“Astonishing,” von Heurten-Mitnitz said.
“They established themselves in three connecting suites in the Kurhotel,” the Baron said. “And when my man finally found them there and explained to my son the arrangements we had made for him, my son announced that he was perfectly comfortable where he was. He had no intention of moving into a student dormitory or, for that matteg joining a Bruderschaft.”
“He was not quite what your man expected, eh?” von Heurten-Mitnitz chuckled.
“When I heard what had happened,” the Baron went on, ignoring the remark, “I simply made time to go to Marburg to talk to my son. I tried to explain that, while someone like el Ferruch might exempt himself from normal undergraduate customs and regulations, it behooved him to remember that he was my son, a von Fulmar, and was expected to behave as such.”
“I gather that he was not receptive?” von Heurten-Mitnitz said.
“He told me bluntly that he was an American and didn’t much care how Germans were expected to behave. As for behaving like a dutiful son, he told me it was ludicrous of me to suddenly appear out of nowhere and start acting like a father to him.” Helmut von Heurten-Mitnitz shook his head sympathe ically.
“I then told him I had no intention of maintaining him in a resort hotel and that he could either move into the student dormitory and do what he was told or leave the university. He actually laughed. It was all I could do not to slap his face.”
“He laughed at you?” The Baron nodded.
“On his eighteenth birthday he had entered into a contractual arrangement with Continental Studios. So long as he remained outside of the United States and maintained an absolute silence regarding his relationship with Monica Sinclair, there would be deposited monthly to his account with Thos. Cook & Sons the sum of five hundred dollars, which would be more than enough for his personal expenses.”
“How difficult for you,” von Heurten-Mitnitz said.
“He went on to refuse any help from me in any way. He wanted no part of me, or of his German heritage. At that point, Herr von Heurten-Mitnitz, I am ashamed to tell you, I lost my temper.”
“You struck him?”
“No. But I called him an arrogant, ungrateful bastard’ and told him that I washed my hands of him, once and for all.”
“And his response?”
“He told me to go fuck myself, is what he said.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t strike him,” von Heurten-Mitnitz said.
“During the entire conversation, el Ferruch’s bodyguard stood behind my son’s chair. He was an enormous Negro with a pistol in his belt.
Frankly, I was afraid. Not so much physically, you understand, Herr von Heurtenmitnitz, but because of the political and diplomatic ramifications of a confrontation with him. Because of his diplomatic status.” Helmut von Heurten-Mitnitz managed to restrain a smile. His mind’s eye saw the Baron nervously eyeing N’Jibba, el Ferruch’s enormous, shining black Senegalese bodyguard. What had kept the Baron from doing something foolish was not his awareness of political and diplomatic ramifications, but a menacing robed character two meters tall and weighing 150 kilos.
“I gather the discussion concluded soon?” von Heurten-Mitnitz asked.
“And that was the end of it?”
“It wasn’t the end of it, but yes, I left,” the Baron said. “As soon as I could, I discussed the situation with my legal counsel. He confirmed my belief that I had the legal right under German law to bring my son to heel. But he also pointed out that the matter wasn’t quite that simple. He therefore made a few discreet inquiries of highly placed persons within the Foreign Ministry and the Party.”
“And?”
“The matter came to the attention of the Foreign Minister himself, who thought it would be ill-advised at the present time’ to either exercise my parental rights or to seek to have my son declared a German. Under American law, since he was born there, he is an American. The Americans were liable to become highly indignant if a German court were to declare otherwise.”
“And I would think,” von Heurten-Mitnitz added, “that others had in mind the possible usefulness of el Ferruch should war come and we find ourselves in possession of French Morocco.”