Armageddon - Leon Uris

“Thanks anyhow. I got my baptism at a guest home for political prisoners on the ancestral estates of the Count of Dachau. Any truth about Corney Hollingshead’s story?”

“I dunno. I’ve sent samples to Switzerland, the States, and Sweden for analysis. I wish I could send Corney there too. She’s planning to give us the pleasure of her company for fifteen more articles and she’s getting nasty about an interview with Emma Stoll.”

“To Corney. A credit to my noble profession. O’Sullivan, I am about to give you the antidote to Hollingshead poison. Try this on her tomorrow ...”

Cornelia Hollingshead was outraged!

“I am not accustomed,” she said in a husky voice, “to being kept waiting in the anteroom of junior officers. I demand to know why I was locked out of my apartment and why my press credentials were revoked.”

“Despite my lowly rank, I am at liberty to determine and act upon undesirable elements in my district.”

“Dammit, I said I want to know why!”

“You filed an unauthorized and unconfirmed story having grave consequences.”

“Don’t go pulling that Little Lord Fauntleroy crap on me, buster. People want atrocity stories and that’s what they’re going to get.”

“In this district freedom of the press is not extended to pathological liars. If you aren’t out of Romstein Landkreis in two hours, you’re going to get jailed.”

Corney leaned over his desk and began to laugh and snarl at the same time. “Major, you’re begging for it. I use little boys like you to wash my panties. Maybe you don’t know who I am and what I’m going to do to you. You’re going to get run right out of this Army, buster.”

“I’m snowed under with work, Miss Hollingshead. I would appreciate your departure without further rhetoric.”

“All right, but make sure you read the Whittsett Press tomorrow. America is going to be reading about the Black Major.”

“Really? What about the Black Major?”

Corney’s yellow journalistic imagination came into play.

“Did the Black Major experiment with the Schwabenwald gas chambers, using German prisoners of war as guinea pigs?

How’s that for a starter? Why did the Black Major desecrate the Marienkirche Cathedral and jail an anti-Nazi priest? Does the Black Major have brothels in Rombaden so his troops can bypass the nonfraternization laws? Has the Black Major opened Swiss bank accounts? Are you getting the idea, buster? Now you hear this! You arrange that interview with Emma Stoll!”

Sean could not believe the venom coming from this wrathful creature. “It has just occurred to me,” he said, “that you are the first American I have ever met with pure Nazi mentality.”

Cornelia Hollingshead’s lips thinned and her teeth gnashed as she stomped for the door.

“Miss Hollingshead! Would you care to venture a guess as to what well-known lady war correspondent gave a dose of clap to what well-known major general in Paris ...”

She stopped in her tracks and spun around. “You son of a bitch!”

“Shame on you. Gonorrhea at your age. Let’s understand each other. The account of your ... er ... indiscretion in Paris has been written by a correspondent who has an audience as large as yours and twice as discriminating. I have it in my desk and am free to file it at will. Questions?”

The blackmailer had been blackmailed. She became amused ... beaten badly at her own game. There was but one weapon left in her arsenal. Smiling, she walked toward him. ...

“Have a nice trip, Corney. Besides, I hear you’re a lousy lay.”

Chapter Twenty-six

TO: COMMANDING OFFICER, G-5, FRANKFURT

FROM: MILITARY COMMANDER, PILOT TEAM G-5. ROMBADEN/ROMSTEIN

SUBJECT: Hollingshead, Cornelia. Correspondent accredited to Whittsett Press/Global Alliance News Syndicate.

The presence of the above named journalist is, in my opinion, detrimental to the best interests of the function of military government in this district.

I have, therefore, in accordance with my authority, suspended press credentials and ordered same from my district.

Sean O’Sullivan, Major

Commander, Pilot Team G-5

Andrew Jackson Hansen damned near had apoplexy when he read the terse report. One did not give the shaft to Corney without dire consequences.

Headquarters in Frankfurt stood by for the cyclone to blow in from Rombaden. To their chagrin, Corney came in meekly and filed a story that “her” war was over in Europe and she was off to the Pacific and battlefields yet unconquered.

Although there was a simultaneous sigh of relief, no one felt that even the Marines deserved Corney.

A few days later, when Nelson Goodfellow Bradbury arrived, Hansen sniffed a rat and tried to pump him.

“General,” Big Nellie purred, “one of these days ask General Borof Roth why he couldn’t attend the liberation ceremonies in Paris.”

And that’s about all he would say.

Hansen watched the reports flow in from Rombaden with obvious pride. O’Sullivan’s performance vindicated his judgment. Rombaden was weeks, even months ahead of most cities.

May 1. Enough rubble has been cleared so we have one-way traffic, at least, on all major thoroughfares.

May 2. 60% of all known former Nazis have been purged from civic positions and are on rubble-cleaning details.

May 3. We have restored enough power for Allied use, hospitals, and certain emergencies.

May 4. Captain Greenberg has located a generator in Munich similar to the main generator for the sewage-processing plant. He horse-traded for enough parts to improvise the rebuilding of the Rombaden generator.

May 5. All liberated Poles, Jews, and other displaced persons in the area are registered, housed, and those capable have been assigned to useful employment.

May 5. The eastern bridge over the Landau has been restored to operation.

May 6. The water-distillation plant is 20% in operation. We are therefore able to raise the water ration to six buckets per day per family.

May 7. Barge works partly reopened.

May 8. Three small factories partly reopened. All factories will use rubble as their basic raw material.

a.

Hümpelmeyer Plant formerly making steel helmets now converted to pots, pans, kitchen utensils, etc.

b.

Struger Factory formerly making hand grenades now returned to traditional toy and puppet making.

c.

Landau Works, formerly making stock handles for rifles now returned to furniture refinishing.

May 11. Leather factory reopened.

May 13. We now have seven full labor battalions on rubble clearance, demolition, and public works. Two battalions consist of ex-Nazis, two of prisoners of war; the rest, civilians.

May 14. We are happy to report that the entire population has received multiple shots for typhus and typhoid and has been vaccinated. We have completed 70% of the delousing procedures as an antityphus precaution.

May 18. Telephone and telegraph service for Allied use has been restored.

May 25. Three banks in full operation.

May 27. A makeshift public transportation system has begun using horse-drawn vehicles and carts pulled by bicycles.

June 1. The sewage plant is now in partial operation.

And so it went. Rombaden/Romstein became a pilot light. From all over the American and British sectors the urgent call was sent to Frankfurt, “What does Rombaden say about this?”

“What do the Rombaden people do in case of ...?”

“How are they handling this problem in Rombaden ...?”

“Clear it with Rombaden.”

That was the new password ... clear it with Rombaden, as men struggled to find the wisdom of Solomon and the strength of Atlas in this obliterated land. Germany’s cities were as bleak as the face of the moon and there was no railroad or barges or bridges ... no mail, no communications, no schools, no courts of law ... no radio, no press, and damned little food.