The Eagle's Throne

38. TÁCITO DE LA CANAL TO MARÍA DEL ROSARIO GALVÁN

A very brief missive, my dear lady. Everything that is said, written, plotted, or murmured in this country passes through my office. I am the one who, like a sieve, knows what to let through and what to prevent from reaching the president’s desk. I know what you, your old lover Bernal, and your young lover Valdivia have recently discovered. Too many secrets, too many love affairs, all that complicated tiptoeing. Be careful. I’m not going to let you get away with what you’ve been plotting, thanks to the delirious ravings of some decrepit archivist in the basement of Los Pinos. Down with the masks, madam. Or as you, educated by the Frogs, would say: C’est la guerre. Don’t forget your little weakness. You’re more than just a political woman. You’re a mother. Would you like that to get out? Or worse, would you like the boy to suffer? Think about it. I’m always willing to cut a deal.