"Well, good morning, Comandante," Castillo called cheerfully. "You're just in time for breakfast."
He pointed at the dining table.
Duffy, who did not look at all pleased with what he saw, ignored Castillo, eyed Max warily, looked curiously at the others, then crossed the room to Munz.
"So, Alfredo," Duffy said stiffly, and went through the hug-and-kiss rite.
Munz did not respond with anything close to warmth.
"Liam," he said simply.
"So what's going on, Alfredo? Who are these people?"
"Right now, Comandante," Castillo replied for him, "you don't have to know that."
"I thought you understood that if we are to work together, I am to know everything," Duffy said.
Castillo didn't immediately reply. Instead-with a grunt-he pushed himself off the couch and walked to the dining table. He sat down and waved for Duffy to take a seat.
"I've had my breakfast," Duffy said curtly.
"Well, have a little more," Castillo said. "As my much-loved abuela is always saying, 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives you the strength to attack the day's problems.'"
"I asked who these people are," Duffy said.
"Maybe we can get to that a little later," Castillo said.
"I want to know who they are and what they're doing here," Duffy said, his voice rising.
"Or?" Castillo asked, quietly.
"Or what?" Duffy responded.
"I didn't detect some sort of a threat in that request, did I? I really don't like to be threatened."
"What's going on here, Colonel?"
"Well, everybody but you is having their breakfast."
"You remember our conversation yesterday morning, I presume?"
"Yes, of course. Actually, I've given it a lot of thought."
"The twenty-four hours I gave you to leave the country unless your superiors authorize you to place yourself under my orders is about over, Colonel. And I am not amused by this…this whatever it is."
"Oh, come on, Duffy," Castillo said. "You didn't really think that little act of yours was going to work, did you?" He looked up at Duffy. "You're sure you don't want to sit down and have some of these scrambled eggs? They put little chopped up pieces of ham in them. Delicious!"
"Coronel Munz, you had best advise your Yankee friend that I'm serious!"
"So is Colonel Castillo serious, Comandante," Munz said.
"Actually, Duffy, I'm more of a Texican than a Yankee," Castillo said. "Wouldn't you agree, Manuel?"
"I would say that's so, Colonel," D'Elia said.
Duffy glared at D'Elia, as if trying to identify his accent, and then looked at Castillo.
"On the telephone you said that you had contacted your superiors and-"
"What I actually said," Castillo interrupted, "was 'I've been in touch with Washington.' And then I suggested we have breakfast. And you agreed. But then you come and say you've already had yours."
"All right, enough," Duffy said. "I am a man of my word, Colonel. I will not have you arrested if you leave the country by midnight tonight."
He walked to the door.
"At midnight tonight, I'll be somewhere in Patagonia," Castillo said. "When I know in which hotel…"
"The Llao Llao, Colonel," Munz furnished. "Confirmation came when you were in the bathroom."
"What an odd name," Castillo said. "The hotel Llao Llao, then, in San Carlos de Bariloche. I don't think we have our room numbers yet, but I'm sure the management will be able to tell you where we are when your people come to arrest us."
Duffy turned and looked at him in disbelief and anger.
"Duffy, you're not going to have me or anyone else arrested, and we both know that," Castillo said unpleasantly.
"I'm not?" Duffy flared. "You are under arrest for possession and use of an unauthorized radio transmitter."
"You don't give up, do you?" Castillo said. "Tell him about the radio, Tony."
"Just to make sure, Comandante," Santini said, "I checked with the communications ministry. They tell me that a radio telephone such as that is perfectly legal."
"We'll see about that at the police station," Duffy said. "You may also consider yourself under arrest, senor."
Santini forced back a grin.
"There's a small problem with that, Comandante," Santini said, straight-faced. "I've got one of these things." He waved a small plastic carnet. "I'm an assistant legal attache at the U.S. embassy. You have no authority to arrest me."
When Duffy didn't reply, Santini went on: "I also called the foreign ministry and told them that we were registering Nuestra Pequena Casa at the Mayerling Country Club in Pilar as the official residence of el Senor la Senora Sieno, which of course-as they also enjoy diplomatic status-gives the house and grounds diplomatic status and makes it inviolate to search."
Duffy looked at Castillo.
"You sonofabitch!" Duffy said.
"I'll tell you this one time, Duffy," Castillo replied coldly. "You can call me just about anything you want but a sonofabitch. If you ever call me a sonofabitch again, I'll break both of your arms."
Duffy shook his head in disbelief.
"Alfredo, this man is crazy," he said. "He has threatened violence-before witnesses; you, if no one else-against a comandante of the Gendarmeria Nacional."
"I didn't hear any threats, Liam," Munz said. "But if you ever hear one, pay attention. The colonel doesn't make them idly."
"Duffy," Castillo announced, then realized that all of Duffy's attention-confused or outraged or both-was focused on Munz.
"Duffy," he repeated more forcefully.
Duffy finally looked at him.
"Are you going to continue with this nonsense," Castillo went on, "or shall we start all over again?"
After a very long moment, Duffy asked, "What do you mean, 'start all over again'?"
"Well, I say, 'Good morning, Comandante. You're just in time for breakfast.' And then you say, 'How nice. I'm starved.' And then you come and shake my hand and sit down. And we have our breakfast, and we start talking about how we can help each other. You want to try that, Duffy, or do you want to cut your nose off to spite your face?"
They stared at each other for a long moment.
"Good morning, Comandante," Castillo said. "You're just in time for breakfast."
"I will listen to what you have to say," Duffy said finally.
"Well, that's not exactly what I hoped to hear you say," Castillo said, "but it's a start, and I'm willing to bend a little."
He waved Duffy into a chair and offered him a plate of scrambled eggs and ham. When Duffy shook his head, Castillo passed the plate to D'Elia.
Then Castillo put several spoonfuls of the egg and ham onto another plate. There was a basket of hard-crusted baguettes. Castillo took one, broke off a piece of the bread, then forked egg onto that. He generously applied salt and pepper, shook several drops of Tabasco on it, then popped the open-faced sandwich into his mouth and chewed appreciatively.
"Por favor, mi coronel?" D'Elia asked as he motioned with his hand for the bottle of hot sauce.
Castillo passed the Tabasco to him.
D'Elia then made a little sandwich much like Castillo's. Except that D'Elia was far more liberal with the application of Tabasco. When he had it in his mouth, his face showed his satisfaction with his efforts. He handed the Tabasco back to Castillo as Castillo finished constructing another little egg sandwich. When he had that one in his mouth, he passed the Tabasco to Duffy, who had been watching impatiently, but who took the bottle as a reflex action.
"I'd be careful with that," Castillo said. "They make it in Louisiana, and some men find it a little too spicy."
Duffy rose to the challenge. After he made himself a chopped ham and scrambled egg open-faced sandwich, he began to liberally polka-dot it with Tabasco.
"Be careful," Munz warned.
Duffy popped the little sandwich in his mouth. He chewed and smiled…but then his lips contorted and his face broke out in a sweat.
"La puta madre!" he exclaimed, spitting out the sandwich into a napkin.
"I told you to be careful, and so did Alfredo," Castillo said, smiling and shaking his head sympathetically.