Renaldo (91 page)

whirling as it calmly descended, the precious bundle was gently tucked into its

woven cradle with the tenderness of a new mother. Ramon Vida had sprung up

and took flight one yard from the goal line. Keeper Allianza failed to react at

all to his soaring, affectionate, redirected header. This loving touch was to be

the goal that put the host nation into the World Cup final!

416

Señor Gordero, how good to see you again, and Herr Stoltz, my compliments.

Congratulations on your great victory tonight. It is fitting that the host

nation of such a fine tournament be in the championship game. You both

remember my daughter, Mallory?”

Reggie Russell was on his best behavior. He would bite his sarcastic

lip as per Mallory’s instructions, otherwise, he would be forced to suffer her

unladylike wrath. His Lordship had his dander up, however, and it took all his

self-control to keep from giving these arrogant South Americans a lecture on

manners.

Sir Reggie was sick and tired of chasing the elusive Fat Man around

Rosario. Sick of cancelled dinners and postponed meetings, sick of unreturned

phone messages, but most of all, sick of pandering to his Kraut flunky for the

opportunity of an audience.

Mallory had insisted that he calm down and concentrate on scouting the

football players. The Brazil-Argentina fiasco had upset the old fellow so much

that he was convinced he would see nothing inspirational three nights later

as the home side met Peru. His daughter kept reminding him that they must

have open minds and think positively, for there were no superstars waiting

at The Birdcage back home on the Isle of Dogs. All they had were a bunch

of has-beens and wannna-bees, not one quality player to build around. As

usual, Mallory’s pragmatism made the options crystal clear. Arrive home from

South America with nothing in the fold and face annihilation from the likes of

Liverpool, Leeds, and worst of all, their snotty London rivals.

Mallory had set the time and location of this rendezvous with Herr Stoltz

herself. The venue would be the ‘facilitator’s’ suggested restaurant, immediately

following the Peru-Argentina contest. Miss Russell had paid the proprietor of

Ristorante Borgo Antico several hundred American dollars to keep his staff late

and attend to the needs of Señor Astor Gordero. The glutton was well-known

in this cozy Italian establishment, and the tab for his visits always swelled to

hundreds of thousands of pesos.

The game of cat and mouse with the English had worked to the Porteño
’
s

advantage. Once the Anglos had expressed interest in young De Seta, the

games in Rosario became the boy’s showcase. When his fine outing against

JAMES McCREATH

Poland was not duplicated against the Brazilians, it became advantageous for

his agent to be ‘unavailable.’

A strong performance against the Peruvians would increase the young

player’s value, and that, in turn, would make all offers received for his services

more lucrative for client and agent alike. An excessive amount of money wasn’t

something Renaldo De Seta found himself in dire need of, but it was a good

carrot to go along with the adventure and excitement of playing football

abroad.

The astute attorney knew that he would need every possible incentive

to lure the boy out of Argentina, and it was for that very reason that he had

summoned Simone to Rosario. She was his ‘ace in the hole.’ The young stallion

would eventually do as the beautiful and more worldly Symca advised him to

do. Of that, The Large One was certain, for Astor Gordero never underestimated

the power of ‘pillow talk.’

“We want Renaldo De Seta and Ramon Vida for the Canary Wharf

Football Club, Señor Gordero. Do you think that you might be able to ‘facilitate’

such a transfer?”

Mallory’s bluntness startled the three gentlemen. The two new arrivals

had barely taken their seats when the emphatic blonde lady tabled her wish

list.

“My dear Miss Russell, you must forgive me, but I am truly famished.

The crowds of people in the streets have delayed our arrival well past my usual

mealtime. So please, allow me to order some fare from the kitchen, then we

will proceed with business. I can never talk of financial matters on an empty

stomach.”

Why you bloated old cow!
steamed Sir Reggie in silence.

Gordero milked the delay for all it was worth. The English had laid their

cards on the table before the first draw. That gave the lawyer from Buenos Aires

a chance to reshuffle the deck and play some bluff poker at their expense.

Luckily, the chef had been forewarned of The Fat Man’s imminent arrival,

and the antipasto and breads were placed on the table immediately. Platters

of Italian meats and cheeses along with grilled vegetables were arrayed on a

separate table that was drawn up beside the starving patron. A bottle of fine

Italian Chianti was consumed before the soup course arrived. A second was sent

for immediately. It was not until the lull preceding the pasta ‘appetizer’ that

the well-nourished deal maker saw fit to address the desires of his European

tablemates.

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RENALDO

“You have made a very wise choice in the two players that you have

selected, my Lady. They seem to complement one another very nicely on the

football field. Off the field, they are friends and often roommates. I hear that

they have even formed a musical duet of some kind. What you request could

be a possibility, if only . . .”

An oversized bowl of pasta suddenly appeared in front of the speaker,

and it was instantly evident that The Gross One’s train of thought had been

temporarily side tracked.

“If only what, Señor Gordero? If only what, for heaven sakes?” An

impatient Reggie Russell was about to blow a gasket. He held his tongue,

however, when he felt the point of Mallory’s shoe pressing firmly against his

shin under the tablecloth.

Several fork loads of fettucine were consumed before Gordero continued

his dialogue.

“As you know, the De Seta boy is my client. The difficulty with his

situation is his lack of worldly experience. His father died years ago, and he

has been raised under the thumb of a domineering mother. The lady’s only

concession in allowing this gifted boy to stray from her clutches has been the

semiprofessional football that he plays. In return for this allowance, he must

keep his academic standing at the top of his class and accompany her to mass

each Sunday to renounce his sins!”

A pregnant pause gave rise to the consumption of more pasta. A few

moments later, the discourse continued.

“The good news is that Señora Florencia De Seta, the boy’s mother, is also

a client of mine, and it would seem that I have the lady’s trust and confidence.

I want you to understand that convincing Señora De Seta to give Renaldo her

blessing to play football in England will be a Herculean task. But then, I feel

in all modesty that you are talking to the only man in Argentina that could

accomplish such a feat.”

“Come now, Señor Gordero, the boy is nineteen years old according to the

statistical records. In England, that means he is a man, free to vote, fight for his

country, and fornicate as he pleases. Surely this Renaldo De Seta is able to make

a decision with regards to his own future without running to mummy!”

The absurdity of the situation had gotten to be too much for Reggie

Russell. Were they discussing a man that had already scored a handful of goals

in the toughest football tournament in the world or some grade school sissy?

The aging British Marine was just like his daughter in many ways,

straightforward and to the point. All he wanted now was the answer to a simple

question. Was the boy available or wasn’t he?

“Perhaps we Latins have a different sense of family, Lord Russell,” Gordero

mused. “Respecting the wishes of our parents is a lifelong obligation to us,

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JAMES McCREATH

and something that no Argentine takes lightly. Education is Señora De Seta’s

foremost concern for her son. His father was a highly respected doctor, and

I know for a fact that she intends for him to follow in his footsteps. If we

could arrange some academic liaison with a medical school in London, it would

certainly smooth the process. The boy is as adept with a textbook as he is with

a football!”

Mallory Russell did not want to seem overly enthusiastic about acquiring

the services of the boy with the matinee idol’s looks, but it took all the restraint

that she could muster to remain calm. She hung on every syllable the oversized

South American uttered. The medical school connection struck a nerve that

brought her to the forefront of the conversation.

“That will work. I have it!” she blurted out spontaneously.

“My mother was a senior military nurse, specializing in rehabilitative

medicine. That’s how she met father actually. With our contacts, Sir Reggie’s, in

particular, with the Marines and the government, I’m certain that an exchange

student visa could be arranged.” Lady Russell sat back in her chair brimming

with confidence.

“You bring up an interesting point, my Lady.” Wolfgang Stoltz joined the

discussion for the first time. He had been taking notes of the proceedings in his

very precise manner until finally laying his notepad and pen on the table. His

tone was polite, but slightly condescending.

“What would be the official status of our players in your country, if I might

ask? Have you discussed this matter with your immigration authorities? Correct

me if I am wrong, but to my knowledge, there have never been foreign players

in the English first division other than those accepted as political refugees.

How will your Football Association react to foreign nationals taking jobs away

from native-born players? What about the players’ union? How strongly will

they object? Is it possible that there could be some ‘unpleasantness’ directed at

these two boys for changing the balance of things in your country? It would

seem that there are several obstacles to overcome on both sides of the Atlantic

before a suitable conclusion can be consummated.” The German picked up his

pen and notepad and sat poised to transcribe the rebuttal.

“We have already talked to the bloody Department of Employment on

this matter, and I can assure you that there won’t be any frigging red tape if

those two boys make up their own damn minds to come with us!”

Reggie Russell wanted to slug the pompous heinie. How dare he question

their competency or the actions of the Football Association!

Unpleasantness!
he had thought to himself before replying to The Fat Man’s

lackey.
The only unpleasantness will result from these mamas’ boys not cutting the

mustard in the English first division. They sound like a bunch of overprotected pussies!

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RENALDO

Again it was the chrome tip of Mallory’s spiked pump that signaled

the end to Lord Russell’s soliloquy. His daughter picked up the flow without

missing a beat.

“I appreciate your concerns, Herr Stoltz, but I can assure you that we

will assume full responsibility for your players’ health and welfare. We have

discussed foreign players participating in English football for some time

internally at the FA Level. There are no rules in our bylaws that prevent such a

thing from happening, so therefore, we must assume that it is acceptable.” She

was looking Stoltz directly in the eye while she spoke. “The formalities will

be looked after, gentlemen, of that you have my word.” She looked at Gordero,

then back at the German. “But your players will bring us much more than

they take from us. Our football is stagnant. It is rotting from the inside out.

Since we won the World Cup twelve years ago, our National Team program has

achieved little or no success. The fact that we are not in this competition speaks