Rahn wanted to faint from relief.
‘Listen to me.’ Weisthor sat forwards with a mad look in his eye. ‘The Sicherheitsdienst spies on everyone, not just bohemian artists, or Marxists, or the morally perverted – like Schmid, with his apartment full of statues of nude men. The slightest remark, or the smallest activity deemed questionable by the SD will have you hearing a knock on the door in the middle of the night. Before you can blink, you will find yourself in Dachau and I won’t be able to help you. The Gestapo SS are not subject to laws. They are above the law and can place any man in protective custody. You don’t want to know what happens to those who go there, Rahn. A bullet in the head is the pleasant alternative. At best your parents will have to ransom you and nurse you back to life after the Waffen SS have had their fill of you. Be pragmatic, Rahn! No one is safe!’
‘You make the Gestapo sound like the Inquisition!’ Rahn blew his nose again.
‘Look, if you’re not careful you too will be considered nothing but riffraff, and riffraff has to be eradicated! Mark my words, Rahn, they will take comfort in knowing that such an act comes as an inspiration directly from the gods.’
Rahn, bewildered and feverish, asked, ‘Why would the gods inspire the killing of innocent people?’
Weisthor sighed, as if Rahn had just made the most naïve statement in the history of the world. ‘You’re a historian! Surely you can see how the gods have always needed their sacrifices, be it on an altar of stone or on a battlefield. The sacrifice of weakness is what our Führer believes will make our race perfect, and only a perfect race is a vessel capable of containing the spirit of its people – like the Grail, Rahn!’
He stood and went to the window to look out at the dreary day. ‘This now brings me to your next mission. New information has come to light. Gaston De Mengel has sent me a letter that has me quite excited. I have shown it to the Reichsführer and he is similarly invigorated!’
‘What is it?’ Rahn said.
Weisthor didn’t turn around but began tapping one hand over the other behind his back. ‘It is of the utmost importance and completely top secret. De Mengel tells of a certain text, a grimoire of black magic, very rare . . . He has a contact for you in Paris. Himmler is quite elated since this text is one that has been sought after by our Führer for some years to complete his collection. It is the only one he doesn’t possess. At any rate, the Reichsführer would like to give it to the Führer for his birthday, so there’s no time to delay. Himmler has expedited matters by signing a request for your journey. All you need do is append your signature.’ He turned around. ‘Now, to details.’ He looked about his littered desk and produced an envelope. ‘In here you will find your new papers. Knowing of your difficulties in Ussatles-Bains, I appealed to the French Embassy here in Berlin and they have issued a new passport. You will also find quite a sizeable sum, enough to provide you with meals and accommodation and anything else you might need for a month or so. If you need more it will be wired to you, but you must note down every expense, the smallest amount must be accounted for. Himmler is a stickler for detail, as you know by now. Oh, and inside there are also train tickets and the address of the man whom you are to contact in Paris. A certain Vincent Varas.’ He sighed. ‘Think, Rahn, how overjoyed the Führer will be to have that book! I need only say that we are full of enthusiasm for your positive findings . . . if you know what I mean.’
‘If the Führer is so interested in occult matters why is he persecuting astrologers and gypsies?’
The old man raised one brow. ‘His reasoning is beyond our comprehension because he is a giant and we are dwarfs. Now, before you go, the Reichsführer would like you to take his genealogy to him at Wewelsburg, the spiritual centre of our nation. Have you finished your own one, by the way?’
Rahn shifted. ‘Not yet, I’ve been so busy . . .’
‘Watch out, my boy.’ Weisthor lowered his voice. ‘Every man must show that his blood is free from impurities – make it a priority on your return from France or face the consequences. Now, your train leaves tomorrow and afterwards you will travel to France directly from Wewelsburg. I expect you to report in from time to time on how you are getting on in the south.’ He looked at Rahn with paternal affection. ‘Be careful, son, do your duty, and, Heil Hitler!’
Rahn left the office with his mind spinning. His body was aching and his head hurt but in his heart there was a little leap for joy. He was leaving Berlin with its sodden dampness and its noise and the all-pervading smell of boiled cabbage. He would soon see mountains again and with any luck lose himself in France, leaving this terrible business with Himmler behind him.