On the second morning Gregory was standing with; Khurrem von Altern in the big yard at the back of the Manor Then an old but powerful car drove into it and a tall, florid faced man of about forty got out. As he was wearing good quality country clothes Gregory did not at once suspect his identity, for he would have expected any Nazi official always to rear uniform. But, striding towards them, the newcomer gave the Nazi salute with a shout of `Heil Hitler!' Gregory and
Khurrem promptly followed suit, then she introduced them and it transpired that he was Herr Sturmbahnfьhrer Hermann Hauff.
Khurrem explained that her guest was an old friend of her late husband's and had come from garrison duty in Norway to spend part of his leave with them. Hauff showed his strong teeth in a friendly smile and said, `I hope you will have a pleasant time here, Herr Major; but you must have found life in Norway pretty dull. I wonder that you should prefer to spend your leave in a remote country village like Sassen, rather than hit the high-spots in Berlin.'
Gregory returned the smile. `Until quite recently I would certainly have done so; but unfortunately I have developed a weak heart and am on indefinite sick leave. All excitements and vigorous pursuits are now forbidden me; so I came here for a quiet time and hope to get some fishing.'
`That should not be difficult, although we are quite a distance from the sea here. Are you well acquainted with our Baltic coast
'No. I am a Rhinelander and have never before visited this part of Germany. ',
Raising his fair eyebrows, Hauff remarked, `There is good fishing to be had on the Rhine, and as you are condemned to a quiet life it must be a disappointment to your family that you have decided against spending your leave with them.'
`I would have, if I had one,' Gregory replied. `But I lost both my parents when I was quite young and was brought up by a maiden aunt who has since died. I was, too, an only child and have never married.
'Perhaps in that you were wise. Marriage is far from always proving a blessing. That is…' The Nazi's pale blue eyes flickered towards Khurrem. `… unless one can find the right sort of wife.'
Thinking it a chance to show his patriotism, Gregory said lightly, `I may marry yet. In fact, since the Fьhrer has said that it is the duty of every virile man to beget children to make good in the next generation the losses Germany has suffered in this, I have been seriously considering doing so.'
Hauff gave a sudden laugh. `Your sentiments are laudable, Herr Major, but one does not have to marry to do that. There are plenty of eager Frauleins and young war-widows about these days.'
Gregory laughed too, but shook his head. `I fear my heart condition would not permit me to become a Casanova; but by being careful of myself I could father a family, and the idea has its attractions.'
A shade abruptly Khurrem cut in, 'Herr Sturmbahnfьhrer Hauff has come to see me on estate business, Herr Major. So you will excuse us please while I take him to my office.'
'Bitte sehr, gnadige Frau.' Gregory stepped back, saluted her, shook hands with Hauff and added, `I'll go for a quiet walk.'
As they turned away he decided that his first meeting with the Nazi had gone off well. Hauff had proved a more pleasant man than might have been expected. In spite of his rather dose-set eyes he had an open face and genial manner, so it; should not be difficult to get on good terms with him.
On the following morning at about ten o'clock, by his own mysterious means of thought transference, Malacou sent a message to Khurrem informing her that he wished to see their guests. Kuporovitch was summoned and the three of them went over to the ruin.
Tall, gaunt and slightly stooping, the occultist was standing reside the big desk in his lofty, book-lined room. On the desk lay two large parchments. On each had been drawn an inner end outer square, the border between them was divided into: eight triangles and the whole was dotted with numerous figures end astrological symbols. When greetings had been exchanged and his visitors were seated Malacou pointed with a long, smooth-fingered hand to the two charts and said:
`There are your horoscopes. Since neither of you has any: knowledge of astrology I shall not attempt to explain them in detail. But at least you will be aware that the Sun, the Moon: and the Planets all have individual properties. It is these which; govern our lives and make certain dates and periods either propitious or unpropitious for our undertakings. Anyone with: knowledge of the subject is able to ascertain these, because from the most ancient times each of the heavenly bodies has been associated with a number.
`The Sun rules the number One, the Moon Two, Jupiter Three, Uranus Four, Mercury Five, Venus Six, Neptune Seven, Saturn Eight and Mars Nine. In an equal degree they are also associated with all numbers which added together make their own. For example, in addition to One the Sun also rules Ten, Nineteen and Twenty-eight; the Moon Two, Eleven, Twenty and Twenty-nine; and so on.
`The date of a person's birth, therefore, tells us the heavenly body which usually exerts the greatest influence on his life and, inevitably, his character is partially formed by its properties. However, that is modified or, at times, intensified by the number arrived at through the numerical significance of his name, since that also attracts the vibrations of the astral body with which it is associated.
`From the remotest antiquity, through the civilizations of the Chaldeans, Egyptians, Hindus and Hebrews, there has been handed down a code in which each letter of the alphabet is represented by a number.' Beckoning them over, the doctor added, `I have a copy of it here.'
Standing on either side of him they looked at a paper he had produced; on it was written:
A=1 H=5 O=7 U=6
B=2 I=1 P=8 V=6
C=3 J=1 Q=1 W=6
D=4 K=2 R=2 X=5
E=5 L=3 S=3 Y=1
F=8 M=4 T=4 Z=7
G=3 N=5
While below the code both their real names and those under which they were posing had been translated into their numerical significance:
G=3 H=5 S=3 J=1
R=2 E=5 T=4 A=1
E=5 L=3 E=5 N=5
G=3 M=4 F=8 O=7
O=7 U=6 A=1 S=3
R=2 T=4 N=5
Y=1 H=5
____ ____ ____ ____ ______
23=5 32=5 51=6 26=8 17=8
S=3 B=2 K=2 S=3
A=1 O=7 U=6 A=1
L=3 D=4 P=8 B=2
L=3 E=5 O=7 I=1
U=6 N=5 R=2 N=5
S=3 S=3 O=7 O=7
T=4 T=4 V=6 V=6
E=5 I-1
I=1 T=4
N=5 C=3
H=5
____ ____ ____ ____
23=5 41=5 51=6 25=7
_ ________ ________ ________
5=5=10=1 5=5=10=1 8=6=14=5 8=7=15=6
When they had studied the figures for a few moments Malacou said, `First we must consider your birth dates. These are of major importance because they cannot be altered; whereas by changing his name, or even insisting on being known by it with an initial between the Christian and surnames -as, for example, Gregory B. Sallust-a person can reduce a bad influence by attracting to himself that of a more favorable Planet.