Topaz - Leon Uris [107]
And with that, Ambassador Luvetka and “Villard” were dismissed. The half-dozen officers present came to their feet wordlessly. André looked to Robert Proust, who obviously did not like what he had heard but equally obviously was going to say nothing about it. The other men present also avoided André’s eyes.
“I am afraid I am going to have to have words on this matter,” André said, daring the General’s wrath. Everyone froze.
“Speak up,” La Croix commanded.
“Recognition by the Communists may buy an immediate objective, but to invite them as partners would be sowing the seeds of future grief.”
“You are my intelligence adviser, Devereaux, not my political adviser.”
“Then speaking from the intelligence standpoint,” he persisted, “the General knows of Communist attempts to infiltrate our fighting forces solely for their own gains. As for the FFI, the Communists in it are so powerful that if we do not disarm them immediately after France is liberated I believe they will attempt a takeover. Sir, it is one thing to cooperate with the FFI as long as we fight a common enemy. But to allow Communists in our councils with access to our secrets is dangerous. They are not strong enough to do it alone so they are using Free France.”
“Then we will use each other,” La Croix answered.
The room now was ready for an explosion, but André still did not budge. “ ‘Villard’ did not come to us as a Frenchman but in the company of and under the instructions of the Soviet Union.”
“That’s enough! The Russians have recognized La Croix!”
The next day Pierre La Croix sealed the bargain with “Villard,” who then returned to France.
La Croix took to his London radio and gave a long heartwarming speech in praise of the Soviet ally, its historical associations with France, and he reaffirmed the alliance of the present and spoke of future alliances.
Within twenty-four hours, over the clandestine FFI radio came the broadcast that the French Communist Party and the FFI had accepted the authority of Fighting France.
For André this came as a terrible blow. To him it meant that La Croix could confuse his own ambitions with legitimate national goals.
After the political and military union had been achieved with the former Vichy garrisons, La Croix and de St. Amertin were placed as equals on the national committee. But Pierre La Croix chewed the Admiral up alive and finally forced him to resign.
With Admiral de St. Amertin out of the way, La Croix set up an office of Commissioners of the Republic. Thirty-five men were named who were to seize civil power in all the provinces after the liberation. Six of these commissioners were Communists. Communists were to take over the public health authority and the social security.
Pierre La Croix had succeeded in outmaneuvering all who stood against him.
As the Allied armies moved on Paris, he badgered the high command to order a Free French division to enter first despite the possibility of baiting a battle which could destroy the city.
Moving in behind his troops, Pierre La Croix captured lightning in a bottle by playing one of the most emotion-filled moments in human history to his own ends.
The liberation of Paris was to become a stage for Pierre La Croix. Using his unlimited arrogance and flushed with a holy sense of calling, La Croix masterfully applied the coup de grâce on the divergent political forces of the underground.
By disdaining to meet the resistance leaders and officials first, he let it be known he did not accept their authority.
Instead, Pierre La Croix marched at the head of swarms of hysterical countrymen up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe.
The “Marseillaise” was sung between choking tears of a million Parisians and La Croix was unmistakably proclaimed by the people. With “their mandate” and flanked by the arms of his forces, he then declared himself the President of France.
12
NICOLE’S PARENTS WERE KILLED in an automobile accident in Spain before the war ended. When the estate of Victor Thibaud went into probate, it was revealed that most of his holdings were speculative,