"I don't think close, Herr Standartenf?hrer. They know each other, of course, but I don't think they could be called close friends."
Why do I think that question wasn't idle curiosity?
"Anyway, the preliminary thinking-Oberst Gr?ner and I were talking about this earlier today-is that the repatriation of the Graf Spee officers will be accomplished in three stages. First, get them out of their place of imprisonment, which should not pose much of a problem. Second, find a location where they can be kept safely until transportation can be arranged for them. And, of course, third, getting them from their refuge out of the country and to the Fatherland."
"There's a lot of them," Peter said. "That will have to be quite an opera-tion."
"There's something near two hundred of them. That's the second problem. Obviously they can't all be moved at once. So we're thinking right now that we will move them in groups of, say, twenty or twenty-five. A single truckload, in other words."
"Herr Standartenf?hrer, excuse me, but my understanding is that the offi-cers have given their parole. They were offered the choice: They would be con-fined under guard. Or they would give their parole that they would not attempt to escape, and thus would undergo their internment in a hotel, without guards."
"That was in 1939, von Wachtstein," Goltz responded. "The situation is dif-ferent in 1943."
"I understand, Herr Standartenf?hrer. But once the first group of officers disappears, I was wondering whether the Argentine authorities will then place all the others under greater restrictions."
"We'll have to deal with that when it happens," Goltz said impatiently. "Oberst Gr?ner did not seem to consider that an insurmountable problem."
"I was trying to be helpful, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"I understand, Hans," Goltz said.
We're now back to "Hans," are we?
"I had a long chat with our friend G?nther over the weekend. I learned that not only is he a good National Socialist, but that his father and many of his fa-ther's friends are also."
"That has been my impression, too, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"I also learned that his father has a small estancia near a place called San Carlos. Are you familiar with San Carlos?"
"No, Herr Standartenf?hrer, I am not."
"San Carlos de something..."
"San Carlos de Bariloche. Yes, Herr Standartenf?hrer, I know it. It is com-monly called simply 'Bariloche.' It's in the foothills of the Andes."
"Near the Chilean border," Goltz said.
"There's a very fine new hotel there," Peter said. "Strange name: Llao Llao. But a first-class hotel. I had a chance to visit there. Hauptmann Duarte's father has an interest in it, and he-"
"I want to talk to you about your relationship with the Duarte family, Hans, but right now-"
"Excuse me, Herr Standartenf?hrer."
"The Loche family has a small estancia near San Carlos de Bariloche. They manufacture some of their sausage products there. The sausage is transported to Buenos Aires, and elsewhere-"
"In their truck, which could carry, say, twenty or twenty-five people with-out attracting any attention at all?"
"Oberst Gr?ner said you were a bright and perceptive young officer," Goltz said approvingly, and then went on: "If Herr Loche is willing to assist the Fa-therland, his estancia would offer a good refuge for the Graf Spee officers until arrangements for their movement to the Fatherland can be arranged. Perhaps through Chile."
"Fascinating."
"Since this operation has approval at the highest echelons-I have been told the F?hrer is personally aware of it-there is no question regarding money. We will generously compensate Herr Loche for the use of his truck, and for the room and board of the officers while they are under his care."
"And also arrange a scholarship for G?nther to Daimler-Benz," Peter said.
"And G?nther's presence in Germany might reinforce Herr Loche's patrio-tism, if you take my meaning. Gr?ner tells me the Argentine counterintelligence people... What do they call themselves?"
"The BIS. Bureau of Internal Security."