"Higgins, Jack - Sheba" - читать интересную книгу автора (Higgins Jack)

The door opened and the aide appeared. 'Gentlemen, our Fiihrer will see you now.'

The room was a place of shadows, and Hitler sat at the enormous desk with only the light of a single brass lamp. He was reading the file, closed it and looked up.

'Still brilliant, Herr Admiral. An absolutely first-class job.'

'Captain Ritter really deserves all the credit.'

'No, Herr Admiral, I think after all this that Major Ritter would be more appropriate. In fact, I warn you that I could well steal him for my own staff.'

He stood up and Ritter said the obvious thing. 'You do me too much honour, my Fiihrer.'

Hitler came round the corner of his desk and approached Muller. 'Professor Muller, isn't it? An amazing discovery and you sacrifice it for the sake of the Reich.'

And Muller, shaking almost uncontrollably, said exactly the right thing. 'For you, my Fiihrer, for you.'

Hitler clapped him on the shoulders. 'A great day is coming, gentlemen, the greatest in Germany's history.' He walked slowly away and the desk lamp threw his shadow across the huge map of the world. He stood there, arms folded. 'You may go, gentlemen.'

Canaris nodded to the other two, jerked his head and led the way out.

Later, after dropping Muller off at the University, Canaris told the driver to take them back to Tirpitz Ufer. As they turned into a side street they came to a cafe on the corner, windows lighted. E

Canaris Cleaned forward. 'Stop here.' He turned to i

Ritter. 'A nightcap, coffee and schnapps. We'll toast your promotion, Major.'

'My pleasure, Herr Admiral.'

The cafe was almost deserted and the proprietor was overwhelmed. He ushered them to a booth by the window and hurriedly took the order. Canaris pulled out his cigarette case and proffered it to Ritter, who took one and gave him a light.

'He was pleased,' the Admiral said and blew out smoke. 'Muller was a mess though. He's not strong enough.'

'I agree,' Ritter said. 'We need a professional to back him up.'

The proprietor brought coffee and schnapps on a tray and Canaris waved him away. 'You'll have to find somebody, an old Abwehr hand. Somebody reliable.'

'No problem, Herr Admiral.'

'You know this thing is so simple it could work,' Canaris said and poured schnapps from the bottle into two glasses.

'I agree,' Ritter said.

Canaris nodded. 'There's only one problem.'

'And what's that, Herr Admiral?'

'It won't win us this coming war, my friend, nothing can do that. You see, Hans, we're all going straight to hell, but here's to your promotion anyway.'

He raised the glass of schnapps and drained it at a single swallow.