Ursula will be so jealous, she thought, before she shuddered and questioned her own sanity. How could anyone envy a woman who’d become a handmaiden to the Grim Reaper by day and a prostitute by night?
Shame burnt up her face, shimmering through the carefully applied powder makeup. She closed her eyes for a moment, willing away shame and guilt. Tonight she would seize her opportunity to meet – and impress – the man she’d admired since she was a child, dissecting frogs and snails. Professor Scherer.
A glance at the alarm clock on her nightstand told her it was high time to meet Doctor Tretter. He wouldn’t be pleased if she was late. Or actually, he would be. During the past weeks she’d learned that he enjoyed the tiniest of her mishaps or objections, because it gave him a reason to punish her. Make her wince. Cry out in pain.
Anna’s brain still couldn’t fathom how a fellow human could be so cruel. And T the devil wasn’t the only one. Most of the guards at the camp derived pleasure from torturing the prisoners, dreaming up new, crueler methods every day. The doctors competed with each other, orchestrating repulsive experiments, ones that more often than not left their patients dead. Hadn’t they taken the Hippocratic Oath to help their patients, not harm them?
Doctor Tretter demanded Anna meet him in front of the building where he lived. After she arrived, he appeared minutes later in his SS dress uniform with his decorations. They walked to the parking lot, where he’d parked his automobile. The car alone was a testament to how much power he held in the regime. Since the government had seized most private vehicles to be used for the war effort, private citizens no longer owned vehicles of any kind and resorted to bicycles, walking, or public transportation.
Half an hour later, T the devil stopped his car in front of a magnificent castle-like building. Uniformed men approached the automobile and opened the doors. Doctor Tretter showed his identification and then handed over the keys before walking around and clasping Anna’s arm tightly above the elbow. He guided her up the impressive flight of stairs, flanked by Roman statues made of white marble. Does he think I would run away? Where would I go?
At the front entrance, a liveried butler greeted them, inspecting their invitation and then guiding them to the big salon. All troubling thoughts faded away as she surveyed the magnificence spread out before her. She’d never seen such splendor. Sparkling chandeliers, long case clocks with shiny golden frames, and paintings by old masters adorned the entrance hall.
Her breath caught in her throat as she admired every single piece of tasteful decoration. While the mansion reeked of wealth, it wasn’t obnoxious or overdone. The big salon was exactly what the name indicated: big. An immense, sparkling chandelier hung from the high ceiling, casting a shimmering light onto the beautiful wooden furniture.
Most of the important-looking men wore highly decorated dress uniforms, and the small minority of civilians wore tuxedos. The women wore evening gowns that made her own two-piece suit look like one of Cinderella’s pinafores. Momentarily bedazzled by the sparkling fabrics, elegant hairdos and, carefully applied makeup, Anna had the sudden urge to flee this place.
Doctor Tretter approached a group of people and joined their discussion after the usual greetings and Heil Hitlers. Anna felt a blush stain her cheeks as she realized he had chosen not to introduce her to anyone, effectively letting them know she was not important.
Anna ignored the nasty feeling creeping up her spine, but held her head high and her shoulders straight. With nothing else to do, she followed Doctor Tretter like a shadow, stopping when he did, and unobtrusively listening to the conversations going on around her.
“There is Professor Scherer.” Doctor Tretter grabbed Anna’s arm again and hissed, “You’d better do your best to charm him. It’s very important to my career that I make a good impression on him this evening.”
She wanted to refuse, for the sole purpose of diminishing T the devil’s chances for the coveted professorship at the Charité, even if that meant she’d burn at the stake for her insolence. But when she spied the handsome man in his fifties, she forgot how much she despised Doctor Tretter and saw only the professor whose work she’d admired for more than a decade.
Anna had always aspired to become a renowned biologist. And if it weren’t for the war, she’d have found a way to convince her parents to support her dreams. Anna burnt with ambition. One day she would claw her way into university, and work hard enough to achieve a career most men could only dream of. I will make an impression on him, all right.
Chapter 4
Doctor Tretter approached the professor, pasting a confident smile upon his face, looking every bit like the competent and skilled research doctor.
“Professor Scherer, it’s always a pleasure to see you,” Doctor Tretter said, clicking his heels and raising his hand in the Hitlergruß.
“Doctor Tretter, the pleasure is all mine,” Professor Scherer answered. Anna groaned inwardly, at T the devil’s oversight in not mentioning her name.
“There are so many things I’d like to discuss with you about my latest discoveries on the gangrene bacteria–”
Tretter stopped mid-sentence when the professor turned toward Anna.
“I’m afraid we weren’t introduced, Fräulein?” he asked, looking her straight in the eye. As if she mattered.
“This is Nurse Anna. She works for me.” Tretter all but growled at the professor. As Anna considered Professor Scherer’s words, she noted that T the devil’s tone and insolence were ruining his image far more than she could ever do.
“I’m delighted to make your acquaintance, Fräulein…”
“Klausen, Anna Klausen,” Anna said.
“Fräulein Klausen. Welcome to my home.” The professor reached out his hand and when she dutifully placed her fingers in it, he gracefully lifted them to his lips and blew a kiss on the back of her hand.
Anna was more than a little impressed by Professor Scherer. She’d admired his work for so many years that she could hardly believe she was meeting her idol in person. One of the few men in attendance wearing a tuxedo, he exuded the distinguished aura of a person who’d grown up wealthy and powerful. The salt-and-pepper hair and wire-rimmed glasses underlined his classy appearance. His impeccable manners, the cultured voice, and the way he’d called out Tretter’s faux pas solidified Anna’s high opinion of him. It was obvious that he was not only a skilled scientist, but also schooled in the finer arts.
A few more persons joined them and soon the conversation turned to the Nazi ideology of the Master Race. Doctor Tretter made it a point to agree with and repeat whatever Professor Scherer or other high-ranking Nazi officials said. Anna couldn’t hide a smile when she noticed that the professor wasn’t overly impressed by T the devil’s blatant efforts to win him over. In fact, he politely suffered the doctor’s dialog.
Anna would have been able to join in the conversation, since genetics was one of her favorite topics, but she chose to remain quiet and listen in. And with every minute that passed, her admiration for Professor Scherer grew. In contrast to most of the others present he didn’t appear to be a fanatic follower of the Nazi ideology, and often objected to any outrageous claim about the inferiority of certain races, with a hint at scientific research that hadn’t been able to prove such claims. He worded his phrases carefully so as to not openly discredit any of the guests.
“We know accurately only when we know little; with knowledge doubt increases,” the professor quoted.
Anna heard the words and turned to look at him with a raised brow. “Goethe?”
“Very good, my dear. You are familiar with his writings?” The professor smiled at her, obviously relieved to change the topic from ludicrous ideology to something more substantial.
“Some of them, yes.” Anna felt a blush rising to her cheeks as the professor glanced at her with new interest.
“Oh, I love a good conversation about literature. Who is your favorite author?”
Anna didn’t have to contemplate the ques
tion. “Schiller.” Her younger brother Richard was the bookworm of the family and before he’d been sent to war, he tended to spend hours with his nose in a book. She smiled at the memory of how he enacted his favorite plays, assigning his three sisters minor roles as stage extras.
“Schiller, a comrade-in-arms of Hitler. Heil Hitler!” Hans Fabricius, head of section in the Ministry of the Interior, mentioned the book he’d written in 1932: Schiller als Kampfgenosse Hitlers.
Anna pictured Friedrich Schiller rotating in his grave. He’d never endorse his work being used to justify mass murder. A few of the men started a conversation about how both Schiller and Goethe would have supported National Socialism, had they lived one hundred and fifty years later.
Even though the conversation had steered away from him, Doctor Tretter wasn’t finished with his lame attempts to butter up the professor. He took a step away from the rest of the group, before saying, “Your work in genetics is outstanding, Professor.”
“It is based on Mendel’s Laws. I daresay you have studied those?” the professor said. A glimmer in his eyes betrayed how much he loved to talk about his research.
“I have read everything about Mendel’s work that I could get hold of,” Anna said.
“Please forgive my inquiry, but aren’t you working as a nurse?” The professor raised an eyebrow, apparently in disbelief at the idea that a nurse grasped an understanding of the complicated laws of genetics.
“I am, Professor, but more out of need to help the war effort than out of passion. My dream is to become a biologist one day.” Anna smoothed her hands over her skirt to hide her nerves.
The professor gave her a scrutinizing glance. “And what area attracts your attention the most?”
“Human biology. Eradicating diseases with new treatments. And genetics, to gain a better understanding of hereditary diseases.”
Doctor Tretter scoffed. “The solution to this is to prevent those tainted with bad blood from procreating. Then there’s no need to understand exactly how damaged their offspring will be. The Master Race can only be achieved when we relentlessly pursue and annihilate the inferior elements.”
Anna shuddered. Annihilating what the Nazis considered inferior elements was what the evil machine did day after day. The same machine she’d willingly become a part of to save her sister.
“Unfortunately, creating a pure and healthy race has suffered some setbacks. Eugenics might seem to be the answer, but as Mendel discovered, there are things the eye can’t see that must be taken into consideration,” Professor Scherer said. “Fräulein Klausen, let’s see if you recognize this writer: There is no such thing as chance; and what seems to us merest accident springs from the deepest source of destiny.”
“Schiller,” Anna answered.
“Right you are. Research has proven that there are diseases that can be avoided by careful breeding and isolating the affected individuals, but recessive genes often skip one or even several generations before rising again.”
“But our Führer has taken care of this problem by creating the Aryan Master Race,” Doctor Tretter insisted, and Anna half expected him to shout out another Heil Hitler.
“Yes, Doctor, our Führer has great visions, but so far we have only one generation to observe and we do not know what might become of the second or third generation,” the professor answered.
“And if the diversity in the gene pool is too small, this might cause problems with new hereditary diseases in the future,” Anna said.
“You seem well versed in the subject,” the professor said, complimenting her.
“Thank you.” Anna blushed at the compliment from the expert on genetics and felt as if she’d received a Christmas gift. She soaked it in, wanting to pinch herself to see if she’d been dreaming.
The camp commandant SS-Hauptsturmführer Fritz Suhren approached their small group. “Excuse me, Professor, but I must sequester Doctor Tretter for a few minutes.”
The professor nodded and Anna almost jumped with excitement. From the look on the commandant’s face it was clear that he wanted to speak with T the devil in private.
“You have a lovely home,” she said to fill the ensuing silence.
“Thank you. It belonged to a well-known publisher, Louis Ullstein, before he emigrated.” The professor adjusted his glasses with a sad look before continuing, “He used to host regular literary discussions. But his kind wasn’t welcome here anymore.”
“Not welcome? The Jews are responsible for the decline of the German culture. Our Führer will put a final solution to the Jewish problem once and for all.” Doctor Tretter had returned far too soon, showering them with more Nazi ideology.
“Of course I agree with our Führer’s point of view, but isn’t complete annihilation a bit harsh?” Professor Scherer asked, apparently uncomfortable. Anna got the impression that this Louis Ullstein had been more than a random acquaintance to the professor.
“We can’t make exceptions. Every last Jew has to be forced from this earth or he will come back to haunt and destroy us.” Anna tuned out Tretter’s continued spoutings of Nazi ideology. What did they mean by a final solution? Complete annihilation? It couldn’t mean…no. It was a ridiculous idea. Killing not thousands but millions of people just wasn’t feasible.
It wasn’t. Or was it?
Chapter 5
“Fräulein Klausen, have you met everyone?” The professor waved an arm to encompass the members of their small group.
“No, I’m sorry, I have not.” Anna shook her head.
The professor clucked his tongue and immediately set about introducing her to several high-ranking Nazi officials and their wives, and everyone was nice to her. As the evening wore on, her earlier worries about being underdressed – which she clearly was – faded into the background and she enjoyed mingling among the guests. The luxurious attire and sparkling beauty of the guests in attendance were such a welcome respite from the walking dead she had to deal with on a daily basis.
She bit into a delicious hors d’oeuvre and wondered when she’d last seen such an abundance of food. For some people, rationing didn’t seem to exist. She overheard the wife of a general complain about the recent lack of oranges. Recent? I haven’t seen an orange in years.
Several times throughout the evening she had the chance to converse with Professor Scherer, and he was clearly flattered by her interest in and understanding of his research.
Late in the evening another guest made his appearance. Anna found her eyes continually drawn to him and wondered why nobody else took notice. Despite his nondescript black suit his presence filled the room, and a readiness lurked in his eyes that said he meant trouble with a capital T.
The man had the build of a wrestler: tall, broad shoulders, strong neck, and hands at least double the size of hers. His dirty blond hair was cut into a military short style, giving him a dangerous look emphasized by his dark beard and mustache. When he caught her staring into his glacial blue eyes, heat broke out in her body. His glance transfixed her and she had the disconcerting thought that he saw right through her carefully administered façade.
“Wolf!” The professor’s voice pulled the man to attention.
“Yes, sir?”
“Have you seen that the automobile is ready?” the professor asked and the man nodded.
“Who is that?” Anna asked one of the women standing beside her eating canapés at a high table.
“Who?” the woman, clad in a royal blue evening gown and a sparkling diamond necklace, asked.
“The man talking to Professor Scherer.”
“Ahh…that’s Peter Wolf, his right-hand man. He acts as driver, assistant, and security guard.”
Anna nodded, wishing to come up with something else to ask, but her mind drew a blank. The women didn’t skip a beat, and continued their previous conversation as if the man truly didn’t exist. Doesn’t anyone see how dangerous he is?
Peter Wolf lingered at the professor’s side, seemingly not taking part
in the conversation. But every time Anna hazarded a glance his way, she noticed him listening intently. Studying. The few times their glances met, she felt like a lightning bolt seared through her. This Peter Wolf was indeed a disconcerting man.
Doctor Tretter sent her a dark stare from across the room and she hurried to his side, hiding a yawn.
“Fräulein Klausen, you look tired. Let me have my driver bring you home,” the professor offered.
A rush of excitement coursed through her veins, but Anna knew better than to take him up on his offer. She shook her head saying, “That is very kind of you Professor Scherer, but Doctor Tretter will deliver me back home in due time.”
“I was about to suggest to Nurse Anna that we should bid our goodbyes, since she needs to be at her work before dawn,” T the devil said with a hidden glint in his eyes. Anna’s stomach flipped over in fear. “Professor, thank you for a lovely evening.”
“It’s been my pleasure. We will be in touch about your conclusion in the gangrene research.” Then Professor Scherer turned to Anna and kissed the back of her hand once again. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Fräulein Klausen. I could use someone like you on my scientific team.”
“Don’t you have enough nurses at university clinic to care for the health of you and your team?” someone asked, and the entire group laughed at the joke.
Anna didn’t let the ridicule bother her and answered nonchalantly, “It would be an honor working for a renowned scientist like you, Professor.”
On the drive back, a tense silence crackled inside the car. Doctor Tretter cursed a few times as the automobile skidded on the dark and icy road. The dim reflections of the moon and stars in the snow provided the only source of light. Wafting wisps of mist doused the landscape with eerie shadows.
While T the devil focused on the road, Anna clung to Professor Scherer’s words to fill her soul with hope for a better future. It didn’t matter whether he’d merely been polite or had really meant it. His compliments shone a ray of light on her otherwise dark existence.
War Girl Anna (War Girls Book 3) Page 2
