The Fellowship

by William Tyree

  The audience seemed to stop breathing as they awaited Himmler’s response. Although it was quite cold in the building, large pools of perspiration-soaked fabric were growing under the arms of Hahn’s shirt.

  “While I am pleased to hear of progress,” Himmler conceded finally, “We must do better. We must strive for 100 percent capability. I ask that you conceive of an accelerated plan and submit it to my office by the end of January.”

  “Yes, Reichsführer.”

  “And one other thing. We are never to speak of Karl Landsteiner in public again. Please make a note of it.”

  Wolf leaned to whisper in his friend’s ear. “Who is Landsteiner?”

  Lang shrugged. “Does it matter? We’ll never hear his name mentioned again.”

  Attendants with white gloves pushed the room’s massive double doors open. While Himmler was ushered away to more pressing business, Professor Hahn collected the burned Parvo 100 and carried it offstage. Non-Ahnenerbe personnel were summarily dismissed from the room, reducing the head count to Wolf, Lang, Nagel and a handful of academics who had worn their SS dress uniforms for the occasion.

  “Mr. Wolf,” a voice intoned. He turned and saw Dr. Seiler, whom he had last seen fleeing Notre Dame with the reliquary of the Holy Crown. He looked less impressive in his ill-fitting tunic. “Sebastian Wolf, isn’t it?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “I see congratulations are in order.” He pointed to the Wound Badge pinned to Wolf’s tunic. “Your mother will be proud.”

  “Indeed,” Wolf said agreeably, although the truth was exactly the opposite. His mother had sacrificed everything – including her principles – to get him into the Reich School so that he might sit out the war within the safe confines of an Ahnenerbe research lab. He would have to hide the badge on his next trip home.

  Waiters rolled in a pair of wheeled tables bearing hot coffee and an assortment of sausages and pastries. At the professor’s urging, Wolf populated a plate with a few items, but could not force himself to eat. There had been far too much blood this morning – talk of it, and spilling of it – to whet his appetite.

  “You are no doubt wondering about the fate of the so-called Holy Crown,” Seiler began, speaking between bites. In his obsession with the Holy Ossuary, Wolf had nearly forgotten about the priceless relic that had been taken from Notre Dame. “It was immediately taken to the University of Leipzig for analysis. It has been determined that the thrushes were of the species known as Zizyphus Spine Christi, which is native to the Palestine region and is found in Jerusalem itself. The plant produces crooked branches, with thorns growing in pairs. The Zizyphus strain was actually mentioned in the second century references to the Crown, when it was purportedly kept at Mount Zion. Incidentally, this also matches the strain from a thorn that was retrieved from Trier Cathedral. From an anthropological perspective, the prospect of reuniting the Holy Crown with its original thorns is quite thrilling.”

  Wolf had to admit that there was something thrilling about this. The notion of using science to learn more knowledge about the life and death of Jesus was actually quite breathtaking. But he was equally distraught at the prospect of a spiritual object being analyzed in Seiler’s laboratory. And he liked the thought of the crown ending up in Himmler’s private museum even less.

  *

  Nagel ordered the staff to seal the doors. All chatter abruptly ended. The commandant climbed the steps to the stage, went to the wall and slid back a piece of wood paneling, revealing an enormous map of Western Europe. The occupied countries – Austria, Poland, France, Norway, Finland, Morocco, Tunisia, Romania, Belgium and many others – were colored with a swastika background.

  “Please make yourself comfortable,” Nagel announced. “First, we will start with introductions.” He turned to his left and regarded a lanky, bearded SS officer with three silver pips on his collar. “Our esteemed colleague, Hauptsturmführer Bruno Fleischer.”

  Dr. Fleischer needed no introduction. He was the most famous racial anthropologist in Germany. He was an excellent marksman, and had filled half of Berlin’s Ethnology Museum with taxidermy and pelts from his own gun. More recently, he had become a leading authority in the identification of ethnic groups through cranial examination.

  Next, Nagel pointed to a rumpled-looking man in a brown bow tie. “And this is Paul Ritter, Dr. Hahn’s colleague from the university. He is a partner in the Germany Society for Blood Group Research.”

  Nagel then gestured to Seiler, who was still grazing at a refreshment table, stuffing himself with Bavarian sausage. “I think we all know the Professor. Although the broadness of Dr. Seiler’s expertise boggles the mind, he serves us here today as an expert in Christian antiquities and belief systems.”

  “And last but not least,” Nagel said, nodding in the direction of the front row, “These two fresh-faced squad leaders are Wolf and Lang. They both participated in the liberation of the Holy Crown at Notre Dame. And despite their rank, they have witnessed firsthand what happens to those who do not keep state secrets in confidence. We can therefore speak freely in front of them. Professor Seiler, would you please frame our discussion?”

  Dr. Seiler swallowed his last bite and emitted a small burp before straightening himself to address the others. “This concerns national security at the highest level. The genesis of this mission was four years ago, when my companion and I uncovered evidence of a possible rift in the ancient Roman Empire between the descendants of Romans of Nordic descent and local Semites.”

  “Let me guess,” Fleischer laughed in a booming voice as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “This concerns the so-called Aryan Jesus?”

  “Yes,” Nagel confirmed. “Precisely.”

  “Another of Himmler’s little fantasies,” Fleischer snorted.

  Wolf found Fleischer’s insolence shocking. As if mocking Himmler wasn’t enough, Nagel significantly outranked Fleischer. Perhaps, Wolf surmised, the academic nature of the Ahnenerbe allowed for more professional latitude. After all, the Ahnenerbe was powered by civilian brainpower. Although Fleischer and the others wore black SS uniforms, they were more professor than soldier.

  “Please hold all comments,” Nagel sniped. “Our time is extremely limited.”

  “As I was saying,” Seiler continued, “My historical curiosity coincided with a practical need for the Fatherland to increase our oil supplies for the war effort. On this premise we were able to secure funding from the Ahnenerbe for an expedition to Iraq and Turkey, while Reichsmarschall Goring paid for the rest out of his own pocket.”

  “A true patriot,” Nagel noted.

  “Yes,” Seiler agreed before continuing. “To summarize a very long adventure, our research provided some evidence that, due to the aforementioned conflict within the Roman Empire, the areas of Galilee and Nazareth had been dominated by the descendants of Nordic tribes at least two generations prior to the birth of Jesus Christ.”

  “And what proof do we have?” Ritter said in a tone that was only slightly less acerbic than Fleischer’s had been.

  “Clues within ancient literature that have recently been translated into German for the first time.”

  “And we’re just to take your word for this?”

  “We also discovered sites dating back centuries before Christ where Nordic runes were present. The findings were published in the Ahnenerbe Journal of Indo-Germanic Studies.”

  “Riveting I’m sure.”

  Seiler pushed his glasses higher on his nose. “In recent months we have realized the need to acquire and study Christian artifacts to validate these theories. For example, at the time of Christ, it was common to keep tokens from the body. Locks of hair, sponges used to wash the body and so forth.”

  “Would you agree,” Nagel cut in, “that our recent military victories have helped this effort considerably?”

  “Unquestionably. For example, we recently came into possession of a purported vial of Christ’s blood from a cathedral in occupied Bruges. As legend has it, t
he blood was drawn from Jesus’ body by Joseph of Arimethea and was later kept in Constantinople.”

  Now it was Professor Ritter’s turn to show his impatience. “I fail to see how this is related to national security.”

  Nagel flashed red. “I would have thought the relationship would be obvious by now! The tide of war is turning, gentleman. It was previously thought that through invasion and diplomatic annexation, liberated populations would flock to our cause, and undesirable peoples would fuel the war effort by working in our labor camps.”

  Fleischer pulled a hand-rolled cigarette from a silver case. “I doubt anyone here was guilty of such irrational exuberance.”

  “I find your tone decidedly unpatriotic,” Hahn said.

  “Regardless,” Nagel cut in, “the fact is that political indoctrination in the occupied countries has largely failed. It’s also time that we all face the fact that Germany has been thrust into battles with armies that are much larger than our own.”

  The grim portrait of the national condition seemed to catch Hahn off guard. “How can this be? I am constantly hearing that we are liberating new Germanic populations with every new invasion. Poland. Austria. Norway. Czechoslovakia. I saw on the newsreel that even now Germans from Romania are protecting our flank in Stalingrad. How can we not have the largest army on Earth?”

  The condescension in Nagel’s glare could only come from someone who had already suffered the pain of commanding a humiliated army, as he had done in the First World War. “Just because these foreigners are Germanic does not mean that they want to fight for us. This is true even in Denmark, where, despite the shared ethnic heritage between Danes and Germans, Jews remain free, and military conscription numbers are far below expectations.”

  Ritter nodded in agreement. “I might add that the Japanese will only keep the Americans busy for so long. Once they are defeated, what’s to stop the Americans from coming here?”

  Nagel’s voice held resignation. “Also true. We cannot win purely by military means. We must gain a psychological and political advantage.”

  Wolf felt the ground shift beneath his feet. It had been obvious that a great deal of focus had been shifted to the eastern front, and considering the news from Stalingrad, all signs pointed to a protracted war with the Russians. But it was the first he had heard anyone – let alone someone of Nagel’s seniority – suggest that Germany could actually lose the war entirely.

  He shuddered visibly, allowing himself, for the first time, to imagine the Russian flag flying from the Munich town hall building.

  *

  After a brief respite, the group once again gathered in the sealed room. Bruno Fleischer lit his cigarette and drew from it. His blue eyes searched the faces of his Ahnenerbe counterparts, finally coming to rest on Dr. Seiler, whose expression of tight-lipped exasperation was directed at Fleischer.

  “I still fail to see how the pursuit of religious relics will help the war effort,” Fleischer said.

  “What Mr. Nagel is suggesting,” Dr. Seiler replied, “is that we look at the root cause of these troubles. Prior to the war, all of Europe was shocked by our technological superiority. They marveled at how our economy grew from the ashes of the Versailles Treaty to be the most robust in the world. Our achievements were without question. So why do they not embrace us with open arms?”

  “The brutality of our armies,” Fleischer stated. “We’ve all seen the news reels. The Wehrmacht celebrates openly while civilians lay dead around them.”

  “Fundamentally wrong,” Seiler countered. “Brutality is not the problem. History tells us that civilizations are willing to accept cruelty and even mass murder during wartime, but only if it is framed within a religious context.”

  “And there lies the problem,” Ritter said. “Today Germany is viewed as Godless.”

  Wolf found himself on his feet, unable to control himself. “The German people are not Godless,” he spurted. “We’re just made to believe that we should be.”

  Once the words had left his mouth, the group’s attention left Wolf feeling empty and vulnerable. He shrunk back into his seat, filled with embarrassment.

  The 32-year-old Fleischer was the first to come to his defense. “I have to agree. Hitler’s views are out of step with society, but his views alone are what the world sees.”

  “And we must change those views,” Seiler said. “We will use science to prove Christianity’s relevance to the führer.”

  Wolf’s mind tumbled back to Paris, when Himmler had alluded to such a strategy. The war cannot last forever. Europe cannot sustain a protracted conflict. But imagine if the führer could be persuaded to turn to Christ?

  “And how would we do that?” Hahn challenged.

  “By presenting a factual view of Christianity that is palatable to both the führer and Europe. One that the führer himself will administrate.”

  Fleischer snorted. “The führer will look grand in his papal tiara.”

  “You joke,” Nagel said, “But imagine the implications on our allies. Take Italy, for example. We need a strong ally to protect our southern borders. Italy is a country of tribes that can only be managed and motivated through organized religion.”

  “They seem quite happy with the one they have,” Fleischer noted.

  “And yet they view Catholicism as totally disconnected from National Socialism. Therefore, their troops are not unskilled, but they are largely unmotivated.”

  “Germany may be increasingly secular,” Ritter agreed, “but it’s the Russians that are openly atheistic.”

  “As Himmler has noted many times,” Dr. Seiler said. “From a propaganda perspective, there is an enormous opportunity for us to frame the Russians as the Godless enemy in the eyes of the world. Therefore our objective is to find additional scientific proof of an Aryan Jesus. If we can do this, then Hitler might be persuaded to embrace Christianity with the same passion with which he promotes his ethnic agenda.”

  Fleischer removed a silver flask from his pocket and poured several ounces of cognac into his coffee. “Haven’t any of you read Conversations with Hitler?”

  “Are you mad?” Nagel spat. “That book is filled with lies, and I find it highly suspect that you would be in possession of it!”

  The book, which had also been published under the title The Voice of Destruction, had been written by Hermann Rauschning, the former president of the Danzig Senate. Rauschning was a politician who had infiltrated Hitler’s social circle before fleeing the country in 1936. His book, which was officially banned in Germany, painted Hitler as a ruthless and conniving dictator who plotted the destruction of Catholicism even while negotiating a treaty with it.

  “Relax,” Fleischer said. “I don’t own the book. On my last trip to Hamburg, I happened to find an excerpt dropped by British planes. My point is that Hitler is quoted in the book dismissing the Aryan Jesus concept as nonsense. He wants Germans to worship the swastika, not the cross.”

  “And you’d believe a traitor like Rauschning over Himmler?” Nagel said.

  “I never said that.”

  Ritter stood, inserting himself in the middle of the battle. “Even if Rauschning’s account is true,” Ritter ventured, “Those conversations took place years ago. Who knows the führer’s heart today better than Heinrich Himmler? If he says that Hitler can be persuaded, then we should trust him.”

  Ritter agreed. “Just imagine it. All of Europe united against Russia in a Holy War. Even the French Resistance might be persuaded to lay down their arms.”

  “And don’t forget the Americans,” Dr. Seiler added. “The Americans I have met in my expeditions seem to be largely inseparable from their religious beliefs. If Germany were to embrace Christianity, the Americans could never side with the atheist Russians.”

  “And let us not forget about the resettlement,” Nagel pointed out, referencing the government’s program of resettling Jews to the eastern territories. “There are still some very patriotic Germans who find these policies morally
untenable because Jesus himself was thought to be Jewish. But if it could be proven otherwise, then this resistance might evaporate, would it not?”

  Fleischer blew several rings of smoke. “Let’s dispense with these fantasies and get back to the logic of this plan, shall we? Wewelsburg Castle is already full of Christian artifacts, and the Ahnenerbe journals are full of theories about Nordic people at the root of virtually every great civilization. How exactly will another expedition prove the ethnicity of Jesus?”

  Dr. Seiler opened his brown leather attaché, removed several sheets of printed paper, and began distributing them. The first page contained a sketch of a chalk ossuary with dimensions of 51 centimeters by 28 centimeters by 31 centimeters. The estimated weight was between 15 and 25 kilos.

  “The artifact we seek is none other than the ossuary of Jesus Christ,” Seiler said.

  Wolf’s heart was a kick drum within his chest. He remembered Father Kruger’s translation of the Aramaic that Hoffman had written in his own blood: Yeshua bar Yehosef. Jesus, son of Joseph.

  Seiler continued with his explanation. “As you will read in this report, our spies have infiltrated the highest levels of the Holy See.”

  “The same spies that told us that the Holy Grail could be found in Spain?” Fleischer said.

  “Our sources are sympathetic church officials from the Gnostic tradition,” Seiler said. “Contrary to official Church doctrine, newly located Gnostic scripture tells us that early church leaders possessed the body of Christ. There is also substantial evidence that the Apostle Paul arrived in Rome with the remains as early as 46 AD. But once the extent of Nero’s campaign wipe out the religion was realized, an effort was made to conceal the ossuary for fear that it would be destroyed. The easiest way to do that was to deny the remains ever existed in the first place.”

  “Even if this fantastic tale is true,” Fleischer politely objected, “the bones would not be in good condition today.”

  “As you will read, the remains were said to be carefully wrapped in clean burial shrouds, especially in regards to the skull. As our anthropologists have witnessed in Egyptian tombs, bone integrity can be very wildly in relation to storage variables.”