"I'm chilled to the bone."
"Yes, of course," she said.
"Forgive me."
She turned and motioned for them to follow her. There was a narrow, rather steep flight of stairs, and then a door. They stepped into a dimly lit room. The room was well furnished, and when Canidy glanced around, he saw that the door they had come through was cut through the paneling of the room so that it would fit in with the decor. A servants' passageway he decided.
When he turned around again, there was a man in the room. Tall, aristocratic, wearing a silk dressing gown. He held a Walther Ppk.32 ACP pistol in his hand. It was pointed at the floor.
"Was ist los?" he asked.
"Liebchen, this is Major Canidy," the Countess said, adding, "Pharmacist.
Major, may I introduce His Excellency Brigadefiihrer-SS von HeurtenMitnitz?"
Von Heurten-Mitnitz's expression did not change, but he spent a long moment examining Canidy before he spoke.
"The major and his friend look frozen," he said.
"Could you ring for some j brandy? Something for them to eat?" J "Yes, of course," the Countess said.
Then von Heurten-Mitnitz looked at Canidy again.
"You don't happen to know Putzi's son's name, do you?"
"I was wondering if you were going to ask," Canidy said, then gave his part of the prearranged countersign.
"Ergon."
Von Heurten-Mitnitz nodded coolly and managed a brief smile.
"My next question," he said, "obviously, would be to ask what brings you here. But I'm a little afraid to ask."
"Eric Fulmar and Professor Dyer are in the municipal jail in Pecs," Canidy said "You didn't know?"
"Jesus, Maria, und Josef!" the Countess breathed.
"No,"von Heurten-Mitnitz said, "I didn't."
"We're done for," the Countess said matter-of factly
"Can you at least get Helmut and me out? Is that what you've come for?"
"I came in to arrange for a site into which we can paradrop a team," Canidy said.
""Paradrop'?" von Heurten-Mitnitz asked.
"You mean parachute?"
Canidy nodded.
"You've got to get us out!" the Countess said furiously.
"That may not be necessary," Canidy said.
"Fulmar and the professor have been arrested as black marketeers."
"How do you know that?" von Heurten-Mitnitz asked calmly.