"I guess that's the beginning of the end for the Falange," he said.
"The hell it is, Mateo." Duarte was coming down to earth. "It will be a long row to hoe. Your State Department has been distributing judicious hints that a unilateral policy toward Franco will upset the apple cart. They're after an all-Hemisphere policy toward Spain. All that this means is that none of the countries, except my own, will dare to break with Franco until Washington takes the lead. Not even this one."
"You're crazy."
"I'm a diplomat, Mateo. Mark my words."
"I hope you have to eat those words by the end of the week." Hall doused his face with bay rum, patted it with a towel. "When did they call the troops up? Pepe started to tell me about it when he drove me over last night, but I fell asleep as soon as he got started."
"Three days ago, Mateo. There was a meeting of the Student Council to Aid the United Nations at the University. The hall was packed. Then the Cross and Sword gunmen stormed the entrances and fired point blank into the crowd. There were over fifteen deaths, and so many injured that the University authorities established an emergency hospital in five lecture rooms. Your Jerry has been there since. The commanding general of this area is loyal to the Republic; he called up the reserves."
"What about Jerry? I've been trying to reach her all morning."
"She is wonderful. All the patients are trying to teach her Spanish."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go to the University."
"Not me. I've got to go back to the Embassy. Lobo says he can meet us both for lunch at the Embassy."