"Thanks. I had my surprise for the day already."
"Gonzales was serious. He says you should go. It starts at four o'clock."
"All right. I'll go. Better take me to Gobernacion. I'll need a pass from the Press Bureau. No, wait, let's go to Duarte's place. He takes his siesta at this time. I'll call that Vardieno bitch from his place."
Hall opened his tie. "Have we time to stop for a beer?" he asked. "I'm dying for a drink."
"No. We might miss Duarte. He'll have beer for you."
Pepe was right. Duarte did have beer, and had they stopped on the way, they would have missed him. He was about to leave the house when they arrived. Duarte was wearing the green dress uniform of a Mexican lieutenant-colonel, to which he had pinned his Spanish medals and insignia.
"Going to war?" Hall asked.
"No. To the opening of Congress."
"You've got time."
"Hall is dying," Pepe said. "He needs cold beer."