34

Entering the castle library that afternoon, Josef was immediately met by Waibel stuttering, “G … g … guests. You have guests.”

Looking across to the table to where he usually sat, Josef saw the backs of two black-uniformed officers sitting before the many maps, books, and photographs that covered his reserved study area. As Becker approached the table, one stood and turned to face him. It was Pfeiffer, of course.

“Good. You are here precisely when Waibel said you would be. Come and sit with us, Obergefreiter Becker.”

The other officer remained seated. He was signing letters and orders, each sandwiched between the pink blotting pages of a large, black leather-bound folder. With a wave of his fountain pen, he motioned to Josef to sit down but said nothing, continuing to study and sign each document with his spiky signature. Every time, it was identical, an even row of jagged points that cut across the page like teeth:

Turning the last page of the blotter to reveal no further letters, the reichsführer closed the folder and slowly screwed the top back on his fountain pen. Satisfied that it was properly closed, he put it inside his black jacket, passed the leather folder to Pfeiffer, and looked directly at Josef. His slightly puffy, undistinguished face—despite the small Y-shaped dueling scar Josef could see on his left cheek—twitched slightly as he spoke.

“So you are our Sisyphus? I see you the mornings I am in my office in the North Tower. I watch as you slowly move up and down the sides of the river valley under your heavy backpack. I find it somewhat inspiring, a daily reminder of cold determination.”

He stared intently at Josef before turning to Pfeiffer.

“Obersturmführer, please update me on the progress of this operation.”

Pfeiffer reached down into his attaché case resting on the floor and put in the leather folder. His hand returned with a buff-colored file and a small package. Placing them on the table in front of him, he opened the file and looked at the typed notes and memoranda bound within. Josef could see, clipped to the inside cover, Pfeiffer’s photographs of him, his mother, his sisters, and the mountain.

“Certainly, Herr Reichsführer. Obergefreiter Becker has been our guest at Lichterfelde, Bad Harzburg, and here at Wewelsburg for four months now. From his very first briefing on the objective of our operation, I am pleased to say that he has embraced the possibilities for preparation we have offered. He has impressed our training officers and exceeded their requirements. He has worked diligently on his fitness, as you have witnessed, and studied the mountain in detail. In addition, we have enabled him to become fully conversant with modern photography so that he might properly record his actions. He has also learned some English so that he can at least understand a bit of the dominant international language of the countries he will be passing through. With still a few weeks before he leaves, I consider that he will be more than adequately prepared for what lies ahead.”

Himmler looked back at Josef as if considering him anew. “Good. Refresh my memory as to how he is going to get to the mountain undiscovered.”

“He is joining a climbing expedition to Sikkim under the auspices of Professor Markus Schmidt, who is to lead a group of seven climbers and scientists in tackling some of the lower peaks of the Kangchenjunga as well as studying the geology and fauna of the area. The expedition has been Schmidt’s dream for some years, and, in order to assist our own objectives, we have facilitated it. Given that its mountaineering objectives are relatively modest, it has the full approval of the local British authorities. That is not to say that it won’t be monitored by the presence of one of their army officers, but that should not cause us too many difficulties.”

“Does Schmidt know the objective of Operation Sisyphus?”

“Professor Schmidt is within our confidence. A long-standing party member and member of the Freundeskreis Reichsführer SS, he is utterly loyal and will do everything in his power to assist Obergefreiter Becker until the first ascent of his expedition. Following completion of that climb, Obergefreiter Becker will be deemed to be suffering from ‘mountain sickness’ and ruled unable to continue. He will then, with a local porter already identified as suitable, be ordered to return to Germany. In reality, however, they will instead secretly make their way into Tibet. Once they arrive at the mountain, they will be met by a member of Schäfer’s Tibet expedition, who will furnish additional equipment and give support for Obergefreiter Becker’s climb of the mountain. As you know, we favor the solo climb as by its very audacity and lack of huge resources, it will show the entire world what one determined German can do. Such an achievement would also be an even greater humiliation for the English, who always send armies of people when they try to climb it.”

“It sounds thorough. When do they leave?”

“The second of March on the SS Gneisenau from the Port of Venice to Bombay. It’s the same ship that Schäfer’s team took to India.”

“That is quite soon.” Turning back to Josef, Himmler asked, “It is said you have the ability to climb anything. Do you feel honored to have such a chance to prove it?”

Josef looked back at the glass lenses of Himmler’s omnipresent pince-nez seeing only multiple reflections of the mountain and his family from the inside of the open file on the table.

“I do, Herr Reichsführer. I look forward to placing a flag on the summit knowing that it will bring pride and happiness to my family for years to come.”

Even as he said the word “family,” Josef’s eyes flicked at Pfeiffer who instantly cut back into the conversation.

“On the subject of flags, I have had these prepared. I think they will work well.”

Opening the package set on the table, Pfeiffer took out two new, small flags. He carefully unfolded them, smoothing each one out. The first was a red triangle, a swastika within its white central circle, the second, a black square with the two white sig runes of the SS. From one side of each flag hung two white strings of cloth tape, which Pfeiffer pointed out to the reichsführer.

“I have had the two flags sewn and sized so they can be tied one above the other on Obergefreiter Becker’s ice axe when he places it on the summit. As already mentioned, I have ensured that he is fully trained in the use of the Leica thirty-five-millimeter camera so that he can properly record this glorious moment for us to present to the world. What a photograph that will be.”

“Yes,” Himmler responded as if slowly tasting every word of Pfeiffer’s explanation. He fixed his stare once again on Josef. “If we meet again, you will be the man who first climbed Mount Everest, a German hero. No longer the traitor and criminal you are today. That’s quite a thought, wouldn’t you say?”

Josef said nothing in reply as Himmler reached back inside his jacket to retrieve his fountain pen. Taking the operation file, he wrote something across the back of a piece of paper. Folding it, he passed it to Pfeiffer.

The younger SS officer read the note while Himmler got up from the table and left, saying nothing more. Pfeiffer carefully put the piece of paper into a pocket, refolded the two flags, and, with a forced smile, said, “Good. Becker, do you have any questions?”

“Yes, only one.”

“Tell me.”

“What is ‘Sisyphus’?”

“Not what, Becker, but who. Sisyphus is a character from Greek mythology. You would do well to read about him before you set off. You will soon understand why it is such an appropriate code name for this operation.”