'And what if he read your message, Herr Obergruppenfiihrer? What if he
decided to sell it to the highest bidder!'
'The message was in code,' Heydrich replied evenly. 'He simply
delivered an envelope and returned with a one-word answer: Ja.'
.Hitler's voice went shrill with-paranoia. 'And you think this courier
knows nothing? Can reveal nothing? What if he decides to sell his
knowledge now?'
'That would be impossible, my Fuhrer- I shot him myself, five minutes
after he delivered Helmut's reply.'
Hitler said nothing for a long while. Putting his hand to his chin, he
looked out through one of the small-paned windows near the fireplace.
Outside, the snow had begun to fall again. 'Remarkable,' he murmured.
He took his walking stick from its resting place on the hearth and
turned back to Heydrich. 'Let's return to the Berghof- 'we can talk on
the way back.'
They walked through the darkness without speaking. The crunch of
Heydrich's boots on the hard-packed snow punctuated their progress
across the mountain. Now and then the howls of German shepherds
reverberated across the rocky slope. After twenty minutes they reached
the parking area.
Hitler fixed Heydrich with his dark gaze.
'Are you confident that Helmut's Englishmen can reach their targets,
Herr Obergruppenfiihrer? Can they kill both men on the tenth of May?'
'My Fuhrer,' Heydrich said confidently, .1any man can be assassinated on
any day, if one critical condition is satisfied.'
'What condition?'
'That the assassin be prepared to die in the doing of the deed.'
Hitler's eyes narrowed. 'And you believe these Englishmen will die for
Helmut?'
Heydrich blinked against the wind. 'No. They will die for their lost
ideals. They will die for their gods-Leniii and Marx. For Moscow,
perhaps. But most of all, they will die believing they have delivered
their country from the clutches of ruthless oppressors who have held
England's poor-and half of the rest of the world's-in slavejy for a very
long time. They will die to become martyrs.'
'Remarkable,' Hitler said finally. 'You seem to have considered every
possibility.'
Heydrich nodded with formal correctness.
'I shall leave you here, Heydrich- Is there anything further you require
from me?'
,Yes,' Heydrich answered without hesitation. 'A diversion. if you
could possibly arrange some type of limited attack on England on May
tenth-a small commando attack on a Channel port, perhaps? A U-boat raid
near London?'
'I've already taken care of that,' Hitler said. 'Have no fear, your
assassins will have all the confusion they need. On the night of May
tenth, I shall unleash the most devastating air attack London has ever
known. And it will be the last raid against Great Britain. At least
until Russia has been conquered. Perhaps then He trailed off, his voice
soft and ruminative.
Heydrich licked his wind-burned lips. Unexpectedly, he had discovered
the courage to ask the question which had haunted him since the night
Hitler first gave him his assignment. 'My Fuhrer?' he said
tentatively.
'Yes?'
'With all respect, you have not told me much about the political side of
the mission. To be quite frank, it worries me. The success of the
entire operation hinges on a single factor, and that factor is beyond my
control.'
'What are you talking about?'
'My Fuhrer, again with all respect, do you have Englishmen ready to
assume control of the government when Churchill dies? When the king is
dead? My sources indicate-'
'That does not concern you!' Hitler jabbed a stiff finger into
Heydrich's chest. 'You have Lord Grenville's name!
You know all you need to for now! Just make certain that your cripples
carry out their orders! Hess has the names. He will handle the
political side of the mission.'
Too shocked to be afraid, Heydrich raised his eyebrows in surprise.
'Reichminister Hess, my Fuhrer? But ... I was under the impression that
your confidence in him was waning. Both Goring and Himmler speak of him
a@' 'Goring and Himmler? You should spend less time listening to gossip
and more time studying how the Party rose to the position it now holds!
Hess has done more for me than . . .'
Hitler shook his fist in the air. 'Let me tell you something, Heydrich.
It took Hess just one month to do what you could not do in a year. Hess
rooted out the traitor in our midst. And that traitor is your own
boss-Himmler! Yesloyal Heinrich. Already he searches for ways to usurp
my power. And you, working right under his nose, you could not see it!'
Hitler's face suddenly darkened. 'Or could you?'
Heydrich blanched. 'No, my Fuhrer! I swear to you ...
What can I do to prove my loyalty? I shall arrest the Reichsfiihrer
myself!' r arr 'Don't be ridiculous,' Hitler s_offed'We cannot est the
head of the SS for treason. No, we shall rely on the safety mechanism
already in place.'
Heydrich wiped his brow @with relief. His hand was shaking. 'My Fuhrer,
a disturbing thought has occurred to me. It concerns the 'double'
program. If Reichsfiihrer Himmler is indeed a traitor, it is all the
more frightening. I think you should place all the doubles from the
Practical School under my direct command.' ,What the devil are you
talking about, Heydrich?' Hitler scowled in confusion.
'My Fuhrer, consider this: if, God forbid, a traitor succeeded in having
you assassinated, the doubles could be of inestimable value to that
traitor in gaining the confidence of the people and the army- if the
traitor could present a trusted comrade of yours-Reichminister Hess, for
example-a true people Nazi who would stand at his side like an ally, the
might well accept the traitor's authority- Himmler is CeTtainly devious
enough to have worked this out.'
This terrifying possibility seemed to shrink Hitler in his very clothes.
