The sandbag machine-gun emplacements in front of the Casino were still there, but the weapons and their crews were gone. So were the machine guns that had earlier been visible in upper-floor windows of the building, and the guards who had been stationed at the Casino's doors.
General Ramirez was now back in his office at the Edificio Libertador- Mart¡n had just come from there-and the maps that had been hung in the early hours of the morning on the movable wall of the Main Dining Room were now hanging in the Situation Room in the Edificio Libertador.
The Officers' Casino of Campo de Mayo was now just that again.
Mart¡n marched through the door of the club-he was in uniform, still bearing the badges of a teniente coronel. Perhaps, he thought, there will one day be a brass plaque affixed to the wall, commemorating the use of the Casino as the headquarters of the coup d'‚tat. But perhaps not. It might be better not to have such an historical marker. It might be better if the coup d'‚tat, and the reasons for it, and the deaths of Argentine soldiers and sailors it caused, just faded from memory.
As soon as he was in the lobby, he saw Major Cletus H. Frade, of the norteamericano Office of Strategic Services. Frade, who had obviously and un-derstandably been waiting for him, rose out of a leather-upholstered armchair and started walking toward him, closely followed by Suboficial Mayor Enrico Rodriguez, Retired.
I wonder, Mart¡n thought somewhat unkindly, if the old soldier thinks Frade needs protection in the men's room and follows him in there ?
"Ah, Mayor Frade," Mart¡n said, smiling and putting out his hand. "I un-derstand that you have been flying our new President around."
"That was twelve hour
s ago," Clete said, "and since then I have been sitting around here with my..." He stopped himself just in time from completing the rest of the sentence that came to his lips; it had to do with the insertion of the short thick opposable digit of his hand into his anal orifice. He finished, "... nothing to do."
Martin's smile faded but did not entirely disappear.
"I don't know if there's dancing in the streets or not," Clete went on. "But I just heard General Rawson on the radio delivering a speech from the balcony of the Casa Rosada, which suggests to me the coup d'‚tat was successful."
I know what's bothering him: his Sergeant Ettinger. I don't want to break that bad news to him here, like this.
"And so it has been," Mart¡n said. "I was about to have a drink. I would be honored if you would join me."
"I'm not sure I should have a drink," Clete said. "I might say something rude with just a little alcohol in me."
"Please," Mart¡n said. "I will buy. It is a custom in our Army for newly pro-moted officers to buy drinks for their friends. And the invitation of course in-cludes you, Suboficial Mayor."
"You got promoted?"
"Are you all that surprised?"
"No. Not at all," Clete said. "I didn't mean to be so..."
"But you have been unable to understand why you have been... asked to stay here... when it became apparent that we have a new government?"
"Yeah," Clete said. "And 'asked' isn't the word."
He pointed to a major, still in field uniform, who was watching them.
Mart¡n gestured for the major to join them.
"Se¤or Frade, Mayor," Mart¡n said, "will no longer require your protection. You may consider yourself relieved of that responsibility."
"S¡, mi Coronel," the Major replied, and then after a moment's hesitation offered his hand to Clete. "I hope, Se¤or, you can understand my position."
"No hard feelings, Major," Clete said, taking his hand. "I know who gave you your orders."
"I considered it necessary," Mart¡n said, acknowledging he had given the orders. "Not only because I wanted to have a word with you before you took off..."
"It's too late to take off," Clete said. "I don't want to try to land that Lock-heed at Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo at night."
"... but for other reasons as well," Mart¡n concluded. "Will you have a drink with me? I'll explain."
"Yes, of course. Thank you. And congratulations, mi Coronel. It's a well-deserved promotion."
"For saying that, I will buy you two drinks."