“We have a rule that anyone who scores two or more goals can cut the dust of the trail with absolutely anything he desires,” he said.
“In that case, I will have a large glass of water, followed by a glass, perhaps two, of your excellent Argentine champagne,” Lowell said.
Fosterwood went to fill the order.
“Oh, excuse me, Hans,” Pistarini said, in German, to the ruddy-faced man and then switched to English. “Lieutenant Colonel Lowell, may I present my friend Colonel Hans Friedrich Stumpff, the German military attaché?”
Lowell rose from his wicker chair.
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Herr Oberst,” Lowell said in German.
“And I you, Herr Oberstleutnant. Are you with the U.S. Embassy? ”
“No, Herr Oberst, Major Lunsford and I are just visiting the army attaché,” Lowell said, shook Stumpff’s hand, and sat down again.
“You must be a cavalryman,” Stumpff said. “You’re a very good polo player.”
“I’m an armor officer, Herr Oberst. As I’m sure you know, our cavalry now rides helicopters.”
“I have been watching that development with great interest,” Stumpff said.
“As have I,” Pistarini said, now in German. “It is one of the things I look forward talking to Colonel Lowell about.”
Fosterwood reappeared, trailed by a young soldier in a white jacket carrying a tray with glasses, and a second carrying a champagne cooler.
The glasses were filled, and touched together.
“To old friends and new,” Pistarini said.
“Hear, hear,” Fosterwood said.
Pistarini took a sip of his champagne and looked at his watch.
“I really had no idea it was so late,” he said. “Hans, I need a word with Colonel Lowell, and we are both pressed for time. Would you be offended if I asked Teniente Coronel Fosterwood to take you and Major Lunsford to the bar?”
“Absolutely not,” Stumpff said, immediately getting to his feet.
Lunsford looked at Lowell for guidance. Lowell just perceptibly nodded his head.
“Ricky, I think we’ll need another bottle of the champagne,” Pistarini said. “And then will you see we’re not disturbed?”
“Yes, sir,” Fosterwood said.
When they had gone, and another champagne cooler had been delivered, Pistarini looked directly at Lowell.
“You had never met my friend Stumpff before, had you, Colonel?”
“I never had the privilege of meeting the colonel before, sir.”
“Interesting man,” Pistarini said. “As is Major Lunsford. Stumpff and I both tried to draw him out, and got hardly anywhere. What is it he does in the Army, Colonel?”
“He’s a Special Forces officer, sir.”
“I thought perhaps an intelligence officer.”
“A Special Forces officer, General.”
“And what, exactly, does a Special Forces officer do in the U.S. Army?”
“They do all sorts of things, Sir. Major Lunsford, until recently, was in the Congo.”
“I was under the impression the U.S. government flatly denied the presence of U.S. forces in the Congo.”
“I believe that to be the case, sir.”
“But you say your major was there?”
“He infiltrated the Simba army that captured Stanleyville, sir. He speaks Swahili, and was wearing a uniform consisting of a Belgian officer’s tunic, topped off with a leopard skin.”
Pistarini thought a moment before going on.
“You’re just about fluent in German, aren’t you?”
“It’s not as good as yours, General.”
“You spent some time in Germany, I gather?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And that’s where you met our mutual friend Lieutenant General von Greiffenberg?”
“Yes, sir.”
“May I ask how that came to be?”
“My wife introduced us, sir.”
“Your wife?” Pistarini asked, surprised.
“Generalleutnant Graf von Greiffenberg is my father-in-law, General.”
“How interesting,” Pistarini said. “I wonder why he didn’t mention that in his letter. You know about the letter?”
“He was good enough to show it to me, and to Mr. Felter, before he sent it, General.”
“You should have brought your wife to Argentina, Colonel. It would have given my wife great pleasure to show General von Greiffenberg’s daughter our country.”
“My wife passed on, General.”
“I’m so sorry,” Pistarini said.
“An auto accident, in Germany, while I was in Korea,” Lowell said.
“How very tragic,” Pistarini said. “You served with great distinction in Korea, didn’t you? Earning your country’s second-highest award for valor.”
Lowell didn’t reply.
“And before that, you were awarded the Greek order of Saint George and Saint Andrew.”
Lowell said nothing.
“What were you doing in Greece?”
“We were trying to—and succeeded—in keeping the Communists from taking over the country.”
“And you seem to know that Colonel Perón is at this very moment trying to reenter Argentina via Brazil,” Pistarini said. “Let a simple soldier, Colonel, try to put this all together. You have apparently spent a good part of your career fighting the communist menace.”
“That’s a fair statement, sir.”
“Would it be also be fair of me to conclude that you have a professional as well as a personal relationship