Donovan ignored the interruption, and went on: “—what good is this airline going to do the OSS? With an Argentine intelligence officer as the chief pilot? With all pilots Argentine?”
“I don’t know. Do you think in his Machiavellian way Roosevelt had another purpose besides helping the OSS when he ordered the OSS to set up an airline?”
“Like what?”
“Like sticking it in Juan Trippe.”
“If he did, he’d never admit it.”
“There’s one way to tell,” Graham said. “First you tell him the good news, that there’s going to be an airline down there. Then you tell him the bad news, that the OSS can’t use it for anything, because there are Argentines deeply involved in it just to keep that from happening. Then you compare his reactions. If he’s not really unhappy about the bad news . . .”
“Why don’t you tell him? I’m going to the White House for cocktails at five, and I’m sure the President would be delighted if you came. Then you could judge his reactions for yourself.”
“If I did that, he likely would be able to ask who Galahad is again, and God only knows where that would lead.”
“That thought ran through my mind, frankly. Why don’t I meet you in the lobby at, say, quarter to five? That way, we can be sure that nothing will happen to keep you from going.”
“I really don’t want to go over there, Bill.”
“Yeah, I know. But Allen Dulles is going to be there.”
Graham didn’t reply. But he certainly was curious as to why Dulles, the OSS station chief in Switzerland, was in the States.
Donovan went on: “I think Dulles is the real reason the President wants to know who Galahad is. And I think the President would like you to tell him why you won’t tell him.”
“I presume my invitation to this is in fact an order?” Graham asked coldly.
Donovan nodded. He met Graham’s eyes for a long moment, then said, “Yes, Colonel, it is. And in the meantime, why don’t you start working on getting a Lodestar on its way to Pôrto Alegre?”
“To where?”
“Our air base at Pôrto Alegre, Brazil—the ‘birdcage.’ ”
“You remembered the code name!” Graham said in mock awe.
“I forget very little, Colonel Graham. It might behoove you to keep that in mind. For example, I’m not about to forget quarter to five in the lobby.”
“What about the radios he wants?”
“I guess I’m not perfect after all. I forgot that.”
“I can’t believe that.”
“Call the Army Security Agency, tell them you need the radios and some expert who’ll know how to set them up. We’ll send him and the radios down there on the first Lodestar.”
“And what do I respond to Frade?”
“Why don’t you wait until you have his reaction to the news that you’re sending the first of fourteen Lockheed Lodestars that will be of little or no use to the OSS in Argentina?”
“And what about the financing of this enterprise?”
“You can ask the President that, too. I would guess that since he would have to repay Frade that two point two million from his unvouchered funds,
he would be pleased if Frade used his own money. As you point out, he’s got lots of it.”
“That’s not fair, Bill.”
“We’re in the OSS, Alex. The word ‘fair’ is not in our lexicon.”