When he gave his name, an adjutant took him straight up to Goering's vast study. The Reichsmarschall was not in fancy dress but wearing a uniform of pure white silk, the tunic of which was smothered with stars and decorations, for he had collected not only every German order but also those of every country Germany had overrun.
With a curt nod he said to Gregory, `Sit down. I imagine you had the hell of a time getting here; but I'm glad you've come and I think you'll find the effort worth it. Have you ever heard of Allen Dulles?'
`Yes,' Gregory replied. `He is the head of the Office of Strategic Services; or, to call it by another name, the American Secret Service.!
'That is so. Well, for some time past he has been operating from Switzerland. Of course, we knew that, as we have plenty of our people there too. He runs all the escape routes for their prisoners of war who can break camp, and a vast espionage system. But recently he's been after bigger game than that. Quite a number of prominent Germans have been into Switzerland and had discussions with him on ways in which the war might be brought to an end.'
`I'm glad to hear it,' Gregory commented.
`Yes. The sooner it's over now the better. No man with an ounce of sanity could contest that. Incidentally, I've been too occupied to give you a thought lately, but are you making any progress with the Fьhrer'
Gregory did not wish to disclose his hand; so he replied, `Yes and no. I felt from the beginning that there was very little hope of getting him actually to order a surrender. But I've succeeded in becoming his chief witch doctor. He now treats me as a friend, has long private talks with me and pays heed to what I say; so there is just a chance that I may succeed in persuading him to throw in his hand and let someone else take over.'
`Good luck to you, then. Unless he alters the succession his mantle will fall on me, and I'll open negotiations with the Allies within the hour. But reverting to Dulles. He has sent an emissary to me, and the suggestion is that I should arrest the Fьhrer, or ignore him, and broadcast an order for our forces to lay down their arms.'
`Thank God for that!' Gregory exclaimed.
Goering frowned. `You go too fast. When we spoke of this before I told you that I would never betray the Fьhrer, and I still stand by that.'
Gregory knew that it would be futile to start an argument, so he simply shrugged and asked, `Why, then, did you send for me?'
The Reichsmarschall heaved himself to his feet. `Because I thought it would interest you to have a talk with Mr. Dulles' emissary. Come with me.'
Side by side they left the lofty room, walked down a flight of stairs and along several corridors. Then Goering halted at a door, turned the handle and threw it open. In the room, near the fire in an armchair, sat a woman dressed as a hospital nurse.
Gregory's heart missed a beat. He could hardly believe his eyes. It was Erika.
27
The Great Decision
ERIKA dropped the book she had been toying with, jumped to her feet and, with a radiant smile, cried, `Gregory! My darling! I thought you'd never get here.' Next moment she was in his arms.
Goering remained grinning in the doorway. When they had exchanged breathless kisses and, still holding hands, come apart, he said mischievously, `I told Erika I had sent for you and she suggested that you might prefer to spend the night here instead of returning to Berlin. So I had this suite made ready for you. There is, of course, a separate bed in the dressing room. I hope you will find every thing you want. Schlafen Sie wohl.'
As the door closed behind him, Gregory exclaimed with mingled delight and anxiety, `My sweet, to see you again after all these months is marvelous wonderful. But I'm horrified at the thought of the danger you are running. You ought never to have come into Germany.'
`I had to,' she replied quietly. `There are some duties that one cannot neglect. I know you no longer think of me as a German. But I am one. And my poor country is now in extremis. Whatever horrors the Nazis have perpetrated, that does not alter the fact that there are many millions of decent German men and women who did not want the war and have been forced into doing. what they have done by the Nazi tyranny.'
`I know it. But that's no fault or concern of yours.'
`It does concern me, darling. They are my people. Thousands of them are now dying every day or suffering from ghastly wounds. And the children. Poor mites,, just think what the bombs are doing to them. Nothing should be left unattempted that might bring an end to this horror. Nothing!'
`You really thought you could? 'I thought there was just a chance I might, because in Germany before the war I was looked on as a very special person. I negotiated many of Hugo Falkenstein's big armament deals, so I'm a competent negotiator. As you know, Hermann was one of my closest friends. I know that he used the most ruthless methods to make his way to power and that now half the time he is sodden with drink and drugs; but he's not like the other Nazis. He is one of the finest and bravest air aces Germany ever had. And he's never allowed himself to become muddle-headed by the Nazi propaganda. Despite everything, he still has enormous will power and is the one man who might save Germany from complete annihilation. Knowing that he would listen to me, it was my responsibility to come here and talk to him.'
Gregory gave an unhappy smile. `Darling, I honour you more than I can say for your decision to risk your life in such a cause. But how in the world did you succeed in getting here '
She shrugged. `It wasn't very difficult. After the Allies had crossed the Rhine I went to London and talked to dear Pellinore. At first he was most reluctant to help me; but he agreed that with Germany obviously on the brink of defeat no possibility of bringing hostilities to an end must be neglected. He secured for me a letter to Allen Dulles and arranged to have me flown out to Switzerland. Dulles was a little difficult to begin with, but when I had convinced him that I was something more than just an old girl friend of Hermann's he agreed to play. For me to make the journey they fitted up the interior of an ambulance like a caravan so that I could sleep in it at night, and they filled it up with fuel and every sort of store. Then they wangled me across the frontier into Germany under the aegis of the Red Cross. Fortunately there was no question of having to go through Russian held territory and both the Americans and the Germans respect a nurse's uniform. There were plenty of wolf whistles, but they all waved me on my way and the journey took me only four days.'
`For having made it you ought to be given the George Cross,' Gregory told her.
Erika kissed him again and laughed. `Oh, don't put it all down to my urge to save the German people from further horrors. I had quite an important axe of my own to grind.'
`The hope of finding me?
'Of course. When that aircraft returned from Poland without you I nearly died from distress. For the first few weeks I could hardly eat or sleep from worrying about what might happen to you. But I was convinced that you were still alive and free. Then I felt sure that you had been caught and were in a prison camp. All through the autumn, whenever I thought of you I got the impression that you were utterly miserable, but towards Christmas my impressions changed. It seemed that you were no longer hungry or wretched. After that I didn't know what to think.
`Naturally, I realized that if I was right about your being in a camp you would not be there under your own name, so it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to trace you. But I meant to do my utmost and I prayed desperately hard that in some way I'd get a lead. Without Hermann's help I wouldn't even have had a chance, and on arriving here today the first thing I did was to ask it. Imagine my amazement when my prayer was answered on the instant. He just laughed and said that he would get you out here for me by tonight, and I knew he wouldn't lie to me about a thing like that. I almost fainted from sheer joy.'
`My poor darling.' Gregory put an arm round her and drew her to him. `During those long months you must have been through a beastly time. You were right about my being a prisoner. I was until January, and I'm not surprised that your impressions about my state these
past few months have been much more vague. To be honest, that is because I haven't thought of you so frequently. But don't imagine for one moment that's because I love you less. It's because I've been up to the eyes in the biggest job I've ever undertaken. Like yours it concerns trying to put an end to the war, but I'll tell you about it later. I gather you haven’t had any luck with Goering?'
She shook her head. `No. Hermann dug in his toes and there is no moving him. It's absolutely tragic, because the Allies would never negotiate with Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels or Ribbentrop; but I think they would with him. What makes his refusal all the more disappointing is that he is the only one of big four who remains entirely loyal to Hitler. The rest of
gang are ratting now in an attempt to, save their skins.'
`Really?' Gregory sat down in the armchair and pulled her on to his lap. `That's most interesting. Tell me more.'
`Dulles told me. He decided to because he felt that I might stand a better chance of persuading Hermann to act if I could give chapter and verse about how the other top Nazis are behaving.!
'But you just said that the Allies wouldn't negotiate with them.'
`They won't. But that doesn't stop these murderers and crooks from putting out peace feelers of their own. And, of course,
Allies are quite willing to negotiate the separate surrender of any of the German Armies. As far back as February Karl Wolff, the Military Governor of northern Italy, got in touch with Allen Dulles, then in March he went to Zurich himself and saw Dulles in person. General Alexander was informed and sent two American Generals to meet the Germans in Berne. It was agreed that Kesselring should put up only a token resistance in the Valley of the Po in exchange for which the negotiators were to be immune from criminal prosecution after the war. Unfortunately Stalin was told of it and wanted to send Russian officers to participate in the arrangements. The Western Allies refused; so there was a blood row and the negotiations were called off. But they are on again now with General von Vietinghoff, who succeeded Kesselring, and it's probable that the German Army in Italy will surrender within the week.'
`That’s splendid news. How about the other German Armies?
'Just before I left Zurich news had come in that a large part of General Model's Army that is encircled in the Ruhr had laid down its arms. Apparently a Corps Commander named Bayerlein had the courage to ignore Hitler's order and save the lives of his men. He summoned to his headquarters two of his junior Generals who were die-hard Nazis, put them under arrest, then arranged to surrender to the American General opposite.'
`Good for him. All this is news to me. But how about the crooks and murderers?
'Ribbentrop has been in secret negotiation with both the Swiss Government and the Vatican. Through them he put forward a plan for Germany to surrender to the Western Allies then turn her armies against Russia. But, like the ass he is, he made the empty threat that if the Allies refused his terms he would hand Germany over to the Russians. Of course, the Allies refused even to reply to him. It is Himmler, though, who has come nearest to selling out.'
`You amaze me! I wouldn't have thought the Allies would. have touched him with a barge-pole.'
`They wouldn't; but according to report he seems quite oblivious of the fact that he is regarded as a criminal unequalled in history, and rather fancies himself as a successor to Hitler. Himmler is really a very simple-minded man. For a long time past he has been under the influence of two bright boys who are idiots enough to believe that the Allies would accept a German Government with him at its head and themselves as his key Ministers. One of them is an S.S. General named Walter Schellenberg. Under Grauber he was Deputy Chief of Gestapo Foreign Intelligence. The other is the Finance Minister, Schwerin von Krosigk. Both fancy themselves as diplomats. For months past they have been trying to persuade Himmler to rat on Hitler and work his passage with the Allies. In mid-February, while he was still supposed to be commanding an Army Group on the Russian front, he actually had an interview that was arranged for him by Schellenberg with Sweden 's Count Bernadotte. And he has had others since. At one of them he said that he had talked to Goebbels and that the prize liar was considering coming in with him to stage a Putsch. But his trouble is that he has always been a coward. He is terrified that Kaltenbrunner, who has really run the Gestapo for a long time past, will find him out and denounce him before the Swedes can get a reply to any concrete offer he may make to the Allies.'
`They wouldn't send one.'
`No; that's certain. Poor Count Bernadotte is going to all his trouble for nothing. But, as I said a little while ago, no possible chance to stop this awful slaughter should remain untried.'
`With things going as they are it can't last many months longer.'
`Months!' exclaimed Erika with a shocked expression.
`It could be months if Hitler leaves Berlin and fights a guerilla war from the Bavarian redoubt; and that's what it looks as if he means to do. One thing that inclines me to think he will is a prediction by Malacou, that most of the top Nazis won't be hanged for their crimes until October '46.'
`Malacou!'
`Yes. He turned up in the same prison camp as myself. We got out of it together and he is with me now in Berlin, acting as my servant.' Gregory told Erika then of how he had used the Satanist's occult powers to win Hitler's confidence, and of the plan he had evolved in the hope of inducing him to put a swift, spectacular end to his villainous career.
`Oh, my darling!' Erika cried. `If only you can. Hermann says it's certain that the Russians will be in Berlin within a fortnight. If Hitler does stay and is killed or kills himself that will be the end. By preventing him from going to the Nazi stronghold in Bavaria you will have shortened the war by months. You will have saved countless lives and prevented untold misery.'
Gregory nodded. `That's what I'm striving for. But it's going to be an uphill fight. So many of the people closest to him know that an end to him means death for them. So it's certain they will urge him to go to the Obersalzberg and fight on, just on the chance that some unexpected event might alter the Allies' attitude and enable them to escape being hanged.'
For a moment they were silent, then Erika said, `Apart from this great new plan on which you are working now, you've told me nothing about yourself.'
`Neither have you,' he laughed.
`Oh, I've nothing to tell. Until last month I carried on with my job at Gwaine Meads. Dear old Pellinore is in greater heart than ever these days. Stefan and Madeleine are well and your godson is a poppet. But you? All those months in a concentration camp! And Malacou turning up! And your managing to get on the right side of Hermann. Tell me everything. First, how you succeeded in standing up to such terrible privations. And your leg; how is it? Does it, still give you much pain?
'No. I hardly notice it now, except that it aches when I put too great a strain on it.' Suddenly Gregory began to laugh.
`What is there that's funny about that?' she asked.
He kissed her. `My sweet, it has just come back to me that I used it, or rather the fact that I'd been severely wounded, to excuse myself from having to go to bed with a very lovely girl.'
`Who was she?' Erika asked quickly.
'Sabine Tuzolto.'
`What! That woman again?
'Yes. When I succeeded in reaching Berlin from Poland I had neither papers nor money and in all the vast city she was the only person who, if she were there, might befriend me. So I sought her out and found her living in a villa on the Wannsee.' Gregory then related how Sabine had hidden him for more than a week, so saved him from being arrested as a vagrant and ending up in the hands of the Gestapo.
When he had done Erika smiled and said, `She's younger than I am and terribly good-looking; so you get full marks plus for having resisted her allurements. But in the circumstances, if you had succumbed I wouldn't have blamed you; or, for that matter, her, for trying to seduce you, since she apparently finds you as attractive as I do. Anyway, I bear her no malice. In fact I owe her a great debt
. She risked her own life to save you and it is I who am the gainer.'
`I'm glad you feel like that,' Gregory said slowly. `As you know, she saved me in Budapest too; so although I got her out of the Tower she is still one up on me, and at the moment I'm pretty worried about her.' He then went on to tell Erika about Sabine's misfortune and her reluctance to leave for the south.
`Poor girl, how terrible for her,' Erika commented. `But, of course, with everyone in Berlin expecting the next bomb to blow them to pieces all normal standards of conduct must have gone with the wind. And it was really very generous of her to let that beastly boy have his fun before he went off to the front, almost certainly to die or become a prisoner of the Russians. I only hope she has taken your advice and by now left Berlin.
`I must try to find out. The trouble is, though, that now Hitler is actually nibbling at the bait I've offered him I dare not leave the bunker for long enough to go out to her villa. I wouldn't have left this evening had f not been given an imperative order from Goering to come out to Karinhall.'
`But you're glad you did?
'How can you ask!'
They embraced again, then Erika said, `It's many hours since you left the bunker so you must be hungry. Let's eat while you tell me about-the rest of your adventures.'
Gregory had already noticed that a side table against one wall of the sitting room had been converted into a cold buffet. On it were arranged the sort of things that in the final stage of the war very few kitchens in all. Europe, except Goering's, could provide. There were foie-gras and a cold lobster, part of a Westphalian ham, wings of chicken supreme decorated with truffles, a pineapple with a bottle of Kirsch standing beside it, and a magnum of champagne in an ice-bucket.
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