Armageddon_ A Novel of Berlin - Leon Uris [216]
“Find another pigeon.”
“Listen, dammit. Hollweg resigned as mayor and Falkenstein was named in his place. The Russians never knew what hit them.”
“You’re kidding ...”
“We’ve got to make this stick. Your pal Trepovitch is screaming for an emergency meeting of the Kommandatura. You’ve got to go in for us.”
“Hold on.”
Both of them could hear him talking to Claire Hazzard. We’ve got to go back, he was saying. No I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again.
“General, if we get a plane this evening we should be in Berlin by midnight.”
“I’ll dispatch mine right away,” Hansen said.
When the call was over Hansen said to Sean, “I wonder if Senator Blanchard thinks a shiftless clod like Neal Hazzard really earns his eight thousand bucks a year?”
“Veto! Veto!” Nikolai Trepovitch said darkly. “We veto the resignation of Berthold Hollweg. He must continue to serve in office. Therefore, the election of Ulrich Falkenstein is illegal ... and we veto that too.”
Hazzard, the chairman of the month, recognized T. E. Blatty.
“I say, General Trepovitch, you can’t veto Hollweg’s resignation. It is clearly permitted under a constitution which you personally agreed upon and gave to the city of Berlin. Nor do I see how you can veto Herr Falkenstein as it specifically states in Article Twenty-three of the same constitution that the Oberburgermeister shall legally be voted into office by the Berlin Assembly. You just can’t go around vetoing, my dear fellow.”
“We have substantial suspicion that Ulrich Falkenstein is engaged in black-marketeering. We demand an investigation.”
“No dice,” Neal Hazzard said. “Either present charges or forget it.”
Trepovitch began banging on the table. “It is a Western plot! We will never allow Falkenstein in office!”
An advisor whispered into the Russian commandant’s ear. He was warned to beware of an American trap. Remembering how Hazzard allowed the new labor union to form in the American Sector there was a danger he might try the same trick with the city government. Under no circumstances could the Soviet Union risk removal of the Assembly and Magistrat from the Soviet Sector.
“For the sake of Allied unity,” the Russian began hollowly, “I shall propose a compromise. We will accept Hollweg’s resignation on the condition that Falkenstein’s illegal election is set aside. We will agree to Hanna Kirchner as acting mayor until the problem is fully worked out.”
Hazzard smelled victory, but Blatty was at it. “Don’t you know,” the Englishman said, “that we can’t do all this mucking around without consent of the Berlin Assembly.”
As chairman, Neal Hazzard called a recess before Blatty went off on a full-scale parliamentary tangent.
In his office he reached Ulrich Falkenstein and advised him of the Soviet proposal.
Falkenstein was delighted. “Hanna will make an excellent Oberburgermeister. The Russians believe that because she is a German woman they have found another weak spot like Hollweg. They have picked on a tough hen.”
“How about the Assembly?” Hazzard asked.
“I am certain I can get them to agree.”
For the following half hour the three Western commandants locked themselves up in Blatty’s office, the other two convincing the Englishman to accept the compromise. If the Kommandatura were to “suggest” this to the Berlin Assembly, perhaps the Assembly would make the accommodation.
At last Blatty gave in.
Hanna Kirchner was “suggested” and the Berlin Assembly approved her as acting Oberburgermeister. She had achieved the highest political position of any woman in Berlin’s history.
On People’s Radio from the Russian Sector, the “voice of the masses” brought Berthold Hollweg to the microphone.
“My fellow Berliners,” his weary voice said, “I have resigned as Oberburgermeister of Berlin because I found it impossible to conduct the office under the constant threats of Colonel Hazzard and his imperialist henchmen Blatty and Belfort. They imposed upon me a reign of Fascist terror and attempted to have me work against the working