by Ward Wagher
“I understand,” Attlee said. “and, you are completely correct. But I am reluctant to uncork the genie until we have had time to thoroughly investigate the events in Lisbon. The Americans are rightly frustrated with us at the moment, and I don’t blame them. Our governmental mandarins have turned foot-dragging into an art form. I think the only way to solve this one is if a lot of heads roll. That is what I need your authority to help me complete.”
“And that places me at great risk,” Margaret said. “Surely you know that.”
“With all due respect, you placed yourself at great risk the day you sacked Winston. We all know that it had to be done, and no one is gainsaying you. But you really must finish the job. We’ve got to lance the boil and clean out the infection. If we try to sit on this and the American public finds out about it, the whole alliance would probably be destroyed. And the Japanese would still be sitting in Australia fifty years from now.”
“Might I suggest next April for the elections?” she asked.
“Once again, with all due respect, let’s wait until we can sort out the mess in MI5 and Six.”
She folded her arms and glared at him.
“You know I’m right,” he stated.
“Oh, I know you are. Would it help if I personally called Six on to the carpet and demanded an explanation?”
“Steward Menzies doesn’t know,” Attlee said. “He has some people in his shop who are blind, deaf and stupid.”
“Certainly, he bears the responsibility.”
“He does, but I cannot identify a replacement who will do any better. Let him go about this in his own way, and I think he will come through for us.”
“Please let him know that I do not have an unlimited amount of time or patience,” Margaret warned.
Attlee chuckled softly. “He is well aware of that.”
“And just what is that supposed to mean?” she demanded.
He shrugged. “We are all under a great deal of pressure, Ma’am.”
She glared at him some more and then looked down at her notes.
“Second item. What is the status of our preparations for the Far Eastern Fleet?”
And the conversation continued. It was a long morning for both the queen and the prime minister. She found herself having to attack a lot of the minutia of the government. It seemed the entire bureaucracy was blind, deaf and stupid, not just the intelligence organs. More and more items landed on her desk for decisions. She wished she had an efficient government like Heinrich Schloss. He was certainly able to delegate decision-making and not have to worry about it.
She pondered her situation as Attlee droned on. Envying the totalitarianism of Germany was wrong, she decided. Britain was dangerously close to that now, and that continued to frighten her. Perhaps she needed to promise an election and then go about cleaning up the mess with a will.
§ § §
December 20, 1942; 10 AM
Reich Defense Ministry
Berlin, Germany
Generals Model, von Rundstedt, and Guderian stood at attention in front of Goering’s desk at the defense ministry.
“Suppose you tell me how you could let something like this happen,” Goering shouted. “I promised the Reich Chancellor I would deliver Wagner alive and in good condition to Berlin. You managed to stuff him in a ditch with a bullet in his head.”
“Herr Reichsmarshall, the man shot himself. There were probably a dozen witnesses.”
“Who allowed him to get his hands on a gun and to stuff it in his mouth. Model, you put together a smooth operation and it worked out well until this happened. I am not happy.”
“Herr Reichsmarshall,” Model said, “I take full responsibility for this. I will write out my resignation immediately. If it would help, I will go to the Reich Chancellor myself to apologize.”
“I am not sure I want you in the same room with him, Walter. You seem to leave dead bodies around.”
“Herr Reichsmarshall,” Guderian interjected, “that is hardly fair. These men have brought honor to Germany by quickly defeating that scum. And without major loss of life.”
“It does not matter how well you execute the plan when you fail in the end,” Goering shouted. He looked at von Runstedt. “Have you nothing to say, General?”
“Only that we failed in one of the prime directives for this operation. This task was assigned to me, so the failure is my responsibility.”
Goering laid his hand across his forehead. “Since the three of you have obviously decided to avoid judgment by falling on your swords, I will be the one to face the Reich Chancellor.”
“That is not what I meant, Herr Reichsmarshall,” von Rundstedt complained.
“Oh, I know it isn’t,” Goering said, waving an arm. “But let it be known that I am unhappy with all of you.”
“I refuse to make excuses,” Guderian said sharply. “Certainly, you know that by now.”
“I know that Heinz. It is what it is. Now, get out of my office. I want a full report on my desk in the morning, first thing. I must go see the Reich Chancellor and attempt to explain this incredible cock-up.”
As the Wehrmacht leaders scurried out of his office, Goering held his head in his hands. Why was he so tired? He sighed deeply and then picked up the phone.
“Please contact the Reich Chancellor’s office and request a meeting for me with him at the earliest opportunity.”
He set the phone down again. “Mein Gott. Why do these things happen?”
He looked up to see Guderian still standing before him.
“What is it, General?”
“Please do not be so harsh on the men, Herr Reichsmarshall. Their units performed exceptionally. Is it so bad that Wagner is dead? He was worse than Hitler.”
“It is not so bad that Wagner is dead, Heinz. What is bad is that Herr Schloss planned to have a public trial and prove that we can air our own dirty laundry when necessary. And, I have the privilege of telling him we failed in that respect.”
“I have the responsibility for my men, and you have the responsibility for us,” Guderian said calmly. “Sometimes things like this happen. Nobody is very happy about it, but there you are.”
“It is easy for you to be philosophical about it, Heinz,” Goering said. “I’m the one who has to face the Reich Chancellor. And he is often impatient with me.”
“I have learned to not make excuses,” Guderian said. “I think I am very good at what I do. But I am not perfect.”
“And I am far from perfect,” Goering said.
“Herr Schloss has kept you in the government. There are others who are not. That says something, Herr Reichsmarshall.”
“It says the other shoe hasn’t dropped yet, Herr General.”
“I do not lay awake nights worrying about my failures,” Guderian said. “Life is short enough.”
Goering smiled sadly. “I appreciate your advice, Herr General. I am not sure I can face things with the kind of equanimity you do. But I think you are wise.”
“If you will excuse me then, Herr Reichsmarshall,” Guderian said with his trademark smirk, “I have a report to write.”
Goering laughed then. “Get out of here you scoundrel.”
After the head of the OKW left, Goering looked down at his desk. Unbidden, he again opened the folder containing the report from his doctor. He stared at the words on the page hoping they would magically change. Even if Schloss did not have him taken out and shot, it would only postpone the inevitable.
CHAPTER TWELVE
December 21, 1942; 9 AM
Reich Chancellor’s Office
Reich Chancellery
Berlin, Germany
“Herr Doctor Heisenberg, so good to see you again.”
Werner Heisenberg, Germany’s premier atomic scientist walked into Schloss’s office and took the proffered chair. Schloss though he always seemed frightened when he came into this office.
“Thank you, Herr Reich Chancellor. I am honored to be here.”
Rainer was in the room and shook Heisenberg’s hand. “Good to see you again, Herr Doctor.”
“Thank you, Herr Reichsprotektor.”
“Willem will be bringing the coffee and pastries in a moment,” Schloss said. I reviewed your most recent report and wanted to follow up with a personal conversation.”
“Was there something in the report that was incorrect, or offensive?” Heisenberg asked, wringing his hands.
“Oh, no,” Schloss said. “It was fine. In fact, it was better than fine. I am amazed at what you have accomplished.”
Kirche eased into the room with the coffee service on a tray, along with a platter of pastries. He set them down on the table between Heisenberg and Rainer.
“Help yourself,” Schloss said. “My wife has forbidden me from eating so much during the day. So, I have to satisfy myself with merely watching my guests.”
Kirche poured coffee into a cup and handed it to the scientist, along with a saucer. He did the same for Rainer.
“Thank you,” Heisenberg said softly. And then he looked at Schloss. “Yes, we have been making good progress. Much of the math has been completed – in fact, it has been completed for some time. What remains is an engineering problem. We are proceeding along two lines.”
“Both the atomic engine and the explosive, correct?” Schloss asked.
“Yes. The engine, as you call it, may be operational within six months. It will enable us to achieve a sustained chain reaction using less pure forms of fuel. We think it will actually generate more fissile products than it consumes, which we might use for weapons or other engines.”
“Considering that we really do not have any significant deposits of Uranium in Germany, that might be a good thing.”
Heisenberg nodded. “It would be a very good thing. That shipment of Uranium ore from the Congo was vital to the project. However, we are going to need more.”
“How much more?” Schloss asked.
“As much as we can get, frankly.”
“Very well, Herr Doctor Heisenberg,” Schloss said. “Let me see what I can do.”
“We think that once we have the initial engine running, we can use it to generate steam as a by-product. The plant would then supply its own electricity.”
“Would we be able to start building plants around the country to supply more electricity?” Schloss asked.
“I would apply a word of caution,” Heisenberg said. “Unless there is an urgent need for electrical power, we would be wise to proceed slowly. We are doing things no one has done before. There are opportunities for error. And some of those errors would be deadly.”
“You are speaking of the poisons created by these processes?” Schloss asked.
“Yes. The radiation. At high levels, it is quickly lethal. At lower levels… well, Sir, we do not know. We suspect the cumulative exposure may cause anemia or cancer. Ironically, the weapons development will be easier.”
“How so?”
“We can concentrate development in a few places and watch them carefully. Of course, detonating the weapons is another story.”
As well I should know, Schloss thought. I worry about what I am getting ready to do. However, the Americans and the Russians are certainly working in this area. I cannot allow our nation to be held hostage by other nuclear powers.
“When do you expect to have a weapon ready?” Schloss asked.
“It would probably be another four or five years, Herr Reich Chancellor. There is an enormous amount of work ahead of us. And our resources are limited.”
Schloss grinned. “Is that an oblique way of asking for more funding?”
The scientist looked abashed. “Oh, no, Sir. I recognize I am competing with other priorities for funding. We will make do with what you have given us.”
“If you reach a position where a temporary increase in funding will help you over a hurdle, be sure to let me know.”
“I will do so. I am honored at the trust you have placed in us.”
“You are doing important work for the Fatherland, Herr Doctor. At some point in the future, it may be critical to our survival.”
“I understand.”
After Heisenberg left, Schloss asked Rainer to remain for a bit. The Reichsprotektor settled back into his chair and picked up another piece of Danish.
“You will lose your svelte figure, Karl,” Schloss warned.
“For some reason, I do not gain much weight,” Rainer replied. “I really enjoy these.”
“You are not very encouraging to me,” Schloss grumped.
Rainer grinned slightly. “By eating this extra pastry, I am keeping it out of your greedy hands. Gisela will thank me.”
“If you are still alive to tell her about it,” Schloss said darkly.
“Indeed.”
Schloss sipped on his coffee as he thought. “You know, Karl, this project worries me.”
“In what way, Herr Schloss?”
“I fear we are uncorking the bottle and allowing a genie to run loose across the Earth. Heisenberg tells me a weapon would be measured in tens of thousands of tons of explosive power.”
“That is unimaginable.”
“Yes, and that worries me as well. People will get careless with the things and start tossing them around. And we really do not know what the effect of a bomb like this would be.”
“Do you wish to end this research, then?” Rainer asked.
“No. As I told the Herr Doctor, the Americans and the Russians are certainly working on this as well. We have no choice but to continue. And it worries me.”
“What would you like me to do?”
“Just keep a close eye on the security for this project. You know how people like to gossip. Have your people out and about. If somebody starts blabbing in a tavern somewhere, you need to put them under lock and key. Unfortunately, due to Herr Doctor Brandt, we have plenty of space in our psychiatric wards. We can park people there.”
“Without a trial?” Rainer’s eyebrows rose.
“Yes, I think so,” Schloss replied. “Something like this becomes a national security matter. I really do not like to exercise powers like this, but you need a cover if anyone asks questions. I assume you have someone on Heisenberg’s team?”
Rainer nodded. “His director of security reports to me. Plus, I have several people undercover as well.”
“Good. Make sure to educate the people on the team about the perils of talking too much.”
“I have done so, Herr Schloss.”
“In other words, don’t teach your mother to suck eggs?”
Now, Rainer had a very old-fashioned look. “I would not suggest such a thing.”
Schloss rolled his tongue around in his cheek. Both of them knew what he was doing. It was another episode of the games they played.
“Very well, Karl. To change the subject, what can you tell me about what Stalin is doing?”
“That would be Herr Gehlen’s area of expertise.”
“I know that, but surely you have a few irons in the fire.”
“Very well, Herr Schloss, I have several people watching the frontier in the eastern provinces. We are not directly seeing any kind of a military buildup; however, the border crossings are becoming a challenge.”
“How so?”
“The Russian border guards seem purposely to take as much time as possible to pass commerce back and forth. They inspect everything in great detail. Ribbentrop is complaining about delays in receiving strategic materials. And we have shipments of steel pipe going to Russia that are backed up for a week.”
“They are intentionally slowing things down, then,” Schloss stated.
“I am confident that is the case.”
“Funny that they are holding up their imports as well?”
Rainer shook his head. “We have wondered if that is the result of incompetence on their part.”
Schloss took another drink of his coffee as he pondered this. “And what are we hearing from Moscow?”
“I
am developing some sources in Moscow,” Rainer said. “They are not at the high level like Gehlen’s people. However, it is clear that Stalin’s attitude towards us has changed.”
“So, we should start preparing for war?”
“The Reichsmarshall has started boosting readiness. You know that he is pushing to get the Swallow operational as quickly as possible.”
“I’m never entirely sure how good Hermann is at planning ahead,” Schloss said. “In this case, I would not criticize him.”
“And he has gotten Guderian scared. He has raised the training levels in the Wehrmacht.”
“I am glad they are paying attention.” Schloss shook his head. “Mein Gott! I really do not want another war. Especially one with the Russians.”
“You don’t share the view that they will collapse if we push them hard?” Rainer asked.
“I do not. I would, however, like to plan a nasty surprise for them if they come across the border. If we can get them to lose heart, maybe we can get things stopped. We need to respect the Russian military. I think they may be better than anyone realizes.”
“Our forces are pretty good.”
“Yes, but the Wehrmacht’s entire fighting strategy is based upon the quick, lightning thrust. A war will Russia will devolve into a slog. I am not sure if we know how to fight that way.”
“I think I see what you mean,” Rainer said. “Is Guderian aware of this?”
“Yes. He is developing plans for an extended war, but I think he still hopes to knock them out with their initial attack.”
“Will Stalin get smart and pull back?”
“No, Karl. The reason Stalin may be considering this is that his economy is in shambles. He may think he needs a war to divert the peoples’ attention from domestic concerns. Otherwise, things may fall apart for him.”
“I think you have me confused, Herr Schloss,” Rainer said. “You are saying that fighting Russia won’t be easy, but in the next breath you say they may collapse.”