David Perkins: Hitler's Astrologer

The Count hid his frown. Succeeding with her emotional stab, the Countess returned to politeness. “Herr von Wohl, let me present my husband, Count von Hoogerwoerd.”

The Count could hide his frown no longer, shocked by seeing someone he thought he would never see again. “Ah… um, actually, we have already met.”

Captain Payne wondered why soldiers would take orders from a civilian. The name Schellenberg had a familiar ring, perhaps a name from a history lesson or a past briefing; however his smashed shoulder and sickness of stomach made it difficult for him to remember anything, much less think.

“Take him!” Schellenberg ordered as he began walking to a series of headlights in the distance.

The pain finally overcame the British soldier and he passed out while being escorted to one of the three cars. He did not feel or remember being heaved into the back seat.

“Schülerstrasse 27, Frau Meyer.” Maxi announced while slowing to a stop.

“Danke, Herr Maxi Taxi.” Bettina giggled the rhyme giving him the exact fare.

Maxi waited as Bettina rang the doorbell to flat number 14 and was buzzed in. When she disappeared into the spacious hallway, he then headed home only a few blocks away. Taking her to the Schülerstrasse meant he could get home early, since Bettina – usually his last assignment – actually lived on the far outskirts of Berlin.

Even though driving Bettina to her lover, Otto, instead of her house would be a much smaller fare, it was actually good for his real profession: spying. Her spending the night with Otto also meant the second half of a selected team would have time to pull as much information out of Frau Meyer as well.

Bettina’s introduction to Otto was engineered by Maxi with the intended purpose of Otto and Bettina becoming friends. It turned out Maxi and Bettina got a lot closer than anyone in British Naval Intelligence had hoped for.

The first contact with Otto was successfully done on December 31, 1937 and was made to appear as an accidental meeting. This was relatively easy to arrange since finding a taxi, any taxi, on New Year’s Eve in Berlin was next to impossible. Maxi made sure he was available for Bettina when she left a party both men knew she was attending. It was then easy to make Otto appear as the perfect gentleman willing to share the ride on the busiest night of the year.

The Count quickly regained his composure. To say they had actually already been introduced would have not been altogether true. But the Count did not want to risk insulting von Wohl by pretending not to know him, in case von Wohl remembered their first meeting and, more importantly, where they met.

“Herr von Wohl, pleased to see you again .” The Count’s tone, formal and polite, with a hint that he would like to visit with von Wohl again – but not here and certainly not at this moment.

“Please to see you again, Count.” Von Wohl replied, as if it were indeed an honor to do so. While engaging in this usual ‘formal-dinner-party-conversation’, von Wohl desperately tried placing where he had seen the Count before. He could not. Indeed, the Count’s face did seem familiar. Where had they met before? Von Wohl could sense the Count’s tension beneath the veneer of composure and so moved to change the direction of the conversation.

“I didn’t know your son was an astrologer, Countess. Will you introduce me? I would love to interview one who works in such an interesting field. Actually my next play has something to do with the occult, and the truth is, know of no one who practices such mysticism.”

The Count’s reaction reinforced Von Wohl’s perception. This distinguished man was indeed nervous about the current situation. Was it the environment, the subject matter, Von Wohl himself, or the Countess who was the cause? His experience dealing with nobility taught him how to make a graceful exit at the very hint of discomfort, and his intuition told him by asking to meet the son was the way out of this situation.

His intuition was correct.

“Let me take you to introduce him…” The Countess said quickly, finding her way back into the conversation and scanning the ballroom, “…he’s over by the punch bowl with that ghastly Italian general.”

She nodded and slightly bowed to her husband while simultaneously extending her hand for von Wohl. Her mannerisms making it appear to anyone in the ballroom who noticed that their parting was the Count’s idea, or demand.

Normally such a social maneuver to leave him standing alone would have the Count angry with his four-four-year-old wife, who often pulled such stunts to manipulate or belittle him in public. However, in this case the Count felt relieved. Their leaving also eased his immediate nervousness caused by being near the only two people in the world who could easily ruin his life.

Entering the Humanistic Gymnasium in Basle shortly before his eleventh birthday, Karl Ernst remained there until his graduation in 1919. During this time he showed an unusual talent for mathematics, and had the hope to go to university for a degree in science.

His father was against the idea, arguing a career in banking or insurance offered better long-term prospects financially.

“Scientists are two a penny!” Father Krafft often shouted during a series of many arguments as Karl Ernst neared the end of his secondary school days.

Grandfather Krafft, who built and owned the still standing Hotel Krafft in Obere Rheingasse in Basle, probably would have taken the side of young Karl Ernst in such a family drama. Unfortunately having passed away just three years earlier, the glue and true authority of the Krafft family would not be able to defend and reassure his grandson.

Grandmother Krafft returned to Switzerland after the death of her husband. She was overly loving and too diplomatic to stand up and take sides in any family disputes.

Grandmother Krafft’s second child, Albert, became a chemist and left for Germany the day after his graduation. Karl Ernst never met his uncle, who was only spoken of as Dr. Albert. There were no pictures of his uncle on the family table with the other extended family members, and there was never any reason given as to why he departed, why he never visited, where he lived now, or even if he was alive.

Karl Ernst’s last year at home was the worst in his life, and was the case for his younger sister Anneliese as well, whose main focus in life had nothing to do with studying the curriculum in school. She was totally captivated by the Sumerian cuneiform writings being brought to the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin, where she would travel at least once a month to roam the 14 halls covered with displays spanning six millennia. Many of the staff reported she knew more about these ancient writings and could translate them better than Professor Dr. Heinrich Lutz-Martin who curated the museum. Anneliese died of tuberculosis a week after her older brother left for college. Karl Ernst always believed her death was actually her own way of escaping the soul-destroying, oppressive atmosphere of life under Carl and Anna Krafft.

After fourteen hours, Captain Payne regained consciousness and still remained in great pain. A severe chill was now added to his discomfort. In slowly moving his head Payne could see why – he was completely naked. Deposited in a small, windowless concrete room that appeared recently built, the solid grey walls and lack of windows gave no clue of his location.