petty squabbles and, with the greatest respect, no one else is either. What I am interested in is successfully reaching the Allies, and it is your task to help me. If you want to bring charges against the sergeant once this is over, that is up to you, but for now you must put aside your differences, because if I may say so, Lieutenant, your desire to undermine Sergeant Tanner is, to my mind, undermining our chances.'
Tanner smiled to himself. Good lad, he thought.
'Now, Sergeant Tanner has clearly studied the land carefully and it strikes me his plan is the right one.'
Chevannes sniffed. 'And with the greatest respect to you, Professor,' he said slowly, 'you are not a military man. You should be leaving any such decisions to me.'
'No,' said Sandvold. 'I am not under your orders, Lieutenant. I am a civilian. I have already been dragged from my home and I have come this far without complaint or protest, partly because His Majesty the King has requested that I do so, and also because I have no desire to become a prisoner of the Germans. Sergeant Tanner is surely right. We must stop bickering and leave now.'
Chevannes was silent, then glanced at Larsen and Nielssen, hoping for support, but found none.
'Maybe there's something in what he says,' said Nielssen.
Chevannes clenched his fists, then smacked his right hand hard and flat against the wall. 'Very well,' he said stiffly. 'We leave now.'
Chapter 18
Reichsamtsleiter Scheidt could hardly believe it was only six days since he had last stood in this corridor at the Bristol Hotel; somehow, it seemed like a lifetime ago. As he waited to see the Reichskommissar, he bit his fingernails and paced uneasily. Coming back to Oslo was a gamble - a horrible one - and he was uncertain how Terboven would react. By the door, the two SS guards stared ahead implacably, unmoved by Scheldt's agitation.
At last the door opened and an Allgemeine-SS officer in a pale grey uniform appeared and ushered him into the same top-floor suite where he and Quisling had first seen Terboven, then discreetly slipped away.
Although it was now morning, the room was still one of refined and subtle light. The Reichskommisar, behind his desk, was every bit as immaculate, not a hair out of place, his face smooth as glass. Already Scheidt felt inferior. He had driven through much of the night to reach the city. His suit was now creased, he had not shaved in eighteen hours and his right eyelid was
flickering with fatigue. Damn you, thought Scheidt.
Terboven was writing at his desk and did not look up as Scheidt entered and stood before him. At one point, he paused, glanced at the wall to his right, apparently deep in thought, then continued scribbling. The silence in the room was so complete that Scheidt could hear the nib scratching the paper.
It was an old trick to impose oneself and one's authority by keeping a subordinate waiting in agonizing silence. Nonetheless, Scheidt reflected, it was still an effective one. The bastard. He could feel the greasy sweat on his palms. A further minute or more passed, then Terboven stopped writing, carefully replaced the lid of his pen, laid it on his desk and said, with a hint of a smile, 'Ah, Reichsamtsleiter Scheidt - you are the bearer of good news, I hope?'
Scheidt's heart sank, but he looked Terboven directly in the eye. 'No, I'm afraid not.'
Terboven leant back in his chair, fingers together, and raised an eyebrow. Oh yes?
'We have located Odin several times and have been within a hair's breadth of capturing him but, alas, he has always eluded us.'
'You had my authority to use whatever troops you needed. How can this be possible?'
'General Engelbrecht has had his hands tied fighting the British and Norwegians. The most he could spare was a reconnaissance company of Gebirgsjager. These troops were lightly armed and met stiff resistance from a mixed company of British and French troops who have joined Odin and his Norwegian guardians. Killing them all has not been the difficulty; killing them and rescuing
Odin unscathed has, however, proved more challenging.'
Terboven nodded. 'And what about your 'source'?'
'The information has been crucial, but sporadic. It is the nature of intelligence.'
Terboven leant towards his desk calendar. 'You have until tomorrow, Herr Reichsamtsleiter, until our deal is over. I don't mind telling you I'm rather surprised to see you here. I'd have thought that in the circumstances your time could have been used more profitably.'
'I'd like your help, Herr Reichskommissar.' He said it flatly and, he hoped, without any trace of panic or fear.
'I thought I'd already given you that.'
'You have, Herr Reichskommissar, but I'm here to ask you to speak with General Engelbrecht. The company of Gebirgsjager that he gave us - well, they have suffered heavy casualties over the past few days. Yet he refuses to give us more troops or equipment. I showed him your letter, but he insisted he had no more men to spare.'
'He has a battle to fight.'
'A battle he has all but won. His forces far outweigh those of the enemy. He can readily spare some men and equipment.'
Terboven brought his hands to his chin, and pursed his lips. 'My difficulty, Herr Reichsamtsleiter, is this. You are asking me to order a general in the field to redirect some of his forces at a time when he is engaged in heavy fighting - albeit a battle he is winning - but without my being able to give him much reason. Now, yes, I am Reichskommissar here, but there is nothing to stop General Engelbrecht from contacting the OKW in Berlin and complaining vociferously about such interfering.
When the OKW demands an explanation, I will have to tell them that I can't give them one but that Reichsamtsleiter Scheidt has assured me these troops are needed for a very good yet unspecified cause. 'Yes, my Fiihrer,' I will say, 'Reichsamtsleiter Scheidt did work with Brauer, the disgraced ambassador.'' He smiled. 'So you see, Scheidt, I think the time has come to stop the games and little subterfuges.' He leant forward, his elbows on the desk and eyed Scheidt carefully. 'My answer to you is therefore this: before I speak with General Engelbrecht, I want to know who this Odin is and why you think he is of such enormous importance.'
Scheidt swallowed. Of course he was going to demand this. 'I understand your position, Herr Reichskommissar,' he said, 'yet—'
Terboven cut him off. 'My dear Reichsamtsleiter, you have no other hand to play. But let me reassure you. If this man is as important as you say and if he does indeed fall into our hands, there may yet be a role for you here. At the very least, you will not suffer the fate of Brauer. You could return to Berlin with your career and reputation intact, if not enhanced.' Terboven took his spectacles from his nose and, with a silk handkerchief, began to polish them. 'So, no more games. Let's hear it. My patience is not inexhaustible.' Having replaced his spectacles, he stood up. 'Come, let's sit more comfortably,' he said, motioning Scheidt to the Louis XIV chairs in which they had sat six days before.
Of course, the Reichskommissar was right, Scheidt realized. Was there any truth in what Terboven had said about his future career? Really, Scheidt knew, that was irrelevant. He was now cornered and would have to play his hand. Odin's secret would be his no more. He sat, smoothed his tie and said, 'Very well. Odin, Herr Reichskommissar, is a scientist...'
Tanner's prediction about the rain had been correct. That morning it poured, soaking the men and turning the track through the valley to mud. But with the rain came low cloud. Above them, the mountains were invisible. Ahead, wisps of seemingly stray cloud hovered among the trees. Aero-engines could briefly be heard droning across the sky, but they never saw the planes. More importantly, as Tanner was well aware, the aircraft could not see them.
It was small consolation, and had done nothing to improve his dark mood. The humiliation he had suffered at
