The fact that Hess and Nazi Germany might down the road become an adversary of Franklin D. Roosevelt – the very relative of the man that had changed Hess’s life – made the upcoming war more than a conflict of rifles, tanks, howitzers, or Spitfires. It was a battle of spiritual and supernatural superiority as well. For besides military might, the battles Hess considered were on whose civilization could best interpret – and use – the unseen energies of the universe.
The calculations Hess had verified were disturbing. The very numbers, patterns, and descriptions he had worked on now in 1941 matched the interpretations Karl Ernst Krafft published in 1933, when Hitler became Reich Chancellor and President, allowing the Nazi party to hold complete power.
In 1933, based on Hitler’s horoscope, Krafft had predicted a war would start in the fall of 1939, and if peace were not made with England by the summer of 1941, the tide would begin to turn against Germany. Krafft also predicted the war would end in the spring of 1945, however did not say who would be victorious. (Author’s Note: Actual predictions of Karl Krafft, 1933).
“Are you of the same opinion?” Hess asked after pulling up the landing gear.
The man nodded his head in agreement. “Based on my chart of the Führer, the chart of the party, and even the horoscope of the Republic of 1918, everything points to June 1941. The best time to make peace and prevent the tide turning against Germany would be May 10th 1941.”
If Herr Krafft is indeed correct, then we only have a few months. Hess thought to himself imaging May 10th in his mental calendar.
The powerful spirits of nature once again appeared to push through the wall of time in order to enforce its will on the human race.
Zeitgeist.
Hess believed in this “time spirit” and it seemed this date was indeed a turning point in other points of German history as well. And he was the only one in the Nazi party who knew it.
One of the engines began to sputter violently, which shook the entire plane. It was as if even his Messerschmitt confirmed the date as a focal point in German history.
Instinctively Hess cut the gas and let the engine grind to a stop, the violent vibrations soon died as well.
“I’ll see if we can make it to Würzburg.”
“Come, more drinks!” The Governor General said while walking up the stairs and glancing back for one more look of the Polish “models”.
“Good idea!” Said Arno, while putting on a pair of pants. “It’s perhaps a good time for a breath of fresh air.”
“Ah, you’ll get a breath of fresh air, and much more, when you get a look at Herr Krafft’s lovely Elaine. She’s sure to inspire you for some really great works!”
Again, Krafft was troubled by the Governor General’s reference to Elaine. His tone made it appear that Dr. Frank felt he could do whatever he wanted with Elaine. Did the rulers of the Reich feel they could treat German women as they did the Polish ones in the basement?
“I was actually in Whitehall once. I believe it was in early April – no, May, that’s right, early May. As a civilian, of course, and must say it was rather easy to enter…”
Captain Payne had his eyes shut, was praying for sleep, which Schellenberg and his staff were skillfully preventing.
“…and then Fleming told me I ought to worry more about the Russians! Ha! Can you believe that? Of course, I heard he was in Moscow once pretending to be working for Reuters. Did you hear about that? How did he manage to escape? Did he ever tell you?”
Even though nearly every ounce of energy was drained from his body, Payne still managed to hear and understand everything his Gestapo jailer was saying – which was a lot. Schellenberg was beginning to demoralize Best Payne, for it appeared he seemed to know everything about British Intelligence. The Nazi spoke of the staff, the procedures, and an awful lot about the man Payne reported to – Commander Ian Fleming.
“Did I ever tell you the story of how your commander and I almost smashed up an entire group of hooligans and the Polish police when we were both…?”
Payne thought he had received some of the best military training in the British armed services; however, nothing had ever prepared him for sleep deprivation. His concept of time was totally gone. He not only had no idea of what day, month, or year it was – he had no feeling as to how much time had passed since his capture.
“…and then he grabbed the fish bowl from my hands and held it over his head and shouted if they ever did that again he would…!”
Some of what Shellenberg mentioned Payne recognized to be sensitive information. Some of the personal stories, even the ones sounding ridiculous, had the Welsh Captain wonder how found these found their way into Germans hands.
Were the stories true, or lies? If this process was designed to demoralize him, then they were doing a good job… he was on the brink of despair.
“Would you like to go back to London, Captain?”
Payne could not believe his ears. He wanted to answer, but at the same time knew that saying anything – not matter what – would give something to the Gestapo they could use against him. He remained silent.
“Captain? Best?”
Payne’s eyes remained shut. He remained silent.
Shellenberg grabbed Payne’s face in both hand and gave a violent shake. When it was seen that Payne was still conscious, he stopped shaking, but still held Payne’s face, turning it towards the light.
“Captain Payne? Are you still with us?”
Payne could hear snickering of several people behind him.
“Come now Captain, we want to talk about you going back to London. You don’t feel like doing so?”
More snickering could be heard behind his back.
“You mean, you would rather stay here, with us, than go to your London-town?”
The snickering now broke into laughter.
“Well, isn’t that nice?” Shellenberg intensified his tone of sarcasm. “He would rather stay with us… unfortunately…”
Payne let out a sigh of exhaustion, as if instinctively knowing the worst was yet to come.
“…unfortunately, we have no more time to play with you.”
Payne felt a stinging in his arm.
“You will have to be sent to a place where they will not be as friendly and understanding as we are here.”
Captain Best Payne could feel the drug taking effect, seeming to freeze his extremities.
“Good-bye, Captain Payne.”
Count von Hoogerwerd had never wanted to meet Hitler in person – he considered the German leader insane. However, at this point in time to continue operating in Germany a deal with the Nazis had to be agreed up – and quickly. The nature of meeting required a face to face, since nothing dared be put in writing. Neither had a middleman that could be trusted with so much trust, understanding and money at stake.
The Count first heard of Adolf Hitler after his February 24, 1920 speech in Munich, one of his first audiences numbering in the thousands instead of the hundred or so that would pack into the earlier beer halls. What caught the Count’s eye was Hitler’s presentation of his “25 Points of the German Worker’s Party” and point 13 in particular: “We demand the nationalization of all trusts.”
If Hitler succeed, and von Hoogerwerd were to ‘manage’ this nationalization process with the Nazis, then Hoogerwerd could control all of the money in Germany via the Nazi party… and later use the resources from this to control whatever was conquered. His family had already done so in four other European countries since the turn of the century.