Last Train to Asuncion Chapter 5

7/30/2019 Last Train to Asuncion Chapter 5

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. 38 Degree Burn

Chapter 4

(Note to readers:

Blair Tartan's older brother is actually named Joe, not Lyndon, as was earlier portrayed in thestory. Joe worked as a Fire Marshal for San Francisco some years before the story takes place. Now heoccasionally advises Blair on some cases concerning property damage, and on the best places to eat inthe city.)

1968

Joe entered the restaurant and sat at a table by the window. A waitress approached him with a menu.

Hola , Joe , how are you today? she asked.

Muy bien, Lupe, gracias , said Joe.

Que quieres hoy ? she asked. What would you like today?

Soup and a sandwich, please, he said, my brother already bought me lunch today.

Lupe smiled. How is Blair? she asked.

Just fine, answered Joe. He likes his house and his cat. What more could any man ask for?

Do you have a cat? asked Lupe. I thought you were enjoying the bachelor life. Me, I'm happy being me, answered Joe. And I'm glad I'm here doing it.

Well, me too, now that you asked, said Lupe. Cafe, pues ? Coffee?

Si, por favor, said Joe.

Muy bien, hombre , said Lupe, walking to the kitchen.

A young man entered the restaurant. He was short and thin, with hair almost to his shoulders. Hecarried a briefcase. He paused after entering and looked around the restaurant.

Over here, Johnny, Joe said to him.

Johnny smiled and nodded, and walked to Joe's table and sat down.

Coffee's pretty good, and so's the soup, said Joe.

Just coffee for me, said Johnny.

How's school? asked Joe.


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It's alright, said Johnny. But it's pretty boring compared to what I want to be doing.

What's that? asked Joe.

Catching the bad guys! he said, and for a moment his relaxed, easygoing demeanor vanished, leaving

a wide-eyed earnestness in its place. I want to use this stuff right, to put these bastards where theybelong.

Joe watched him in a friendly way. When you've caught them, he asked cautiously, what is it youplan to do with them?

Johnny smiled. Lock them all up, of course, he said. They ought to go away for years.

Lupe returned. And what would you like? she asked Johnny. I hope Joe recommended the soup, it'sreally good.

Yeah, he did, said Johnny. But I'll just have some coffee for now, please. I have to get going soon.

Coffee it is, Mr. Have-to-get-going, said Lupe, and she returned to the kitchen.

Joe looked at Johnny again. How much time do you think they ought to get for for what they did?he asked.

I think they oughta get life, said Johnny. At the very least. Those are all serious crimes, they cheatedpeople out of their savings, they sold them insurance that wasn't any good. But I've never heard ofanyone getting life for that stuff, so I guess I'll settle for five to twenty.

Five to twenty, Joe said. That sounds about right.

Yeah, I figure it's the best we can expect, said Johnny. Unless some revolutionary judge gets upthere and throws them all away for good. 'Your crimes against the people are a disgrace,' he'd say, 'andwe're going to make an example of you right now, so here's life in prison for you, etcetera, etcetera.'Johnny smiled, as though readying an entire presentation he had created already for Joe's benefit. ButI guess that's not too likely.

Don't think so, huh? said Joe.

Nope, said Johnny. Not this soon, anyway.

'This soon?' asked Joe. When's 'not soon?' When do we get to 'now?'

Uh, after the revolution, I guess, said Johnny. He smiled again. I brought the documents you askedfor.

Just pass them to me right now, said Joe, I'll read through all of them later.

Johnny opened his briefcase and brought out a manila folder an inch thick. He passed the folder acrossthe table to Joe.


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Man, this thing is fat, said Joe. I thought you said it was just one file?

It is, Johnny said. It has a few glossies in it.

Glossies? You mean as in, the Hollywood head-shot-of-the-stars kind?

Yup, said Johnny. Only, it's not exactly the head parts that stick out there, if you know what I mean.He blushed slightly.

Joe laughed. I got a feeling I do.

Joe opened the folder and leafed through the documents inside. He paused at each photograph, andturned each page carefully.

He put the folder in his own briefcase. Now there's a serendipity for you, said Joe. Pictures make reading so much more enjoyable.

Johnny smiled uncertainly. What's a 'serendipity?' he asked.

A serendipity is an unexpected benefit, said Joe, something you find which is very agreeable, butwhose discovery you did not foresee.

And you find that file agreeable? said Johnny. It looks filled with disasters and crimes to me, allvery disagreeable stuff.

Because you are the student and I the teacher, said Joe, I shall not comment on your naveassessment of the contents of this folder.

He laughed and Johnny joined him.

Lupe arrived with Johnny's coffee. Here you go, kid, she said, It's good. Don't drink it all in onegulp.

Thanks, said Johnny. Lupe smiled again and left.

While we're on that subject, you being my student and all, said Joe, did you think about theassignment I gave you from last time?

Johnny looked at him uncertainly again, then spoke up. Yeah, I thought about what you asked me.

And what did I ask you? said Joe.

You asked me, 'what do you do if you ever find a Nazi, who made it out of Germany, alive and well inthe U.S.,' said Johnny, 'and he hasn't broken any laws that you know of while he's been here.'

And have you arrived at an answer? asked Joe.


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Yeah, answered Johnny, or at least, a partial one. If I met a Nazi in the U.S., and I couldn't arresthim on any US laws, then I'd call up the United Nations, or some international organization, and askthem what to do.

Because the Nazi is probably guilty of war crimes, just by virtue of being a Nazi, said Johnny. He'sprobably complicit in genocide. I'd call up the UN, or the World Court or even INTERPOL, and maybe

they could arrest him.I see, said Joe. So, in any case, your first step would be to try and arrest him, to stop him fromacting in the civil sphere or harming anyone else, right?

Yes, Johnny said.

But given the inadequacy of U.S. laws around this subject, said Joe, you'd appeal to an internationalbody in the hope that international law could help you.

Johnny was quiet a moment. Yes, he said, that's exactly what I would do.

And why would you even go to the international court? Why not just give it up, as 'a bridge too far,' asthe saying goes?

Because that's the only way to bring him to justice, said Johnny earnestly. I don't think any Nazishould get away scot free. They're mass murderers, man!

Exactly right, Joe said, they're mass murderers, who should be stopped, and justice given to theirvictims.

Johnny watched Joe expectantly, but Joe didn't say anything more.

Johnny and Joe finished their coffee.

Well, I've got to get going, said Johnny. I need to meet somebody.

Are you meeting Dolores? asked Joe.

Yes, Johnny said, she's great. She works with poor kids on the weekends and teaches them how toread.

What are they reading now? asked Joe.

The Bible, I think, said Johnny. Something about the prophets and the Old Testament. She's great, soselfless and caring, he said.

He looked at his watch.

Well, I'll see you later, said Johnny, standing up.

Later, said Joe. I'll thank Lupe for you.


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Yeah, sure, said Johnny. He gathered his briefcase and walked out of the restaurant.

Lupe walked up to Joe's table.

When, asked Lupe, is that kid going to figure out that Dolores is a crazy religious nut?

He likes her, said Joe. He collects supplies for her Sunday School. So the short answer is, not for along time.

Lupe said, So he won't get it until he has a beer on a Sunday, and she informs him that he just sinnedagainst the Lord. That he just climbed into the devil's toaster and incinerated himself.

That sounds about right, said Joe.

So did Johnny do his homework?

Yes, he sure did, answered Joe.

So what's he gonna do if he ever meets a Nazi?

He says he'll call the World Court, Joe said, Or maybe INTERPOL. Lupe began to laugh. Joe did too.

The World Court! laughed Lupe. So, that's what the unionists and Russians should have done whenthe Nazis attacked them! And the Jews and the Gypsies too, when they came to put them in the ovens!'Hey everybody! Here come the Nazis! Call the police! Call the World Court! '

Yes, laughed Joe, Those Nazis had better not mess with us, because we're calling the law rightnow.

They laughed harder.

I can just see asking him about it, said Lupe. 'So, Johnny my young friend, the Nazis just stoleFrance. Did you call the police yet?'

He's on an admirable path, I'll give him that, said Joe. He wants to put these dirtbags in jail.

Who? The Nazis? Put the Nazi dirtbags in jail? Lupe laughed. For how long? Life? Or until theychange their ways?

Joe laughed. These are local dirtbags I asked him about. As for the Nazis, he apparently expects greatthings from INTERPOL.

Lupe laughed harder still, her shoulders shaking. Yeah, like arrests, and jail. Put em all in jail, I say!That'll stop those Nazis good!

Hey, the kid's got it almost all worked out, said Joe. they'll go away for a long time, like maybe fiveyears, or even twenty.


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Five to twenty? Lupe asked.

Five to twenty, said Joe. Lupe and Joe started laughing again, loudly and very hard.

Well, der Fuhrer, if you're listening, you'd better watch out now, that's for sure, laughed Lupe,Johnny's caught you, you Nazi bastard, he's caught you red handed! You're in serious trouble!

I suggest you pay attention, Fuhrer, Joe joined in, because Johnny doesn't mess around with youfascist creeps. He's going to put you away for a long time!

Five to twenty! roared Lupe.

Five to twenty! laughed Joe.

They laughed for a long time.

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Last Train to Asuncion Chapter 5