him to pass. Visser mounted the steps, nodding toward
MacNamara.
'Please,' he gestured to Scott, 'show us what it is that would prompt a man to attempt to battle such uneven odds.'
Scott eyed the German with disdain.
'A fight is a fight, Hauptmann. Sometimes the odds are completely irrelevant to the cause of the fight.'
Visser smiled.
'A brave man's concept, lieutenant. Not a pragmatic man's.'
MacNamara interrupted sharply.
'Scott, lead the way.
Now, if you please!'
Tommy was the last through the double doors into Hut 101.
The uneven tread of the men echoed in the barracks as they traveled down to the last door, which marked Scott's quarters.
There they paused, staring at the wooden exterior.
In large, deep knife strokes, someone had carved: die NIGGER KKK.
'Not even very grammatical,' Lincoln Scott said sourly.
Visser stepped forward, removed a black leather glove from his sole hand, and then slowly ran the tip of his finger over the words, outlining each. He did not speak, and carefully, using his teeth, tugged the glove back into place.
MacNamara's face was marred by a scowl. He turned to Scott.
'Do you have any idea, lieutenant, specifically, who placed these words on your door?'
Scott shook his head.
'I left my room only to go and use the Abort. I was not gone for more than a few minutes. When I returned, the message was there.'
'And you thought to take on everyone in sight?' MacNamara asked, still harnessing the fury that leeched onto the edge of each word.
'Although you had no real idea who carved the words here when your back was turned.'
Scott hesitated, then nodded.
'Yes sir,' he said.
'Precisely.'
Behind them, they all suddenly heard the sound of the doors to Hut 101 swinging open, and heavy footsteps in the corridor. All the men gathered in front of Scott's room pivoted, and saw that Commandant Von
Reiter was marching directly toward them. He was accompanied by two junior-grade officers, both of whom kept their hands nervously on the holsters of their pistols. Behind them, trying to remain inconspicuous, but still eager to see, was Fritz Number One. As he had been only a few hours before, Von Reiter was in his dress uniform.
The camp commandant pushed forward and halted a few feet away from the door. For a long, silent moment, he stared at the words, then he turned to MacNamara, as if seeking an explanation.
MacNamara didn't hesitate.
Pointing a finger directly at the commandant, he spoke briskly and harshly.
'This, Herr Oberst, is precisely what I warned you about! Had it not been for the arrival of Lieutenant Hart and myself, we might have had a riot on our hands!'
MacNamara pivoted toward Scott.
'Lieutenant, while I can understand your rage ' 'Begging the colonel's pardon, but I don't think you can, sir ' Scott started to reply.
MacNamara raised a hand, shutting him off.
'We have due process. We have a procedure! We must adhere to regulations! I will not have a riot! I will not allow a lynching! And
I will not allow you to be goaded into a fight!'
He switched back instantly to Von Reiter.
'I warned you, commandant, that this situation is dangerous. I'm warning you again!'
Von Reiter hissed his reply, equally furious: 'You must control your own men. Colonel MacNamara! Or else I will be forced to extreme measures!'
The two men glared at each other. Then, abruptly, MacNamara turned to Tommy.
'We will proceed at zero eight hundred on Monday! And this' he pivoted back to Von Reiter 'I want a new door on this room within the hour!
Understand?'
Von Reiter started to reply, then paused, and nodded. He rapidly spoke a few words in German to one of the adjutants, who clicked his heels together, saluted, and hurried down the corridor.
The German commandant said, 'Yes. This will be seen to. You, colonel, will take steps to remove the mob outside.
Correct?'
MacNamara nodded.
'It will be taken care of.'
The Senior American Officer paused, then added ominously, 'But the
Oberst can see for himself the threats we are all under. Trouble is likely.'
'You will control your men!' Von Reiter said sharply.
'I will do that which is within my power,' MacNamara answered stiffly.
Tommy had a sudden thought, and he stepped quickly forward.
'Sir!' he said sharply.
'I think it would be appropriate if Lieutenant Scott had the benefit of his counsel around the clock. I am willing to move into his room with him.' Then he turned to the German officer, and added, 'And I can think of no better bodyguard than Flying' Officer Renaday. I would like permission for him to move from the British compound into this bunk room for the duration of the trial.'
Von Reiter thought momentarily, then shrugged.
'If you so desire, and there are no objections from your commanding officer…'
MacNamara shook his head.
'Probably a good idea,' he said.
'Hauptmann Visser will see to the transfer,' Von Reiter ordered.
'Yes,' Tommy said, staring, with unbridled animosity, at the one-armed
German.
'He's good at transfers.' He thought, right at that second, that if there were a way to kill Visser, he would gladly have done it, because all he could see in his mind's eye was the forlorn face of Phillip Pryce as he was forced into the backseat of the car that took him to what Tommy believed was a swift and lonely death.
Von Reiter took a long measurement of the anger he saw between Tommy and Visser, nodding his head.
'All right,' he said to MacNamara.
'Dismiss the men. It is nearly time for the evening Appell regardless.'
The Germans then all turned and marched down the corridor.
MacNamara took a second to turn to Tommy Hart and Lincoln Scott.
'Lieutenant Scott, you have my apologies,' MacNamara said stiffly.
'There's nothing more I can say.'
Scott nodded, and then saluted.
'Thank you, sir,' he said, endowing the words with as few thanks as possible.
