Armageddon_ A Novel of Berlin - Leon Uris [21]
Graf Ludwig Von Romstein, like many Germans, was bitter and disillusioned by the Versailles Treaty. His “class” had little faith in the strength of the Weimar Republic. His district, like most of Germany, was not self-sustaining in food and had to manufacture to live. The depression, inflation, lack of food and restrictions of the Versailles Treaty wreaked havoc in the district and gave rise to a strong Communist Party.
Graf Ludwig Von Romstein gambled with the Nazis. The younger brother, Kurt, was made an active Nazi. We are certain that it was at the Count’s insistence as “family” duty.
With Hitler’s ascent and the rearmament, the Romstein Machine Works was one of the first to profit by huge contracts. New economic prosperity, laid directly to the Count nuzzling the Nazis, and with the Count’s own brother as Nazi Gauleiter, the Rombaden/Romstein area turned into a fanatical Nazi stronghold equal in fervor to Munich, Nuremberg and the Eastern German States.
Since World War II the Machine Works as well as the smaller factories have been converted to making war material. The area has been heavily bombed in recent months.
Sean’s doubts deepened as he dug more deeply into the tormented history of civil and religious wars, of blood orgies, of paganism and tribalism. Of the pride of barons and princes. Of a story of double dealings, alliances, back stabbings too complex to follow. Of the homosexuality and perversion of the Nazis. Of a deep-set brutality never known by man before. Of Hinterseer, the mystic poet. Of the mystic philosophers. Of singers and musicians and writers and men of science. Intellectuals and barbarians. Brutes and scholars. Love and murder.
Sean O’Sullivan wondered, as General Hansen wondered, if any manner of man could bring sanity to a land that had never known it. What power, earthly or otherwise, could make the wonderment of an idea find its way through this lacework of muck and beauty?
Chapter Ten
FOR THE NEXT MONTH Sean and Dante Arosa plunged into the records and backgrounds of nearly four thousand officers at the Military Government Training Center at the Hore-Belisha Barracks at Shrivenham. They weeded, weighed and then were ready to select the Pilot Team.
Dante Arosa returned to Queen Mother’s Gate to assemble all the intelligence data on Rombaden while Sean stayed at Shrivenham to conduct the interviews for candidates.
Lieutenant Shenandoah Blessing entered Sean’s office. He was an immense man who walked with the peculiar gracefulness that some fat people develop from constantly fighting for their balance. In the first handshake, Sean detected both the deceptive quickness and the power of the man.
“You were sheriff of Hook County, Tennessee, for nine years?”
A voice filled with folksy sweetness emerged from Blessing’s moon face. He answered in the affirmative.
“And you went through a dozen special courses at F.B.L training schools ...”
Blessing modestly admitted to his credentials. There were a few more formal questions, but Sean had known all along that Blessing would be his man. Hook County was similar in size and population to Rombaden/Romstein. Hook County was rough territory with difficult police problems. Despite Blessing’s guise at modesty he had a known reputation for progressive law enforcement and his record was filled with innumerable examples of personal courage and ingenuity.
“The police problem in Rombaden is going to be particularly difficult because we haven’t enough whitelisted Germans to direct traffic. It’s Nazi top to bottom.”
“How many boys am I going to be able to take in with me?”
“I think I can get you