asked Consuela incredulously.

"They were never intended to," said Aguilar with a smile and a nod in Irena's direction. "By the way, is this young lady's presence here," he flicked his head towards Irena, "inten- ded to show me a new path to which our lovely President is leading us on?”

There was a pause. All eyes turned to Irena's beautiful face. She batted her false eye- lashes several times even as she fidgeted and touched the neck- lace and the top of her dress above her cleavage, hidden now by the silk, square neckline of the dress. She did not take her heavily outlined eyes from the General's penetrating gaze. Her small, rounded chin was raised as if defying him to say more.

"There was an attempt on my life," she said suddenly, the words harsh and stiff, forced from her throat.

If Aguilar's shock was a pre- tense, it was magnificently done. "Who?" he finally spat out one word, as the shock waves left his face. Then his face lost all expression as he thought it out. "Figueroa," he growled, his mouth twisting downward in a snarl. "Well, where is the would-be assassin? Do you need my help to have him speak?”

"We have his body," said Salluca quietly. Aguilar's eyes turned to look at the

Vice-President who had been very subdued throughout the dinner.

There was quiet while Aguilar thought some more. "That is why you put the Po- lice under my control," he said slowly. "You release the Democrats, and. . ." he frowned at Isabel. "You will seek an alliance with them?" he fin- ished in surprise.

"Yes," croaked Irena, her eyes falling down to view her pretty dress, stockings and high heels.

"I know you could not de- pend on the Army to always support you," said Aguilar

grudgingly. "But you must be- ware the Democrats. They're not like us. They don't come from the gutters like us. This assassination attempt. It could be them. They all hate you, even her." He nodded at Isabel Ortega, who regarded him with hate-filled face, her eyes glittering.

"Who would have bene- fitted most from my death?” asked Irena, more softly. "The Democrats would have been the first to be put to to the sword by my successors. Any- way, it is time to bring our people back to a whole-heart- ed support of our revolution." She glanced at the Vice-Presi- dent, licking her painted mouth nervously as she did so. There was another rustle of silk as she fidgeted and changed the way she sat. There was a clear nod from Salluca before she went on. "Camar will make an excellent Justice Minister," she croaked, quivering as she the look in Aguilar's eyes. For she would have given anything to know what he was thinking, but a shudder went through 'her' as she realized that, really, 'she' wouldn't. "He is not politically ambitious,' she plunged on, reciting the liturgy taught to her by Salluca. "We will offer other Cabinet posts to other Demo- crats but only after they have publicly sworn the Oath of Allegiance to the Presi- dent."

saw

moment, a

"What is this?" asked Isabel sharply. This was a ploy she had not heard about. She stared dumbfounded at Irena's lovely face, a few wisps of curled, blonde streaked hair falling about her soft makeup, making 'her' appear young and femininely vulnerable. Irena's earrings swung and ricocheted against her neck as she glanced back to Salluca. He was smiling at Isabel, giving her 41

a con-

spiratorial wink when she caught his eye.

"The Chamber passed a special motion earlier this even- ing," said Salluca blandly. "All public officials must swear an oath of allegiance not only to the State but also to the President before they take office. The Army, the Police, all government officials, appoint- ed or elected, are included under the oath-taking.

""

Aguilar glowered at the Vice-President, his face as un- happy as Isabel Ortega's. "The Junta was not consulted on this," he said.

"It was a spontaneous ges- ture on the part of the deputies when they learned how close to death Irena had come," said the Vice-President calmly. "I persuaded Irena that they should be told first, before those who plotted the last attempt are aware that the plot misfired. There is no actual proof that the militants were connected to the would-be assassin."

Aguilar did not like what he had heard. He stared at Irena for a long time. She sat as straight as she could, uncrossing her legs and smoothing out her dress about her waist and legs, flushing as if embarrassed by the General's scrutiny, though she must have been scrutinized in many ways by many men before.

The General relaxed first. "We would have agreed, if we'd been consulted first," he said. "We'd have wanted a tougher guarantee of public order than an oath, but I suppose if the Democrats will take it pub- licly. " He drained his Sangre, but still had more to say. He turned to Isabel. “Are you prepared, Senorita Ortega, to take the oath to our Presi- dent now?"

Isabel swallowed hard as she looked at the beautifully dressed and shaped ‘Irena' Varga. "Yes," she said in a low, soft voice.

"And who do you speak