“DEAR FRIENDS, IT is for me a great pleasure and honour to be able to say a few words before such a distinguished audience – an audience gathered here today to pay a heartfelt and well-deserved tribute to one of the great men of this new Spain, reborn from the ashes of war. And it is all the more gratifying for me to make this address in a year that marks the twentieth anniversary of the glorious triumph of the national crusade of liberation, a triumph that has placed our country at the very acme of world nations. A Spain led by the Generalissimo with God’s help, and wrought with the valour of men like the one who welcomes us to his home and to whom we owe so much. A key man in the development of this great nation – which today fills us with pride and is the envy of the West – and a key man in its immortal culture. A man that I am proud and grateful to count as one of my best friends: Don Mauricio Valls y Echevarría.”
A flood of applause ran through the crowd from one end of the garden to the other. Even the servants, the bodyguards and the musicians joined in. Altea weathered the ovations and bravos with a benevolent smile, nodding his head paternally and calming the enthusiasm of those gathered around him rather like a cardinal blessing the congregation.
“What can one say about Don Mauricio Valls that has not been said already? His irreproachable and exemplary career goes back to the very origins of our movement and is carved into our history in gold letters. But it has perhaps been in this field, that of arts and letters, if I may be so bold, where our admired and beloved Don Mauricio has distinguished himself in an outstanding manner, bestowing on us achievements that have taken this country’s culture to new heights. Not content with having contributed to building the solid foundations of a regime that has brought with it peace, justice and prosperity to the Spanish people, Don Mauricio has also been aware that man cannot live on bread alone and has established himself as the shining star in our cultural Olympus. Illustrious author of immortal titles; founder of the Instituto Lope de Vega, which has taken our literature and our language to all corners of the world, and which this year alone has opened offices in twenty-two world capitals; tireless and superb publisher; discoverer and champion of great literature and of the most sublime culture of our time; architect of a new way of understanding and realizing arts and ideas . . . Words cannot describe our host’s enormous contribution to the formation and education of today’s and tomorrow’s Spaniards. His work at the head of the Ministry of National Education has promoted the fundamental structures of our knowledge and creativity. It is therefore only fair to declare that without Don Mauricio Valls, Spanish culture would not have been what it is. His hallmarks and his brilliant vision will accompany us for generations, and his everlasting works will remain standing on the highest point of the Spanish Parnassus for all time.”
An emotional pause gave rise to a new round of applause, during which quite a number of people were beginning to look around for the honoured absentee, the man of the moment whom nobody had seen all evening.
“I could go on, but don’t wish to extend myself, as I know many of you will wish to express your thanks and admiration to Don Mauricio personally, and I add myself to that number. I would only like to share with you the message of personal affection, gratitude, and heartfelt homage to my cabinet colleague and dearest friend Don Mauricio Valls that was sent to me only a few minutes ago by the head of state, Generalissimo Franco, from El Pardo Palace, where urgent matters of state have kept him from attending.”
A sigh of disappointment, glances exchanged between those present, and a solemn silence served as introduction to the reading of the note Altea pulled out of his pocket.
“My dear friend Mauricio, universal Spaniard and indispensable collaborator, who has done so much for our country and our culture: Doña Carmen and I send you our warmest wishes and would like to express our gratitude in the name of all Spaniards for twenty years of exemplary service . . .”
Altea raised his eyes and his voice to round off his performance with a “Viva Franco!” and “Arriba España!” chorused enthusiastically by the audience and generating a forest of arms raised in salute and not a few tearful eyes. Altea himself joined in the thunderous applause inundating the garden. Before leaving the stage, the minister made a sign to the bandleader, who, ensuring the ovation did not die down into murmurings, took it into a waltz that promised to maintain the elation in the air for the rest of the evening. Yet by the time it became clear that the Generalissimo was not coming, many of the guests had dropped their masks on the floor and begun to make their way to the exit.