W. IV - Honor Bound 05 - The Honor of Spies

As if a switch had been thrown, Cranz's arrogant annoyance was suddenly replaced with smiling charm.

He handed the receipt back to von und zu Aschenburg with a smile.

"I'm glad you didn't give an explanation invoking the Reichsfuhrer to Schneider. He probably would have pissed his pants." He smiled again, then went on, "I didn't mean to jump on you, Aschenburg. But we have been expecting that pouch from Reichsfuhrer-SS Himmler, and when it wasn't among the others . . . Well, you understand."

"Not a problem," von und zu Aschenburg said. "I understand."

"Nevertheless, I apologize."

Von und zu Aschenburg made an It's unnecessary gesture.

"We expected you yesterday," Cranz said. "Something went wrong?"

"Headwinds," von und zu Aschenburg said.

"Pardon me?"

"When we shot our position just before the fuel gauges indicated half remaining, we weren't nearly as far across the Atlantic as we should have been. I turned back. And tried again last night."

"Would you explain what you just said? 'Shot our position'? What does that mean?"

"Did you ever notice, on the Condor, that there is a sort of plastic bubble on the fuselage? Just over the rear of the flight deck?"

"No," Cranz said with a chuckle. "I confess I haven't."

"Are you really interested in all this, Herr Cranz? Any of it?"

"Fascinated."

"Okay. In exactly the same way as the master of a ship shoots the stars with a sextant . . ."

The door opened again. This time it was Fraulein Ingeborg Hassell, von Lutzenberger's secretary.

"The ambassador would like to see you, Herr Cranz."

Cranz smiled at von und zu Aschenburg.

"Well, we'll have to get back to this. And soon. I'm really fascinated."

"Any time."

Cranz walked quickly out of the room. He did not close the door behind him.

Von und zu Aschenburg got to his feet and closed the door.

"What the hell was that all about?" he asked.

Von Wachtstein shrugged.

"I have no idea, but whenever Cranz smiles at me the hair on the back of my neck stands up."

"If you can rely on that, Hansel, you just might live through this war."

"I wonder what the chances of that really are?" von Wachtstein asked seriously.

Von und zu Aschenburg met his eyes, then shrugged, holding up his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

"Changing the subject, I really would like to have a look at that airplane."

"That might just be possible," von Wachtstein said. "I think I know how that can be arranged. It'll cost you, though."

Von und zu Aschenburg asked, with his eyebrows, what he meant.

"I'm not sure you're up to it," von Wachtstein said. "You're probably very tired from flying that far."

"Come on, Hansel!"

"If my sister-in-law, Senorita Isabela, were--how do I phrase this delicately?-- satisfied with her relationship with you . . ."

"Screw you, Hansel."

"Precisely. Congratulations, you picked up on that right away. If El Bitcho, for reasons I won't--being an officer and a gentleman--discuss was really pleased with you--more precisely, satisfied after you . . ."

"Enough, Hansel!" von und zu Aschenburg said, but he was smiling.

". . . and wanted to show her appreciation, you, being the silver-tongued devil you are, you could probably talk her into convincing her mother, who is on the board of South American Airways, that it would be the courteous thing to show a Lufthansa pilot the newest addition to their fleet."

"Why do I think you're serious?"

"I am."

"What about Frade?"

"He's not here. He's got one of them in Chile . . ."

"They've got more than one?"

Von Wachtstein nodded, held up three fingers, and continued: ". . . teaching his pilots how to land in Santiago. He won't be back for a couple of days. Not that I think he'd really mind you getting a good look. He loves to show off that airplane. The other two are here. SAA pilots and flight engineers are getting checked out on them, usually by flying them back and forth to Montevideo. I think if El Bitcho talks nice to her mommy, Claudia can arrange a tour of one of them for you."

"That woman is a shark. The last time I had teeth marks on my neck for a week!"

"My mother-in-law did that to you?" von Wachtstein said, feigning shock.

"Your sister-in-law, Hansel."

"I don't know about a shark, but Isabela does remind me of a piranha."

"A what?"

"A small fish," von Wachtstein said, and held his hands about ten inches apart to show the size. "Native to this part of the world. Razor teeth, powerful jaws. They swim in . . . What do you say for fish when you mean packs, herds?"

Von und zu Aschenburg shrugged to show he had no idea.

"Anyway," von Wachtstein went on, "they have a show for tourists on the River Piranha. They kill a small pig and throw it in the water. The piranhas appear in less than a minute. Lots of them. When they pull the pig out a couple of minutes later, there's nothing but the skeleton."

"You actually saw this, or it is a quaint folk legend?"

"I saw it on my honeymoon. Alicia wanted me to see it. She said that would happen to me if I ever even thought of hiding my sausage in the wrong--anyone's but hers, in other words--hard roll."

"And are you a faithful husband, Hansel?"

Von Wachtstein nodded.

"Because of this carnivorous fish?"

"Because I'm in love, believe it or not. That's why I want to live through this war."

Von und zu Aschenburg met his eyes, then fell silent for a long moment. Finally, he said, "Well, let's go pay my respects to Senorita Piranha. I really want to take a look at that Constellation. You sure it won't get you in trouble here? Sucking up to the American enemy?"

"Not at all. It will be in the line of duty. Cranz will be pleased."

"Why?"

"It will be what is known as reconnoitering the enemy. I'm supposed to come up with a plan to make sure that SAA does not establish a one-stop service to Lisbon."

"How are you supposed to do that?"

"I don't know. Right now we're in the planning stage."

"What are you going to do, Hansel? Aside from warning Frade?"

"I don't know, Dieter," von Wachtstein admitted.

He kicked his desk drawer shut, stood, and made an exaggerated gesture bowing von und zu Aschenburg out of the room.

[TWO]

Office of the Ambassador

The Embassy of the German Reich

Avenida Cordoba

Buenos Aires, Argentina

1150 24 September 1943

"Baron von Wachtstein would like to see you for a moment, Exzellenz," Fraulein Ingeborg Hassell announced.

"Give me a few seconds, please," von Lutzenberger said, and quickly swept into his desk drawer a large manila envelope and a letter, and then--as an afterthought--took the yellow diplomatic pouch from which he had taken the manila envelope and also put it in the well of his desk.

Then he signaled for Fraulein Hassell to show in von Wachtstein. When von Wachstein entered, Kapitan Dieter von und zu Aschenburg was on his heels.

"We're sorry to disturb you, Exzellenz," von Wachtstein said politely, and then, looking around the room, added, "Gentlemen."

Cranz and von Gradny-Sawz were sitting at von Lutzenberger's conference table.

Von Wachtstein went on: "But I have an idea to get Kapitan von und zu Aschenburg onto one of the Constellations. I'd like to ask permission to try."

"How are you going to do that?" the ambassador asked.

"Senorita de Carzino-Cormano is a friend of the kapitan. I think she can suggest to her mother that it would be a courtesy to give von und zu Aschenburg a tour."

"And you think Frade would allow that?" von Gradny-Sawz challenged sarcastically.

"He's in Santiago, Herr Gradny-Sawz."