[ONE]
El Palomar Airfield Buenos Aires, Argentina 1725 14 April 1943
Standartenf?hrer Goltz and Peter von Wachtstein came to be on a-one-way- first-name basis moments after they stepped into Oberst Gr?ner's Mercedes at the Embassy. Peter thought it interesting that Goltz did not make the overture of friendship-if that's what it was-while they were in Uruguay.
"Which do you prefer your friends to call you, von Wachtstein?" Goltz asked with a smile, " 'Hans-Peter' or 'Hans' or 'Peter'?"
" 'Hans,' Herr Standartenf?hrer."
That was not true. From the age of six, he had learned to increasingly loathe the connection people se
emed too frequently to make between Hansel- the affectionate diminutive of Hans-von Wachtstein, and the sweet little boy in the "Hansel & Gretel" fairy tale. Since it proved impossible to punch the nose of everyone who, after fair warning, called him "Hans," he adopted the re-verse philosophy. Since only assholes would call him "Hans," he would en-courage all assholes to do so.
"You wouldn't mind if I called you 'Hans,' would you, von Wachtstein?"
"Not at all, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"There is a time, wouldn't you agree, when a certain informality between officers is not only permissible but desirable?"
"I have often thought so, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"The secret, Hans, is for the junior in such circumstances to correctly pre-dict when the senior is not in the mood for informality. I speak from experience. I once made the mistake-when I myself was a Sturmbannf?hrer, (The SS rank equivalent to major) by the way-of calling Brigadefuhrer (The SS rank equivalent to brigadier general) Max Ruppert... Do you know him, by the way?"
"I have not had that privilege, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"Fine chap. Splendid officer. For a time, he commanded the Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler. Anyway, he was not at the time in a mood to be addressed as 'Max' by a lowly Sturmbannf?hrer, even one he'd known for years. He gave me a dressing-down I still recall painfully."
Peter laughed dutifully.
If that little vignette was intended to caution me not to call you by your first name, it was unnecessary.
Goltz chatted amiably all the way out to the airport, saying nothing impor-tant. But also nothing, Peter realized, that seemed in any way unusually curious or threatening, just idle chatter.
But from the moment Goltz suggested "they have a little chat" with drinks and dinner to follow, Peter felt uncomfortable. Not only was the very idea that Goltz would go along with him to El Palomar unnerving-it would almost cer-tainly interfere with the talk he must have with Dieter-but there was certainly a reason for Goltz's charm, and Peter wondered what it was, what Goltz wanted from him.
As they approached the passenger terminal, the Condor came into view.
"There it is," Peter said. "It's a beautiful bird, isn't it?"
The Condor was sitting, plugged into fuel trucks and other ground-support equipment, on the tarmac in front of the passenger terminal.
"You miss flying, Hans?" Standartenf?hrer Goltz asked.
"Very much, Herr Standartenf?hrer," Peter replied.
G?nther pulled the car into one of the spaces reserved for the Corps Diplo-matique, jumped out, and pulled the door open for Goltz.
"I'm going to have a word with Nabler, Hans," Goltz said when Peter had gotten out of the car. "A personal matter. Is there somewhere we could have a coffee while you're dealing with the diplomatic pouches?"
"There is a small restaurant in the terminal, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"Well, then why don't you see if you can find Nabler for me, and tell him where I'll be?"
"Of course, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
What's the connection between him and Nabler? When Dieter warned me to watch out for Nabler, I thought it was simply because he was an enthusiastic Nazi- If Goltz wants a word with him, he's more than that. What? Is he keeping an eye on Dieter specially, or is it just that the SS likes to keep an eye on every-body who's able to spend time out of Germany? What Dieter said when he couldn't get away from Nabler was that Nabler was following him around like a horny dachshund chasing a Great Dane in heat. Was that coincidental, or is Nabler watching Dieter? And if so, why?
He watched Goltz walk toward the terminal and then went to the back of the car to help G?nther with the diplomatic pouches. There were four. Three were mailbag-type pouches and the fourth was a steel box.