Bormann was a short and stocky man, wearing a brown Nazi party uniform decorated only with the swastika brassard on his right sleeve and the Blood Or-der insignia pinned to his right breast. (The Blood Order decoration, awarded to those who participated in the-failed-1923 coup d'‚tat in Munich, was of red and silver, surmounted by an eagle, showing a view within an oak-leaf wreath of the Feldherrnhalle in Munich, and bore the legend "You Were Victorious.")
"Very long, Herr Reichsleiter," Goltz replied, returning the firm handshake.
"Well, at least you won't have to drive back to Berlin. I've arranged a seat for you on the Heinkel."
A Heinkel twin-engine bomber had been converted to a transport for high-speed service between Berlin and Wolf's Lair. Only six seats were available, and they were hard to come by unless spoken for by someone very high-Keitel, Goring, Bormann, or the F?hrer himself.
"Wonderful. Thank you."
"Reichsprotektor Himmler was kind enough to tell me early this morning that he had received word from Buenos Aires that a certain highly placed Ar-gentine met a tragic death at the hands of bandits," Bormann said, getting im-mediately to the point that most immediately concerned Goltz, "and that he felt you could now travel to Buenos Aires without raising any suspicions that you were personally involved."
A faint smile crossed Goltz's lips. Oberst Karl-Heinz Gr?ner, Military Attach‚ of the Embassy of the German Reich to the Republic of Argentina, had sent a radio message to Himmler reporting the death of el Coronel Jorge Guillermo Frade. A copy of that message was delivered to Goltz in Berlin an hour before Himmler saw it. Goltz had immediately called Bormann.
"I did not, of course, tell him that I had already received the same informa-tion," Bormann went on. "I did tell him that was good news, as I had finally re-ceived the last signature on the document, and suggested he order you here personally to pick it up. He told me that you were already en route."
"Everyone has come on board?"
"Canaris last, of course," Bormann said, smiling, and walked behind his desk, pulled open a drawer, and handed Goltz a business-size envelope. Goltz took from it a single sheet of paper, folded in thirds, and read it.
Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Hebeiterportel
Berlin 1 April 1943
The bearer, SS-SD Standartenf?hrer Josef Goltz, has been charged with the execution of highly confidential missions of the highest importance to the German Reich.
In his sole discretion, SS-SD Standartenf?hrer Goltz will make the nature of his missions known only to such persons as he feels may assist him in the execution of his missions. Such persons are-
1. Directed to provide SS-SD Standartenf?hrer Goltz with whatever support, of whatever nature, he may request.
2. Absolutely forbidden to divulge any information whatsoever concerning SS-SD Standartenf?hrer Goltz' missions to any other person without the express permission of SS-SD Standartenf?hrer Josef Goltz, including communication by any means whatsoever any reference to SS-SD Standartenf?hrer Goltz' missions to any agency of the German Reich, or any person, without the express permission in each instance of SS-SD Standartenf?hrer Josef Goltz.
Reichsleither Mart¡n Bormann Wilhelm Keitel
NSDAP Feldmarschal
Heinrich Himmler Karl Doenitz
Reichsproteckto Grand Admiral
Joachim von Ribbentrop Wilhelm Canaris
Foreign Minister Rearadmiral, Abwehr
Goltz raised his eyes to Bormann.
"A very impressive document, Herr Reichsleiter," he said. He refolded the letter and put it back in the envelope. "Do I understand that I am to keep this?"
Bormann nodded.
"While you were on your way here," Bormann said, "Reichsprotektor Himmler called again, to inform me that he had obtained a seat for you on the Lufthansa flight leaving Templehof for Buenos Aires tomorrow."
Goltz put the envelope in an inside pocket of his uniform.
"You don't seem too happy to hear that," Bormann said. "Is duty about to interfere with your love life, Jo
sef?"
"I never allow duty to interfere with my love life," Goltz replied. "What you see is a mixture of anticipation, curiosity, and unease, Herr Reichsleiter."