The Valhalla Exchange

'Naturally,' Ritter said. 'I'm at the Reichsleiter's orders.' The slight, sardonic smile that touched his mouth had an edge of contempt to it. 'Was there anything else?'

Rattenhuber felt in some curious way as if he was being dismissed. 'No,' he said hurriedly. 'I'll look for you here.'

An SS orderly entered the room, gazed around quickly, then bore down on them. He clicked his heels and offered a signal to Rattenhuber. Rattenhuber read it, his face broke into a delighted smile and he waved the orderly away.

'Excellent news. The Fieseler Storch in which Feldmarschall von Greim and Hannah Reitsch flew into Berlin on the 26th was destroyed this morning by artillery fire.'

'So, the Feldmarschall is also a permanent guest here?' Ritter said. 'Bad luck.'

'No, he got away this evening in a replacement plane, an Arado trainer piloted by Hannah Reitsch after she'd made two unsuccessful attempts. They took off near the Brandenburger Tor.' He stood up. 'You must excuse me. The Reichsleiter has been waiting for such news and the Fuhrer also.' He went out.

Hoffer said, 'But what does he want you for?'

'I expect I'll find that out when he sees me,' Ritter said. He nodded at the chessboard. 'And now, if you don't mind, it's your move.'

* * *

Just before midnight, Walter Wagner, a city councillor and minor official of the Propaganda Ministry, was hustled into the bunker under armed guard. Totally bewildered and still not quite believing what was happening to him, at approximately one o'clock in the morning he married Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. The only other two people present were the witnesses, Martin Bormann and Josef Goebbels, Reich Minister for Propaganda.

A wedding breakfast was served immediately afterwards at which champagne was available in copious quantities. At approximately two o'clock, the Fuhrer went into an adjoining room to dictate his will and final political testament to one of his two secretaries, Frau Junge. Bormann, who had been waiting for an appropriate moment, seized his chance and left also.

Rattenhuber was waiting for him in the corridor. 'And now we've got that out of the way, I'll see Ritter,' the Reichsleiter said. 'Bring him to me, Willi.'

* * *

When Rattenhuber ushered Ritter into the office, there was a particularly intensive bombardment taking place. The Reichsleiter looked up as smoke and dust drifted from the ventilator. 'If that hadn't been happening for some days now, I'd be alarmed.'

'Not pleasant,' Ritter said.

'No place to be at the moment — Berlin — if it can be avoided.'

Rattenhuber took up his position beside the door. There was a long silence during which Bormann gazed up at the young SS officer calmly. Finally he said, 'You would like to leave Berlin, Sturmbannfuhrer?'

Ritter actually smiled. 'I think you may say that I would dearly love to, Reichsleiter, but I would not have thought it a possibility now.'

'Oh, all things are possible to men who are willing to dare anything. I had formed the opinion that you were of that breed. Am I right?'

'If you say so.'

'Good, we must see if we can accommodate you then. This man of yours — Hoffer. He is to be trusted?'

'With my life — yes,' Ritter said. 'I would not depend too much on his loyalty to any political idea, however — not at this stage.'

'In other words, a man of sound sense and judgement. I like that.' Bormann turned the map which lay before him. 'You know this area here, north-west of Innsbruck on the Inn River?'

'I know where it is,' Ritter said. 'Let's put it that way. My unit was in that general area when I left. Perhaps fifty miles away.'

'Not now,' Bormann said. 'What was left of them was wiped out by tanks of the American 6th Army Group a hundred miles or more from there yesterday morning.'

For a moment his voice seemed to fade for Ritter as he thought of the regiment, old comrades, Colonel Jager. He come back to reality to hear Bormann saying, 'I'm sorry — a bad shock for you.'

'No matter,' Ritter said. 'An old and tired story, repeated many times. Please continue.'

'Very well. This entire area, the triangle between Innsbruck, Salzburg and Klagenfurt, is still in our hands, but the situation is very fluid. The enemy are probing in with great care because they believe the stories they've heard of an Alpine fortress where we can hold out for years. Once they appreciate the truth of the situation, they'll be through to Berchtesgaden like a hot knife into butter.'

'And this could happen at any time?'

'Undoubtedly. So, to accomplish what I seek we must move fast.'

'And what would that be, Reichsleiter?'

Bormann picked up a pencil and drew a circle around Arlberg. 'Here at Schloss Arlberg on the Inn, you will find five important prisoners. What we call prominenti. One of them is the American general, Canning. Who the others are needn't concern you at the moment. It's enough to know that they are all people held in special regard by the individual nations. You can read the files later.'

'A moment,' Ritter said. 'You speak as if you expect me to go there in person. As if it is an accomplished fact. But this would first mean leaving Berlin.'

'Naturally.'

'But how can this be?'

'You may have heard that the Fieseler Storch in which Feldmarschall von Greim and Hannah Reitsch flew into Berlin was destroyed yesterday.'

'Yes, I know that. They flew out last night in a replacement, an Arado training plane.' And then, with a sudden flash of insight, Ritter saw it all. 'Ah, I see now. The Fieseler Storch — '

' — Is in a garage at the back of an automobile showroom just off the main avenue near Brandenburger Tor. I'll give you the address before you leave. You will fly out tonight, or probably just after midnight tomorrow, the best time to evade the Russian anti-aircraft. About ten miles from Arlberg, here at Arnheim, there's an airstrip. Used for mountain rescue operations before the war. No one there now. You should arrive by breakfast time.'

'Then what?'

'You'll find transport. It's all arranged. Even my enemies admit I'm an organizer.' Bormann smiled. 'You will proceed from there to Arlberg where you will take charge of the five prisoners I have mentioned and bring them back to Arnheim with you. They'll be picked up from there by transport plane later in the day. Any questions?'

'Several. The purpose of this operation?'

'The prisoners, you mean?' Bormann waved a hand. 'Put out of your mind any wild rumours you may have heard about the execution of prominent persons. I abhor waste. Major, believe me. These people will be useful bargaining counters when we reach the situation of having to sit down and discuss peace terms with our enemies.'

'Hostages might be a better word.'

'If you like.'

'All right,' Ritter said. 'But what about the situation at the castle? Who's in charge?'

'Soldiers of the Wehrmacht, but only just. A Colonel Hesser — a good man, but crippled — and nineteen or twenty old men. Reservists. Nothing to worry about.'

'And I'll have a piece of paper, I suppose, ordering him to hand them over?'

'Signed by the Fuhrer himself.'

'What if he refuses — not that I'm trying to be difficult, you understand. It's just that after six years of service I've got accustomed to the fact that in war anything can happen, especially when one expects the opposite. I like to take care of all eventualities.'

'And so you shall.' Bormann indicated the map again, tapping with his pencil. 'At this very moment no more than ten miles west of Arnheim you'll find an SS unit or what's left of it. Thirty or forty men according to my information.'

'These days, as the Reichsleiter knows, the term SS can cover a multitude of sins. Are they Germans?'