"Thank you, Herr Oberst. I regret that I was delayed."
Smiling, Gr?ner held up his hand and stopped him.
"A late, romantic evening, I gather, von Wachtstein?"
"Romance is difficult, Herr Oberst, when the object of your intentions is connected like a Siamese twin to her older sister."
Gr?ner chuckled. "You are an enterprising young man. You'll find a solution."
"Is Ambassador von Lutzenberger waiting for me, Herr Oberst?"
"He wants to see you at 9:40. Not 9:35, not 9:45. 9:40. The Ambassador is a very precise man, von Wachtstein."
Peter looked at his wristwatch.
"We have a few minutes," Gr?ner said, then handed Peter a folded newspaper. Peter saw that it was the Buenos Aires Freie Presse. "Have you seen this, Peter?"
He pointed to a story with the headline Murder and Robbery in Belgrano."
"Not this story, Herr Oberst. But I saw a similar one in the Herald. The hotel placed one before my door; I read it at breakfast."
" 'The best laid plans of mice and men,' " Gr?ner said. "I think it was a Scotsman who said that."
"I saw young Frade earlier in the evening," Peter said. "He came into the hotel."
"So I understand," Gr?ner said. "It was reported to me that you had angry words."
"He was angry with the lady, Herr Oberst." "And she with him, I understand," Gr?ner said. "I don't suppose we'll ever know what went wrong, except that I violated the adage that one should never underestimate one's enemy. Lieutenant Frade may not be the babe in the woods I took him to be."
"May I ask what happens now?"
"Well, first you see von Lutzenberger. I suspect there may have been a letter for you in the diplomatic pouch. There was a Condor flight this morning."
"Oh, really?"
"He will deliver the standard speech, that you are not free to use the diplomatic messenger service for personal business. That should take about three minutes. He probably has you on his schedule, 'von Wachtstein, nine-forty to nine forty-four.'"
Peter smiled, thinking it was expected of him.
And when he turns you loose, I thought we would take a look at the advertisements in the Freie Presse and see about finding a suitable apartment for you. Or would that interfere with your romantic life?"
"No, Herr Oberst. Thank you very much," Peter said.
Gr?ner stood up.
"I noticed in the Freie Presse three or four apartments for rent that might be suitable for you. When von Lutzenberger is through with you, I suggest we have my driver take us past all of them. We will then wind up at my quarters, where my wife has her camera prepared to take pictures, to send to Willi. She will even feed us lunch. And afterward, if any of the apartments has taken your fancy, we can have a closer look on our way back here."
"You're very kind, Herr Oberst."
Nonsense. Your father would do no less for Willi. But now I suggest you go to the Ambassador's office so that you will be there when the second hand on his watch indicates that it's precisely nine-forty."
"Thank you, Herr Oberst."
"Oh, one final thing."
"Yes, Herr Oberst?"
"When young Frade surfacesInternal Security has him in the military hospital, but he should be out and about in several days you should telephone to him and express your delight that he came through this terrible event unscathed."
"I don't think I understand, Herr Oberst."
"You know him socially. You are a German officer and a gentleman. This is a neutral country. It would be the correct thing to do. And when Oberstleutnant Martin gets the transcript of the telephone call, it will drive him mad trying to figure out the connection between you two."
"I'll call him, Herr Oberst."
Gr?ner, now delighted with his idea, had an even better one.
"Better yet, invite Lieutenant Frade to lunch at the downtown officers' club. We'll stop in there during the apartment search and obtain a membership for you."
[THREE]
"You wished to see me, Mr. Ambassador?"
"Ah, yes, von Wachtstein," von Lutzenberger said. "I have a letter for you. There was a Condor flight this morning."
The Ambassador rose from his desk and walked to a wall safe concealed behind the official photograph of Adolf Hitler. He worked the combination, pulled the safe open, took an envelope from it, carefully closed it, and then spun the combination dial.
He handed Peter the envelope; it was sealed with green wax, in which was the impression of a signet ring. The letter was from his father. Peter recognized this, however, by the paper of the envelope and not the seal. A box of this stationery was kept in the library at Schloss Wachtstein; it was purchased in London by Peter's grandfather; and it was used up at the rate of one sheet and one envelope per year to announce births, deaths, marriages, and other significant family events to his grandfather's sister (and her descendants). She had married an Englishman and lived in Scotland.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Ambassador," Peter said.
Read it here, von Wachtstein," the Ambassador ordered softly.
Peter looked at him in surprise.
"That came to me by hand," von Lutzenberger said. "Not in the pouch. I suspect it should not leave this room."
Peter broke the wax seal and opened the envelope.
Schloss Wachtstein
Pommern
Hansel
I have just learned that you have reached Argentina safely, and thus it is time for this letter.
The most serious violation of the code of honor by which I, and you, and your brothers and so many of the von Wachtsteins before us have tried to live is of course regicide. I want you to know that before I concluded that honor itself demands that I contribute to such a course of action, I considered all of the ramifications, both spiritual and practical; I am at peace with my decision.
A soldier's duty is first to his God, and then to his honor, and then to his country. The Allies in recent weeks have accused the German state of committing atrocities on such a scale as to defy description. I must tell you that information has come to me that has convinced me that the accusations are not only based on fact, but are actually worse than alleged.
The officer corps has failed its duty to Germany, not so much on the field of battle, but in pandering to the Austrian Corporal and his cohorts. In exchange for privilege and honors the officer corps, myself included, has closed its eyes to obscene violations of the Rules of Land Warfare, the Code of Honor, and indeed most of God's Ten Commandments. I accept my share of the responsibility for this shameful behavior.
We both know the war is lost. When it is finally over, the Allies will demand a terrible retribution from Germany.
I see it as my duty as a soldier and a German to take whatever action is necessary to hasten the end of the war by the only means now available, eliminating the present head of the government. The soldiers who will die now, in battle, or in Russian prisoner of war camps, will be as much victims of the officer corps' failure to act as the people the Nazis are slaughtering in concentration camps .
I put it to you. Hansel, that your allegiance should be no longer to the Luftwaffe, or the German State, but to Germany, and to the family, and to the people who have lived on our lands for so long.