The 34th Degree

78

I t was easy for Hans to forget the time as he danced with the lovely Fraulein Vasilis. But the sight of Peter walking into the gardens made him panic, especially as he was heading toward the Baron, who was talking with some Greek and Swedish representatives from the Red Cross.

“You must excuse me, Fraulein,” he said, and gallantly kissed her hand.

“Oh, please, not yet,” Aphrodite protested.

But he insisted, looking over her shoulder at the Baron. “Duty calls.”

The music began to fade as he left the gardens and rounded the house to the library. Hans had managed to avoid a debacle with the Baron by not being seen at the same time as Peter, although he wondered why Peter would simply leave his post.

Still, Hans was rather happy with himself and slowed down as he approached the patio outside the library. After all, he had danced with two Italian countesses, three Wehrmacht communications officers, and finally but not least, that last waltz with the Baron’s mistress, Fraulein Vasilis. All in all, a wonderful evening; those damn dance classes in Hamburg while he was at university really did pay off.

Then he noticed what seemed to be movement in the library. He slowed down and pulled out his Luger as he approached the French doors. One was ajar. With a kick, he burst inside and saw a sentry in the dark. “Who’s there?”

“Hans, look on the floor.”

Hans swung his flashlight to the floor and could see Werner lying on his back in the halo of light. “What happened?”

There was no answer, so he swung the light to the sentry’s face. Instead, he saw Andros with a Ceska pointed at him.

“You!”

Hans opened his mouth, but there was a cough, and the last thing he saw was a flash of light and then total darkness.