William Wu - Dictator

“I might be induced to trade this cloak,” said Ishihara, holding a portion of the cloak in front of him where Leutnant Mohr could see it.

“You would trade this cloak?” Leutnant Mohr asked carefully, struggling to hold the wheel as the vehicle bounced across the frozen ground.

“I would consider it.”

“I don’t have much to trade,” said Leutnant Mohr. “What would you want for it?”

“A favor.”

“Yes? What is this favor?”

“It will take great courage, Leutnant.”

Leutnant Mohr’s face tightened. “Are you suggesting that I lack courage?”

“You tell me,” said Ishihara.

“What do you want?”

“I want you to drive us across the neutral zone,” said Ishihara.

“You mean the no-man’s-land?”

“Yes.”

“Toward the Red Army? You’re insane. We will be blasted into nothing in this armored car.”

“Maybe not,” said Wayne, feeling that he could participate now. “One car alone will not be mistaken for a major military advance that would get a lot of attention.”

“You’re both insane.”

“As I said, it will take great courage,” said Ishihara, in an offhand tone.

Leutnant Mohr said nothing.

“You don’t have to shake hands with the Russians,” said Wayne. “Just get us as far across the open area to the other side as you can.”

“We would have to anticipate enemy patrols,” said Leutnant Mohr slowly.

“Most of that terrain is empty,” said Wayne. “If we see any sign of the enemy, you can let us get out and then you can run for it.”

“That’s a long way. I could get into trouble with my superior.”

Wayne heard some indecision in the Leutnant’s voice for the first time. He took the cloak from Ishihara and reached over to put it on Leutnant Mohr’s lap. It was all Wayne could think of to help convince him.

“This is only December,” said Ishihara. “Most of the Russian winter still lies ahead.”

“We shall take Moscow shortly,” said Leutnant. Mohr, just as he had said once before.

“Then you will not need the cloak,” said Ishihara. “Please return it.”

“Um-wait.”

“Yes?” Ishihara hesitated.

“I will do it for both cloaks,” said Leutnant Mohr, with sudden firmness.

“What?” Wayne was startled.

“I will drive as close to the Red Army as I can get,” said Leutnant Mohr. “In exchange, you will give me your cloak, as well. This is my offer.”

Wayne grinned. “There’s nothing wrong with his courage, Ishihara. He’s just been bargaining with us.”

“What is your answer?” Leutnant Mohr asked.

“Sorry,” said Wayne. “Ishihara may be warm enough without his cloak, but I won’t be. I have to keep mine.”

“As you said, it will be a very long walk.”

“No deal,” said Wayne. “I keep my cloak no matter what. I’ll freeze without it.”

“One cloak in exchange for the ride,” said Ishihara. “Take it or leave it.”

“I accept,” said Leutnant Mohr.

Wayne relaxed, deeply relieved that Leutnant Mohr had given in to their terms. Of course, Leutnant Mohr was as cold as every other soldier in the German army, and the fuel he was using belonged to the army, not to him personally. As he drove, he pulled the heavy fur cloak from Germany, almost two thousand years earlier, over his lap.

Leutnant Mohr was not taking as much of a risk as he believed. Wayne knew that Ishihara would be monitoring the Soviet radio traffic. He would know if any Soviet patrol reported by radio that they were coming this way long before they were in sight.

No one challenged them as they drove close to the most forward German lines. Wayne decided that the entire army was just as cold and discouraged as the soldiers he had seen himself. None of them wanted to take any initiative. As long as the armored car did nothing particularly offensive, he guessed they would not be stopped.

Leutnant Mohr did not immediately drive straight through the lines out into the open front.

“Will the soldiers here let us go through their lines?” Ishihara asked.

“We must not be seen heading straight for the enemy,” Leutnant Mohr said.

Wayne saw that they were gradually moving to the left, going north behind the lines.

“What is your plan?” Ishihara asked.

“Yeah-can you really get us past them?” Wayne looked out the window at the darkness, broken only by their headlights and a few small, weak fires along the lines.

“Yes,” said Leutnant Mohr. “The north flank is not far. Going out past the flank will mean that we will pass only a few sentries. They may not bother to stop us.”

When the armored car finally reached the north flank, Wayne was surprised to see that it was not really anchored in any way. He knew that armies usually wanted some feature in the terrain to protect their flanks, such as a mountain, a river, or even a slight rise in the ground. Here, the German lines simply came to a halt on the level steppe. It was another sign that weariness, cold, and exhaustion had undermined the efficiency of this army.

Suddenly the headlights struck a couple of soldiers waving their arms. Leutnant Mohr sighed and halted their vehicle in front of them. Then he rolled down the window and waited for them to approach him.

One sentry came up to the armored car. He looked at all three of them carefully and then spoke. Wayne could not understand his German, of course, but he could judge the man’s tone. The sentry spoke respectfully, aware that he was addressing an officer. Leutnant Mohr answered quietly and confidently as he handed his pass to him.

The sentry moved so that he could read the pass in the glow of the headlights. He showed it to his partner, who nodded and stepped back. The first sentry returned it to Leutnant Mohr and pointed off into the blackness ahead, saying something else. Then he, too, backed away.

Leutnant Mohr put the vehicle into gear and drove forward, beyond the flank.

“What did they say?” Wayne asked.

“They assumed I was lost,” said Leutnant Mohr. “I explained that we were on a special reconnaissance mission and showed them the pass.”

“What will you say on the way back?” Wayne asked. “When you’re alone?”

“I will circle around this spot and return to the lines farther to the rear. Major Bach’s pass will serve with other sentries, who did not see me in your company.”

“They must have seen we aren’t in uniform,” said Wayne. “Did they ask about it?”

“Yes. I told them I was not allowed to reveal your identities.”

“Hey, not bad.” Wayne grinned. “You’re a sharp guy, Leutnant.”

Instead of answering, Leutnant Mohr simply pushed the accelerator, taking them faster over the hard ground. They were now moving out into pure darkness slashed only by their own headlights. After a while, he turned to the right.

For the first time, now, they were driving east, toward Moscow and the Soviet lines protecting it. Wayne looked back over his shoulder. The last fires from the German lines were out of sight. That was how Leutnant Mohr had decided the time had come to start across the open area between the lines.

No one spoke for a long time. Wayne could not see the speedometer, if the vehicle had one. In the darkness, he had no way to judge their speed by the passing terrain, either. He did not feel that they were moving very fast, but did not want to raise the subject. At this point, he was just glad they had a ride across the cold, barren countryside.

Wayne glanced up and suddenly realized that he could see powerful beams of light stretching high into the sky in the distance ahead. They started from somewhere on the ground, over the horizon, and swept upward into the sky. He suspected that he should already know what the lights were, so he did not dare ask. Maybe they were looking for enemy aircraft over Moscow. They had probably been visible for some time before he had noticed them.