a present for General Calinga . he was betrayed - by the one man whose loyalty he had always taken for granted . the President continued holding the telephone to his ear long after he knew beyond all doubt that the line had been cut . then he gave a despairing little sigh , returned the now useless instrument to its cradle and sat staring with unseeing eyes at the wall opposite . a sudden outburst of machine-gun fire from outside the Palace caused him to shiver and rise from his chair . he began to walk quickly towards the door . but as he reached out to turn the handle the door opened and his aide , Major Pillar Juarez , entered . Juarez was a young man of the slim athletic type . unlike most of the air force pilots his uniform was always immaculate , a fact which had commended itself to the President when he had first considered making him his personal aide . but now the major &apos;s uniform had lost its immaculate look ; it was dusty and his right trouser leg had a large tear in it . excellency , he said quietly before the President could speak , you will have to leave . the rebels are closing in and the troops we have here can not hold out much longer . Santos has made the Palace - and you - his main objective . he is concentrating his forces here because once you are in his power , well , it &apos;s all over . the President swallowed . did you know the telephone line is cut ? our position is hopeless . that is why you must leave here , excellency . I have the helicopter standing by and I &apos;ll take you down to La Plomas . General Calinga has the city completely under control . we &apos;ll fight back from there , excellency . yes , with General Calinga behind you - I do n&apos;t know . the President &apos;s words broke in almost nervously . about Calinga , I mean . he shook his head . no , I &apos;m not at all sure of him . but Calinga is loyal to you , excellency . maybe he is , maybe he is n&apos;t . the President half closed his eyes , I &apos;ve had my fill of bitter disappointments since this uprising , Juarez . so many people I &apos;d trusted have turned against me . he lit himself a cigarette with a jerky movement . you , Juarez , he added , are about the only one whose loyalty I can take for granted . you trust me implicitly , excellency ? the words came quickly , almost sharply . I do , Juarez . but you are not absolutely certain of Calinga &apos;s loyalty ? not quite . his loyalty will depend on which way the wind is blowing . and at present - so , should Calinga have decided to throw in his lot with the rebels and I take you to La Plomas , well , I shall in effect be handing you over to Santos ? the major &apos;s words were more a statement of fact than a question . the President drew heavily on his cigarette . he nodded slowly at it . so therefore you will n&apos;t come with me ? no . Major Pillar Juarez slowly undid the flap of his holster . he withdrew his revolver . he pointed it straight at the President . the helicopter is all ready , he said quietly and evenly . you will fly to La Plomas in it . the President stared . Juarez , he said huskily , you seem particularly anxious to take me to Calinga . suspiciously anxious , I would say . Juarez tightened his grip on the gun . you said you trusted me . the President nodded . I did . and I meant it . at the time . he paused . now I &apos;m not so sure . I - all right , cut in Juarez sharply , my crew-men are already aboard . he made a little movement with the revolver . come , we &apos;ll go now . as Juarez opened the door the President suddenly started biting at his lower lip . the helicopter , continued Juarez , is standing in the interior gardens . the President walked slowly out of the room ; his eyes were now blinking spasmodically . was it necessary to tie me up like this ? the President looked tired and old as he indicated his bound wrists . Juarez did not answer . he turned to his radio-operator . I &apos;m dropping to a thousand feet , he said . try to contact Santos now . the President &apos;s eyes filled with an ocean of contempt . and to think I once gave you my trust , he choked . much rather had I stayed at my Palace and - he suddenly leaned forward and buried his face in his bound hands . he started sobbing silently to himself . for a moment Juarez contemplated the broken man beside him . he opened his mouth to say something but as he did so his radio-operator announced that he had contacted Santos . Juarez nodded . he took his microphone and started talking slowly , deliberately . after he had finished doing so he dropped the helicopter to five hundred feet . he banked slightly . when he saw three men leave a hut and walk out towards the middle of the field in front of it he dropped even lower . that &apos;s Santos , pointed the radio-operator . the one in the middle . yes , I know . Juarez made towards the group . he landed the helicopter about fifty yards away from the three men . he kept the rotor blades turning . right , he said sharply to the President , out you get . Santos is expecting you ! he removed his gun from its holster . the President lifted his head . he glanced at the revolver and also at the carbines the radio-operator and Juarez &apos;s other crew-men were holding . his eyes started blinking again . then slowly he rose from his seat . he followed Juarez out of the machine like a man from whose body the last spark of life had all but departed . Santos could not contain himself any longer : when he saw his dejected enemy before him he started running towards the helicopter . he was shouting almost incoherently . it was then that the carbines opened up catching Santos &apos;s two henchmen completely unawares ; they died instantly . at the same moment Juarez moved forward to the rebel leader . he put his gun close to the other &apos;s stomach . he pulled the trigger five times . now the two crew-men had dropped their carbines . they leaped out of the helicopter and unceremoniously tossed the dazed and bewildered President back into it . then , while Juarez climbed frantically for the pilot &apos;s seat , they also tossed aboard the dead body of the rebel leader . as the helicopter began to rise they regained their carbines and poured a stream of bullets at the shouting groups of men who were now running out towards the field . at two thousand feet Juarez set course for La Plomas . he smiled tightly as his radio-operator leaned over and cut the bonds on the President &apos;s wrists . well , excellency , he said , it was a long shot but - it was indeed a long shot , interjected the President in a strangled voice . a very long shot . he swallowed . but I am still bewildered . why was it necessary to force me into this helicopter at gunpoint ? and why the bonds ? why - excellency , said Major Pillar Juarez , I had to force you into the helicopter because otherwise you would have stayed at your Palace . and died . also , with the greatest respect , excellency , you are a very poor actor ; you can not hide or disguise your emotions . so I had to make you actually believe I was handing you over to Santos . no , excellency , you could not have played the part you did ; it had to be , as far as you were concerned , only too horribly true . otherwise it could not have succeeded . you did believe it - yes . and I believed that you too had turned against me , Juarez . the words were uttered as an apology as humble as it was sincere . Juarez smiled . yes , you had to believe that too , excellency . he altered course ten degrees to starboard . La Plomas ahead , he announced . now when we land and you show General Calinga the dead body of the rebel Santos , there is no doubt where his loyalty will be , is there ? the President nodded and fell silent . about a minute later he said : Juarez , I can never reward you enough . I - excellency , smiled Major Pillar Juarez , I have a wish I hope you will grant . name it . the major &apos;s smile widened . a new uniform , excellency . hand-tailored in English cloth . he glanced at the tear in his trouser leg . I think I am almost entitled to that , excellency . the President laughed . it was the first time he had done so in over three weeks . it was a long laugh . a slightly hysterical laugh . the friend . Santago was a man to be trusted &amp;hellip; he could use a sub-machine gun . Captain Ramon Cordora &apos;s voice was loud . Corporal Santago , he shouted . where &apos;s Corporal Santago ? one of the privates looked up briefly from his cards . back there somewhere , he grunted . Cordora opened his mouth again as if he were going to remonstrate with the private for his appalling lack of discipline but , thinking better of it , he moved off in search of Santago . he found him behind the hut cleaning his rifle . well , Corporal , he smiled , I &apos;m glad to see someone in your platoon cleans his weapons regularly ! Santago did not answer until he had removed the piece of four-by-two from his pull-through . I always used to clean my rifle regularly . his voice was surly . if you made an inspection now and then , you &apos;d know that I still do . Cordora continued smiling . now , now , can n&apos;t you take a little joke , my friend ? Santago slowly raised his head . do n&apos;t you call me your friend , he said . the only friend you have is yourself . the other &apos;s smile remained fixed . we were friends once upon a time . yes , but that was long , long ago . not so long ago . the Captain paused . it &apos;s only six months since we were serving together under La Cruz . Santago now began to examine the bolt of his rifle . yes , he murmured , we served together under him . as privates . then along came Kassan . and with him in power what happened ? you became sergeant the very next day . yes , broke in Cordora , but shortly after that I was able to get you promoted to corporal . Santago lifted his head . true . but you also got yourself promoted to lieutenant . then a month later you became a captain . he bent down once again and started cleaning his rifle bolt . yes , you were a good friend to yourself . but not to me . any friend of mine would have made sure I got a bit higher than this . his eyes flicked contemptuously to the rank badges on his right sleeve , then back again to his rifle bolt . Cordora switched his smile off and managed to look sympathetic . I know how you must feel , he said . but it &apos;s not so easy as you &apos;d think . I did my best for you but President Kassan has never forgotten that day over two years ago , when you let him have the butt of your rifle right across his face . I could n&apos;t help it , muttered the other . I was ordered to disperse the crowd and I was only doing my duty . how was I to know that one day he &apos;d be President ? Captain Cordora made a little clicking sound with his teeth . well , nevertheless , he &apos;s never forgotten it . and every time I &apos;ve brought up the subject of your commission , well , he has said no . in fact , it took me a great deal of persuading to even get you your corporal &apos;s stripes , Santago , if the truth be told . he paused and lowered his voice . but now something &apos;s come up which , if you do your bit , will maybe enable you to find favour in the President &apos;s eyes . for a start , he has given me authority to promote you to sergeant if all goes well . Santago stopped cleaning the rifle bolt . to sergeant ? yes . now , if he &apos;s prepared to forgive you enough to agree to your promotion to sergeant , well , who knows ? maybe sometime later he will forgive you completely and grant you a commission . Cordora paused again . of course , all that is conjecture . you will have to carry out this special little job first and qualify yourself for promotion to sergeant before the officer question could even be considered . 