by Ward Wagher
“Well then, what did you mean?”
“I thought that the nation would be more stable with a clearly defined leader.”
“Are you seeing instability?” Goebbels asked.
“Not as such.”
“Enough of the nonsense,” Himmler said suddenly. “Even with our disagreements, everyone in the room is doing their job. I understand your point, Herr Hess, but let's ask the question: does anyone believe Hess can replace the Fuhrer?”
It grew quiet again in the room. “I thought not,” Himmler said. “Herr Partieleiter, what are your thoughts?”
So, now the slimy weasel wants to put me on the spot, Schloss thought. “I have no desire personally to take the position. Under the circumstances I suggest we wait until we need some positive publicity. Naming a new Fuhrer right now would not change the... chemistry of this group.”
“Precisely,” Himmler said.
“Does that answer your question, Rudolph?” Schloss asked.
Hess nodded jerkily. “Very well. I simply thought it was time to discuss. Is there anything else before we adjourn?”
“A word with you afterwards, Rudolph,” Schloss said.
The scraping of chairs was loud in the room as everyone got up to leave. Rainer was tidying up his notes. Schloss and Hess stepped over to the corner.
“Rudolph, I would like you to look for ways to weave the topic of the Jews into your speeches.”
“What do you have in mind? I thought we were trying to go a little easier on them.”
“Correct. We will shortly begin sending them to Palestine. I would like people to be aware of it.”
“I understand. Let me give this some thought. I can have a new draft for you to look at within a couple of days.”
“That would be good. We need to ease into this carefully.”
“I understand,” Hess said. “And I worry about the Reichsprotektor.”
“Me too, Rudolf. We must be careful.”
“I am always careful.”
“Now you are beginning to sound like me,” Schloss said.
“Uh, another question, Herr Partieleiter.”
“Yes, what is it?” Schloss asked.
“I sent a note to you while you were in Lisbon. About the Gauleiter for Hannover.”
Schloss shook his head. “I am very sorry, Rudolph. That completely slipped my mind. Rainer?”
Rainer stepped over to the other two. “Yes, Herr Partieleiter?”
“Herr Hess had a suggestion for the Gauleiter in Hannover. I wanted to get your thoughts before we made decision.”
“Of course.” And he looked expectantly at Hess.
“I had a brief meeting with Lyrius Hannover. He asked if we would consider him for the position.”
Rainer looked confused. “You have known him far longer than I have, Herr Partieleiter.”
Okay, Schloss, you have managed to step in it again, Schloss said to himself. “Yes, but it always helps to get a second opinion.”
“My opinion is much as yours,” Rainer said. “The man has not distinguished himself either for good or bad.”
Schloss shrugged. “Very well. Karl, please cause the paperwork for his appointment to be prepared. Rudolph, perhaps you would like to personally make the appointment.”
Hess seemed to swell in pride. “Herr Partieleiter, I would be honored to do so.”
“I will leave it in your hands then,” Schloss said.
After Hess marched out of the room Rainer turned to Schloss. “I did not expect you to approve the appointment.”
“How so, Karl?”
“Lyrius is not an outstanding candidate.”
Schloss frowned as he nodded and tried to think of a reasonable answer. “The party is full of ambitious men, Karl. Lyrius would not distinguish himself in the Gauleiter position. On balance, I think I can live with that.”
“I believe I understand, Herr Partieleiter.”
“Good. Are we ready to go?”
CHAPTER THIRTY
October 18, 1941; 9 PM
Near Rudersdorf
"Is this a directive from the Partieleiter, Herr Rainer?"
Karl Rainer looked out the back windows of the small cabin. Through the trees he could see the lights from other homes around the Kalksee. This was a good place to meet. Well-to-do Germans often rented cabins here for their vacations. The population of the area was fluid and the activities of small groups blended in.
He turned back to look at the questioner. "I will be very honest, mein Herr. I have not spoken with the Partieleiter about this. I have grown concerned about the attempts on his life. It points indirectly back at either Himmler or the SS."
"What you are proposing is dangerous," the second guest said.
"Make no mistake," Rainer said. "It is extremely dangerous. But you understand why I am doing this?"
"Oh, yes. There is no disputing what you say."
The third of the men in the cabin with Rainer had stared out the windows for much of meeting. He now spoke. "I suppose we should consider whether there are other ways to solve the problem. I mean we are dealing with part of the party core here. Some would argue that the SS is the party."
"Do you believe that?" Rainer asked.
"It depends upon your point of view," the other man said with a smile.
"And what is your point of view, if I may ask?"
"Oh, I believe they are a part of the party core," the man said. "Sort of like a cancer in the body of the Fatherland."
Rainer nodded. "I suppose that leads us to the question of whether radical surgery is necessary."
"There is no doubt about that," the first man said. "I have thought so for years. In my mind, it becomes a question of timing."
The second man nodded emphatically. "You have the truth of it. The four of us here are convinced of it. The risk?" He Shrugged. "We all have to die sometime. I am concerned about Germany if we fail."
"If we fail," Rainer said, "it is only a matter of time before Germany is destroyed."
"But we sit astride Europe," the third man said.
"That is only because the lands we conquered were either weaker than we, or refused to believe we would go to war," Rainer replied. "The English have essentially stopped us cold. Herr Schloss is working diligently to prevent the Americans from coming into the war. If they do, we will ultimately lose."
"But the American armed forces are a joke."
"The American industry dwarfs ours," Rainer said. "They would bury us in steel."
"I do not necessarily fear the Americans," the fourth man said, "but I agree it would be foolhardy to start any new wars when we have not finished off the English."
"I believe we could discuss this well into the night," Rainer said. "Do we agree on the necessity?"
The fourth man now looked around the room. He stood up and walked over to the windows, and stuck his hands in his pockets. The others watched him. He nodded to himself, and made up his mind. He turned around.
"You are right, Herr Rainer. We must do this. I do not know how we will keep it from the SS."
"We must be prepared to move quickly," Rainer said. "Very well, here are my thoughts on how to best accomplish this. I would like a plan roughed in before we leave tonight."
# # #
October 18, 1941; 10 PM
Potsdam
"A very nice restaurant," Gisela said as she sipped her wine.
"Karl told me about it," Schloss said. "I don't know how he finds these places."
"I'm glad we were able to get away for tonight, anyway. You have been very busy lately."
He smiled at the red-haired woman across the table from him. "I am glad as well. I do not expect to have free time often. In fact, it is very likely that I will become busier in the near future."
“I do not understand how you can stand up under the pressure, Hennie. I worry about you.”
“I am actually having more fun than I ever have in my life. I feel like I am accomplishing something worthwhi
le.” And it is much more worthwhile than fighting the faculty politics in West Berlin.
“You amaze me,” she said. “I would be terrified in your position. Some of those men scare me.”
“Some of those men scare me too.”
“Does Hess frighten you?”
Schloss chuckled. “Rudolf frightens me for other reasons. Yesterday he suggested it was time to choose a new Fuhrer. It was pretty clear whom he thought the number one candidate should be.”
“I think a lot of people would support him in that,” she said. “He has become very popular.”
Schloss nodded. “He has, and that is a good thing, in the main. He presents a human face to the party, and I think that is needed.”
“Are you saying he would not make a good Fuhrer?”
“Not without someone pulling his strings, Gisela. To put it baldly, our Deputy Fuhrer is a flake. Hitler and Bormann had marginalized him and he didn't understand why. I worry that he will eventually say something in a very public forum that will expose him for what he is – and the rest of the world will laugh at us.”
She shivered. “To have someone like that attaining such a high position is frightening.”
“Yes,” he said, “yes it is. And to have the rest of the men in that room around the table is terrifying.”
“And what will you do about it?”
“That, my Dear, is a very good question. The German people elected Herr Hitler. He quickly moved to put his henchmen in place, and the people as a whole have not complained about it.”
“You are saying, then, that we have the government the people want?”
“Don't we?”
“That is kind of depressing,” she said.
“I guess it could be,” Schloss said. “But look at the opportunities. The German people have shown they respond to strong leadership. We will give them leadership and turn this country around.” Because the alternatives do not bear thinking about, he thought.
“I am so glad we have this evening together,” she said.
He smiled again as she meandered back to the original topic. “These times are special. I must confess I feel... contented when we are together.”
“That's an interesting word,” she said, smiling at him. “Not swept up in flights of torrid love?”
“I'm saving that for later.”
She laughed. “You are a man of many facets. I think the events of the past months have changed you – for the better.”
“How so?”
“I don't know how to say it exactly. You are just as driven and ruthless as you always have been. But, maybe you care more. You pay more attention to people. Before you seemed to look at others as... tools.”
And I wonder if the other Schloss must have been a monster. I guess if he was a Nazi it stands to reason.
“The events of the past year have caused me to think, Leibling. But, honestly, I do not feel any different.”
She leaned across the table and placed her hand on his. “But, I have grown to love the man sitting across from me.”
“And I worry about your taste in men.”
She slapped his hand. “Don't spoil the mood, Hennie. We have little enough time together as it is.”
“You're right,” he said. “We need to enjoy the evening.”
“Did you have trouble arranging this?” she asked.
“Not this,” he replied. “Rainer always has good suggestions. Mrs. Marsden was frowning at me when I left the house.”
“Does she not approve of me?”
“Actually, she thinks very highly of you. She does not approve of our... overnight trysts. She thinks we ought to be married.”
“She is rather old-fashioned, then.”
“That is it exactly. She gave me quite the tongue-lashing once.”
“And what about us?” she asked.
“You mean marriage?” Schloss asked.
She nodded. “I suppose I sometimes wonder if I am simply a convenience for the Partieleiter.”
Schloss grew still. When he spoke, his eyes were flashing. “Is that something you really need to ask, Gisela? Have I not made myself clear how much you mean to me?” He sat and stared at her for a few moments. “Apparently not.”
“I'm sorry, Schatzie, I did not mean to make you angry. But you are so closed in within yourself. I do not always know what you are thinking.”
And I really do not like it when I upset her. What is the matter with me? It's just I don't know who to trust in this insane world where I landed. But I know I really cannot afford to let this one get away from me.
“I should be the one to apologize to you, Liebling. I have to be on my guard so much I didn't realize I was doing it around you. I am very sorry. Can you forgive me?”
“Of course I can forgive you. But, I guess the question is whether you can open up to me. This must go in two directions.”
And if I told her the truth she would be convinced I am insane. And maybe I really am insane. Perhaps my life in West Berlin was merely an illusion. What is the truth?
“I do love you, Gisela. I know I must do better. I am going to have to depend upon you to help me. There is so much going on I feel like I am in the middle of a whirlwind at times.”
Her eyes sparkled in the reflected light of the candles. “That I think I can do, Hennie. Do we need to remain longer here at the restaurant?”
“I think not.” He caught the eye of the waiter and mimed writing the check.
General Reinhard Heydrich was parked on the other side of the street from the restaurant and further up the block. He was watching the Partieleiter as well as those who guarded him. A frustrated Heinrich Himmler had pulled him in from his post in Prague because several attempts to... dispose of Schloss had failed. Heydrich hadn't decided whether it was incompetence on the part of the SS or a run of amazing luck on the part of Schloss.
Heydrich had risen high in the SS because of his ruthless competence. Himmler had assigned him to Prague because the resistance there had become too effective of late. He was not happy about leaving in the middle of an assignment. When he returned he would likely have to start all over. The Wehrmacht officers managing the occupation of the city had very limited experience in subduing civilian populations and it showed.
As to why Himmler had his knives out for Schloss was difficult to determine. True, the Partieleiter had risen to his position by murdering Bormann, but that had not seemed to bother Hitler. Heydrich had himself stepped over more than a few bodies to reach his current rank. But Schloss was very effective in his current role. The party apparatus was now operating smoothly and this was largely due to Schloss's management skills. And there was no question Schloss was a patriotic German. However, Heydrich was careful not question Himmler's motives. The man had a reason for everything.
While normally delegating such activities to his subordinates, Heydrich felt he should personally observe Schloss in an effort to determine the best way to eliminate him. Besides, he rather enjoyed taking the risks.
The officer behind the wheel of the car had been studying the mirror. “Behind us, Sir.”
“What have we got, Lieutenant?” Heydrich asked.
“Another car, Sir. I think we are being watched.”
Heydrich thought quickly. While he would have liked to confront the people in the other car, he did not want Schloss to know he was in the area. He made a quick decision.
“Very well, let's return to Berlin. I think we've seen enough here.”
“At once, Sir.”
The two members of Schloss's security team were not able to determine if the other car was a threat, or a random occurrence. They remained in place after Heydrich left. Another guard was standing in the alley across from the restaurant and saw the car pass by. He carefully looked at the occupants as they did. He pulled a notebook out of his pocket and recorded the event. This was something Rainer had instructed him to watch for.
Rainer had impressed upon them the importance of maintaining the
safety of the party leader. And other forces were clearly in play. The guard had worked with Rainer for years, and trusted him. Considering who was in the car that left the area, the guard was convinced Rainer was correct.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
October 27, 1941; 9 AM
Nazi Party Headquarters, Berlin
Heinrich Schloss was enjoying his first cup of coffee of the Monday morning as he looked out his office window. Northern Germany was thoroughly into the fall season and he reveled in the crisp air and colorful trees. Things had been quiet for a few days and he was beginning to relax slightly, though he knew the peacefulness wouldn't last.
The Berlin Times carried Hess's Sunday speech as its headline. Hess's speeches usually made good copy and more so this time. He had used the speech to formally announce a national policy about the Jews. It was remarkably free of the usual Nazi invective and promised a homeland for the Jews in Palestine. The paper adopted a positive tone in the story, which Schloss took as good news. He knew Himmler would not be happy, but the Reichsprotektor would simply have to deal with it.
Rainer tapped on the door and walked into the office. “A couple of items, Herr Partieleiter.”
“Very well, Karl,” Schloss replied.
“First of all, an update on the SS people who have been watching you.”
Schloss raised his eyebrows. “I know those swine have been following me around. It seems as though I now have to have an entire platoon of guards when I go anywhere.”
“I understand. However, during your recent visit to Potsdam one of our people got a good look at a car when the SS left the scene. He was sure it was Reinhard Heydrich.”
“I thought Heydrich was in Prague.”
“He is in Berlin.”
“If Himmler brought Heydrich back to Berlin to keep an eye on me, that is raising the ante,” Schloss said.
“Indeed. I am very concerned. With Heydrich in the game, it means that Himmler definitely wants to remove you.”
“I want you to be concerned. And I agree with your assessment. Are we prepared to react quickly to any provocation?”
