The Wewelsburg
3rd May RY154 AM
Bright and early the following morning, I received confirmation from the Pater Deorum that he would be able to send the offered help later that morning, and briefed Heinrike on the upcoming arrival of the Eboracum reinforcements over a hurried breakfast. To say she seemed unconvinced would be an understatement. But on the other hand, she also acknowledged that we could probably do with some help, although it was pretty obvious that she would have preferred such assistance to come from within our own organisation.
I sympathised with her position, but also knew that there wasn't going to be time to go through a full recruitment process, and obviously the RF himself wasn't going to be adding any input into the matter for some while. So in the absence of a better solution, I was willing to give it a try. After all, the Empire owed us a favour, as it had been Waffen-SS troops who had been instrumental in helping fight off a Federation invasion of New Yorvik, a couple of years before, so I felt confident that they would play us straight on this, especially as a lot of their garrison troops consider the Great Protector as their Deity.
Satisfied on that score, I headed next door to check on the boss, and was somewhat heartened by what appeared to be a distinct change in his physical condition. Now he looked to be sleeping, rather than having the grey, almost clay-like quality to him that he had had before, and his breathing seemed stronger, although from the monitors I could tell that his pulse rate was still abnormally slow.
Quietly comforted at the obvious progress, however, I headed back next door had another try at calling Marja Tomas. However, the phone remained unanswered. I was beginning to be very concerned indeed, and placed another call - to my fiancée, Carina, who works in one of the other departments at Hradcany - to ask her if she could find out what was going on. She agreed to see what she could do, although from the tone of her voice, I was left with the distinct impression that I was in her bad books.
As I put the phone down, I sighed. I loved Carina enough to have asked her to marry me, and she had seemed to understand that there would be occasions when my duties for the RF would interfere with our plans, as my first duty had to be to him. As it happened, we were supposed to have me up the previous evening, but obviously that had gone out of the window with what was going on. And given the sensitivity of the situation, I couldn't even properly explain to her why I was unable to meet her as planned. I had had to fall back on the old stalwart of "Duty calls", and I don't think she'd really appreciated it.
"Are you ready to head downstairs?" came a voice from the doorway, breaking into my reverie, and I looked up to see my father. As always, he was dressed in civvies, with the pin designating his Honorary rank in the organisation attached to his lapel. No doubt his ceremonial dagger was tucked at his belt in the small of his back, concealed by his well-tailored jacket. I wish I had his budget for clothing!
"Coming," I replied, grabbing my uniform jacket from off the back of the chair, and crossed to join him. He'd remained in the castle since Thursday night, and he was finally looking more like his usual self, although when I looked into his face, I could see a haunted look in his eyes.
"How's he doing?" he asked, as he fell into step beside me and we headed for the staircase.
"The procedure which Obergruppenführer Gerlinde undertook last night seems to have made a lot of difference to his physical wellbeing. But he's still out for the count."
"He's resilient. He'll bounce back," came the answer.
"Hopefully soon," I replied. I fell silent, but once we were in the stairwell I asked him the question which had been on my mind since the ceremony.
"Why did you agree to be the one who struck the coup de grâce?"
"That's an interesting way of putting it," he answered, and I couldn't tell if he was annoyed with me for asking the question, or trying to decide how best to answer.
"It sounds better than some of the other ways I could have phrased it," I commented, and he smiled weakly.
"True enough," he answered, "I did it because of what he tried to destroy: the best chance we've had for peace in living memory."
"The peace is important to you?"
"I used to be a soldier...a leader of men on the battlefield. I know how foolish it is to fight on two fronts, and right now, the Machine is the front we need to concentrate on. Much as they would dispute it, Sable are more like us than they are different, especially given the blood relationships involved. The Machine, however, is utterly alien. "
I looked at him, unconvinced and feeling that there was more to it than that.
"Yes, I know that's the Party line...perhaps without the side commentary on Sable," he said, quietly, "but I don't disagree with it."
"There's something else, though," I said as we headed across the courtyard to the North Tower.
He glanced at me, obviously debating whether to say any more, and then he shrugged.
"I also did it because he tried to kill my brother, my uncle and my son," he replied, and the genuine emotion in his voice surprised me, "he wasn't to know that Wilhelm wasn't really there, and you and Rupert definitely were. So on both a personal, and a professional level, what he did had to be punished in the strongest possible way. I know you and I haven't been close in the past, although perhaps it is my loss that I haven't done anything about that, but you are my son. And as for the others, as I bridge the divide between the Wilhelm and the RFSS, I felt it was appropriate for me to take the lead in this instance, as the attack was against them both."
"Do you regret it?"
"As I said at the time, justice was done. I'm a lawyer. I can say that without fear of contradiction."
"But..."
"But that doesn't stop it having been one of the hardest things I've ever done. And I hope that if I live another two hundred and fifty years, I never have to do it again."
I wanted to say something more...acknowledge what he'd said...but I was out of time. We had reached the North Tower, and moments later we entered the Gruppenführersaal. About half our number were already present, milling around waiting for the rest, including Tristan Heydrich and Marin Adler. A large pot of coffee was on one of the tables off to the side of the room.
"Morning, Rikart...Conrad," Heydrich said as he saw us.
"Tristan." "Sir..." we said, almost simultaneously.
"Jürgen said he'd be here shortly and I'm told that Matthias has just arrived from Sanguine," he continued, "Wolfram called to say that he's running late, but hoped he'd be here by 9.15, and Dierk is coming in from Berlin, where he's been holding the fort in my absence."
"Any sign of Obergruppenführer Gerlinde?" I asked.
"I haven't seen him yet this morning, but I have no doubt he'll be here."
"How long do we wait?" asked Rudolf Lange.
"Why?" Max Hauer asked, glancing over at him with a wicked grin on his face, "are you in a hurry to get back to business?"
"You know me, Max," he answered, deadpan, "I'm always keen to do my duty."
"Which is, of course, why we're here," Heydrich commented.
Matthias Kapler chose that moment to walk in, Diederick Schneider about thirty seconds behind him. They greeted everyone politely, then Kapler helped himself to coffee and went over to where my father and Heydrich were talking, while Schneider crossed to have a few words with Marin. As I sipped my own coffee and watched from the sidelines, as I so often do on these occasions, I could see that Marin seemed nervous, although her mood improved noticeably when Jürgen Kessler walked in with Gerlinde, and headed over to her to exchange greetings. They drew aside for a few minutes, talking quietly together, before Kessler greeted the others.
Gerlinde himself still looked pale and tired: the procedure he'd performed the previous day had certainly taken its toll on him, and he was still recovering. Once he had helped himself to coffee, he, like me, scanned the room to get a read of the general mood, and as our eyes met, I could see a cold hatred towards me in them which hadn't been there before. I felt a shiver down my spine as he nodded politely to me, a half smile on his lips, and then moved his attention elsewhere.
Over the course of the next few minutes, the rest of the Winter Circle assembled, with Wolfram Kapler bringing up the rear at about 9.10. By the time we were all assembled, I could feel a distinct undercurrent in the room that wasn't usually present when the boss was about, and an air of tension which was almost palpable. The RF had always joked that he was the glue which held the organisation together, but standing in the Gruppenführersaal that morning, for the first time, I wondered if he hadn't been joking, after all.
As we took our places, I found it hard to ignore the two empty seats, especially the one at the north of the table, facing the door. My eyes flicked around in the table, I considered each of them in turn. Even if by virtue of rank they weren't necessarily the most powerful group within the SS organisation, all had a great deal of influence, and shared the common tradition of the Brotherhood's Work for Fatherland, which they and their predecessors have been carrying out since the founding of our country.
Moreover, their status as the original Knights, in contrast to the Summer Circle - which had been constituted in February of this year, and which, while it technically ranked with the Winter Circle in that a Knight was a Knight, and that being a Knight was the highest honour in the organisation, was junior in reality - meant that if any key decisions were going to be made, the men and woman standing around the table would be the people who would do it. Of course, it might get interesting if they consulted with the Summer Circle after the fact, and there was disagreement between the two groups as to the way forward, as some very senior officers had been admitted to its ranks, including Cornelius and Josef Linz, deputies to Kessler and Gerlinde, respectively, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
As I considered each of them in turn, I tried to judge where the fireworks were going to come from.
Jürgen Kessler. The longest serving of the Knights besides the boss himself, having been raised to the rank of Knight back in '69, which also made him the only other survivor of the Good Friday Working. If anyone, he was the one who could be considered as the heir apparent in terms of seniority, and it could be argued that the boss had confirmed that, albeit unofficially, when we set the trap for Rutger Sigiswald. Kessler has held a number of positions in his time, including Head of the SD before Andreas Delatz was given the position; and acting as the boss's trouble-shooter for a number of years; and has been head of the Waffen-SS since Delatz's departure. The question was, did he enjoy the brief taste of power which the RF had given him a couple of weeks before too much? After all, he's undeniably ambitious, and has been in the boss's shadow for a very long time.
Tristan Heydrich. Current head of the SD and a Knight since '93. Musician, sportsman, pilot and the boss's friend. From what he'd said to me the previous day, it seemed unlikely that he would act against the RF's interests, at least while there was still hope that the latter might recover, although were the unthinkable to occur, he would have to be a good candidate to take over the whole organisation. He, like Kessler, had served both in the front-line military and the Reichs-SS, and therefore had a good understanding of both sides of our organisation's operations. Moreover, in various circles, he would be considered a "safe pair of hands", which was not necessarily true of Kessler.
Dominik Gerlinde. Head of the Forstapo and the eldest of the group the boss refers to as "the brothers". I used to think that was a joke, too, but now I've come to realise that he means it quite literally, from some of the things he's said since he started being more expansive on the subject, which coincided with Andreas Delatz's departure. A Knight since '125, Gerlinde has a long track record and has proven himself very effective in his position. But there's always that cold, ruthless streak under the surface which makes him a difficult man to feel comfortable with. At least, so it seems to me. And of course, there's also the issue that right now he needs to prove himself once again, after the balls-up on Niedersachsen, back in February, and if the boss is out for a long time, he might take advantage of that.
Maximillien Hauer. Another of the "brothers", Lebensborn like myself, and Head of the Gestapo. He's also a Doctor of Magic in and among his other duties. Of that group (in which the boss also includes the Kaplers and Rudolf Lange, plus the late Rutger Sigiswald), he's the closest in appearance and nature to Gerlinde. This makes him very good at what he does, but a necessary evil as far as running the country is concerned. He started his career with the regular police force, but was drafted into the Gestapo after he finished his magical education, presumably because it suited his temperament rather better than straight police work. He was admitted to the Order as a full Knight in '133. When our paths do cross, I have the impression that he rather considers me to be beneath his notice. A mere functionary. The fact that he and I are equal in the eyes of the Order seems irrelevant to his thinking. He's also cold and ambitious, and could equally be trouble if the boss is out of things for too long.
Matthias Kapler. The other person in the room of equal rank with Heydrich and Kessler, and a Knight since '138. Tall, blond, fit...in fact, the perfect Aryan specimen for those who care about such things. A man of many facets, he is a lover of music and the arts, a brilliant pianist and devoted to his family, perhaps in reaction to his Lebensborn upbringing where the only family he had was a younger brother. He's also Talented, honourable and a damned good soldier, having spent his whole career with the Waffen-SS and rising to command the military wing of our organisation from '138 until he was replaced by Delatz's brief tenure last year. His current posting is a political, not a military appointment. I noted that he looked tired, but then, as Reichsprotektor of Sanguine, he is effectively ruler of a his own realm, and moreover acts as our interface with the Outside, which is probably keeping him busy, given that news of the Treaty with Sable has reached the Outside.
Conrad Berthelmes. My father. The man who "bridges the divide", as he'd put it earlier, between the boss and the SS organisation, and the Kaiser and the upper echelons of the Imperial Palace. His unique position in this regard was recognised when was given Honorary rank in our organisation, as well as admitted as a Companion of the Order in '135. He'd later been raised to become a full Knight in '142. Mage, soldier, lawyer and a consummate politician: but then, I suppose the latter goes without saying given that he's been Party Chairman for many years. I'd seen a crack in his usual façade of imperturbability that morning, and I'd been pleased with what I'd seen. It's one thing to know who your father is...it's something else to discover that he knows as well and is willing to accept it.
And then there were the group who had become Knights after my own initiation into the Brotherhood in '145.
Rudolf Lange, Head of the Einsatzgruppen, who was made up from Companion in '149. Lebensborn, but like me, one who has since learned the identity of at least one of his parents. In fact, his mother is very much alive and was made Kommandant of the military garrison at the Wewelsburg in the last couple of weeks, although I don't believe they're particularly close. Lange himself is something of a contradiction. He has possibly one of the darkest and most controversial jobs in the Reich, and he does it with efficiency that can be frightening, but when taken out of that context, he has a pleasant personality and a wicked sense of humour. However, he and Max Hauer are relatively close, and would be likely to line up together on a number of issues.
Diederick Schneider. Dierk to his friends. A nobleman born into the family of the Grossherzog von Frankfurt, albeit of a cadet line, both his parents are serving in our organisation, although their son's career has far outpaced them. After spending a while finding his strengths within the organisation, he discovered intelligence work, and proved himself as both agent and analyst, helped, no doubt, by the fact that he is an expert intelligence and investigative mage. He has been Head of the Auslands-SD since '137, and is also effectively second in command of the greater SD organisation behind Tristan Heydrich, with whom he has a good working relationship, but he only became a full Knight in '151.
Wolfram Kapler. Born almost exactly nine months after the Good Friday offensive, he is the full younger brother to Matthias, with less than a year between them according to something the boss had told me a few months before, and is the most junior of the male Knights, having only been raised to that rank in December '153, to replace Johan Hartwin. After officer training at Bad Toelz and gaining his magical degree at the SS-Schule Haus, he had come up through the ranks of the Waffen-SS, although as far as magic was concerned he was one of the best defensive and structural mages we have. Until recently, Kapler junior had been Kommandant of the Wewelsburg. However, with the discovery of Sigiswald's treason, he had quickly been moved to replace him as head of the Totenkopfverbande. Obviously he was still finding his feet in such a senior position, and my guess is that at this point, he wouldn't want to rock the boat.
And finally Marin Adler. Priestess of the Brotherhood since December '153, when she replaced Silke von Halle. Personally, I find her difficult, although I try to remain on polite terms with her. She is very steeped in the lore and mysticism of the Aryan people, which made her the logical successor to Silke as Head of the Ahnenerbe, as well as Priestess of the Winter Circle, but sometimes she takes things a little far and once or twice the boss has asked her to reconsider her position on certain matters. But then, she had a tough act to follow, and the fact that the RF was very fond of Silke means that Marin is finding it difficult to fill her predecessors shoes in the boss's eyes. She is the acknowledged daughter of Jürgen Kessler by his late wife, Irma Adler, herself an earlier Priestess of the Order, and they are relatively close. Which means that in an argument, she would be more likely to side with him than with certain other parties around the table.
My considerations were interrupted as Kessler cleared his throat, and started to speak.
"Brothers...sister...we meet at a difficult time," he began, echoing the boss's words of just a couple of days before, "as some of you already aware, and all of you need to know, the Reichsführer-SS was seriously injured in the line of duty after our meeting two nights ago."
The expressions round the table ranged from shock, to surprise, to disbelief. Myself, I was interested in way Kessler chose to put it.
"Why were we not informed sooner?" demanded Lange.
"The opportunity didn't present itself," Heydrich said, smoothly, "as you can imagine, things have been a little hectic. However, it is the one of the reasons why Jürgen and I considered it appropriate to convene this Council."
"What is his condition now?" Kapler senior asked, his tone indicating genuine concern.
"Dominik?" Kessler said to Gerlinde.
Gerlinde shrugged.
"Physically, his condition is improved from when he was first brought to me, although I have had to take the somewhat radical step of having to force him to become a shape shifter to enable that to happen..."
As he'd obviously intended, there were looks of surprise and outrage around the room. Was he trying to drive in the wedge by telling the Knights that the RF was now effectively 'impure'? And yet, he is a shifter and proud of it, and moreover, he could very easily have said that the boss had been a shifter all along which would have destroyed him.
"Why?" Kapler junior asked.
"He would have died if I had not," Gerlinde answered, his tone matter of fact, but then he stared at me, coldly, before continuing, "I had no choice in the matter."
Then he shrugged, breaking eye contact with me, and turned his attention to the younger Kapler, "But don't worry, Wolfram. You're not going to have to end up with him as a guest in one of your facilities. His Forstapo paperwork was put through immediately, so he is legal and registered."
I almost smiled, as I realised that at least in this, Gerlinde did, in fact, still have the boss's interests at heart. It was a very neat way of getting around a problem that had existed for many years: that the boss was an undeclared shape shifter, and that there was no way to get him registered without him falling foul of our own laws.
"You said physically," Hauer pointed out, "you obviously meant exactly that, which implies there's more to come."
"Indeed, Max," Gerlinde replied, his face taking on a serious expression, "the RFSS is in a coma, which thus far he is showing no signs of coming out of."
"What was the nature of his injuries?"
"If you remember, after Sigiswald died the night before last, the Master left hurriedly. He went to deliver Sigiswald's Curse to the Machine, and it would appear that he either overestimated his abilities, or was taken by surprise by the energy he was manipulating, and it overloaded his system. Effectively, he's...burned out...for want of a better description, and until his mind and body have re-established equilibrium, it seems likely that he will remain unconscious."
I noted that he was pretty much echoing Robert of Sable's diagnosis, while making it sound as if it was his own.
"How long is that likely to take?" Marin asked.
"Unknown at this point."
"So we're in limbo until he deigns to wake up?" Hauer stated, his expression studiedly neutral.
"Which is the other reason why we've called this meeting," Kessler replied, "to decide what to do."
"I see a couple of options," Heydrich continued, "neither of them ideal. First, leave things as they are, maintain the status quo, and hope he recovers quickly. Or second, make the assumption that he's going to be out for some time, and put in place a temporary arrangement to keep things ticking over until he's up and about again."
"Of course, both of our esteemed Brother's suggestions come from the assumption that the RFSS will recover," Kessler interjected, "however, I believe we also have to allow for the possibility that he won't recover. In which case we need to decide who replaces him."
I watched Heydrich's face as Kessler said this, and could tell that he was unhappy and uncomfortable at Kessler's suggestion. They'd obviously discussed this earlier, and Heydrich had hoped that Kessler would keep his views on the subject to himself
"That may be a decision we have to make further down the line, but at this time it would seem rather premature," Matthias Kapler commented, "he has been seriously injured before, and he'd bounced back within a month. And on that occasion we didn't meet together and judge him unfit to continue as RFSS. Why are you and Dominik so sure it's different this time, Jürgen?"
"Last year, his injuries were purely physical," Gerlinde supplied, smoothly, "and we had a timeline for his recovery. He was never in a full coma, and he'd regained consciousness for the first time within a couple of days."
"We're still within that timeframe," my father pointed out.
"But on that occasion there was some response, even though he was unconscious. This time, there is nothing."
"And this time," Kessler added, "we also have to worry about a major threat to our security. The Machine are not going to be pleased at what was effectively a major, focused attack against them."
"How do we know actually know that he Cursed the Machine?" Schneider asked, which under the circumstances was an obvious question.
"The individual who passed him into my care informed me," Gerlinde replied, "and I shared that information with Jürgen and Tristan."
"And do you consider whoever this...individual...was to be a reliable source?" Schneider continued.
"Trust the spook to worry about sources," Lange snorted.
"Yes, sir," I interjected, "I was also there when the RFSS was Trumped through, and I consider the one who brought him home to us to be very reliable."
Hauer just looked at me, his expression similar to a bird regarding a tasty worm.
"And why should your opinion be important in this, Standartenführer Schultz? Or even relevant?"
"Easy, Max," Matthias replied, "of all of us, Rikart is the one to whom the health of the RFSS is a matter of professional pride, rather than potential advancement. If he's happy with the source of the information, I'm willing to accept that." I nodded my thanks to him as he spoke, before he added, "although I'd be curious to know who it was."
"It was Oberstgruppenführer von Worcester," Heydrich replied, rather to my surprise. I hadn't expected him to share that piece of information with the others. And of course, it had the predictable result. The room broke out into a cacophony of sound. Disbelief, surprise, downright outrage.
"You consider him to be reliable?" Hauer finally said, angrily, his voice cutting through the noise of the others, and his disdain focused firmly on me.
"I do," I replied, meeting his gaze, unflinching, "because of the Reichsführer's regular meetings with Oberstgruppenführer von Worcester, I have come to know him well enough to be certain that he would have played us straight on this. I'm also aware that he's come to the RFSS's assistance in the past, as well."
"We are talking about the King of Sable here, aren't we?" Marin asked, "the ruler of an enemy nation."
"Technically no longer an enemy," my father said, mildly, "and bearing in mind that Rupert trusted him enough to award him Honorary rank in the SS, perhaps you should trust his judgement."
"His judgement has been suspect for some time as far as Robert of Sable is concerned," Hauer commented, "and giving him Honorary rank is a symptom of that in my view."
"And yet at no point has the King of Sable, personally, betrayed Rupert's trust," Conrad replied, smoothly, "moreover, they have worked together for the good of the Sable universe on several occasions over the last year."
"All of which is fascinating, but getting off the point," Lange interrupted, "what happens now? We've been presented with, as I see it, three options: we go on as we have been and assume the RFSS will be back with us in a couple of weeks; we appoint a temporary successor; or we appoint a permanent successor. Does that about sum it up?"
"It does," Heydrich replied, with a nod of acknowledgement.
"There is also another issue," Marin commented, "the Brotherhood works to defend the Reich from its enemies, within and without. However, that is most successful when we are at full strength, which we certainly are not with the Master out of action and a vacancy within the Order. If the Master truly has Cursed the Machine, then my father is right. They are going to be after our blood. With that in mind, we should feel honour bound to do the best for the Fatherland, and should therefore also consider if those vacancies need to be filled, and if so, by whom."
"The RFSS has always chosen membership of the Knights himself," Matthias commented, "it would seem a dangerous precedent to overturn."
"Assuming you believe he chooses for the good of the Reich, rather than on his own whim," Hauer replied.
"Jürgen, you are the senior Knight, here," Matthias continued, "have you ever had cause to believe that he selected potential Knights for the wrong reasons?"
"I believe it took him a long time to achieve the balance of Knights which was optimal...but no, I have no reason to think that he has selected any of us on personal whim."
"Has he mentioned to you any potential names of future Knights?"
"Not to me...Tristan?"
"I could have made some educated guesses before he established the Summer Circle. Now though...no, he hasn't mentioned anyone to me specifically. Although he must have been thinking about it since the moment the death sentence was passed on Sigiswald. Rikart?"
"I think he may have been considering a promotion across from the Summer Circle," I replied, "possibly one of the Linz brothers, or maybe Silvester Hannes, the Reichsprotektor of Hessen. However, I do not know for sure."
"Why them?" Schneider asked, curious, "not that they aren't both longstanding and faithful servants of the Reich, but he's never chosen to promote any of them before this, even though there have been vacancies in the Order."
"Bloodlines," Marin answered.
"Meaning?" Wolfram Kapler asked, surprised.
"Think about it," she answered, "all of those here present are initiates of the Pattern, to a greater or lesser degree. This was never the case before, while Johan Hartwin was alive, but I suspect it will remain the case now. Which in turn means that not one of the Winter Circle Knights is ever going to die of old age. This reduces the possibility for others within the SS to reach the rank of Knight. So he instituted the Summer Circle for the, for want of a better term, mortals to aspire to. But the Linz brothers are an anomaly in that regard, as, I believe, is Hannes, although him I'd have to check the records for. They, like all of us, come from the correct bloodlines. So unless the RFSS was planning to bring in someone else entirely out of left field, then I suspect Schultz is right."
"I suggest we leave that issue secondary for now," Heydrich commented, "it isn't for us to guess the RFSS's mind in such matters. The important question is what to do now."
"We cannot afford to remain headless for an unspecified amount of time," Hauer commented, "I would prefer the option of appointing a successor. After all, we don't know for sure that even if the RFSS does recover, he will ever be in a fit state to lead our organisation again. And his relationship with Robert of Sable has been of concern to the Gestapo for some time. Most especially in respect of the fact that he assisted in the defence of Riversend Naval Base, an enemy installation, about six months ago, while we were still at war with Sable."
"What are you talking about?" Wolfram Kapler asked, surprised, and once again I could see other expressions of outrage around the table. For my part, I groaned inwardly. I knew the boss had tried to keep that particular event very quiet indeed, for just this reason. That there was no way he could justify it if his actions were called into question, and he could only sweep so much dirt under the carpet.
"If you view that in even the kindest light, it was unwise of him," Hauer continued, "and in the darkest, it was an act of treason."
"Except for one thing," Tristan replied, smoothly, "he had the Kaiser's authorisation for that action."
Hauer looked at him flabbergasted, the wind taken neatly out of his sails, and I'll admit, I was startled at the news.
"Excuse me?" Hauer said, unbelieving.
"I'm sure I could find the relevant Kaiser Direktive in the files if you'd like me to look it up, Max. Does anyone else have a view on the list of options before us? Jürgen, why don't you kick off, and we can respond in turn."
"As you wish," Kessler replied, "at this time, I do not believe we should keep the status quo. At the very least, we need to assign temporary operational command of the SS, and with a limited timescale. No more than three months. Beyond that, a more permanent arrangement should be made. Tristan?"
"My preference would be to wait a couple of weeks to see if he recovers, and then, if he does not recover in that time, consider a temporary solution. Dominik?"
"As I said in my medical briefing. I do not know for certain if that is going to happen. Therefore, I'm with Jürgen on this. We can't afford to leave things as they are. Max?"
"I've stated my views. A convenient Kaiser-Direktive does not give me comfort over the RFSS's wider actions. We should choose his successor, and do it quickly. Matthias?"
"I concur with Tristan. To act to precipitously would seem unwise, and moreover, disrespectful. All of those around this table, in large part, owe our current positions and in some cases our very existence to the RFSS. He had faith in us...we should have the same in him. We should give him time. Conrad?"
"I certainly do not agree that a permanent successor needs to be appointed at this time," my father replied, "however, from a military point of view, the organisation cannot remain in limbo. So while I agree in principal with Tristan's and Matthias's view, I'm not sure you can safely leave things undecided, if the threat from the Machine is as real as some of those around this table believe. Therefore, I would agree with the idea of a temporary arrangement. Rikart?"
"I'm not willing to give up on the RFSS that easily," I replied, trying to control my anger that we were even discussing this, "appointing someone to replace him, even temporarily, seems wrong at this juncture. Even unfair."
"Always the boy scout, eh, Schultz?" Lange commented, from across the table.
"I know my duty, Obergruppenführer Lange," I replied, coolly, "I do not consider that duty to include replacing him while he still breathes and there is a chance for him to recover."
"Whereas I do not believe we have the luxury of time," Lange replied, "I concur with Max. Dierk?"
"I sympathise with Standartenführer Schultz's view," Schneider answered, "but like Conrad, I agree that we have to at least put something temporary in place. However, I'm also aware that temporary could very easily become permanent unless strict controls are placed upon it, so if that is the course of action we choose to take, we have to be very careful on how we structure it. Wolfram?"
"I was here throughout his recuperation last year. I saw what he came back from then. I believe he will do so again. So I agree with Tristan...leave it a couple of weeks and see if there's any change. Marin?"
"We need direction...not hopes and possibilities. I agree, therefore agree with those in favour of a temporary change of control."
Jürgen looked around the table, and gave a wry smile.
"Look at us. Take him from the helm, and we become a democracy," he said, a trace of sarcasm in his tone, "I hear two votes in favour of instantly replacing him, four in favour of maintaining the status quo, and five of us generally of the view that a temporary arrangement needs to be made."
"In that case, as senior Knight, I propose that Jürgen takes over as RFSS on a temporary basis," Max answered, before anyone else could speak, "he has the widest breadth of experience among is in a variety of areas within the organisation, and would seem to be the logical choice. Do I have a second?"
"I'm willing to second," Lange replied, promptly.
"I think you're moving a little fast there, Maximillien," my father said, quietly but firmly, "as Dierk so rightly pointed out, temporary could become more than that without some set ground rules. First set the ground rules, which I am willing and able to draft into a legal framework, and then decide who to give the position to."
"The motion has been proposed and seconded, Conrad," Gerlinde answered, "by the rules of this Circle, it must be put to a vote. Those in favour, say aye."
And he went around the table, marking responses. Jürgen himself, Hauer and Lange spoke promptly. Marin also indicated her agreement, but it was more subdued. However, to my relief, the others all said nay including, slightly to my surprise, Gerlinde himself. Of course, whether that was because he believed it was wrong to take that decision, or whether he fancied himself, rather than Kessler in the role, was anyone's guess.
"It would seem that by the proposal has been rejected seven to four," Gerlinde said, "Conrad, you obviously have something in mind."
"I would suggest the following. First, at this point in time, the rank of RFSS stays exactly where it is, with Rupert Delatz. Second, that operational command devolves temporarily to a group of three. Thus no single member of that group can claim to have superiority over the others. Third, that this group initially assumes operational command of the SS for a set period of three months. If the RFSS has not recovered after that time, then it is quite possible that his successor will need to be decided. However, I would bring another point to your attention in that regard."
"Which is?" Hauer asked, less than amused.
"Has it not occurred to you that the Kaiser might have some say in who succeeds Rupert, if he doesn't recover."
Glancing around the table, it was quite obvious from the reactions that it hadn't occurred to at least half of those present. In fact, I have to admit that it wouldn't have occurred to me until my father said it.
"Why is it any of his business?" Lange snapped, obviously still pissed off that his and Max's motion hadn't been carried there and then.
"The SS swears its allegiance to both Rupert Delatz and Kaiser Wilhelm. I would say it's absolutely and utterly his business," Conrad replied smoothly.
"Leaving that aside, as hopefully it will not become relevant, who would you propose as this...Triumvirate, for want of a better word?" Heydrich asked.
"I believe there are three here with the rank of Oberstgruppenführer. Yourself Tristan, Jürgen and Matthias. Theoretically, both Silvester Hannes or Cornelius Linz could also claim seniority with you, but if you are making this a Winter Circle matter...which I'm not entirely sure I agree with, but I do understand...then they should probably be left out of this for now."
Across the table, I could see Gerlinde looking decidedly belligerent at the proposition. Obviously, if there was going to be a Triumvirate, he felt he should be on it, as senior Knight to Matthias. And even considering rank probably wouldn't hold water with him, given that he believed he should still be of the same rank as Heydrich and Kessler, and indeed would revert back to that rank at the end of the year.
"Historically, Triumvirates don't have the highest success rate as a method of government," Heydrich commented, "but I'm willing to give it a try. As long as we specifically limit it to no more than three months before reviewing the situation. I'm confident that by then, we will know what is happening with the RFSS."
"I am also willing to accept that as a compromise," Kessler said, after a pause, but his eyes said otherwise. He didn't like the idea at all, as he no doubt considered it a step down from what Hauer and Lange had proposed.
My father regarded him for a moment, obviously weighing up his reaction, then turned to Matthias Kapler.
"I'm sorry, Conrad. I can't do it," he said, regretfully.
"Might I ask why?"
"Leaving aside what I said earlier, which I continue to stand by, I could not give such an arrangement the time it needs and still maintain my duties in Sanguine. And I am unwilling to abandon those under these circumstances."
"I understand," he replied, with a nod, although he was obviously disappointed. It had seemed an elegant solution.
"Then perhaps it should fall to the third most senior Knight," Marin suggested, "that would seem the logical way to break the impasse."
"Dominik?" Jürgen asked, and I saw Gerlinde smile.
"I would be honoured to serve in that capacity, if that is the will of this Council."
"Then perhaps another vote is in order, my father proposed, "all in favour of establishing a temporary arrangement, by which Oberstgruppenführer Kessler, Oberstgruppenführer Heydrich and Obergruppenführer Gerlinde split operational command of the SS for three months from this date say aye."
He called the vote, and all except Hauer and Lange signified their agreement, although I won't deny that I would have preferred Matthias Kapler to Dominik Gerlinde as the third member of the group. Kapler would play straight. Gerlinde would play to his own agenda.
"Excellent. Kessler's duties as head of the Waffen-SS effectively give him control of a discrete part of this organisation already. I propose that Tristan takes operational control of the Reichs-SS, and Dominik acts in a secondary capacity to Tristan...the Reichs-SS being a rather more diverse organisation than the Waffen-SS, and therefore requiring more co-ordination. Do any of you disagree with that arrangement?"
Once again, there were nods of agreement from around the table, although I saw some pointed looks pass between Gerlinde, Hauer and Lange, and my instinct was that if trouble was going to come from this, those three would be behind it.
"I will draw up the legal framework for this arrangement during the day, and suggest we meet back here this evening at six to formalise."
"The full Council?" asked Max.
"Not if you're too busy elsewhere, Max," Conrad replied, only the slightest trace of sarcasm in his tone, "as long as two-thirds of the surviving Knights are here, then that should be sufficient for Quorum."
"What of the vacant seat at this table?" Marin asked, quietly, glancing at the seat Sigiswald would have occupied in the past.
"While I appreciate your point about needing to be at full strength, I do not believe that's a decision we want to rush into, Marin," Heydrich answered, "moreover, a decision doesn't need to be made until the Summer Solstice, and after all, we couldn't initiate a new Knight until then anyway. That gives us at least six weeks to consider the possibilities, and also to see if there's any change in the RFSS's condition. However, if there is no change by, say June 14th, then yes, we probably need to consider it."
She looked at him and nodded her agreement.
"I understand."
"Then unless anyone has anything else to say at this juncture," Kessler suggested, "Let us adjourn this meeting until this evening."
He paused a moment, waiting in case, but when there was silence, he stood. He raised his arm in salute and spoke the appropriate words. These were echoed, and the meeting broke up.
Hauer and Lange left first, almost as if the hounds of Hell were behind them. Then, as the others, began to depart, I noticed that Gerlinde and Kessler left together. Heydrich and Matthias Kapler withdraw off to one side.
"Are you alright Rikart?" said my father as he crossed to me, his expression concerned, and he rested a supportive hand on my shoulder, "this must be harder for you than for the rest of us."
"In what regard?"
"Your relationship with Rupert...I could tell you were angry in there, and I understand that. But do you understand why we had to do something?"
"Yes. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. And I'd have been happier if Matthias had agreed to serve with Heydrich and Kessler. I'm not sure I trust Gerlinde's motivations in this."
"For what it's worth, in my opinion, my uncle has less to fear from Gerlinde than he has from Kessler. You, on the other hand..."
"What do you mean?"
"If you'll accept a word of advice, be very careful around Gerlinde. I'm not quite sure what you've done to him, but he hates you right now, and when he hates people, he hurts them."
"So noted," I replied, "thank you."
"I'll see you this evening?"
"I wouldn't miss it."
At which point he nodded and then headed off out into the courtyard. I paused on the threshold for a moment, looking back at the table, and more especially at the chair opposite the doorway, with the boss's coat of arms carved into the back, feeling somewhat guilty with what had happened at the Council. As if we had betrayed him. And I really hoped that when he woke up, he would understand. Then I shook my head, and turned away, heading back upstairs to his quarters to see if there had been any change in his condition.