Greg Iles - The Spandau Phoenix

thirty-eight thousand lwian soldiers at Sidi Barram. Did you know that?

That's more prisoners than the British had soldiers!"

"The Italians are swine," Heydrich declared, watching Mtler wind up,

again.

"What does Africa matter, I ask you? All my generals proudly display

Mein Kampf on their mantelpieces. I don't believe one of the idiots has

read it! Russia is the keY to el erything! When Russia falls, Japan

will be free to attack the United States. And with Roosevelt's

attention turned there, Churchill will be forced to sue for peace. it's

so simple a child could see it."

Hitler's left eye twitched angrily, "Perhaps _ I should place my armies

under the command of the Hitler Youth!"

Heydrich said nothing to this remarkable suggestion. Hitler smoothed

his unruly forelock, then clasped his hands behind him and said, "Do you

know what my Prussian peacocks are afraid of."

Heydrich swallowed. "England, my Fuhrer?"

c my own words back at me as if I "Pre isely! They throw did not write

them myself. 'Germany should never again become embroiled in a

two-front war. Never will I fight a twofront war.' Enough! England

lies prostrate beneath our bombs, yet my sniveling generals call her a

western front. A front! When we turn east, Heydrich, the cowards will

learn what a front truly is!"

Heydrich suppressed a sadistic grin.

Hitler squared his shoulders. "Directive Twenty-one commands that all

preparations for Plan Barbarossa be completed by May fifteenth of this

year. Do you know why?"

"So that we may defeat the communists before winter sets in?"

"Exactly. And why this year, Heydrich? Because Stalin is arming Russia

even faster than I am arming Germany! The purge of 'thirty-seven slowed

him down considerably, yes, but he has a new program in place-a total

reorganizationr will be too late! All that we have If we wait another

yea it accomplished will be dust! Do you understand?"

"Perfectly, my Fuhrer."

"I believe you do. And that is why you are here." Hitler carefully

read his watch, holding it close to his face because of his poor vision.

"I have no intention of fighting on two fronts, Heydrich.

But can I trust my spineless generals with my plans?" He waved his hand

impatiently. "My brilliant generals. imbeciles, every one.

England doesn't want warNo matter what your agents tell you, Heydrich, I

know.

Withstanding aerial bombardment is one thing-fighting a land war is

another. The English people will do almost anything to keep from

sending their sons to die at another Somme or Ypres. Believe me,

Heydrich, I was there- No, the only obstacle to an Aryan peace is

Winston Churchill.

Churchill and his warmongering cronies! Do you agree?"

"Absolutely, my Fuhrer."

"Tell me," Hitler said in a confiding tone, "what do you think.of our

chances of making peace with the British?"

Heydrich tried to guess which answer Hitler wanted today.

The Fuhrer did not tolerate equivocation; it had to be one absolute or

the other. "As things now stand," he ventured carefully, "we have no

chance whatsoever."

Hitler's eyes sparkled. "You seem certain. Yet I suspect that some of

your superiors might disagree with you."

Heydrich f@it his chest tighten.

Hitler's voice cut like a blade. "What do you know, Herr

Obergruppenfiihrer, of attempts by my officers to make clandestine

contact with the British?4' Heydrich felt the tingle of opportunity in

his palms. "May I speak frankly, my Fuhrer?"

"You had better!"

"My Fuhrer, so far, despite exhaustive efforts, I have not uncovered any

proof of treason around you. However, I am aware of efforts on the part

of certain individuals to make clandestine contact with British citizens

in various neutral countries. I've taken the liberty of compiling

dossiers on the activities of each for your review."

Hitler frowned disdainfully. "The Haushofers, for instance? Karl and

Albrecht?"

"Yes," said Heydrich, surprised by Hitler's knowledge.

"You know of their communications with Hess.

Heydrich nodded warily.

"Goring?"

"Surely you don't suspect the Reichsmarschall!"

Hitler dismissed his shock with a wave of the hand. "Who knows?

The air war over the Channel came close to breaking him. Goring hasn't

the stamina for wars of attrition. He was trained for aerial

dog-fighting-nothing else. But what of my question? How do you rate the

chances of gaining peace by clandestine means?"

Heydrich licked his thin lips. "As long as Churchill rules in London,

my Fuhrer, England will fight us."

Hitler nodded. "And the result?"

"England will be crushed."

"No," Hitler said softly. "There will be no war with England."

Heydrich waited for some evidence to back up this mistic assertion.

"There will be no war with England, because soon Winston Churchill will

no longer sit at the head of the British government."

Heydrich's pulse quickened.

"Does that statement surprise you, Heydrich? t shouldn't.

Because you are the man who is going to ensure that my prediction

becomes fact."

it took all of Heydrich's self-control to hold his facial muscles in

check. Renwve Churchillfrom the government? It was too fantastic ...

"Let me ask you another question, Herr Obergruppenftihrer. You consider

yourself a good judge of men. What do you think of the Duke of

Windsor?' Heydrich chose his words carefully. "As you know, my Fuhrer,

I handled security on the occasion when the duke secretly met with

Reichminister Hess in Lisbon. During my limited time with the duke, I

developed an impression of a weak, self-centered man.

He-behaved like a spoiled child.

Having voluntarily relinquished the throne of England, he would like

nothing better than to sit upon it again, if only so that his American

wife can be called 'Her Royal Highness.' Windsor imagines that he would

do anything to anain this end, when in fact he would probably do

everything short of what is required."

Hitler smiled. "You are indeed a good judge of men. But none of that

matters in the slightest. It is the royal blood that matters, Heydrich-

The blood. The English pretend to abhor my racial policies, they revile

me at every turn. Yet in the final analysis they revere the blood just

as we do!" Hitler tugged anxiously at his forelock.

"How would you rate Windsor as a friend to Germany?"

"There can be no doubt of his sympathies, my Fuhrer.

From an intdllectual standpoint, he s the @ost right-thinking Englishman

in the Empire. His actions in France proved that.

Knowingly or not, he accelerated our invasion timetable by at least a

week. But may I ask, my Fuhrer, why this is relevant? The English

constitution forbids an abdicated king from ever resuming the throne,

even should he wish

to. "Don't worry about the English constitution!" Hitler

snapped contemptuously. "If the English people recalled Windsor, would

he accept?"

"Undoubtedly. He said as much to Hess in Lisbon."

"Well, the people are going to recall him, Heydrich. And soon."

Heydrich blinked.

"If King George were to die suddenly," Hitler postulated, "what would

happen? There are two possibilities. Either his eldest daughter,

Elizabeth, would assume the throne-a highly dubious prospect,

considering that England is engaged in a life-and-death struggle@r the

English people would remember the Duke of Windsor, their once-adored

Prince of Wales and uncrowned king, who now wastes his