Fesel smiled also, but though his teeth. “Thank-you, Herr Major!” Fesel replied, without any hint as to whether or not he wanted to show up.
Most of the patrons were now inside the huge foyer, watching each other, greeting and waving to those they knew, quizzically looking at those they did not. Katherine and Ava were forced to look at each other due their position and density within the crowd, so Katherine made another attempt to communicate with her.
“So, how did you and Dr. Fesel meet?”
“Through friends.” Ava did not want to tell her it was the Baron who set Fesel up with her, not knowing the relationship between Katherine and the Baron.
“Are you from Berlin?”
“No, Rudersdorf, just to the…”
“Yes! I know Rudersdorf, I once went to the festival they have every May… does it still go on?”
“Yes, every year.” Ava began to let down the wall she had constructed against Katherine. Despite her beauty, formal manners, and wealthy appearance, Katherine was surprisingly down-to-earth. Ava had never met anyone from the ‘upper-class’ who was friendly – especially friendly to her – someone from Rudersdorf. Then came the painful question.
“And what do you do, Ava?”
Ava didn’t know a polite way of saying she was a paid escort, and was actually on the job now with Fesel. Before when this question was asked, she used to say she was a dancer, which is a half-truth. But then the follow-up questions of “what kind of dance, etc.” would put her in the arms of another lie.
“I look after my mother.” Ava said truthfully, and could see real empathy in Katherine’s eyes.
Katherine, either by instinct or analysis, seemed to understand that Ava had a difficult life despite usually running in circles of the well-to-do of Berlin, who were usually bored with life.
Suddenly the Baron broke his silence with an unexpected bark.
“Come.” He ordered the group.
The four walked up to a landing where a lone man was standing with both hands on the railing.
“Baron!” He shouted, lifting both hands as if he were Jesus about to give a sermon.
“Von Wohl!” Said the Baron, as if he had not seen him in years.
Katherine had met von Wohl several times and could barely tolerate him. She was polite, but kept her distance, physically and conversation-wise.
“Dr. Fesel, Ava, I would like you to meet the author of this play, Ludwig von Wohl!”
“Pleased.” Said Ava.
“Honored.” Said Fesel, who then turned to the Baron. “Keun von Hoogerwoerd, I didn’t know you keep yourself in the company of artists, I thought you were a businessman!”
The Baron smiled, but hated anyone making presumptions of him, especially in public. He also decided this would be the last time he would ever be seen, or have anything to do with Fesel – in public, at least. Baron Keun von Hoogerwoerd was forced by the Nazis to co-operate in Dark Fire not only because he was proficient in the workings of astrology, but because of a box full of letters and suitcase full of materials belonging to the Baron that was safely stored in the Nazi Party Headquarters.
The letters reveled the role the Baron played in the secret meetings between the Nazis and Lord Londonderry representing England to form an alliance of Germany and Great Britain against communism. The suitcase contained evidence of the entire operation on how the von Hoogerwoerd family was laundering assets out of Europe to America via Prescott Bush and Herbert Walker. All parties could face treason in their own countries should this suitcase ever be opened and made public. The Nazis had learned a thing or two from the von Hoogerwoerd family – and their operations – which were soon to be turned against the wealthy family.
The secret meetings with Lord Londonderry were not an issue – for these were by order of Adolf Hitler himself. The money laundering was a purely Dutch affair, so was not a concern of the Nazis either, at least not until they invaded. These two items being held over the Baron as blackmail were due to the fact that the Baron’s entire operation were unknown to his father the Count. It was known to all parties that should the Count ever find out the Baron attempted to hijack the Hoogerwoerd family wishes and plans – the Baron would be dead.
“Georg, what’s amiss with this project?”
“Ask Herr Doctor Fesel.” Lucht said with contempt, taking a glance out the door.
“But, aren’t you the least bit pleased that the Third Reich is using all these resources, even people in our line of work, to win the war?”
“The idea of using the occult in war is, no question, innovative. I appreciate the salary as well, for as you know Karl Ernst, I was going through hard times before the war started.” Lucht again looked out the door. “But, be careful, very careful. The Herr Doctor is a crafty man. He has given me more than a job, but an equal amount of problems as well.”
“Problems?”
“Let us discuss this over a beer later, I’ll be at the Chess Café nearby on the Brahms Strasse… anytime after 8:00 this evening.” Lucht said while getting up to leave. “I’ll wait for you there, we shouldn’t talk here.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Krafft said while watching him leave and thinking of the last time they had a serious talk, which was eleven years ago.
Krafft began reading more text, and made notes as he found what he thought might be relevant. Around 2:30 pm Fesel popped his head in the door.
“How are you doing, Karl Ernst?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean, not sure?”
Krafft held up a single piece of paper that appeared to be very old. “This for example. This has no listing as to what passage, or even what book it is from. It appears to be in the style of Nostradamus, but I think it is a fake. If it is a fake, then I don’t know how we can use it.”
Krafft was correct; it was in fact a fake. Fesel said nothing since he was the author of the text. A specialist in chemicals had made the paper appear and feel old. He didn’t know if Krafft could spot a fake or not – but now he had his answer.
If Krafft could spot a fake, would he still be willing to “interpret” one? Lucht didn’t at first, and had to be persuaded – Nazi style. Would Krafft be different? Hopefully Krafft understood what Hitler meant when speaking of ‘total war’, that one must do anything – even break your own personal beliefs – for victory.
“Let me see that.” Fesel said as he took the document in his hands to carefully study it. “Hmm… let me check on this with my lab people.” Fesel said while walking out of the tiny office. Time for Ewa to visit him. He thought to himself.
In a matter of minutes Krafft was lost in his work. Again, there were several texts he had never seen before, each one appearing to be exactly what Fesel was looking for. Odd. He thought. While re-reading these Krafft felt an itching on the back of his neck. He unconsciously scratched it and then his hand told his mind of a strange warmth in the air just behind him.
When Krafft turned to look, he saw Ewa Mann standing silently in the doorway.
Chapter 13 – The Other Side
The captain turned and looked at the map. He now clearly pictured what Frau Goebbels had envisioned a few months ago. The Wehrmacht racing across the Low Countries in the north, French civilians and all their belongings fleeing south, while thousands of French soldiers would be sitting idly all along the Maginot line, and the thousands more being sent north to outflank the German invasion would be unable to move because of their own civilians flooding the roads going in the opposite direction.