“It will be, but of course it will not be used since it might offend our glorious little El Duce in Italy.” Out of habit, Lucht pulled out a cigarette, but did not light it for he knew tobacco smoke irritated Karl Ernst. “I’m going outside for a moment.”
“Are you coming back?” Krafft noticed it was fifteen minutes after seven in the evening.
“Accch. I might as well call it a day. Are you leaving?”
“No go on. I’m about to finish this and want to see some of the ancient Egyptian magic rituals Ewa has been researching. I’ll fill you in on that tomorrow.”
“That would be greatly appreciated, good night, Karl Ernst.”
“Goodnight, Georg.”
Karl Ernst hurried out of his office and up a flight of steps to a tiny corridor that led him to Ewa Mann.
“Darling.”
“Ewa!” Their arms entwined as their lips met. Normally Ewa would be the one to let go first, but their passionate kiss pressed the limits of Karl Ernst’s ability. “Ewa, my little Ewa, all day I have waited for this moment to be with you.”
“Darling.” Again they embraced, this time with even more passion – as lovers do when they realize the love they feel are the same feelings from the other side.
Ewa laughed. It was not of ridicule, but of joy – pure unadulterated joy. “Karl Ernst, you are…” Ewa’s telephone interrupted her would be romantic compliment. “Ewa Mann here.” Her voice returned to being businesslike.
Karl Ernst could hear Fesel’s voice on the other end, a voice that did not seem to be aware technology long ago made it no longer necessary to shout into a telephone. Fesel’s habit reminded Karl Ernst of his mother, whose voice could be heard throughout the house whenever she spoke on the phone. Which was quite often.
“Yes, Herr Doctor, I’ll bring it right down.”
Ewa put down the receiver and grabbed a stack of 3 ringed binders from her tiny desk. “I’ll be back. You stay here and don’t leave! I have something I want to tell you Herr Krafft!”
As she bolted out of the room Karl Ernst thought of the many things he wanted to tell her. For one, he wished he could tell Ewa – and Elaine – his true feelings. He wanted to have them both. However, he doubted either of them – or society – would accept or even understand his feelings. Yet there his feelings were. Fully realized and the truth. For the first time in his life he looked at what his feelings and wants actually were, instead of what was projected on to him.
He was torn between these two women in the most fundamental way by which he desired a woman and a relationship. There was Elaine, who through the years of sharing he had learned to love, learned to appreciate, and selflessly care for. She was familiar. She knew him. She understood him. Then there was Ewa, who even the thought of brought forth an excitement within him, a total excitement that rushed through him as the feelings that rushed through him with his first love as a teenager. Except this was larger, this did not fade as the changing moods and desires of youth. This was attraction to the opposite sex in its purest form.
Yet, while one connected through his mind and the other with her body, both possessed an unexplainable force within the spiritual world attracting him – and they did this equally. This attraction and his understanding of the spiritual world told him his being attracted to both of these women was natural. Society told him to choose one. His subconscious told him otherwise.
As Ewa returned up the stairs she decided not to tell Karl Ernst she was carrying his child.
Not now.
She knew Elaine was unable to have children and didn’t know how he might react to being a father. One moment she felt she knew him better than any man she had ever known, which gave her a security long ago lost when her own father died. The next moment a mystery, appearing to be just as cryptic as the odd glyphs and symbols he worked with.
Assigned by Dr. Fesel to ‘act’ like she was in love with him, somehow playing the role created feelings slowly filling the vacuum of the love she actually craved.
Ewa Mann slowly evolved into becoming the character she was ordered to play.
When Ewa reached the top of the stairs she decided she would tell Karl Ernst she was truly in love with him, and inform him of how Fesel had hired her to ‘play’ up to him. She would tell the truth. Although she didn’t realize it before, Ewa now saw the purpose Fesel had in mind, to ruin the relationship between Karl Ernst and Elaine. But why?
Karl Ernst walked out of his office and held up some papers to Ewa. “Are these Egyptian texts for us? These have more to do with conjuring up spirits than astrology.”
“I don’t know.” Ewa answered. Her mind however was not on the Egyptian text, she was actually answering the question in front of her own mind: “Do I tell him about our baby now?”
“Check.”
Count von Hoogerwoerd looked at her black bishop on his f2 square. He had never played chess with a woman who could make such a bold move. “A pawn for a bishop?” He asked as his King took the bishop.
“Two pawns.” Mrs. Wilkins corrected as she moved her knight to capture the pawn left unprotected on e4. “Again, check.” The Count moved his King to safety choosing the first row of the g squares.
“Mrs. Wilkins,” the Count said politely, “certainly you are aware trading a major piece for pawns can be dangerous so early in the game, it might be later on you will badly need that bishop in the end game.”
“Count Hoogerwoerd, I’m glad you enjoy talking about the game while it is being played. Commentary can be so refreshing, most men I play with are complete bores.”
“I’m glad you approve.” The Count said, studying the onyx board and pieces.
This stunning woman he had just met fascinated the Count. The meeting with her husband and other American businessmen upstairs did not go as he had anticipated, which put him in a foul mood. He was a banker wanting to expand into American oil. They were oil industrialists wanting to get into European finance. It should have been a perfect fit. He wanted to strengthen his reach in America – they wanted to develop ties to Europe. However they appeared not to be interested in the avenues he had control over, they seemed only interested in developing a relationship with the Third Reich.
These influential power brokers of America’s banks and industry were like little Nazi children… inexperienced juvenile fascists seeking their Nazi father.
“I’m sorry your meeting didn’t go well.” She said sympathetically.
“I beg your pardon?” Although stunned, the Count maintained his impeccable manners. Striking up this conversation with Mrs. Jean Wilkins sitting alone at the table studying the chessboard occurred just as he walked downstairs from the meeting. How could she know the outcome of the meeting?
“Your meeting, upstairs. I’m sorry it didn’t go well for you.”
“Madam. Forgive me, but how on earth did you know even the nature of that meeting when you were down here the entire time?” The Count asked politely.
“Your disappointment. I can see disappointment all over you. It’s rather obvious, you know.” She said, keeping her eyes on the board. “It’s in the way you play as well.”
“Stunning perception.” The Count half-laughed, embarrassed someone could see through his controlled emotions. “And stunning pieces,” he continued, trying to change the subject, “there is something very elegant about these chess figures, even though at first glance they appear rough and crude.” The Count also started to notice while being up a by major piece, his position was becoming rather treacherous. “And you, my dear lady, also seem to be able to handle these pieces rather well!”