Dennis Wheatley: They Used Dark Forces

An elderly manservant who was sweeping out the hall fetched the manager. They produced their papers and Gregory filled in forms stating that they had come from Berlin. The manager then took them up to a large room on the first floor with faded wallpaper and old-fashioned furniture. Having shown it to Gregory he said that his servant would be accommodated in a room on an upper floor and could eat with the staff in the basement.

Leaving Kuporovitch to unpack their few belongings, Gregory went downstairs to a stuffy lounge in which there were two writing desks. Sitting down at one he proceeded to write a letter, that he had already carefully thought out, on a sheet of the shoddy yellowish paper which at this stage of the war was all that hotels could provide. It was to Frau von Alters and ran:

I have recently returned from a mission to Sweden and am spending my leave in northern Germany because I have never before visited this part of the country. I hope, too, to get some fishing. Mutual friends of ours at the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm suggested that I should pay my respects to you and that you might be able to suggest a quiet village on the coast where I could enjoy a fishing holiday. I am, of course, aware of the security reasons which have necessitated restrictions being placed on entry to the coastal zone in the neighborhood of Usedom, but hope there may be a suitable place somewhere near Stralsund or perhaps on the west coast of the island of Rugen. If you cared to lunch with me here tomorrow and give me the benefit of your advice I should take that as a great kindness.

Having addressed his letter he took it across the square to the main post office and posted it himself. By the time he got back the coffee room was open and, producing his forged ration book, he made a far from satisfying breakfast of cereal, a small piece of cheese and ersatz coffee.

Up in his room he found Kuporovitch who, in the meantime, had fared no worse but no better. Talking over their situation they decided that, so far, everything had gone extremely well. Their parachutes might have been seen coming down by some night patrol, but they were now well away from the place at which they had landed and no-one had seen them enter the town on foot.

The cheerful Russian had met with no difficulty in establishing himself in the staff quarters, as in wartime Germany there were countless thousands of foreigners-displaced persons, imported labour and service men in the armies of Germany's allies- so no-one had thought it strange that the Major should have a Ruthenian as his servant.

Gregory had got off his letter and received an assurance that t would be delivered first thing the following morning. To anyone into whose hands it might fall it was innocent enough; but his mentions of an Embassy in Stockholm and to security measures in the island on which Peenemьnde stood would he hoped, connect in Frau von Altern's mind, and prepare her for the possibility that his real purpose in coming to North Germany was his having been informed of the secret intelligence he had sent out to aid the Allies.

Having been up all night the two comrades intended to sleep through most of the day; so they separated and went to their respective beds. At about three o'clock Gregory awoke, but spent a further hour dozing, until 'he was roused by '.Kuporovitch coming into the room.

With a smile the Russian said, `I just came to let you know that after I have drunk some of the muck that passes here for coffee I shall be going out.'

`I was thinking of doing that myself,' Gregory replied, `but, unfortunately, we can't go together. It would never do for a German officer to be seen walking side by side with a private.' Kuporovitch's smile broadened. `When I went downstairs; again after my sleep I got into conversation with a young chambermaid. Her name is Mitzi, and as it is her evening off she has agreed to have a meal with me later and show me the gay life of Grimmen.'

Gregory returned the smile. He had no need to warn his friend to be careful to say nothing which might lead the girl to suspect that he was not really a private soldier, but as Kuporovitch professed to adore his French wife, and had spent a days' leave with her before leaving England, he did remark: 'Stefan, you are incorrigible. It is barely twenty-four hours since you left Madeleine; and I know you far too well to suppose that you do not mean to seduce this Fraulein Mitzi you get half a chance.'

`Nom d'un nom! Naturally I shall seduce her,' Kuporovitch agreed amiably, `and it should not be difficult. Have we not seen in the intelligence reports Hitler's announcement that it is the duty of patriotic German women to give themselves to soldiers on leave from the front? So, Heil Hitler!'

`That is no excuse for seizing the first chance to be unfaithful to your charming wife.'

`Dear friend, you are talking nonsense. It is the Puritan streak in you with which all Englishmen have been cursed. Your morals are no better than those of the men of other nations, but you have always to provide an excuse for yourselves before going off the rails. As for my little Madeleine, since she is a French girl she has no illusions about men. And, even if she would not admit it, the last thing she would wish is that I should lose my virility through observing a monk-like chastity while away from her.'

`Lose your virility, indeed!' Gregory laughed. `You've had little time to do that as yet.'

`Maybe, maybe. But one should never lose an opportunity to keep one's hand in.'

`Good hunting, then. But don't give Mitzi a little Russian if you can help it, or he'll become one more German for us to have to kill off in the next war.'

When Kuporovitch had gone, Gregory dressed and went out into the town. For the better part of an hour he strolled about the streets, noting with interest that at least one in ten of the people in them was a disabled soldier, evidently convalescing. Their numbers far exceeded those that would have been seen in an English market town, and were ample evidence of the enormous casualties sustained by the Germans in the terrible battles on the Russian front.

He noted, too, with satisfaction the scarcity of goods in all the shops; but he had no difficulty in picking up a good rod and other second-hand fishing tackle that was essential to his cover. In the two suitcases they had been able to bring only necessities, as the greater part of one case was taken up by a wireless powerful enough to transmit messages to London; so he bought another case and, before returning to the hotel, half filled it by using some of the forged coupons he had brought to make a number of additions to the wardrobes of Kuporovitch and himself.

When he got back he sat down outside the cafй that occupied the ground floor to one side of the hotel entrance, had a drink there, then dined not too badly off local-caught fish and stewed fruit. Afterwards he went early to bed with a copy of Thomas Mann's ruddenbrooks, which he had bought while doing his shopping. Next morning Kuporovitch appeared at eight o'clock, in his role of batman; to collect his officer's field boots, belt and tunic. When Gregory asked him how he had enjoyed the night life of Grimmen he replied

`Pas de Diable!It was even more depressing than I had expected. A shoddy little Nachtlokal where one could dance to an ancient pianola.'

`And Mitzi?'

The Russian shrugged his broad shoulders. `When one cannot get caviare one eats sausage. You will recall that in Paris the French used to describe the German girls in uniform their troops' "bolsters". By failing to join up, Mitzi missed her vocation. These German women are abysmally ignorant of the art of love and have no imagination. But she has pretty teeth, is as plump as a partridge and has the natural appetites that go with a healthy body.'