didn’t mean Otto didn’t know. He was a highly intelligent man and a good journalist. He knew but never asked questions.

“That’s Luanda, Angola, right?” Otto asked.

Castillo nodded.

“You want me to let our embassy know you’re coming?”

“That might be very helpful.”

“You have a ticket to London?”

“No. And I don’t have hotel reservations in Luanda, either. ”

Otto picked up one of the telephones on his desk and told Frau Schröder to get Herr Gossinger to Heathrow in time to make British Airways Flight BA 077 to Luanda, Angola, at seven thirty-five the next night, first class, of course; and to see what she could do for him about some place to stay; and when she had done that, to send a message to the German embassy in Luanda, Angola, saying that Herr Gossinger was coming and requesting all courtesies. And to cancel all his appointments for the rest of the day—he and Herr Gossinger were going to Bad Hersfeld and she could reach him in his car or at das Haus im Wald.

“We’re going to Bad Hersfeld, are we?” Castillo asked when Otto hung up.

“I want you to see your godchild and the other children.”

“Okay,” Castillo said and smiled. “I carry the greetings of Fernando.”

That wasn’t true, of course. But if he had told Fernando where he was going, Fernando would have said, “Give my best to Otto.”

“I am also godfather to one of Fernando’s rug rats, you know. Jorge.”

“One of his what?”

“His rug rats. He calls his children ‘the rug rats.’ ”

“That’s terrible,” Otto said, but he laughed. “Rug rats! How is Fernando?”

“Well. I think he’s still growing,” Castillo said. “He’s well. Working hard.”

“You want something to eat before we go?” Otto asked.

“I ate a large breakfast on the plane, thank you.”

“And your grandmother?”

“Very well, thank you. She spends most of her time at the hacienda, but not much gets by her. I saw her a couple of days ago.”

“You will give her my best regards, Karl?”

“Of course.”

As they passed through the outer office, Otto turned to Castillo and said, “Give me the keys to the rental car, Karl.”

“Why?”

“So I can have someone turn it in. There’s no sense paying for it if you’re not going to be using it.” He paused, had a thought, and added: “Unless there is some reason I can’t take you to the airport?”