of Russia last year and...well, we have run up against unexpected resistance."
"Yes," Weyrauch agreed, "unexpected resistance." Repeating what he was told seemed a safe way to participate in the conversation.
"With the entry of the Americans into the conflict and the refusal of the British to listen to reason, we have had to explore other avenues of offensive warfare. We can no longer rely merely upon the prowess of German arms and the brilliance of the Führerâs strategies."
"Of course, of course," Weyrauch nodded. Louisa fumed silently, following behind the two men as they walked down the subterranean corridor.
"It has long been the Führerâs belief that it is only Churchillâs irrational hatred of Germany that prevents the British from reaching an accommodation with us. If Churchill were to be eliminated, we might not only be able to remove Britain from the list of our enemies, we would also be denying to the Americans an operational base in Europe ." He stopped walking and turned to Weyrauch. "Are you familiar with the English word âlunaticâ?"
"Iâve heard it," Weyrauch replied. "A madman, is it not?"
"The root of the word is âlunaâ, the moon. A lunatic is someone who goes mad when the moon is full. Some people speculate that it has something to do with the gravitational pull of the moon upon fluids in the brain."
"Like the effect upon the tides." Weyrauch suggested.
"Precisely." He resumed walking down the corridor. Weyrauch walked along beside him and Louisa continued to follow. There was sufficient room for her to walk on her cousinâs other side had she so chosen. She chose not to.
"Last month, coincidentally on the last night of the full moon, a number of my troops were sent out to round up some of the Gypsy tribes which infest the forest areas. One squadron did not report back, and so we sent out a search party. We found what you saw in the freezers. All of them killed, ripped to shreds, some apparently partially devoured. Standing in the midst of the carnage were two Gypsies, the two men I am taking you to see. Another Gypsy, one who could speak a human language, was found prowling about the woods nearby, and the officer who made the investigation used him as the translator during the preliminary interrogation. Unfortunately, that Gypsy died soon thereafter, but not before some basic questions were asked and answered. I read the officerâs report... apparently the two Gypsies offered no resistance to the questioning...but their answers were what pricked my curiosity." Schlacht drew up to another large door and stopped. "The younger of the two, hoping perhaps to save his older friend from torture, claimed that it was he and he alone who had killed my men. The older one, probably hoping to save the younger from execution, claimed that his companion was not responsible for his actions because he is a werewolf."
A few moments of silence followed Schlachtâs words, and then Weyrauch laughed despite his ever present undercurrent of nervousness. "Helmuth, thatâs..."
"Yes. I know, itâs absurd. But when our doctors examined him, the younger one, I mean, they found shreds of human flesh embedded in his teeth." He paused, allowing his words to register, and then went on. "I believe it to be quite possible that this man is a lunatic, that when the moon rises he succumbs to a murderous rage so overpowering that it enabled him to kill two dozen of my men without suffering any injury himself. I donât know how and I donât know why. That," he said meaningfully, "is what I want you to find out. "
Weyrauch nodded thoughtfully, not quite knowing how to respond. "Yes, yes, I see. But..."
"You donât really see anything, Gottfried," Schlacht interrupted him, "because you are, as usual, so nervous that you havenât been listening to me or thinking about what Iâve been saying. Consider this: if we can discover the process, the psychological
"Yes," Weyrauch agreed, "unexpected resistance." Repeating what he was told seemed a safe way to participate in the conversation.
"With the entry of the Americans into the conflict and the refusal of the British to listen to reason, we have had to explore other avenues of offensive warfare. We can no longer rely merely upon the prowess of German arms and the brilliance of the Führerâs strategies."
"Of course, of course," Weyrauch nodded. Louisa fumed silently, following behind the two men as they walked down the subterranean corridor.
"It has long been the Führerâs belief that it is only Churchillâs irrational hatred of Germany that prevents the British from reaching an accommodation with us. If Churchill were to be eliminated, we might not only be able to remove Britain from the list of our enemies, we would also be denying to the Americans an operational base in Europe ." He stopped walking and turned to Weyrauch. "Are you familiar with the English word âlunaticâ?"
"Iâve heard it," Weyrauch replied. "A madman, is it not?"
"The root of the word is âlunaâ, the moon. A lunatic is someone who goes mad when the moon is full. Some people speculate that it has something to do with the gravitational pull of the moon upon fluids in the brain."
"Like the effect upon the tides." Weyrauch suggested.
"Precisely." He resumed walking down the corridor. Weyrauch walked along beside him and Louisa continued to follow. There was sufficient room for her to walk on her cousinâs other side had she so chosen. She chose not to.
"Last month, coincidentally on the last night of the full moon, a number of my troops were sent out to round up some of the Gypsy tribes which infest the forest areas. One squadron did not report back, and so we sent out a search party. We found what you saw in the freezers. All of them killed, ripped to shreds, some apparently partially devoured. Standing in the midst of the carnage were two Gypsies, the two men I am taking you to see. Another Gypsy, one who could speak a human language, was found prowling about the woods nearby, and the officer who made the investigation used him as the translator during the preliminary interrogation. Unfortunately, that Gypsy died soon thereafter, but not before some basic questions were asked and answered. I read the officerâs report... apparently the two Gypsies offered no resistance to the questioning...but their answers were what pricked my curiosity." Schlacht drew up to another large door and stopped. "The younger of the two, hoping perhaps to save his older friend from torture, claimed that it was he and he alone who had killed my men. The older one, probably hoping to save the younger from execution, claimed that his companion was not responsible for his actions because he is a werewolf."
A few moments of silence followed Schlachtâs words, and then Weyrauch laughed despite his ever present undercurrent of nervousness. "Helmuth, thatâs..."
"Yes. I know, itâs absurd. But when our doctors examined him, the younger one, I mean, they found shreds of human flesh embedded in his teeth." He paused, allowing his words to register, and then went on. "I believe it to be quite possible that this man is a lunatic, that when the moon rises he succumbs to a murderous rage so overpowering that it enabled him to kill two dozen of my men without suffering any injury himself. I donât know how and I donât know why. That," he said meaningfully, "is what I want you to find out. "
Weyrauch nodded thoughtfully, not quite knowing how to respond. "Yes, yes, I see. But..."
"You donât really see anything, Gottfried," Schlacht interrupted him, "because you are, as usual, so nervous that you havenât been listening to me or thinking about what Iâve been saying. Consider this: if we can discover the process, the psychological
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