The clown looked at Peter sternly.
The sonofabitch expects me to salute him. Fuck him. That’s not a military uniform. Maybe Nazi party, probably diplomatic corps. I am a soldier; I exchange salutes with soldiers.
“Guten Morgen,” Peter said politely.
The Wehrmacht Colonel came on deck a moment later.
Peter saluted, a military salute.
“Guten Morgen, Herr Oberst.”
“Herr Hauptmann,” the Colonel replied as he returned the salute.
The clown in the fancy uniform held out his right arm stiffly in the Nazi salute. Peter glanced up at the flying bridge. Schirmer was still leaning on the rail, watching the little ceremony. He was smiling, as if amused.
“I am Anton von Gradny-Sawz, First Secretary of the Embassy of the German Reich to the Republic of Argentina,” the clown announced, “and this is Oberst Karl-Heinz Grüner, the Military Attaché.”
“Hauptmann von Wachtstein,” Peter said, “and this is Claudio Saverno, Second Officer of the Belgrano.”
“Welcome aboard the Belgrano,” Saverno said in Spanish.
A third man, in mussed civilian clothing, stepped off the ladder onto the deck.
“Mi Capitán,” Saverno said. “El Capitán Schirmer is on the bridge. Would you care to join him?”
“Hola, Bernardo!” Schirmer called down loudly. “Come on up!”
“Is there somewhere we can talk?” Gradny-Sawz asked.
“Claudio, may I use the mess?” Peter asked.
“Of course, Peter. I’ll send the steward with coffee and whatever.”
“Gracias, amigo.”
Peter gestured to show the way.
“Will you follow me, please, gentlemen?”
He led them to the mess.
“I was led to believe, Herr Hauptmann,” Gradny-Sawz opened the conversation, “that you have been invested with the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. May I ask why you are not wearing it?”
“I wasn’t aware this was a formal occasion.”
“It is a very formal occasion, Herr Hauptmann,” Oberst Grüner said dryly.
“And can you get into a proper uniform?” Gradny-Sawz asked.
“By proper, mein Herr, I gather you mean winter?”
“The Colonel commanding the Husares de Pueyrredón,” Colonel Grüner said, “was kind enough to advise me the uniform of the day for the ceremony on the dock will be the winter dress uniform.”
“Jawohl, Herr Oberst.”
“A squadron of the Husares, plus a military band, and a delegation of Argentine officials, military and civilian, will be on the dock,” Grüner went on, “to accept the remains of Hauptmann Duarte from your custody. We will accompany them from the dock to the late Hauptmann Duarte’s home. Here is the schedule we have been given. Do you speak Spanish?”
He handed Peter two sheets of paper stapled together.