The Shadowboxer by Noel; Behn Page B

penetrate Gestapo headquarters, to deal with explosives, to devise communications. Another proof of this intelligence is the fact that not only has Spangler not been caught after all these years, he hasn’t even been identified .”
    â€œDoesn’t it seem odd that after all this time you should suddenly be inundated with information? Doesn’t it appear somewhat coincidental that with the capture of one prisoner at Gusen you are able to solve Spangler’s communications systems, cross-reference them to link Spangler with several of his aliases, find messages indicating the pending escape of Hilka Tolan? Doesn’t it seem curious that Spangler should attempt to contact Hilka Tolan through the open concentration-camp smuggling circuits—circuits he knows are watched by security guards? And what of that mysterious phone call in Frankfurt? Who was that unknown informant who led you to the apartment where you found the black book verifying the names in the dossier?”
    Von Schleiben scowled and pinched his neck. “If we follow your logic,” he finally began, “Spangler must have anticipated our locating you so that the dates could be established.”
    â€œIf you will excuse me, Herr Obergruppenfuehrer, might it not be possible that you have reversed the order of events? Might it not be conceivable that Spangler had expected your men to uncover his various aliases and to interpret the Chronology long before now? Couldn’t it be possible that when this didn’t occur, he helped by allowing his messages to be intercepted and by planting the list in Frankfurt?”
    â€œWhy would he go to such lengths to have himself caught?”
    â€œPerhaps to make it more exciting, Herr Obergruppenfuehrer. Perhaps to end it all. When intellect dominates psychopathic urges we are never sure of the ultimate motivation. Neither is Spangler. Perhaps that is what he is searching for.”
    â€œWhat other dominant characteristics are evident to you?”
    â€œLoyalty to friends, Herr Obergruppenfuehrer. I doubt if Spangler is close to many people, but when he is, he is savagely loyal. We see this when he penetrates a Gestapo prison in an attempt to save Tramont.”
    â€œWhat else?”
    Tebet gripped the railing and leaned slightly forward. “The Chronology indicates something quite intriguing, Herr Obergruppenfuehrer. As we have seen before, the seventeenth and the twenty-sixth of the eight–seventeen–twenty-six pattern add up to eight. Eight is Spangler’s dominant safe number. But eight also has another possible interpretation. If we take the figure 8 rather than the number eight, we find it is composed of two zeros placed one on top of the other. The double zero set in this order was once the symbol of a medieval cult of Satan worshipers. Add to this the fact that the first three prisoners Spangler ever freed were Catholic priests, and we have a most intriguing situation: Spangler the black ritualist coming to save three priests on the traditional days of Satan worship and blood sacrifice. Throughout the Chronology we see that the eights, the devil days meant for death, are the only days on which Spangler will not kill.”
    â€œWhat do you interpret this to mean?”
    â€œI am not certain, Herr Obergruppenfuehrer. Perhaps he has confused salvation with destruction.” Tebet replied with a trace of glee.

5
    Von Schleiben was exasperated. To begin with, there was no one to whom he could report the theft except himself. As director of the Council for Extreme Security, the Reichssicherheitshauptamt, better known as R. S. H. A., he was as much the German police force as anyone in Germany. Not that the loss was important. It was only a clothing locker, but it had been built to the General’s personal specifications in Finland less than half a year before. It was made of a lightweight burnished metal and had the uncommon dimensions of two and three-quarter