Luciano's Luck Read Online Free PDF

from the Rome Office to work with you here.' 'I see, Herr Field Marshal,' Koenig said. 'Gestapo?' 'Oh, no,' Kesselring told him gravely. 'Rather more im- 36 tant than that.' He turned to Walther. 'Show Major ^ in.' eyer The man who entered was broad and squat with a flat Slav face and cold blue eyes. Koenig recognized the type ce for the security service was full of them; ex-police fficers, more used to the criminal underworld than anything else. He wore SS field uniform and his only decora-ton was the Order of Blood, a much coveted Nazi medal specially struck for those who had served prison sentences for political crimes in the old Weimar Republic. The most interesting fact about him was his cuff-title which carried the legend RFSS picked out in silver thread. Reichsfuhrer der SS, the symbol of Himmler's personal staff. 'Major Franz Meyer, Major Koenig.' Walther made the introductions while Kesselring stood looking out of the window, smoking a cigarette. Meyer took in everything about Koenig with the policeman's practised eye: the highly irregular SS uniform, the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. 'A pleasure, Major,' he said. Koenig turned to Kesselring. 'There is a difficulty here, I think, Herr Field Marshal. Who is to be in charge? Meyer and I would appear to carry the same rank.' 'No difficulty there, I hope?' Kesselring said, smoothly. 'I see you as performing separate functions; you being responsible for the purely military side of the operation and Major Meyer for the, how shall I put it? The more political aspects.' There will be no problem from my point of view, I can assure the Herr Field Marshal of that,' Meyer said. 'Excellent.' Kesselring managed a wintry smile. 'And now, if you would leave us, Meyer. There are still matters I wish to discuss with Major Koenig.' Meyer clicked his heels, delivered an impressive Heil Hitler and departed. When he'd gone, Kesselring said, T ow wnat you're going to say, Koenig, and you're quite 37 right. It places you in a most difficult situation.' 'Almost impossible, Herr Field Marshal. I will have n authority of rank, which means the wretched man can interfere as much as he likes.' He was angry and it showed. Kesselring said, 'Rank has little to do with the matter. As a member of the Reichs. fuhrer's personal staff, he will always have considerable influence in certain situations, even were I myself concerned. However, I have done the best I can for you in the circumstances.' He nodded to Walther who handed Koenig a buff envelope. Koenig started to open it and Kesselring said, 'No, keep it for later.' He held out his hand in another of those unexpected gestures. 'I wish you luck. You're going to need it.' 'Herr Field Marshal � General.' Koenig saluted, turned and went out. Franz Meyer stood in the hall, pretending to read the noticeboard as he waited for Koenig. His dislike for the Major had been immediate and it went beyond any personal jealousy of Koenig's military distinction. The truth was far deeper. Koenig was a gentleman, son of a Major General of the Luftwaffe. Meyer, on the other hand, was the third son of a Hamburg shoemaker who had served the last two years of the First World War in the trenches, who had starved like thousands of � others in Germany during the twenties, thanks to the British and the French and the Jews until the Fiihrer had come along, a man of the people, giving hope to the people. And Meyer had served him since those first days, one of the earliest party members in Hamburg. The Fiihrer himself had pinned the Blood Order on him. The Koenigs of the world, who thought themselves so far above him, had a lesson to learn. He turned as Koenig approached. 'Ah, there you are, 38 - ;or. I would very much appreciate an opportunity to . _* my duties at the earliest possible moment. This ^ter affair, for example.' 'Gestapo business, not mine,' Koenig said, pulling on bis gloves. 'I merely provided ground support.' Meyer said, 'A valuable field officer