XV
[ONE]
Wewelsburg Castle
Near Paderborn, American Zone of Occupation, Germany
1325 28 April 1946
A Constabulary staff sergeant came into King Arthur’s/King Heinrich’s Court, walked up to General White, saluted crisply, and announced, “Sir, there’s a Russian general at the gate who wants to see Father McKenna.”
“I was about to ask who’s been running off at the mouth to that goddamn Red,” White said, “but I don’t have to, do I, Father?”
“He has kept his word, General, and I am now keeping mine,” the priest replied, unabashed.
White turned to his aide, who stood next to Colonel Cohen.
“My compliments to General Serov, Russell. Inform him I would be pleased if he would join us.”
“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Russell said, then left the room, followed by the staff sergeant.
Cronley, standing by the opening of an access in the floor, held a length of quarter-inch rope that snaked down into the darkness.
“Wonder if we should go after them?” he said.
“It’s been seventeen minutes,” Father McKenna furnished. “Any action on the rope?”
Cronley shook his head.
“We’ll give them twenty minutes,” White ordered. “And then, Cronley, you and the good Father can go down looking for them.”
Almost immediately, there was action on Cronley’s rope.
“That’s three jerks,” he announced. “Meaning, reel in the rope!”
He began to pull on it.
Minutes later, a beam of light could be seen in the dark hole, and then a head and shoulders appeared. The head was completely covered with an industrial gas mask. Cronley pulled it off, revealing Major Lomax. Then Cronley bent to hoist Lomax out of the opening, and almost simultaneously so did Serov.
“I’m afraid I recognize that smell,” Serov announced. “What the hell is going on here?”
Colonel Dickinson appeared in the opening next, and they repeated the process.
Dickinson finally looked at General White.
He said, “Sir, there’s a professionally constructed series of tunnels and passages down there, varying from five to twelve feet in diameter. In one of the side tunnels, which is one of the larger diameter ones, there’s a mound of moldering—I should say decomposed—human flesh. I estimate it once was two hundred human beings, give or take.”
“Jesus!” White and Cohen said simultaneously.
“And the whole damn thing is wired—professionally wired—for demolition. It’s also wired with some light fixtures, but I was cautious turning on any switch in case that would cook off the high explosives.”
“Goddamn,” White said. “Can you make it safe?”
“I’m thinking about that,” Dickinson said, then surveyed Serov with curiosity before adding, “and I just don’t know. Maybe. Let me give it some more thought.”
“General Serov,” White said, “this is Colonel Dickinson and Major Lomax, who I have just decided have more balls than brains.”
“If the castle’s wired for demolition,” Cronley wondered aloud, “why didn’t they blow it up?”