The Assignment Read Free

merely scorched and inaccessible. Despite the country’s efforts, and with the exception of a very small number of mines, it is still practically worthless. But you know all this as well as I do.”
    Manuel made a vague but polite gesture.
    “In any case the present situation would never have arisen if the atmosphere hadn’t been poisoned by foreign provocation and lying propaganda. Before this the army was always quite capable of keeping the territory under control. If it had been allowed to continue its operation six months ago, then … well, then we would not be sitting here discussing the matter.”
    He drummed his fingers on the desk for a moment, looking across at the window. Then he said: “I knew Orestes de Larrinaga for a long time. He was a first-class officer and a great man. It is idiotic that an assignment like this should be the cause of his death. He was much too well qualified for the post and I don’t understand why he let himself be talked into accepting it.”
    Manuel Ortega leaned forward and brushed a small flake of ash off his trousers. Suddenly he said: “Perhaps he wanted to do some good.”
    “I doubt that this was the right way. But the tragedy is, of course, that he did do some good. It opened people’s eyes. Even so-called world opinion should, after this, see things in their right perspective. And as soon as foreign propaganda is silenced then the problem will cease to exist.”
    He paused and sighed: “In any case, I certainly don’t wantto influence your decision, but I think you should be allowed to see a communication which arrived here last night.”
    He took a folded slip from his briefcase and pushed it across the desk. The man in the armchair picked it up with a certain hesitation, as if he did not know whether to put it in his pocket or to begin reading it at once.
    “Of course, my dear fellow, go ahead and read it.”
    Manuel Ortega took his glasses out of his top pocket and unfolded the piece of pink paper. As he read he heard the continuous drumming of the Ambassador’s fingers on the edge of the desk.
    “ministry of foreign affairs to all embassies: three hours after murder of provincial resident the following communique was sent out from leaders of citizens guard: one of the most famous men in our country, general orestes de larrinaga, has today fallen victim of a murderous communist assault. this terrible crime has three aims: (1) to remove a brilliant personality and an objective and just representative of the law and the government. (2) in this way to make way for a politician and an administration which has less power to resist foreign provocation. (3) to create anarchy. his death has deeply disturbed all right-minded inhabitants of the province. the most disturbing issue is the knowledge that general larrinaga died holding a meaningless post and that his and many other honorable mens lives could have been saved if the army had been allowed to fulfil its duty. we responsible citizens in this town and this province demand the immediate intervention of the army. we hereby place ourselves under the protection of the armed forces and we promise to give the troops every imaginable support in the fight against the reds who threaten to flood our country. we demand also that the provincial resident—if a successor to general larrinaga is to be appointed at all—shall have military forces at his disposal. as resident we can only accept an officer with technical knowledge of this area. if the government should give way to undueoutside pressure and appoint another official we demand that he should in the interests of the country refuse the assignment. if he does not we should be forced to use violence. a civilian provincial resident or anyone who wishes to accept this post without the full support of the army can assume that he is sentenced to death at the moment he accepts the assignment. two weeks at the latest after his arrival this sentence will be carried out. (this