Griffin W.E.B. - Honor Bound 01 - Honor Bound

"I understand."

"Though it is his custom to have newly assigned members of the embassy staff as guests in his home, under these circumstances, Ambassador Graf von Lutzenberger will not be able to share his home with you. He has asked me to express his regret."

"That is very gracious of the Ambassador," Peter said.

"In other words, you will be at the service of the Frade family tonight and tomorrow," Oberst Gr?ner said. "We don't know what plans, if any, they have for you. But if they have made plans, and you were not available, there is a question of bad manners."

"I understand, Herr Oberst."

"And what plans have you made for the removal of the late Hauptmann Duarte's remains from this ship?" Gradny-Sawz asked.

"I believe el Capitan Schirmer will remove them from the hold with a crane and lower them onto the dock," Peter said, with a straight face.

He thought he saw a glimmer of amusement in Colonel Gr?ner’s eyes.

"I don't know how long it will take us to reach the dock," Gradny-Sawz said, Peter's subtle sarcasm having escaped him, "but may I suggest that you change into a proper uniform, including the Knight's Cross, Herr Hauptmann?"

The Husares de Pueyrred?n were mounted on absolutely beautiful horses and looked as if they were about to charge into Bosnia-Herzegovina and lop off rebellious heads with their sabers, or impale rebellious bodies on their lances, thus keeping peace in Emperor Franz-Josef s domain.

The Army band, not nearly so ornately uniformed as the Husares, played "Oid, mortales" ("Hear, O Mortals"—the Argentinean national anthem) as the casket was lowered off the Belgrano onto a horse-drawn artillery caisson. Salutes were exchanged between German and Argentinean officers, and then the official party formed up behind the caisson.

With the drums of the band beating out the Argentinean equivalent of "slow march," the procession marched off the dock and into the streets of Buenos Aires, with the cavalry bringing up the rear. Policemen halted traffic. Pedestrians stopped and faced the street as the procession marched by—some of them respectfully removing their hats, and most of them crossing themselves.

It was a long walk to the Avenida Alvear, and it was almost brutally hot. First Secretary Gradny-Sawz, Peter noticed with some pleasure, was not only sweat-soaked, but had not managed to avoid stepping into the horse dung left by the six animals drawing the caisson.

They had some trouble passing the caisson through the gate at the Duarte mansion—the lead horse tried several times to rear. But finally the caisson was in place, and eight Husares—almost certainly officers, Peter decided, although he could not read Argentinean insignia—unstrapped the casket, and struggling under its weight, carried it into the foyer of the mansion.

The official delegation followed. A man and a woman stood just inside the door, with a rank of servants behind them. The woman was in mourning black, broken only with a strand of very large pearls, her face concealed behind a veil.

A short fat officer who looked almost ludicrous in his Husares uniform was ahead of Peter in the line. When he reached the couple, he said, "Se?or Duarte, Se?ora de Duarte, I have the honor to present Capitan Freiherr von Wachtstein of the German Air Force, who had the sad duty of bringing Capitan Duarte from Germany."

Duarte's father shook his hand limply and said, "How do you do?"

"May I extend the condolences of the Luftwaffe and the German people on your loss?" Peter said.

"Thank you," the father said.

"My son is now home, thanks to you, Captain," the mother said. "And with the Blessed Jesus and all the angels in his heavenly home."

Peter felt like crying.

You dumb shit,he thought angrily, you left this to go fly a Storch and be a hero at Stalingrad? It wasn't even your goddamned war!

The short fat man tugged at his arm and led him away.

"I am Coronel Alejandro Sahovaler," he said. "I have the honor of commanding the Husares de Pueyrred?n."

"A sus ?rdenes, mi Coronel."

"El Coronel Jorge Guillermo Frade, uncle to the late Capitan Duarte, has arranged for you to be put up at the Frade family guest house. Unfortunately he had pressing business at his estancia, and could not be here today. Se?ora de Duarte telephoned me this morning to ask me to take you to the guest house. I was of course honored to be of service. May I do that now?''

"You're very gracious, mi Coronel," Peter said, and then spoke what came into his mind: "My luggage? It's still aboard the ship."

"It has been taken to the Avenida Libertador house," Sahovaler said. "It is no problem."

Well, in that case, I suppose that nobody closely examined my luggage and found the money.

"May I have a minute to speak with el Coronel Gr?ner, mi Coronel?"

"Of course."

Gr?ner was standing with Gradny-Sawz. Gr?ner and Sahovaler knew each other, while Gradny-Sawz had to be introduced. Peter explained that Sahovaler had offered to drive him to the guest house. The announcement visibly pleased Gradny-Sawz.

"I will be in touch, Hauptmann von Wachtstein," Gradny-Sawz said. "If not sooner, within a day or two."

"Thank you," Peter replied.

Sahovaler had an open Mercedes sedan—an Army car—waiting outside. The driver was wearing a Husares uniform, complete to bearskin hat. They rode regally from Avenida Alvear to Avenida Libertador. On the way, Coronel Sahovaler told Hauptmann von Wachtstein that he was sure el Coronel Frade would be in touch with him very shortly to make sure he was not left alone in the Guest House.

[TWO]

Coronel Sahovaler was wrong. Since el Coronel Jorge Guillermo Frade had no intention whatever of participating in the nonsense on the pier, or to put on a hot dress uniform to march through horse droppings on the streets of Buenos Aires in the heat of summer, and since Cletus had "business" in Punta del Este— Frade hoped this was nothing more dangerous than meeting young women in brief bathing costumes—he had indeed found pressing business at Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo.

It happened to be legitimate. He was entertaining overnight el Coronel Ricardo Lopez, commander of the 2nd Regiment of Infantry. Wattersly had informed Frade that when he and Kleber talked with him, they were unable to move him off the fence. Wattersly suggested that Frade talk to him himself. Under the circumstances, he had had no choice but to go along.

He would entertain L6pez royally. And if there seemed to be an opportunity, he would reason with him himself. If that failed, the 2nd Regiment of Infantry would have to be placed in the Against column. There were only two columns, For and Against. If the 2nd Infantry went in the Against column, it would have to be neutralized.

He also completely forgot that he had promised his sister to arrange to put up the German officer at the Guest House. Knowing her brother's tendency to let promises slip his mind, Se?ora Beatrice de Duarte had called the Guest House and checked. When it turned out he had indeed forgotten, she asked Se?ora Pellano to take very good care of the young German officer who brought Dear Jorge back to Argentina. Then she called el Coronel Sahovaler to make sure he had a ride.

[THREE]

Customs Shed

Buenos Aires, Argentina

2135 13 December 1942

The plan to smuggle the walkie-talkies past customs was Tony's. It was novel, simple, and it worked:

"If you never saw one of these before," Tony said, "the odds are that nobody here has."

"So?"

"We'll tell them they are portable radios that don't work."

"You've lost me."

"We don't try to hide them. We make believe we took them over there to listen to music on the beach."

Clete could think of no better way to bring the radios into Argentina. Besides, even if the ruse didn't work and they confiscated the radios, it would divert attention from the "wooden" boxes loaded with straw chickens, ducks, and fish.