it in front of Himmler.
'These are the medical case notes of Karl Maria Wiligut, also known as Karl Maria Weisthor, which until recently were in the possession of his doctor, HauptSturmFnhrer Lanz Kindermann '
'No,' yelled Weisthor, and lunged for the file.
'Restrain that man,' screamed Himmler. Immediately the two officers standing beside Weisthor caught him by the arms. Rahn reached for his holster, only I was quicker, working the Mauser's slide as I laid the muzzle against his head.
'Touch it and I'll ventilate your brain,' I said, and then relieved him of his gun.
Heydrich carried on, apparently undisturbed by any of this commotion. You had to hand it to him: he was as cool as a North Sea salmon, and just as slippery.
'In November 1924, Wiligut was committed to a lunatic asylum in Salzburg for the attempted murder of his wife. Upon examination he was declared insane and remained institutionalized under the care of Dr Kindermann until 1932. Following his release he changed his name to Weisthor, and the rest you undoubtedly know, ReichsFnhrer.'
Himmler glanced at the file for a minute or so. Finally he sighed and said: 'Is this true, Karl?'
Weisthor, held between two S S officers, shook his head.
'I swear it's a lie, on my honour as a gentleman and an officer.'
'Roll up his left sleeve,' I said. 'The man is a drug addict. For years Kindermann has been giving him cocaine and morphine.'
Himmler nodded at the men holding Weisthor, and when they revealed his horribly black-and-blue forearm, I added: 'If you're still not convinced, I have a twenty-page statement made by Reinhard Lange.'
Himmler kept on nodding. He stepped round his chair to stand in front of his BrigadeFnhrer, the sage of the S S, and slapped him hard across the face, then again.
'Get him out of my sight,' he said. 'He is confined to quarters until further notice. Rahn. Anders. That goes for you too.' He raised his voice to an almost hysterical pitch. 'Get out, I say. You are no longer members of this order. All three of you will return your Deaths Head rings, your daggers and your swords. I shall decide what to do with you later.'
Arthur Nebe called the guard that was waiting in readiness and, when they appeared, ordered them to escort the three men to their rooms.
By now almost every S S officer at the table was open-mouthed with astonishment.
Only Heydrich stayed calm, his long face betraying no more sign of the undoubted satisfaction he was feeling at the sight of his enemies' rout than if he had been made of wax.
With Weisthor, Rahn and Anders sent out under guard, all eyes were now on Himmler. Unfortunately, his eyes were very much on me, and I holstered my gun feeling that the drama had yet to end. For several uncomfortable seconds he simply stared, no doubt remembering how at Weisthor's house I had seen him, the ReichsFnhrer-S S and Chief of the German Police, gullible, fooled, sold fallible. For the man who saw himself in the role of the Nazi Pope to Hitler's Antichrist, it was too much to bear. Placing himself close enough to me to smell the cologne on his closely shaven, punctilious little face, and blinking furiously, his mouth twisted into a rictus of hatred, he kicked me hard on the shin.
I grunted with pain, but stood still, almost to attention.
'You've ruined everything,' he said, shaking. 'Everything. Do you hear?'
'I did my job,' I growled. I think he might have booted me again but for Heydrich's timely interruption.
'I can certainly vouch for that,' he said. 'Perhaps, under the circumstances, it would be best if this court were postponed for an hour or so, at least until you've had a chance to recover your composure, ReichsFnhrer. The discovery of so gross a treason within a forum that is as close to the ReichsFnhrer's heart as this one will doubtless have come as a profound shock to him. As indeed it has been to us all.'
There was a murmur of agreement at these remarks, and Himmler seemed to regain control of himself. Colouring a little, possibly with some embarrassment, he twitched and nodded curtly.
'You're quite right, Heydrich,' he muttered. 'A terrible shock. Yes indeed. I must apologize to you, Kommissar. As you say, you merely did your duty. Well done.' And with that he turned on his not inconsiderable heel and marched smartly out of the room, accompanied by several of his officers.
Heydrich started to smile a slow, curling sort of smile that got no further than the corner of his mouth. Then his eyes found mine and steered me towards the other door. Arthur Nebe followed, leaving the remaining officers to talk loudly among themselves.
'It's not many men who live to receive a personal apology from Heinrich Himmler,' Heydrich said when the three of us were alone in the castle library.
I rubbed my shin painfully. 'Well, I'm sure I'll make a note of that in my diary tonight,' I said. 'It's all I've ever dreamed of.'
'Incidentally, you didn't mention what happened to Kindermann.'
'Let's just say that he was shot while trying to escape,' I said. 'I'm sure that you of all people must know what I mean.'
'That's unfortunate. He could still have been useful to us.'
'He got what a murderer properly has coming to him. Someone had to. I don't suppose any of those other bastards will ever get theirs. The S S brotherhood and all that, eh?' I paused and lit a cigarette. 'What will happen to them?'
'You can depend on it that they're finished in the S S. You heard Himmler say so himself.'
'Well, how ghastly for them all.' I turned to Nebe. 'Come on, Arthur. Will Weisthor get anywhere near a courtroom or a guillotine?'
'I don't like it any more than you do,' he said grimly. 'But Weisthor is too close to Himmler. He knows too much.'
Heydrich pursed his lips. 'Otto Rahn, on the other hand, is merely an NCO. I don't think the ReichsFnhrer would mind if some sort of accident were to befall him.'
I shook my head bitterly.
'Well, at least there's an end to their dirty little plot. At least we'll be spared another pogrom, for a while anyway.'
Heydrich looked uncomfortable now. Nebe got up and looked out of the library window.
'For Christ's sake,' I yelled, 'you don't mean to say that it's going to go ahead?' Heydrich winced visibly. 'Look, we all know that the Jews had nothing to do with the murders.'
'Oh yes,' he said brightly, 'that's certain. And they won't be blamed, you have my word on it. I can assure you that '
'Tell him,' said Nebe. 'He deserves to know.'
Heydrich thought for a moment, and then stood up. He pulled a book from off the shelf and examined it negligently.
'Yes, you're right, Nebe. I believe he probably does.'
'Tell me what?'
'We received a telex before the Court convened this morning,' said Heydrich. 'By sheer coincidence, a young Jewish fanatic has made an attempt on the life of a German diplomat in Paris. Apparently he wished to protest against the treatment of Polish Jews in Germany. The Fnhrer has sent his own personal physician to France, but it is not expected that our man will live.
'As a result, Goebbels is already lobbying the Fnhrer that if this diplomat should die then certain spontaneous expressions of German public outrage be permitted against Jews throughout the Reich.'
'And you'll all look the other way, is that it?'
'I don't approve of lawlessness,' said Heydrich.
'Weisthor gets his pogrom after all. You bastards.'
'Not a pogrom,' Heydrich insisted. 'Looting will not be permitted. Jewish property will merely be destroyed. The police will ensure that there is no plunder. And nothing will be permitted which in any way endangers the security of German life or property.'
'How can you control a mob?'
'Directives will be issued. Offenders will be apprehended and dealt with.'
