Writ in blood : a novel of Saint-Germain

by Yarbro, Chelsea Quinn, 1942-

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  match, to say nothing of her understanding of the political climate in the world.” He laughed indulgently. “I’ve said it is early days yet, but Sunny is set upon making plans. She tells me they will be grown and ready for husbands before we know it.”

  “There are a few years yet, before that happens,” Ragoczy said, feeling a gulf between him and Nikolai that was as gaping as an open wound. What was it like, he wondered, as he had many times before, to have children, to plan for their futures, to invest such hope and such despair in them?

  “Yes, but they do grow up so fast. It seems only yesterday that Tatiana had her first lessons and could not tie her shoes without biting her tongue.” He sighed, frowning again. “We must not give them a legacy of war.”

  Particularly, thought Ragoczy, the Czareivich Alexei, for whom battle was unquestionably fatal. “Let us trust not.”

  “We must do more than trust; we must deserve our children’s trust in us,” said Nikolai with decision. “That is why I depend on you to resume your mission.” He sat forward, his concentration on his inner vision. “And this time, we must begin with the Germans, for I have considered it, and I have decided that I made a mistake in sending you to Edward first: Wilhelm wants to be first in all things. To be anything else makes him feel slighted. If he understands that he is the one on whom all depends, he might be willing to receive you on my behalf. If you can approach the necessary men around the Kaiser so that they will understand I have no underhanded intentions in my goals ...” He looked to Ragoczy to go on.

  “You may rest assured that I will do my best. But I have told you that someone has managed to call my character into question in Berlin,” Ragoczy reminded him, bristling in spite of his best intentions. “I think it may be necessary to deal with that before I can accomplish your mandate.”

  Nikolai shook his head. “I have not ignored your trouble there. I think you might accomplish the most at your Schloss in Bavaria.” His smile was wider than usual, showing his poor teeth more than he generally did. “You thought I had forgot about that, but I hadn’t.” He put his elbows on his knees, resting his chin on his interlaced fingers. “If you were to set up a long weekend at the Schloss, for hunting, perhaps, you might find that in such a setting these men who have looked upon you askance in Berlin will be less inclined to snub your efforts. Germans are always genial when hunting.”

  Ragoczy was not certain he agreed with Nikolai’s assessment of the

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  German character, but realized it would be folly to challenge the Czar. “It could be done,” he said slowly. “But I doubt the Kaiser would accept my invitation.”

  “Not the Kaiser, Ragoczy—no; you will want to have one or two of his Ministers, who are willing to hear you out in the evening over schnapps, and carry their observations back to Berlin. Then it is possible you will be allowed to see my cousin. The only other way would be to send you to him directly, which would mean using the whole diplomatic panoply. That would obviate the privacy I wish to maintain in regard to any agreement we achieve. So this oblique approach will be the preferable way.”

  “It may not succeed at such a remove from the Kaiser; he will not have reason to consult those I invite unless he decides it is in his interests to question them,” Ragoczy warned Nikolai. “And with so many second parties involved, it will probably be impossible to keep my mission wholly private.” This was the most obvious flaw he could find in the plan, and the one Nikolai was most likely to endorse.

  “I have thought about that, too; and I appreciate your reservations. You confirm my trust in you with so much insight.” He unlaced his fingers and leaned back, once more staring up at the ceiling. “It would be best to single out one or two of your guests—the ones with the most direct link to Wilhelm, and sound them out, and to determine where they are willing to act and where they are not. If they are among those advocating the strengthening of the German army and navy, then it would probably be of no use to talk to them, but it would let you know where the greatest resistance to arms limitation is within the German government, and that in itself is valuable information. It is an opportunity that may not come again.” He was clearly enchanted with his plan, and did not want any opposition to it.

  “If it is what you want, then I will do it.” Ragoczy said it conversationally, as if he were discussing the state of the spring planting, but there was no mistaking the force of his intent.

  “Count, why do you do this?” Nikolai asked suddenly.

  “What do you mean, Czar?” he countered, the question taking him by surprise. “Why do you ask?”

  “I mean that you are not my subject. You are an exile, with no obligations to me beyond one titled man to another. Yet you have done all I asked you to do: you could refuse my commission and have no fear of repercussions from me. So there must be some greater reason that you take this on.” He paused, and when Ragoczy said nothing, prompted, “What is it?”

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  “I abhor war.” His mellifluous voice was low and his dark eyes distant. “I have seen it too often. All it ever brings is death and ruin.”

  ‘Tour country was conquered,” said Nikolai, as if this completed the explanation.

  “Mine is not the only one.” His Carpathian homeland had been overrun more than thirty-five times since his own father had been conquered by Hittite-sponsored invaders, four thousand years ago. “Russia has had more than its share of—”

  “Conquerors,” Nikolai finished for him. “And yet my cousins wonder why I fear war and want to stop it.” He sighed. “Well, if you are not so discouraged that the attempt seems useless, I hope you will undertake a second mission to Willy and Georgie. If you cannot persuade them to see sense, then at least determine how much preparation for war is ongoing, so I will know what to believe when my Generals talk to me. If I cannot supply information that supports my position, they will not listen to me.”

  “But you are Czar; yours is the authority,” Ragoczy reminded him, thinking again that Nikolai, honorable and conscientious as he was, lacked the autocratic temperament his position demanded.

  “Tell my Uncles that. The Grand Dukes still think I am at school, and need their tutoring if I am to decide anvthing.” For a moment, Nikolais face was clouded, and then he shook off the self-indulgent emotion and resumed his theme. “If you are able to see the Kaiser, tell him that I would count it as a personal favor, and would regard myself in his debt. It is a position he would like me to be in, and if it will serve my purpose, I do not begrudge him that satisfaction.” He frowned briefly. “I would appreciate it if you would not remain in Saint Petersburg too long.”

  “You perceive the situation as urgent? Should I plan to leave at once?” Ragoczy asked, already convinced it was necessary to act immediately if any portion of the Czar s desires were to be achieved; he was no longer certain that the arms limitation Nikolai sought so ardendy could be achiev ed, but he kept his opinion to himself.

  “I think that there are many men around me who would bedevil you for information about what I intend you to do in Europe. It would serve no purpose to let it be known to any of my Court that you are trying to establishthe agreement I seek.” He considered Ragoczy out of the corner of his eye.

  “No one will learn the particulars from me, Czar: believe this,” Ragoczy promised, his dark eyes intent.

  The Czar made a gesture of assent. “I do, my friend, but I also know

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  how persistent my ‘boyars’ can be.” He chose the old title deliberately, to reveal his view of them. “All of them will try to take advantage of anything they can pry out of you.” He stood up suddenly; Ragoczy rose out of courtesy. “My own brother is trying to get me to tell him my plans. Mikhail is a good man, but he is too much inclined to speak of what he knows, and to those whose purpose is not always beyond reproach.”

  Ragoczy had a different o
pinion of the Grand Duke Mikhail Alexan-dreivich, but kept it to himself. “You cannot blame him; he is always in your shadow, Czar, no matter what you or he would wish to have otherwise.”

  “That may be,” said Nikolai. “I would not want to put him at a disadvantage, in any case.” He paced the length of the room, his dusty boots leaving a faint mark on the carpet to mark his progress. “I must rely upon you to carry out my instructions without fully revealing them to anyone but my royal German and English cousins; I do not want the particulars revealed to anyone but them. I realize this is an imposition that limits your discretion more than may be prudent, and I apologize. It may be difficult to gain support while witholding so much, but it is necessary if we are to keep our enemies from learning about this plan, and doing their utmost to subvert it before it can be undertaken.” He stopped, giving Ragoczy a wistful smile. “Your reticence may well save my son; there is nothing dearer to me in the world.”

  “I am aware of that, Czar,” said Ragoczy quietly; he did not add that he was fairly certain that his mission was not so secret as Nikolai hoped, for surely someone was working against him in Germany, interfering with his approach to the Kaiser as surely as if he had constructed a brick wall.

  “Be sure to keep it uppermost in your mind. Count. I have the protection of my family and my people in my heart always,” Nikolai told him, slapping at his cycling breeches to rid them of the dust clinging to them. “If you flag in your efforts, my son may well pay the price for it.”

  “I hope that will not happen,” said Ragoczy, certain that Alexei would never be permitted near any battle.

  “You must do all you can to be sure it does not; I am determined that my children shall be spared from all danger,” Nikolai told him emphatically. “I don’t question your dedication, but I insist that you not become disheartened. I have done that once already, and through my discouragement, I have lost valuable time, which I deeply regret. I was a fool to think you were at fault.” He coughed as the dust reached his nose. “Sunny is so certain that we can stem the tide, and I want to share

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  her conviction. If you will strive to make this possible, our debt to you will be above all repayment, but you may repose total confidence in my continued support, and the support of all my family for as long as you have any ties with Russia.”

  “I thank you for that, Czar,” Ragoczy said. “I appreciate your . . . encouragement, but it is not necessary. Intending no disrespect, I must tell you that what I do, I do as much for myself as for you.”

  For the first time Nikolai looked pleased. “You relieve me.”

  “That was not my purpose, either,” Ragoczy admitted, pausing as the sound of young laughter and pounding footsteps came from the corridor; a loud squeal was followed by a scuffle mixed with giggles. “Do you want to attend to that?”

  “It is only Marie and Anastasia playing,” said their father. “They will be gone shortly. Unless one of them shrieks, nothing is wrong.”

  As if to punctuate Nikolai’s reassurance, the two rushed off down the hall, one vowing to catch the other. “No you won’t!” was the delighted answer.

  “In the country,” Nikolai explained, “Sunny indulges them. They have so few opportunities to romp at Court.”

  Ragoczy listened to the girls running. “They do not have an easy life, your daughters.”

  “It is not so hard as my son’s life,” said Nikolai, unaware that he had agreed with Ragoczy in his response. He went to the curtained window and looked out at the broad expanse of fields where the Russian army occasionally held maneuvers. “God entrusted Russia to me, and I will do His Will for Russia as long as I breathe. But I fear that God cannot intend so frail a boy as Alexei is to assume my burden when I am no longer here to bear it; my cousins will not help him, and the Grand Dukes, my Uncles, will not welcome such a Czar as Alexei must be. It may be that my brother Mikhail will be named to succeed me, or Olga’s husband, if she marries an acceptable man. I must balance my devotion to my country against the interests of my son, and that is a constant ...” He turned around to Ragoczy. “It is hard for Sunny to admit, but I know the Duma would not be willing to place Alexei on the throne without a . . . lieutenant they can support.” He was silent for a short while. “I trust you will keep my confidence, Count; I could not impart such reservations to any Russian noble.”

  “I can understand why,” said Ragoczy, recalling how many whispers at Court referred to the Czareivich; speculation regarding the nature of his malady were rife, some suggesting that the boy was not, in fact,

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  ill, but insane. “You have no reason to fear me, Nikolai Alexandreivich: you have my Word on it.”

  “So I hope,” said Nikolai, coming away from the window. “In four days, I would like you to depart for Munich. If you will take the time to prepare invitations to the men I will specify in my written instructions, I believe you will be able to arrive prepared to entertain your guests at your Schloss. I want you to act swiftly. Delay now will bring about nothing but difficulties. It is my intention to have you in Wilhelm s presence before autumn.” He said this as if it were a foregone conclusion.

  “Do you think you might approach the Kaiser directly?” Ragoczy suggested, aware that this was futile, but wanting to speak of it in any case. “He would be willing to receive your private envoy, would he not?”

  Nikolai sighed heavily. “It would not be as private as I would like, having him know of your purpose. I know enough about my cousin to know he would let it be known you were acting for me, and then you would know no peace.” He flung up one hand in exasperation. “If it were possible to do as you recommend, I would have begun that way. This oblique approach is as frustrating to me as it is to you. But I will not expose your mission to the prying eyes and wagging tongues of the Kaiser s government. It is as riddled with spies as my own.” He took two deep breaths. “I don’t want to make your task more difficult than it must be, Count. However, I would rather have it difficult and successful than an easy failure.”

  “Certainly,” said Ragoczy. “I will do what I can during the hunting party, but it is apt to take longer to reach the Kaiser.”

  “But if you have the favor of his Ministers, then he will no longer think that I am alone in my goals,” Nikolai told Ragoczy with the confidence of desire. “Once my cousin knows that I have allies even among those near him, he will have to reconsider his posture regarding arms.”

  “I may have to be more candid with his Ministers than you would like,” Ragoczy warned him. “They will not support what they do not understand.”

  “Well, you must do as you think best,” said Nikolai, going on briskly, “If you will leave for Saint Petersburg this afternoon, you may begin your preparations to leave for Germany at once. You know what you are to do; we have established that. Your authorizations will be brought to you by courier in two days time, late at night, as before. Be ready to receive them.” He nodded, not in dismissal but slight apology. “I have never known you to take a meal in company, so I will not ask you to join us.”

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  “Thank you,” said Ragoczy in form. “My manservant and I will be away before three.”

  “Excellent. Excellent. Then”—he held out his hand—“Godspeed, Count.”

  Ragoczys small hand closed on the Czars slender one. “Amen,” he said.

  Text of a letter from Sidney Reilly in Berlin to “C” in London, set in Key 29; delivered by diplomatic courier on July 9, 1910.

  It would seem Nicholas is again the one behind Ragoczy’s return to Germany; my contacts in Russia tell me that whatever the Czar wants from the Kaiser, he has not yet given up his efforts to achieve it. The consensus continues to be that a private agreement in regard to arms is the chief item sought on the Czars behalf My operatives do not often err in these matters, and although I do not dispute what your staff has learned, I am not thoroughly convinced
that their assumptions are correct. According to what Renfred Meyer has found out, Nicholas has been consistent in his desire to stop the development and sales of all sorts of weapons. He demonstrated his concern at The Hague eleven years ago and there is no indication that he has altered his opposition to the development and sales of arms.

  Since Ragoczy is taking up residence in his Schloss near Munich, it would be useless to use my Berlin operatives to observe him. I have a very reliable Swiss agent who will blend in more suitably in Munich than my two Berlin operatives might: I have assigned him the task of surveilling the Schloss and Ragoczy, and to report to me daily. I understand that Ragoczy is planning a week of hunting and has asked a number of men occupying high positions in the various Ministries of the Kaisers government to join as his guests. I plan to remain here, in case Ragoczy should come here, as well as to take advantage of what Meyer can glean from those who attend the hunting party. If the men themselves are closedmouthed, their servants may not be. I still have one of my operatives here watching Ragoczys house in Glanzend Strasse, and my other has been given the task of monitoring Nadeznas house, to determine what persons call there, and in what company. It is obvious that Baron von Wolgast calls often, and occasionally brings others with him. If we assume that we know the Czars purpose in sending Ragoczy to Germany and England, then I find it ominous that von Wolgast should maintain so close an association with a ballerina whose ballet school Ragoczy finances. It may be a coincidence that these two

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  men have dealings with Nadezna, but I cannot make such an assumption without finding proof that it is or is not accurate. I would fail in my duty if I did otherwise.

  Your recommendation is reasonable on the surface, but I am reluctant to approach Ragoczy directly myself; he has seen me in Saint Petersburg and here as well, and I fear he may have recognized me, at least to the degree of knowing he has met me before. The only name he can put to me here in Berlin is Oertel Morgenstem, but if he does recollect our discussion in Russia, he might well conclude that I am not what I appear to be. I am absolutely certain that he would not ignore such a deception once it came to his attention, and therefore I am resolved to keep out of his way, and to do nothing that might draw his attention to myself. It is more sensible to be prudent in these situations than to tempt fate and hope that the risk will not exceed the benefits inherent in it.