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Too bad. This is all I could ask for, and more.

We came back to Buenos Aires so that I wouldn’t be anywhere near that fool Schmidt when he goes to Mendoza. Better safe than sorry.

Casanova Perón will be out of Buenos Aires and in no position to do anything about stopping what’s going to happen to his beloved godson, Don Cletus, in case he should hear about it—and if he was here, that would possibly, even likely, happen.

And once Juan Domingo takes possession of Estancia Puesta de Sol—which he will if Evita has anything to say about it, and she will—I’ll have him in my pocket. There’s no way he could satisfactorily explain how, on his army pay, he came into possession of an estancia worth half a million pesos from a man who died years ago in a car crash.

“I’ll look in the book for the number, darling,” Evita said. “And then you can call about the tickets.”

“Can I make anybody another drink?” von Deitzberg asked.

“Oh, yes, please,” Evita said. “It’s a celebration, isn’t it?”

XVI

[ONE]

Casa Montagna

Estancia Don Guillermo

Km 40.4, Provincial Route 60

Mendoza Province, Argentina

0430 16 October 1943

After failing to do so with several gentle nudges, Doña Dorotea Mallín de Frade awakened her husband by jabbing her elbow into his side.

Startled, he sat up and looked down at her.

“Why don’t you go get Mother Superior?” Dorotea asked.

“Is something wrong?” Clete asked.

“No. I just want to start my catechism lessons a little early today. Right after that, I’m going to have a baby. Go get her, goddamn it, Cletus!”

“Oh, shit!”

He jumped out of bed, hastily pulled on his trousers, and ran out of the room.

“You’re not needed in here, Cletus,” Mother Superior said. “Go find something useful to do. Perhaps you can come back later.”

Don Cletus Frade had been deep in thought as he watched Mother Superior and her crew—Sister Carolina, the huge nun whom Clete thought of as Mother Superior’s sergeant major; Sister Mónica; and two others whose names he didn’t know—start turning his bedroom into what was obviously going to be the delivery room.

“Excuse me?”

“I said get out. Go find something useful to do.”

“Like what?”

“Prayer comes to mind.?

?

He looked at her for a moment, then left the room.

What the hell, why not?