by Wagher, Ward
“You had to pay to visit?” Thomsen looked shocked.
“In a manner of speaking. We spent the evening around the poker table. I better understand Truman’s management of the war. He is a devastating poker player.”
“That is interesting. My relationship with Secretary of State Hull is correct, but the man has not gone out of his way to be particularly friendly.”
“Considering that not long ago we were on the brink of war with the Americans, I would suggest that things are going well.”
“I just sense that the foreign minister and the Reich Chancellor are not satisfied with my work,” Thomsen said.
Ribbentrop tilted his head slightly as he studied the German ambassador. “You haven’t been caught in some American lady’s bed, have you?”
“No!” Thomsen looked shocked. “Such a thing would be dishonorable.”
Ribbentrop smiled at Thomsen. “The trick is not being caught. Nevertheless, I think Herr Schreiber is pleased with your work here. If it were otherwise, you would find yourself in another line of work. If I may offer a bit of advice, mein Herr, there is no need to go looking for trouble. I can assure you that trouble will always find you. Just do your job and Berlin will be pleased.”
The waiter slipped up to the table, and the two men looked at him expectantly.
“I trust your dinner was satisfactory, gentlemen.”
“It was excellent,” Thomsen said.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” Ribbentrop added.
“We have rather excellent strawberry tarts on the dessert menu if you are interested.”
Ribbentrop smiled and raised a finger. “I believe I will have the dessert if you please. Hans, I had the strawberry tart last night, and it was very good. I would recommend it.”
Thomsen seemed to ponder for a moment and then nodded. “I think I will try the strawberry tart.”
“And some coffee, too, please,” Ribbentrop said.
The waiter removed the dinner dishes and left to get the dessert. Thomsen looked around the dining room and then back at Ribbentrop.
“There is no question the food is much better here than at the embassy. However, the guest suite at the embassy is decent.”
“To put your mind at ease, I’m paying for the hotel suite with my own funds. As you know, our beloved Foreign Minister can get crabby about the expense accounts. He’s a good man, so I normally go out of my way to avoid crossing swords with him.”
“Thank you, Herr Ribbentrop. I know you must think I am nosy, but I will likely be called upon to explain the expenses of your trip to America.”
“Not to worry, Hans. My travel does not show up on the usual diplomatic expense ledger. They are accounted for in my office.”
“And the Foreign Minister still looks at it?”
“Ah, yes. With the war going on, money is tight. Peter likes to keep an eye on what he calls executive expenses. He believes we must set the example for the rest of the government, and I think he is probably correct.”
“What is he like? I have never met him.”
“Peter Schreiber is self-effacing to a remarkable degree. He is an effective manager and a far better Foreign Minister than I was. He also loves to torment people.”
“Torment?”
“Oh, yes. He constantly teases the Reichsprotektor, who seems to accept it with equanimity. In fact, Karl Rainer spent the night at the hospital with Peter when his wife was giving birth. He also pecks at the Reich Chancellor. I believe it’s the highlight of his day when he can get Herr Schloss to blow up at him.”
“That is very interesting,” Thompson said. “I have never heard this.”
“The three men who rule Germany are just regular people. I think that is what makes them so great. They are not interested in Nazi ideology, and they are not interested in enriching themselves. If we can deal with the Russian threat, I believe they will make Germany truly great.”
They both looked up as a middle-aged man stopped at the table.
“Joachim Ribbentrop?”
“Yes. What may I do for you?”
“I am placing you under citizen’s arrest for your actions in the theft of wealth from the Jews in Germany.”
Ribbentrop stood up quickly. “What?”
“You are a criminal. You are guilty of theft on a grand scale. I aim to see that you are brought to justice. You will come with me. We will go to the police station.”
“What is this nonsense?” Thomsen said as he quickly stood up. “I believe you are grossly exceeding your authority as a citizen.”
The man eased a snub nose thirty-eight revolver out of his coat pocket. “This gives me all the authority I need. Now come along.”
Ribbentrop looked around the dining room. People were staring at him. “Is this some kind of a joke?”
“Unfortunately, it is not,” another voice said. He pulled a Secret Service badge from his pocket. “Friend, I think you need to hand the weapon to me.”
“No, I need to arrest this man.”
The Secret Service agent was young, probably in his mid-20s. He was sharply dressed in a gabardine suit and looked very official. Ribbentrop was getting very nervous about the gun-waving in his face.
“You are already in quite enough trouble, sir. Now, please hand me the gun.”
The man looked around the room at the patrons staring at him. His triumph at arresting one of the German criminals began to fade. The Secret Service agent eased the gun out of his hand.
“Thank you, sir.” He looked at the two Germans. “On behalf of the United States government, please accept my apologies for this scene.”
Ribbentrop shrugged. “I am glad you were here tonight. Thank you for your help.”
The agent touched his forehead in an informal salute, and grasping the arm of the first man, walked from the dining room. Ribbentrop looked at Thomsen as he sat down again.
“That was interesting.”
“Mein Gott!” Thomsen exclaimed. “That was incredibly gauche.”
“Where did that come from?”
“The New York Times has been on a crusade about the Nazis and the Jews. Apparently, one of the readers found out you were in town and decided to take the law into his own hands. These Americans are kind of funny that way.”
The waiter walked up, carrying a tray. He set the dessert in front of each of the two Germans and poured the coffee.
“The hotel wishes to apologize for this unfortunate event,” he said. “Please accept this meal with our compliments. There will be no bill.”
“Thank you. That is very generous of you,” Ribbentrop said.
He watched the waiter leave the table and then looked over at Thomsen. “Before you leave the hotel, Hans, call the embassy and ask them to send a couple of the security guards over. I would like one of them outside my door tonight, and the other one can escort you back to the embassy.”
“I believe that would be a good idea.” He chuckled softly. “We all heard the stories that the Americans are cowboys, but I did not expect to meet someone like him in Washington.”
“It takes all kinds, I guess.”
§ § §
September 30, 1943; 4 PM
The Queen’s Office
Buckingham Palace
London, England, UK
Queen Margaret read the diplomatic note and then laid it down on her desk. She looked up at Attlee.
“So, Schloss decided on October 13 for the summit. That does not give us a lot of time.”
“That is, what, a week and a half? I am not sure that we want to accept something with such a short countdown, Your Majesty.”
“Well, we were the ones that asked for the meeting. It would be churlish to bicker over the date. Go ahead and let them know we will be there. My office can coordinate with yours on the travel arrangements.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
She gave him a sour smile. “You really do not want to do this, do you, Clement?”
“I have mixed f
eelings, Your Majesty. While I would personally like to visit Germany and meet the Reich Chancellor, I see no benefit to the kingdom. If word of this gets out, which it surely will, we will spend a lot of energy and political capital tamping things down again.”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. The trade between Britain and Germany has picked up considerably since we signed the peace treaty. It is putting money in our people’s pockets, and everyone knows that.”
She looked over at Colin Marty, who carefully transcribed notes of the meeting.
“Is there anything we need to consider for the summit, Colin?”
Marty carefully capped his pen and held it between his fingers as he looked up.
“I believe that none of us have seen an agenda for this meeting, Ma’am.”
“That is correct. We have not. I am not playing these things close to the vest just to be mysterious. I have my reasons.”
“We can hardly prepare properly for the meeting without an agenda,” Attlee stated.
“And there is little that we will need to prepare for, Clement. I plan to make a public announcement following the summit. At that time, everyone will be free to discuss the conference. But, not before.”
“I somehow feel I should just resign, Your Majesty. It is difficult to help govern this nation when the head of state makes no effort to keep me privy to the details of her government.”
She grinned. “Why I do believe that you are angry, Prime Minister. I fail to understand why you are having difficulty accepting this. You have governed well under more difficult circumstances than this, Clement. Listen, and listen well. Winston hears things that should not be discussed outside of the government. He did you a huge favor by coming to you. At this moment, the people in this room and our ambassador to Germany are the only people that know about this. It will become more widely known when we start the travel arrangements. If something leaks before then, I intend to track it down and smash the individual in question. Do you understand me?”
“I just find it inconceivable that you would suspect me of such a thing!”
“You are not listening to me, Prime Minister. I do not suspect you of leaking confidential information. You should know better than that. But the fewer people that know about this, the more quickly we can track something down. I believe it is as likely to be someone in my office as yours.”
“I apologize, Your Majesty.” Attlee rubbed his forehead. “I have not been feeling well this morning, and as a result, I am not thinking clearly.”
“In that case, Prime Minister, I would suggest that you skip the evening’s activities and go home to bed.”
“I believe I shall.”
“Was there anything else we needed to cover?”
He shook his head. “I think not. Thank you for your time.”
Margaret stood, as did Attlee and Marty. After the prime minister left, she returned to her seat, as did Marty.
“Was I being too harsh, Colin?”
“No, Ma’am. The prime minister will occasionally become irate. I think he uses it as a tool to get his way.”
She snorted. “It appears not to have worked this afternoon.”
“No, Ma’am.”
“And I am getting ready to hand him another disappointment.”
Marty looked at her. “Eden is going to the summit?”
“Perceptive as usual, Colin. I am looking for the right time to tell the Prime Minister.”
“I understand, Ma’am.”
“While I am thinking about it, please call Clement’s secretary and make sure he gets some rest.”
Marty nodded. “Of course, Ma’am.”
“I think that will be all for right now, Colin.”
He stood up and nodded gravely. “Of course, Ma’am.”
§ § §
October 1, 1943; 8 AM
Stalin’s Office
The Kremlin
Moscow, USSR
“It is early, Sergei,” Stalin said. “It must be something of importance.”
Sergei Kruglov, the head of the NKVD, nodded. “Yes, Comrade General Secretary. I have just received information from source Söhnchen in England. The queen is meeting with Schloss in Cologne on October 13 for a summit.”
“That is interesting, Sergei,” Stalin replied as he filled his pipe. “You have a proposal?”
“Yes, Comrade. I propose we send a team into Germany and use this opportunity to kill Schloss. If we can manage to kill the queen as well, it should inject a lot of confusion into both Germany and England.”
Stalin lit his pipe as he considered Kruglov’s proposal. If they could create enough confusion, it might give the Red Army the opportunity they had been waiting for and to end the war. But there were considerations.
“Have you analyzed the risks?” he murmured between puffs of acrid smoke. “What happens if we fail?”
“We are in a war with Germany, and I believe it is a fight to the death. If this project fails, it will not impact us negatively. The Germans are already doing everything possible to stop us. It will not materially change their tactics. And the English… what do we care what the English think?”
Stalin nodded at what Kruglov said. He puffed on his pipe for several minutes as he thought about the proposal. In truth, the NKVD was not effective at operating in other countries, and he knew that. While the group had a few notable successes, this was a chance to tilt the scales of the war, particularly if the project paid off. If Schloss was removed from the game, the Germans could well collapse.
“You and the others have made many promises to me since the beginning of the war, Sergei,” Stalin said.
His pipe had gone out, and he laid it in the ashtray.
“Many promises. Not many were kept.”
“I have kept my promises, Comrade,” Kruglov said quickly.
“Such as they were.”
He considered the proposal again and picked up his pipe. Packing the tobacco into the pipe, he looked up.
“How will we do this?”
“I have a team I can fly into London via Aeroflot. They will travel to the coast and embark on a fishing boat. They will transfer to another fishing boat in the English Channel and then sail into Rotterdam. I have people there who can get them to Cologne.”
“And what then, Sergei?”
“The leader of the team is Lieutenant Morozov. He has accomplished any number of missions for me. I leave the execution in his hands. Likely he will use a bomb. He likes them.”
“And what of Sohnchen?”
“This will risk his position.”
“I will not risk his position. You will instruct your team to abort the operation if it appears Sohnchen is in danger.”
Stalin lit his pipe again, and it seemed to Kruglov that he was puffing contentedly.
“Very well, Sergei. This plan is approved. You will report to me each time the team contacts you.”
“Comrade, they will likely not contact me once they leave Sheremetyevo.”
Stalin paused as he considered what Kruglov told him. “You cannot unfire the bullet, Sergei.”
“That is very true, Comrade General Secretary.”
“Very well. Make it so.”
“Of course, Comrade.”
Stalin waved a hand. “Go on. We are through here.”
Without another word, Kruglov left Stalin’s office.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
October 1, 1943; 4 PM
The Government Council Chamber
Reich Chancellory
Berlin, Germany
“Can someone explain to me just what happened in Washington?”
Schloss looked around the table, and a part of him understood the fear displayed on the faces of his inner circle. He considered once again what could be driving him into these rages upon receiving news of the minor problems. He wondered what madness was in the air that made him act more and more like Hitler, and his characteristic rages.
He propped his elbows on the table and rested his hea
d in his hands. He had recently begun experiencing migraines again, which shocked him. They had been totally in abeyance since he traveled to this world. He felt the characteristic sharp pain in his temples, and it worked its way around to his neck. He was now disgusted because he did not have time to spend a day in bed with a damp cloth over his eyes. He took a deep breath and straightened.
“I apologize for that outburst, meine Herren. The news caught me by surprise. What can you tell me about this, Peter?”
“As you know, the New York Times has been writing stories about our treatment of the Jews before Hitler’s and Himmler’s death. Some well-meaning citizen tried to arrest Herr Ribbentrop for these crimes. The Americans had one or more Secret Service agents detailed to Ribbentrop. One of them was able to step in and diffuse the situation. Hans Thomsen sent a full report to me this morning. He is concerned because Ribbentrop is staying at the Willard Hotel instead of at the embassy. He is doing that on his pfennig, by the way.”
Schloss leaned forward and continued rubbing his temples as Peter spoke.
“Do you think the American government is encouraging this activity?”
“Thomsen doesn’t think so, and I asked him. I don’t know. Reinhard, what do you think?”
Gehlen frowned. “Most of the information we are receiving about the Americans is passed to us by their OSS. I believe we could describe our relationship with them as frank and honest. If they decided to approach us about this, it would either be through President Truman or Secretary of State Hull. I don’t think they would play games by using their press to do it.”
“I think I would concur with that,” Rainer said.
“Why do we not have people in key positions in the American government?” Milch asked.
Gehlen looked uncomfortable. Schloss decided to interrupt.
“I don’t want to talk about that right now. The Americans are freely giving us information. I don’t sense any guile on their part.”
“Was there any reaction from the American government?” Milch persisted.