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.That sort of thinkingsurprised him.He never felt that way about [143] his employees.On one level,he felt good about this.On another, it made him uneasy.It undercut histrust.He no longer felt totally safe in presuming, as he had been doing, thatBudge was simply a highly competent lackey, happy to be serving in a job thatpaid him well.Now Budge seemed more than that.Perhaps he wasn t as Haret hadalways seemed to be one of those little suckerfish that connects itself tosharks.Maybe Budge had his own predatory talents.Worse, maybe Budge had hisown personal agenda.Page 69 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAt the airport he found Budge waiting in the lounge for private aircraftcrews.He was reading a magazine, looking comfortable. We ll probably have to spend a night or two out where we won t find hotelaccommodations, Winsor said. Are you prepared for that? Always am, Budge said. Bed roll in the storage space and some U.S.Armycanned rations.How about you? Will I be sharing my food? I ll make other arrangements, Winsor said. I ll be meeting someassociates. Budge considered that, nodded. I ll sit up front with you, he told Budge as they boarded the jet. I wantto talk to you. Why? Budge asked. Just curious, Winsor said. I m paying your salary.I m putting someconfidence in you.So I need to know more about you. You know the rule, Budge said. Passengers will please refrain from talkingto the driver. I make the rules, Winsor said.Budge studied him, expressionless.He nodded.[144] When we get to altitudeand we get into the flight pattern, then we will talk, he said. Until then,I ll be talking only to the tower.You can listen. Judging from what Winsor was seeing of the landscape, they were over WestVirginia before Budge turned toward him.- All right.Now what do you want toknow. We could start with your biography, Winsor said. All I know about you iswhat the congressman told me.You flew for the government in that messyrebellion in Guatemala.You got in some sort of trouble.You had connectionsin the CIA down there and they got you to Washington.That about right? Budge considered, said: That s about it. I m not even sure I know your real name. Robert Budge doesn t sound likeyou.That doesn t seem to fit what you look like. Budge thought about this. That does sound a little pale for me, I guess.Howabout Sylvanius Roberto C.de Baca.That sound right? Sylvanius ? That sounds Greek.But that C.de Baca sounds Spanish. It is Spanish, Budge said. Or technically Basque, I guess.It s myfather s name.He was one of those freedom fighters who gave Franco and hisfascists troubles. What s the C ? Maybe Carlos? C is short for Cabeza. Cabeza de Baca. Page 70 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html I had a high school course in Spanish.Doesn tcabeza mean head ? Is that Head of Baca ? Winsor snorted. And Baca. What s that? Come on, Budge, getwith it.I don t have time to play games with you. [145] When you studied Spanish, they didn t get into history much, I guess.Anyway, back in the fifteenth century, when the Castilians were fighting thatlong civil war to drive the Moors out of Spain, the king gave my family thatname.A grandfather of mine, six centuries removed, led a scouting party tofind a way the Spanish army Budge paused, looked at Winsor you familiar withSpanish geography, lay of the land? Winsor felt himself flushing.He wasn t accustomed to this. I ve never had a reason to be, he said. I ll make it simple then.He found a way for the army of the king to get acolumn of cavalry across a river where they could outflank the Moors.That wonthe war for our side.According to the legend, my ancestor marked the fordwith the skull of a cow stuck up on the end of a pole.After the Moorssurrendered, the king had a ceremonial banquet in the palace and made thisvery distant granddad of mine Duke of Cabeza de Baca. Winsor laughed. Maybe they ate the beef from the historic baca s cabeza. Budge cut off what he was about to say to that, paused, adjusted something onthe instrument panel. That was fourteen hundred and thirteen.Long, long ago, he said, andlaughed. About when the early Winsors would have still been gathering rootsand berries, eating with their fingers and killing each other with clubs. Winsor took a deep breath, held it, and stared out the windshield. Interesting, he said after a long silence. About all I know about theSpanish culture is from Cervante s novels, and the plays the Spanishdramatists were writing about that time and the stuff we got in the world lit[146]classes at Harvard.Now, tell me what brought the Cabeza de Baca familyto the Americas. Spirit of adventure.Lust for gold.Hard times in Europe.The same oldstory.I think my ancestors had a habit of being on the wrong side of too manypolitical battles. What did you do for the CIA? Winsor s question produced a long silence. One thing I would have been required to do, if I ever did work for theCentral Intelligence Agency, was put my hand on a Bible and take an oath ofsecrecy.So if I did that, I can t talk about it.And if I didn t do that,then there d be nothing to tell you.Right? A long silence ensued. When we get about an hour from El Paso, I m making some calls, Winsor said. You take care of dealing with getting my plane parked.I ll meet a man I needto talk to at the administration building.You brought your cell phone? Always.And the pager. Stay close to the plane.I ll call you when I need you. Sure, Budge said.Page 71 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThey crossed the American midlands in silence.Over the flatness of WestTexas Winsor extracted his cell phone and dialed.He waited, lookingimpatient. Ruben?.Yes, yes.Did our lawyer show up?.Yes, at the airport.Youtalk to the people at Rancho Corralitos?.Yes.yes, but that means thestuff hasn t actually arrived there yet.True? But when?.That soundsall right.But you make damn sure nothing holds it up.Tell me how you rechecking on it. [147] The answer to that took time.Winsor glanced at Budge, who seemed to beabsorbed with reading his instrument panel. All right then.But call me as soon as it s there.And I m thinking now thatwe ll be coming right on in from El Paso this afternoon.Make damn sure thatlanding strip is cleaned off better than it was the last time.And I llprobably have to spend the night.Where we re going next we can t land in thedark.And did those Corralitos people have anything new to say about thatwoman? A brief pause. What woman? The snoopy Navajo gal that was nosing around atthe Pig Trap site, taking pictures.We had her picture spread around. Winsor listened.Said: Son of a bitch! Did you ask Ed Henry about that? Listened again
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