Franz popped in first thing to check on me. Klaus had kindly brought coffee up at my early request this morning. I had gone to make my own, only to be once again caught red-handed and sent back to my room.
When Franz entered, I was at the window admiring the beauty of the snow covering everything, grateful we were not in it. "How's the head this morning?" he inquired. I waved toward the coffee, anticipating the visit. I had requested Klaus to bring two cups and an entire pot.
"On my neck, last time I surveyed the mirror," I said in jest, but the 'Doctor' did not find humor in it.
Instead of coffee, he turned around, stuck his face in mine, stared at my pupils, asked questions that brought a series of nods, and then stood back. "Coffee?" I asked, indicating the tray again. Moving into the little boudoir sitting area, I took a chair for the next round.
"Well, I would suggest a run to clear your head," he gestured out the window.
"No run today, perhaps tomorrow. Klaus mentioned hooking up the oxen to drag the grounds and road. I neither agreed nor declined, so he is probably already doing it." That got a laugh. Fritzy sat down opposite, poured his coffee, and began an annoying game of staring, sipping coffee, and staring.
"Spit it out," I said. Fritzy sat there stubbornly repeating this process until the coffee cup sat empty beside him.
"There is a woman, no, just wait," he put his hand up to stop the words already forming on my lips. "There is a woman who sees things, different things. I want to take you to her. She is on the way to Innsbruck. We will need to go there anyway."
I leaned forward, looking at him like, well, like he was an idiot. "A clairvoyant? You want to take me to a clairvoyant?" I poured more coffee and stared out the window. The idea intrigued me if I was honest with myself. Perhaps there needed to be another approach to these episodes. Medicine indeed lent no clues to the cause of the strange headaches, not to say anything of the dreams. He sat patiently as a hunter, waiting for his prey to enter the open field while the minutes dragged on. "Part of me wants to tell you where to go. However, Mother always believed. She told me a story of a lady once who spoke truths no one could know but God."
The coffee finished; Fritzy was still sitting silently waiting. I relented. We would go when the roads cleared enough to make it to Innsbruck. A knock came. "Come," Elsa entered.
"Herr Rieser, will you take breakfast in your room?" she asked demurely.
"We will be down shortly, Elsa. Thank you." Away she went. I left Franz to go to the lavatory. When I emerged, he was still sitting in the same chair, looking out the window. I dressed. He rose without a word. We went downstairs to breakfast with Henry. If any doubt remained in my head, Franz's lack of appetite brought it home. I could not shake the feeling this all came back to Amalia’s death somehow.
Henry, however, had no such problems with his appetite. The Kaiserschmarrn, a pancake-like creation filled with rum-soaked raisins, took a brutal hit. As always, he could not express enough appreciation for Greta's cooking abilities. After breakfast, he excused himself to check on the silent guest. He had decided to risk retrieving the new suitcase. I went to the study, immediately assuming my habit of stoking the fire. Then I brought out the folder with stacks of papers. When Henry returned, we would be ready to start anywhere he chose.
I retrieved the suitcase Henry brought on his previous visit. I sat it next to the desk in anticipation. "Do you remember Morse code?" I asked Fritzy while we waited for Henry. "I wouldn't put my life up against what I remember." I tossed him a book entitled The International Morse Code Instructions. We received the manual when they moved me to intelligence during my short service in the war. Being a kid, learning it was fun. The practical application under duress was not. However, it stuck partly because of the danger we were in at the time. Fritzy started as a Korporal EF or Corporal one-year volunteer in the war.
The position was short-lived, though. A Major, a surgeon, grabbed him to assist. Fritzy was there, bringing a gravely wounded Cadet in. The doctor mistook his ministrations for the young Cadet as medical skills. Franz tried to explain his lack of qualifications as the doctor prepared to operate. Exhausted, understaffed, and frighteningly short of supplies, the doctor insisted he remain and follow instructions. As it turned out, Fritzy came pre-installed with some knowledge he had never realized. The doctor, dumbfounded by his ability to anticipate his every need and understand anatomy in a way only a veteran surgeon could, made him his personal Lieutenant or assistant medical doctor. Fritzy spent our sixteen months in the army, literally up to his elbows, in the blood of our compatriots.
At the beginning of November 1918, Franz was ordered to Switzerland. Our fathers pulled him away just before the treaty went into effect. From there, he went straight to Strasbourg, France, to the university, where he eventually decided to study formally to become a surgeon. Any use he may have ever had for Morse code was left long before in the bloody earth that was once the glorious Austrian-Hungarian empire. "With a little practical application, I am certain I will pick it up," Franz said, thumbing through the small booklet.
"Pick what up, old man?" Henry asked as he stepped in, carrying two suitcases. He seemed a little short of breath. He set the cases down and shook his arms out a bit. "I certainly hope they can improve on the weight of these in time," he said, indicating them both.
"Two?" I inquired.
"Yes, this one," he indicated, a brown suitcase, "is the prototype radio. The other case contains additional items for both this unit and the one I brought previously. Our team made a few improvements while I was away," Henry explained.
"Just how heavy are these?" Franz asked, coming over to grab a case.
"Around 15 kilograms with the extras, maybe a little more," Henry answered.
"Anyone carrying these any distance will need to be in strong physical form," Franz said, lifting it above his head and setting it down.
"Planning on a triathlon with it, are you?" I asked.
"Whoever is using the unit may need to place it in a luggage rack, or perhaps hide it in a cupboard or compartment," Franz answered.
"Very astute, Franz. Those exact scenarios were part of the design. Another reason the suitcase concept works so well."
"I believe the question now, Henry, is where would you like to begin?" I asked. Henry picked up the cases and brought them around by the other, stacking them against the wall opposite the desk, then picking up the unit by the desk and moving it with the others.
"The reasonable choice would be to cover the intelligence you have gathered. As the group will grow in the next several days, it would seem prudent to wait until all of you are here to train. Besides, looking around, I believe we will have a full agenda just bringing me up to speed," Henry came around, staring at the wall of information.
"Then how far back would you like me to go in the timeline?" I asked.
Henry raised an eyebrow and asked, "The Dollfuss assassination was the beginning, or am I mistaken?" Franz and I both laughed and shook our heads.
Franz went to the analysis on the wall, grabbing a stick from the kindling box. I had to stifle a laugh as his demeanor changed into that of a professor about to lecture. "Here, all the evidence points to Austria being in the Führer's plan since his time in prison. When Father Ignaz Seipel became Chancellor in 1922 with the Christian socials, he was already taking notice of Nazi infiltration in his first administration. In his second administration, the presence had escalated dramatically. There is hard evidence Adolf began strategically placing pawns on the board during that time. Assassinations took place, with hand-chosen replacements leveraged into the open position, always party members. As the financial system once again collapsed, you see the demonstrations and riots spurred by the Nazi socialist party blaming Seipel for all wrongs. However, Seipel had no part in the collapse. The Nazi party played a heavy role, though. Here we see the civil unrest of 1927 when the socialists came against the Christian socialists, burning the Palace of Justice." While Franz spoke, he pointed at events linked to Nazi organizations. Henry looked appalled; he turned, stunned, looking for the nearest chair. As he sat, he looked back at the wall, shaking his head.
Franz hesitated, allowing Henry time to absorb the weight of the implications. "The Treaty of St. Germain laid Austria at his feet, but it was too weak to take without the support of Austria herself, or the men and might to make such a blatant play. Austria, in her current state, would leave him and his supporters vulnerable, weak. He had the working class to support his takeover of Germany. It was essential to take Germany first, for her manpower, but more for her resources. We never even suspected." Henry's face became stern, his eyes angry as Franz spoke that horrible truth.
The day stretched into the evening. Elsa had served the midday meal in the study. Henry spent much of the time appalled by the sheer magnitude of the plot. He was equally frustrated by the complete disregard the Allies had for Austria’s twenty-year struggle after they had played their part in bootstrapping the economy and military. Granted, the covert organization Henry was now working for understood much of what was happening. However, through SS informants, they were under the impression that Austria bore the full brunt of her own troubles. Austria willingly allied with Germany to prop herself up. The allies missed the truth, never seeing the deal with the devil Austria’s Chancellor had to strike for the country's survival. The propaganda machine would have the allies believe everything from Austria reinstalling the Monarchy to attacking Hungary or the Czechs to reclaim their lost lands.
Little did they realize much of the propaganda was true. Germany was, in fact, planning to attack both countries once they had Austria under German control. Austria’s covert plans were based solely on fighting to maintain independence from the Nazi machine attempting to subvert her. Henry had taken advantage of the need to remove the Eigners to do a little investigating for his organization. Initially, the idea was to take the pulse of the current unrest in Vienna while staying connected with me. After the initial visit, he returned with more information than anyone else. Therefore, they approved more equipment and Carte Blanche for his travel. Upon his return, Henry intended to retrieve the elder Eigners, remove them safely to England, and make plans from there. The day's revelations brought an urgency to him that he could not explain. If little Adolf went to all this trouble to take Austria. The games his agents were playing with Britain would be even more elaborate. He needed time to think. He needed a plan.
Supper time arrived, and by mutual agreement, we stepped away from our work. Each of us freshened up and entered the dining hall. All enjoyed the quiet. Dessert came and went with barely a word uttered beyond thank you and compliments destined for Greta. Klaus relayed that Henry’s guest had departed as soon as he cleared the road.
“Gentleman, may we retire to the library? Perhaps a game of chess?” Henry asked.
“Brilliant idea; I believe we all need some time for digestion,” Franz agreed. To my surprise, I too found relief in the suggestion. Our discoveries and previous revelations were an enormous amount to unravel. The urgency to have everything in place with Henry arriving here propelled me forward. With the worst of it out, stepping back was a welcome respite.
Aware of Franz and Henry’s competitive streak, I left the chess board to them. Taking up the Fall of Troy copy again, I positioned myself to observe the game and read passages in the interims. The first round went to Franz rather quickly, considering. During the second round, Henry began vocalizing summaries and then bringing questions. “Jim, in your opinion, what do you think Schuschnigg’s biggest obstacle is right now? Aside from an army of Nazis,” Henry said without jest.
I considered his question carefully. The answer was a simple one. “The Juliabkommen, July Agreement,” I said.
Franz, nodding, added his agreement, elaborating, “If not for that ridiculous piece of paper, I believe he would act. Possibly even violating the treaty of St. Germain, although not blatantly. The Chancellor does have storm squads still organized to add to the standing army of 30,000. Certainly not enough to hold them back, but enough to make the allies notice the fight.” Quiet fell again as Henry considered his move.
“Exactly what in the agreement is stopping him, in your opinion?” Henry asked. I rose to retrieve a copy from the study. Franz drew Henry’s attention away with his move.
As I returned to the room, I read aloud from the agreement. “The Austrian Federal Government will constantly follow in its policy in general, and in particular towards Germany, a line in conformity with leading principles corresponding to the fact that Austria regards herself as a German State.” I hesitated before continuing to allow him to absorb the words. “It is, in essence, a veiled threat. If Austria steps out of line against Germany or her people, Adolf gains his means of stepping in. Schuschnigg puts it best, ‘if no offense is given, none can be taken.’ Therefore, he bends like a willow in the wind, hoping to save Austria.”
“As you saw earlier, it is not without resistance. The Chancellor has never stopped seeking help, alliances, and sovereignty. If the Switzerland Agreement had remained free of Nazi interference, we would be in the same safe harbor as Lichtenstein.” Franz finished, pointing at the board. Indicating to Henry that it was still his move.
A long silence followed. I exchanged the copy of the July Agreement for my book; Franz already had the game solution. I had been his opponent long enough to see it in his body language. Bored in earnest would be my best description. Henry made his move after long consideration. Franz immediately pounced and left Henry trying to work out how checkmate had happened. “Trust me, Henry, you are in the good company of a long line of losses and surrenders.” I tried to console him.
“You too?” Henry inquired.
“No, not often, but we have had countless games together. However, other challengers often do lose to him, and quickly,” I assured him.
Henry rose, shaking his head, following Franz to the dry bar. “Although it is probably folly, I insist on another game,” Henry said as he accepted his glass from Franz. “At home, I am considered quite good, just for the record,” Henry stated, nonplussed.
Franz just laughed and returned to the board, handing me a glass on his way by. “My father blames it on my gift to see my opponents move to the game's end. Except for Sandy, for some reason, his are rarely clear to the end,” Franz said, motioning for Henry to take the first move.
“Jim, what is your assessment of Austria’s position? Without prejudice, of course,” Henry asked, taking his time.
I set the book aside, “With the information we have, there are few options. Suppose we choose to take the road of confrontation. We could rally under the ‘till death, red, white, red’ banner. Bringing the storm squads, military, and all the Christian social party together in a unified attempt to retake the country.” I stood and made my way to the window as I finished my thoughts. “The cost in human lives would be utter. The Nazi troop and equipment concentrations on the border are telling. If they caught wind of our intentions, which is a foregone conclusion with their infiltration level, the movement would likely never gather enough troops or munitions to make a stand before Hitler crushed us.” I paused to gather my thoughts. The cost in human lives was a ghostly reminder of the war we had already played our part in as young men. In truth, we were little more than children. “The ability to sustain enough resistance to catch the attention of England, France, or the Americans is unlikely. Therefore, the cost is too high for return on the investment.”
“Agreed,” Franz said.
“From a diplomatic standpoint, the solution is to root out all the government positions. Most are appointed; it is well within the Chancellor's power to do so. Even minor positions, clerks, assistants, and so forth are at his discretion. Reinforce the ban on public displays of socialism, specifically Nazism, including donning any party paraphernalia. The uniform is first and foremost. Rally all the monarchists, Conservative Social Democrats, and the other fractious parties who abhor the Nazi machine under the banner of unite or drown in Nazism. Install those we know are against the Hitler regime and begin reclaiming the country from the inside out. Again, with the troops gathered on the border, it is exactly the offense Adolf is waiting for and Schuschnigg is shying from.”
“The last is, I believe, the best choice currently. Accept that we will lose Austria, hopefully only briefly. Continue to undermine anything and everything possible from behind the scenes. Infiltrate whenever possible and continue gathering information and evidence. Have plans in place to disrupt their operations wherever and whenever possible. Continue to seek an alliance with others who wish to undermine the German regime.
Most importantly, get people out. We must continue transporting anyone immediately in danger of assassination or work camps. So basically, every person of Hebrew descent. Every person openly speaking against the Reich, and anyone known to belong to, sympathize, or associate with monarchists or the Christian socialist party. Last, the Chancellor, they will do everything possible to eliminate him once they take the country. We must, above all, have a plan to get him out.” I leaned my forehead against the window as I said the last words. The cold glass reflects the feeling in my soul. A feeling that grew and persisted. Hopelessness? No, it was the feeling of the ocean. The feeling when a wave hits you unexpectedly and pushes you underwater against your will.