Pamela de Mallin winked at him.
A moment later, Enrico came out of a corridor, followed by Peter von Wachtstein, with Alicia Carzino-Cormano holding his arm, an arrangement both seemed to find delightful. Isabela trailed along behind them, looking more than a little unhappy.
Unhappy,Clete thought, as in pissed, because Alicia is on Peter's arm, where she realizes she doubtless wants to be . . . rather than playing the role she's chosen for herself as the grief-stricken near-fianc?e of the late Captain Duarte.
When Clete's eyes met his, von Wachtstein changed course.
"Buenos dias, Teniente," he said.
"Mi Capitan," Clete said. "That's quite a uniform. And the Se?oritas Carzino-Cormano, what a joy it is to see you again!"
Alicia smiled warmly; Isabela icily. Neither said anything.
"Your father, Teniente, has been explaining to the Se?oritas Carzino-Cormano and her mother that while we are officers of opposing military forces, we bear each other no personal ill will.
I thought I would greet you to make that point."
"In other words, Se?oritas," Clete said with a slow grin, "while it would give me the greatest of professional pleasure to shoot el Capitan down, I would hope to do so while smiling with warm affection at him."
"Precisely," Peter said. "But I would be unhappy in such an encounter because it would be ungentlemanly of me to take advantage of an inferior foe."
"We will have to try it sometime," Clete said. "In a spirit, of course, of friendship and professional admiration, mi Capitan."
"Teniente, I would not have it otherwise."
"El Capitan is a credit to the officer corps," Clete said.
"How kind of you, Teniente, to say so."
"De nada, mi Capitan."
It occurred to Isabela Carzino-Cormano that they both were mocking her. For a moment, Clete thought she was about to storm away angrily, but she didn't. Her smile, however, became even more icy.
"I saw your little friend around here a moment ago," she said. "I can't imagine what happened to her."
"What little friend?" Peter asked.
I think you're crocked, Peter. And now that I've thought about that, that cloud of fumes around you is not eau de cologne.
"I think, Se?orita Carzino-Cormano," Clete said, "that it was time for the lady in question's bottle. But I appreciate your interest in my personal life."
Hauptmann Freiherr von Wachtstein bowed and clicked his heels.
"It has been a pleasure to see you again, Teniente," he said. "But now duty calls."
"The pleasure has been mine, mi Capitan," Clete said.
"Watch out for bandits coming out of the sun, Clete," Peter said.
He is crocked. Why else would he say something like that? And why the hell is he shitfaced now? At this hour, and with all the brass around?
"What did you say?" Isabela asked.
"I will try, mi Capitan," Clete said.
"We always say, in the Luftwaffe, that it is the ones you don't see that get you, Peter said.
"We say much the same thing in the Marine Corps," Clete said. "And that has been my personal experience."
Peter made another curt bow of his head and clicked his heels, and let Alicia lead him to the library. Clete saw Enrico waiting for them there.
[TWO]
Wearing a splendiferous uniform complete with saber, el Coronel Jorge Guillermo Frade appeared then, under the firm control of Se?ora Carzino-Cormano.
"Cletus, what are you doing standing out here?" Claudia demanded. "Your place is with the family."
"Probably counting his blessings," Frade said, and before Claudia could stop him, went on. I rather hoped you would wear your uniform with your decorations."
"I don't have my uniforms with me," Clete said.
"Pity," he said. "I took the trouble to look it up in the Encyclopedia Britannica. The Corps of Marines dress uniform is splendid."
He's crocked too. Is that the local custom? Is this thing going to be sort of an Argentinean Irish wake?
"Come with us, Cletus," Claudia said, taking his arm and leading them both across the room.
[THREE]
The Basilica of St. Pilar
Recoleta Square
Buenos Aires
1325 19 December 1942
In the ecumenical belief that any religion is better than none, when Martha Howell was for some reason unavailable to drag Clete and the girls to Midland's Trinity Episcopal Church, she permitted Juanita the housekeeper to drag them to the Roman Catholic parish known in Midland as the Mexican Catholic Church. Clete was therefore no stranger to a Roman Catholic mass celebrated by Spanish-speaking clergy.
It was, however, his first high requiem mass; and while he expected the ceremony to run longthe personal participation of the Cardinal Archbishop brought at least five other bishops, an abbot, and a platoon of other magnificently robed clergy to the Basilicahe never imagined it would go on as long as it did.
Everyone was seated European style on hardback chairs. He was seated in the third row from the altar. The other chairs in the first rows were occupied by the other members of the family, and by dignitaries of church and state. For the first forty minutes or so of the mass, he studied their uniforms and regalia with a mild interest, and then he wondered where the Virgin Princess was
sitting.
Both Big Henry and Little Henry Mallin walked in the ranks behind the caisson after they carried Jorge's casket out of the house, but he didn't see Dorotea there or her mother.
The women bring up the rear in this society. I wonder how Claudia Carzino-Cormano puts up with that.
Answer: She gets no gold stars to take home to Mommy for perfect attendance at mass.
There was a mirror behind the choir. Its function, Clete knew from painful experience, was to permit the choir director, the organist, and the priest to observe which of the choirboys was at that moment offending the dignity of the House of God and taking that first step down the slippery path to hell.
From where he was sitting, it reflected the rows of chairs just behind his.
Reflected there, her mother beside her, sat the Virgin Princess, a black lace shawl modestly covering her head.
Just before he came to understand that she was mouthing something to himmeaning she could obviously see his reflection, toohe was enjoying an erotic fantasy in which the Virgin Princess was wearing her loosely woven shawl and nothing else.
She is obviously paying no more attention to the Cardinal Archbishop than I am, and as obviously staring directly at me as I am staring directly at her. So what the hell is she saying with those exaggerated motions of those soft beautiful lips?
I love you"... ?
Oh, shit, Cletus, you're letting your imagination run wild. She wouldn't do that. You have given her no reason to believe that you consider her anything but a child. It is absolutely absurd to imagine that when she twice rubbed her breasts against you, it was anything but innocent. So what else could her lips be saying:
It sure looks like I love you.
And Jesus H. Christ, even if it is and it goddamned sure looks like it a relationship with that girl is idiotic.
So what do I do?
Obviously, I purposefully misunderstand what she's saying.
Clete just finished giving the Virgin Princess a happy, platonic, absolutely innocent "And how are you, Little Girl?" smile and wave of the hand when everybody around him suddenly stood up.