Stephan held up a photo. “Can you get such a car before the second of July?”
“Sure, no problem.”
“It must be fast and most important, extra sturdy. There may be gunfire to deal with if something comes up we’re not aware of.”
“Or if any regular police just happen to stroll into the picture.” Eva-Marie added, who had a good idea how many municipal policemen there were for every block.
“I’ll soup up the engine myself and get Lars to reinforce the sidings with some extra steel we have lying around.” Maxi said while taking notes.
With everything for the escape listed and accounted for in the plan, a silence over came all three in the car. Stephan and Eva-Marie took a hard long look at each other, which Maxi couldn’t help but notice in the rear view mirror. No words were needed. By the look on their faces he instinctively knew there were plenty of misgivings over Stephan’s plan. Finally, Maxi voice what everyone was wondering. “Is there any other way we can do this?”
Several knocks sounded on the Count’s cabin door. After a half a minute later the Count’s voice muffled a response. “Enter!”
Captain Swanson slowly opened the metal door. “You wished to see me, sir?”
“Yes, I want you to begin setting up the next voyage after we arrive Liverpool.”
“Certainly, sir.” The American countered.
“We will be in Liverpool for 3 days to load all my stock and equipment for America. Naturally I will have some people to move out as well.”
Ned knew something serious was at hand if ‘all his stock and equipment’ was to be removed from England. “Do you think England will not be safe?”
“The Germans are moving landing barges by rail to the coast even as we speak, so it’s just a matter of weeks or maybe a month the Germans will cross over. All the British have now are just planes… and the Germans outnumber them four to one.”
Captain Ned began to see the picture – and worry. Were the Germans really the ‘super race’ their propaganda claimed? In June of 1940 it certainly seemed so. They rolled through France in forty-six days. Would England be next? Probably, most of England’s war equipment was left on the shores of Dunkirk.
“That bad, Count?”
“In theory the British planes are useless in attacking Germany, since they have to fly well over 600 kilometers to attack any target on German soil, while the Germans only have to fly across the channel. It’s a matter of economics as well. The British will have to use 4 times as much fuel and material to bring the war to Germany, which they may not have soon since the U – boats seem to sink nearly everything trying to get to England. It may be just a matter of time, really.”
Ned was stunned to hear someone talk about war as just a ‘matter of economics’. Too young to see any action in the First World War, Captain Swanson could only take it in by the newspapers, magazines and movies. He could only image war as the honor, glory, and courageous acts portrayed by these. “Sir, I never thought about it in that way, but you have just showed me that the material of war is just as important as the men with the guns.”
The Count smiled. Naturally he could see the economics in war since he saw the economics within everything in life. He also loved the way Ned would always say things like “you taught me”, or “you made me realize”. Because of this, Ned had over the years become the Count’s surrogate son. Someone the Count could pass on his knowledge to and know it was appreciated – rather than being in a constant state of disagreement as with other family members.
“Mr. Oosterhek, our new Mr. DeWohl, Eckler, and Schytte will be staying in England. The Countess and a few others will be coming with me to America. We will begin loading as soon as we arrive.”
“If we arrive.” Ned said, while eyeing a map of St. George’s Channel the Count had spread over the table with dozens of large red “X’s” marking where ships had be reported sunk.
The Count looked at the map as well and snorted a laugh. “We’ll make it just fine.”
Ned was amazed at the confidence in the Count’s tone. Of course, knowing the Count, Ned wouldn’t be surprised to hear the entire German navy had been bribed just to let the Count’s ship through. “Yes, sir, we’ll make it just fine.”
“Then why did you bring me here?”
“Because you are my wife.”
“Is that all? Is that the only reason? You make is sound like I am just an obligation, something you have to bring along.” For a full week after barely hiding Ewa Mann in the closet successfully, Elaine had been nagging his actions and picking apart each word in his sentences. It was as if she did catch Karl Ernst and Ewa together that night, Krafft often thought. By why was she acting like this? Was it the effect of being around this devilish group he now had to call his colleagues? Was she informed of his involvement with Ewa, or did she just sense it?
After the stress of working all day with Fesel – and Ewa – Karl Ernst would come back to a room of fear, guilt, and confusion. Never had he seen Elaine like this. There were some stress and heated disagreements in the past, but never anything like this – never lasting this long.
“But I want you here… with me…”
“Oh, really? Then what about this?” Elaine held up several extremely long strands of hair. Even at an arm’s length away Karl Ernst could make out the tint of red, the same color as Ewa’s. Karl Ernst froze.
“How did these little things get into our bathroom and closet?”
A shock came over Karl Ernst, freezing his tongue and chilling every part of his skin that was exposed to air. He now knew her anger had been brewing over these past several days. His mind raced for an explanation. “Maybe… one of the cleaning ladies? From one of the earlier guests…” Surprised how easily these words came out of his mouth, Karl Ernst was pleased to see how these words had doused perhaps some of the fire burning in Elaine.
The sudden cloud of doubt now wisped over Elaine and pushed her towards the window. She looked out and began to sob. “I don’t know if I can take this anymore.”
Sensing an opening to calm things, Karl Ernst seized the opportunity. “Elaine, what can be done to make this situation better?”
Elaine continued to stare out the window sobbing.
“Elaine. My Elaine. This is what we have waited for all our lives. An important job, the best paying job I’ve ever had. A job, our job, that truly makes a difference for the Reich. We don’t have to scrape by wondering if I’ll sell enough books, or if I’ll get enough readings. Look at what we have now. We have not eaten this good in years! Everything is paid for and I still get my salary! Look how much we have saved now!” Karl Ernst lifted their Bank of Berlin account booklet. “Look at what we can now do…”
Elaine remained facing the window looking out over the spirals of Berlin. “But our life, sitting here day after day, never doing anything, except with those horrible people.”
Karl Ernst could see Elaine wanted meaning for her life and she hated Fesel’s crowd. He could at least go to work and have Ewa Mann near him, which was enough of a social life for him. Now something had to be created for his wife so she could enjoy her life in Berlin. How could this be difficult? Berlin was the center of Europe now – surely something here could make her happy. His mind pulled from memory a map of Berlin.