"I didn't suggest that you were; and there would be no cause for you to be if, as in the old days, Hitler's advisers were united; but now that they have split into two almost equally powerful camps you feel that in protecting yourself you're protecting Germany. You need all the support you can get to counter the moves of your enemies and to strengthen your hand for the day when the great show down comes. That's why you spared Erika. Consciously or subconsciously you knew that she would be on your side and that as she is a woman of immense influence she could be useful."
"Gott im Himmel, Sallust You're right although I hate to have to admit it. For a foreigner you know a lot about us."
"Perhaps I know a little more than most foreigners, but not much. You forget that owing to your Press here being controlled the German people know very little of what goes on behind the scenes; in England we have our sources of information and all the broader issues are freely published. It's common knowledge in every English village that you and von 'Ribbentrop are at each other's throats over this Russian business.
The rich wines and subtle liqueur had also loosened Goering's tongue. "That madman " he exclaimed, suddenly giving way to furious rage. "Think what he has done think! think! He has lost us Italy, Spain, Japan and for what? These filthy Russian murderers who do nothing but stab us in the back; who can't send us one tenth of the supplies they promised, as anyone who had travelled on their railways let alone seen our secret service reports must have known. And look at the Baltic l Think of the disgrace, the loss of prestige in Germany 's having to withdraw her communities that have been settled in the Baltic ports for centuries. And now this lunatic is urging Adolph to stage a Blitzkrieg. I only managed to stop that attack on Holland planned for the end of last month at the very last moment. What the hell do we want to attack Holland for or any other neutral country when, as I said only before dinner, we already have all these little peoples in the bag?
"And think of launching a Blitzkrieg at this time of year
I've a handful of ace pilots whom I can use for raids on English shipping, because they've done commercial flying over the North Sea for years, but in winter conditions most of my boys would lose themselves before they got half way to London. It's crazy even to contemplate such a thing before the spring, and even then, it's taking a hellish gamble with my air force."
"I know," Gregory agreed. "Your game is to keep your air force intact as a constant threat which can be directed against any quarter just as we kept our Grand Fleet intact in the last war. By risking it in a major action you've got everything to lose and nothing to gain."
"Of course. But people like von Ribbentrop don't know the first thing about grand strategy. He doesn't even know his own damned job; yet the fool must interfere with mine and constantly reiterate: `We've got the finest air force in the world so why shouldn't we use it?"
"Well, sooner or later you'll…" Gregory broke off short as the low buzzer sounded, and striding to his desk Goering picked up the telephone from the ledge under it.
"Hullo… what's that?… They have… Well, tell the Soviet Ambassador from me that they'll get more than they bargained for if the Finns call their bluff. Telephone that through at once and urge that no further step should be taken until lie has seen me, and make an appointment for His Excellency to call on me at my flat in the Air Ministry as early as possible tomorrow morning."
He slammed down the receiver and turned back with a scowl to Gregory. "More trouble. The Russians have just broken off he broadcast of a musical programme to make a special announcement denouncing their seven year old non aggression pact with Finland."
"That's bad," said Gregory. "D'you think they really mean business?"
"I'm afraid so. And Finland is another sphere of German influence. There are many Germans settled there. It will be a further blow to our prestige if we have to bring them home. I must think now what I can do to counteract this new aggravation with which von Ribbentrop's pro Russian policy has landed us."
He strode up and down the room for a moment, then suddenly moved over to a bell and pressed it. He now showed not the least trace that he had drunk anything stronger than water as he spoke with abrupt detachment:
"Our talk has been most interesting but I can't give you any more of my time. I've told you what you want to know about Erika and, of course, it's quite impossible for me to release you, but I'm sure that you'll meet your end like a brave man."
For once in his life Gregory was taken utterly by surprise. When he first entered that room a little before seven o'clock he knew quite well that the odds were on his being sent out of it again within a few moments, straight down to the cells, and that his death would almost inevitably follow within a matter of hours. But every moment that he managed to remain there it had seemed that the odds of his eventually walking out of the room a free man had risen, until once he had got Goering interested in his story he considered that the chances were a good three to one in his favour. On his being asked to dine, which would give him at least another hour alone with the Marshal, he had felt confident that he was safe, apart from one chance in fifty that he might slip up in some unforeseen manner which would anger or insult his host. When dinner was done he had believed that even that last fence was safely past. They had drunk as much as would have put most ordinary men under the table, but they were both hardened drinkers so they could stand it, though it had loosened their tongues, filled them with wellbeing and created an atmosphere in which they had been talking and laughing as freely as if they were old friends. Before the telephone rang Gregory would have bet all Lombard Street to a china orange that he would leave the Marshal not only with a safe conduct for Charlton and himself in his pocket but also with facilities to rejoin Erika if he wished to do so.
"Well?" asked Goering sharply. "What are you staring at?"
"You," said Gregory. "You can't really mean that you're going to have me shot after.
The door at the far end of the room opened. Two of the grey guards stepped inside and came sharply to attention.
Goering shrugged. "Of course I am. What else did you expect? You're a very dangerous man and on your own confession you have committed enough acts against the German Reich to justify any court in condemning you to death a dozen times."
"I realize that," said Gregory swiftly, "but all's fair in love and war. The only difference between us as soldiers of fortune is that you're the greater and have been responsible for more deaths in the service of your country than I have in the service of mine. I confess that I'd hoped that once we had drunk wine together you'd let that weigh more with you than the fact that I've killed a dozen or so of your people. After all, with a world war on, what do a few lives matter between men like us whether they are lost on the battlefield or anywhere else?"
"They do not matter at all." Goering drew quickly on his cigarette. "But what does matter is that I should have talked to you so freely. Surely you don't think that I'd have done so if I'd had the least intention of allowing you to live?" With a swift gesture of his hand he signed to the guards to come forward.
Chapter X
Grand Strategy
GREGORY now knew that he had been a fool to allow that rich wine and Goering's confidences to lull him into a false sense of security. Had `Iron Hermann' drunk twice as much it would still not have deflected his judgment or influenced in the least any decision that he had already taken.
This was only one more proof of what Gregory himself had told Freddie Charlton earlier in the evening. Goering had a type of mentality no longer understood in civilized countries; the power to enjoy one moment and work the next without allowing his relations in one sphere to affect those in the other, although this division of his waking hours into watertight compartments often produced results which any modern person would stigmatize as utterly barbaric. Like a prince of the Renaissance he could derive enormous pleasure in supping with an amusing companion and experience the most friendly feelings for him, yet send the same man to torture and death an hour later because it seemed expedient to do so, and go to bed thinking of neither one act nor the other but of what he meant to do to morrow.