Complete political isolation.
The most feared and revered man in all Europe.
“I’ll be with Krupp. Ewen will know where to reach
Mfg
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CHAPTER 38
Elizabeth Scarlatti sat up in her bed. A card table had been placed at her
side, and papers were strewn a over the Immediate vicinity-the bed, the
table, the entire walking area of the room. Some were in neat piles, others
scattered. Some were clipped together and labeled by index cards; others
discarded, ready for the trash basket.
It was four o’clock in the afternoon and she had left her room only once.
That was to let in Janet and Matthew. She noted that they looked terrible;
exhausted, a perhaps. She knew what had happened. The pressure had become
too much for the government man He had to break out, got relieL Now that he
bad, be would be better prepared for her proposaL
Elizabeth gave a final look at the pages she held in her hand.
So this was itt The picture was now clear, the background filled in.
She had said that the men of Zurich might have created an extraordmary
strategy She know Dow that they had.
Had it not been so grotesquely evil she miglit, have agreed with her son.
She might have been proud of his part in iL Under the circumstances, She
could only be tffd&&
She wondered if Matthew Canfield would understand. No matter. R was now
dine for Zurich.
she got up from the bed, taking the pages with her, and went to the door.
290
Janet was at the desk writing letters. Canfield sat in a chair nervously
reading a newspaper. Both were startled when Elizabeth walked into the
room.
“Do you have any knowledge of the Versailles treaty?” she asked him “The
mtrictions, the reparations paymentsr,
“As much as the average guy, I guess.”
“Are you aware of the Dawes Plan? That wholly imperfect document?”
“I thought it made the reparations livable with.”
“Only temporarily. it was grasped at by the politicians who needed
temporary solutions. Economically it’s a disaster. Nowhere does it give a
final figure. If, at any time, a final figure is given, German industry-who
pays the bill-might collapse.”
‘Tvlat’s your point?”
“Bear with me a minute. I want you to under-stand.
Do you realize who executes the Versailles treaty? Do you know whose voice
is strongest in the decisions under the Dawes Plan? Who ultimately controls
the internal economics of Germanyr,
Canfield put the newspaper down on the floor. “Yes. Some committee.”
‘The Allied Controls Commission.”
‘Vhat are you driving atr Canfield got out of his chair.
.,Just what you’re beginning to suspect ‘Ihree of the Zunch contingent are
members of the Allied Controls Commission. The Vemailles treaty is being
executed by these men.-Workmg together, the men of Zurich can literally
manipulate the German economy. Leading in dustrialists from the major
powers to the north, the West, and the southwest Completed by the most
powerful financiers within Germany itself. A wolf pack. They’ll make sure
that the forces at work in Germany remain on a collision course. When the
explosion takes placeas surely it mu t–4hey’ll be there to pick up the
pieces. To complete this . . . master plan, they need only a political base
of operation. Believe me when I tell you they’ve found it. With Adolf
Hitler and his Nazis. . . . With my son, Ulster Stewart Searlett.”
“My Godl” Canfield spoke quietly, staring at Eliza-
291
beth. He had not fully understood the details of her recital, but he
recognized the implications. “It’s time for Switzerland, Mr. Canfield.” He
would ask his questions on the way.
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CHAPTER 39
The cablegrams were all in English and except for the names and addresses of
the designees, the words were identical. Each was sent to the company or
corporation in which the person specified held the highest position. Tune
zones were respected, each cable was to arrive at its destination at twelve
noon, on Monday, and each was to be hand-delivered to the individual
addressee upon a signed receipt of acceptance.
Elizabeth Scarlatt wanted those illustrious corpomtions identified in
writing. She wanted those receiving her cables to know that this was, above
all, business.
Each cable read as follows:
THROUGH THE LATE MARQUIS DE BERTHOLDE THE SCARLATTI INDUSTRIES THROUGH THE
UNDERSIGNED ALONE HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF YOUR CONSOLIDA11ON STOP AS THE
SINGLE SPOKESMAN FOR SCARLATTI THE UNDERSIGNED BELIEVES THERE EJUST AREAS
OF MUTUAL INTEREST STOP THE ASSETS OF SCARLATTI COULD BE AT YOUR DISPOSAL
UNDER PROPER CIRCUMSTANCES STOP THE UNDERSIGNED WILL ARRIVE IN ZURICH IWO
WEEKS HENCE ON THE EVENING OF NOVEMBER 3 AT THE HOUR OF NINE 07CLOCK STOP
THE CONFERENCE WILL TAKE PLACE AT FALKE HAUS
ELIZABETH WYCKHAM SCARLATTI
There were thirteen reactions, all separate, in many different languages,
but each with a single ingredient cOMmon to all.
293
Fear.
There was a fourteenth reaction, and it took place in the suite of rooms
reserved for Heinrich Kroeger at Madrid’s Hotel Emperador. The reaction was
fury.
“I won’t have itl It can’t take placel They’re all deadl Deadl,Deadl Deadl
She was warnedl They’re deadl Every God damned one of theml Dead. My orders
go out tonightl Nowl”
Charles Pennington, sent by Ludendorff to act as Kroeger’s bodyguard, stood
across the room looking out the balcony at the reddish, fan-shaped rays of
the Spanish sun.
“Gloriousl Simply gloriousl . . . Don’t be an ass.” He didn’t like to look
at Heinrich Kroeger. In repose that tissued, patched face was bad enough.
Angered, it was repulsive. It was now orimson with rage.
“DoWt you -tell me . . .”
“Oh, stop itl” Pennington saw that Kroeger continued to crush in his fist
the telegram fporn Howard Thornton, which spelled out the Scarlatti
conference in Zurich. ‘T,Fhat bloody difference does it make to you? To any
of us?” Pennington had opened the envelope and read the message because, as
he told Kroeger, he had no idea when Kroeger would return from his meeting
with the papal attach& It might have been urgent. What he did not tell
Kroeger was that Ludendorff had instructed him to screen all letters, phone
calls-whatever-received by this animal. It was a pleasure.
“We doiet want anyone else involved. We can’t have anyone elsel We cantt
Zurich will panicl They’ll run out on usl”
11rhey’ve an got the cables. If Zurich’s going to run, you won’t stop them
now. Besides, this Scarlatti’s the oat’s whiskers if it’s the same one rm
thinking of. She has millions…. Damned fortunate for us she wants to come
inI didnJ think much of Bertholde–probably less than you did, smelly
French Jew-but if he pulled this off, I doff myh,a;L Anyway, I repeat,
what’s it to you?”
Heinrich Kroeger glared at the stylish, effeminate Englishman who pulled at
his cuffs, making sure they fen just below his jacket sleeve. The red and
black cuff links were surrounded by the soft linen of his light blue shirt.
Kroeger knew this appearance was deceptive. Like the social Boothroyd,
Pennington was a killer who took emo-
294
tional sustenance from his work. He also was held in high esteem by Hitler,
even more so by Joseph Goebbels. Nevertheless, Kroeger had made up his mind.
He could not risk itl
‘This meeting won’t take placel She’ll be killed. ru have her killed.”
“Then I’ll have to remind you that such a decision must be multilateral.
You can not make it yourself.
And I don’t think you’ll find anyone else consenting.”
“You’re not here to tell me what to dol”
“Oh, but I am…. My instructions come from Ludendorff. And, of course, he
knows about your message from Thornton. I wired him several hours ago.”
Pennington casually looked at his wristwatch. “~I’m going out for dinner…
Frankly, I’d prefer eating alone but if you insist upon joining me, I’ll
tolerate your company.”
“You little prickl I could break your God damn neckl”
Pennington bristled. He knew that Kroeger was unarmed, his revolver lay on
the bureau in his bedroom, and the temptation was there. He could kill him,
use the telegram as proof, and say that Kroeger had disobeyed. But then
there were the Spanish authorities and a hasty retreat. And Kroeger did
have a job to do. Strange that it involved Howard Thornton so completely.
“I’hat’s possible, of course, But then we could, no doubt, do each other in
any number of ways, couldn7t we?” Pennington withdrew a thin pistol from
his chest holster. “For instance, I might fire a single bullet directly
into your mouth right now. . . . But I wouldn’t do it in spite of your
provocation because the order is larger than either of us. I’d have to
answer for my action-no doubt be executed for it. You11 be shot if you take
matters into your own hands.”
“You don’t know this Scarlatti, Pennington. I do_ 11.
How could she have known about Bertholde? What could she have learned from