“No, ma’am,” Stein said. “Never. Not that I haven’t been tempted.” He heard what he had blurted and quickly added: “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Mother Superior made an It doesn’t matter gesture with both hands.
She said: “I thought I knew that when I looked into your eyes. You have very kind eyes. Siggie, if you’re willing, you can be very important in bringing la Señora Fischer back to good health.”
“Excuse me?”
“We don’t have to get into the details now. I just need to know if you’d be willing to help.”
Stein looked at Frade, whose face showed nothing.
“If it’s all right with the major,” Stein said finally, “then okay. I’l
l do what I can.”
“It would help, Siggie,” Frade said. “Having her craz . . . like she is now isn’t doing us any good.”
“Okay. Just tell me what you want me to do.”
“I’ll have to give it some thought,” Mother Superior said. “Knowing that you’re willing to help will be useful.”
She turned to Delgano and Sawyer.
“And you are?”
They introduced themselves.
“What is that you’re drinking, Cletus?” Mother Superior asked.
“Wine,” Frade said. “They make it from grapes.”
“You’ve obviously had more of it than you should,” she said.
“You’re right, Clete,” Sawyer said. “Mother Superior would make a fine gunnery sergeant.”
“May I offer you a glass?” Clete said.
“What is it?” she asked, and went to the bar, picked up the bottle, and examined the label.
“This has to be vinegar,” she said.
Clete shook his head. He poured wine an inch deep in a glass and offered it to her.
Surprising him, she took it, smelled it, took a small sip, swirled it around in her mouth, then swallowed. She pushed the glass to him.
He poured three inches of wine into the glass.
“‘Take a little wine for thy stomach’s sake,’” he said. “That’s from Saint Timothy.”
“Yes, I know,” she said. “You took that from there?”
She indicated the wine rack.
He nodded.
“It’s hard to believe, but that wine must have been there the last time I was in this room. The last time you and I were in this room.”
“I’ve never been in this room before in my life,” Clete said.