The Colonel said, “Gran Maestro.”
Then the Colonel asked the Gran Maestro to accompany him in a drink, but the Maitre d’Hotel said that he was working. It was impossible as well as forbidden.
“Fornicate forbidden,” said the Colonel.
“Of course,” the Gran Maestro said. “But everyone must comply with his duty, and here the rules are reasonable, and we all should comply with them; me especially, as a matter of precept.”
“Not for nothing are you the Gran Maestro,” the Colonel said.
“Give me a small Carpano punto e mezzo,” the Gran Maestro said to the bar-tender, who was still outside of the Order for some small, not defined, unstated reason. “To drink to the ordine.”
Thus, violating orders and the principle of precept and example in command, the Colonel and the Gran Maestro downed a quick one. They did not hurry nor did the Gran Maestro worry. They simply made it fast.
“Now, let us discuss the affairs of the Order,” the Colonel said. “Are we in the secret chamber?”
“We are,” said the Grand Maestro. “Or I declare it to be such.”
“Continue,” said the Colonel.
The order, which was a purely fictitious organization, had been founded in a series of conversations between the Gran Maestro and the Colonel. Its name was El Ordine Militar, Nobile y Espirituoso de los Caballeros de Brusadelli. The Colonel and the head waiter both spoke Spanish, and since
