For the first time, Alistair felt true fear when he entered the large office that Hitler was to be found in at this hour. He hadn't seen him since his detour to the CCCP; and he was afraid the man might have eyes everywhere, one man crossing the right street at the right time would have been enough to...Alistair Bowmore shook his head. Entering the room with stress in his aura would only raise suspicions. So he opened the door with gusto and entered with a spring in his step.
To his horror, the scene that greeted him was quite different from the ones he'd seen up till then. It wasn't just Hitler and Goebbels, or a hanfdul of cronies and bodyguards, it was a whole line of German officials and non-officials, at least the large sum of twenty people or so, and they all stared at him with their flourescent eyes, most of them a sharp blue or grey, and although none of them held themselves in a hostile manner Alistair still felt intimidated.
"Hallo, Adolf." He thought it best to great the most dangerous of them all first. He shook Hitler's hand with a smile and a polite nod, and the Führer returned it. "Sie haben ja heute das halbe Kabinett eingeladen, gibt es etwas zu feiern? (I see you've invited half of the Kabinett today, is there something to celebrate?)" Just one look into Hitler's eyes made Bowmore know that something was going on with the man, something that concerned the American alone, and so he decided that the more impressive thing was to put forth a somewhat cheeky line, to show that he noticed and accepted the fact of it without a fuss or fear.
"Nothing to celebrate yet, Alistair. Just a few things to organize."
"Ah, I see." Alistair shoved his hand into his pants pocket. He turned his attention to the officials. "Guten Abend meine Herren." There was a chorus of greeting back. Goebbels was given a handshake and a pat on the arm, and then the American faced Hitler again, with a smile playing on his lips. "What are we organizing?"
"The planning of a new Lager."
Alistair's stomach dropped. At least they hadn't found out about his little trip to the enemy's lair. Or had they..? Had they and were trying to coax him into a deal by spareing him the Lager?
"Ein Konzentrationsslager wird es sein, mein Guter. Du wirst es leiten, und zwar in der Manier wie ich weiss dass Du es leiten kannst. Ich habe gehört, dass Dachau Dir mächtig eine - einen Eindruck hinterlassen hat. Möge das neue Lager Dir ein umso grösseres hinterlassen, denn Du wirst es leiten, und zwar mit Hilfe von ein paar dieser Offiziere. (It will be a concentration camp, my friend. You will lead it with the manner in which I know you can. I heard that Dachau left a vast impression on you. This new Lager will leave an even bigger one, then you'll lead it with some of these men as your subordinates.)" Hitler spoke decisively. His tone and rhythm of voice was something that Alistair had gotten used to. It had an aweful lot of pauses, less for dramatic effect then for the search for a fitting string of thoughts to follow. If Hitler got one thing right, it was the way he spoke. "Ich überlasse es Dir, Deine Mannschaft auszusuchen. Ich kann aber alle Anwesenden höchscht empfehlen, mit den Meisten habe ich schon lange gearbeitet (I will leave it to you to pick your team, I can really suggest each and every one of them, with most of them I have worked for a long time.)"
"I think six or seven will be enough men to help me with the Lager. And some SS-men, some soldiers." He said it with a smile. But his smile could not reach his eyes for the were not blue but brown, and even when Hitler smiled in response his eyes remained dark.
"You are relieved of your duty as translator, Alistair, although I might still call you in once in a while. I wish you good work with the camp. Now gentlemen, would you leave us alone? Thank you very much." The officials and non-officials filed out of the room. They're names remained on a list on the Führers desk, so that the American would be able to chose his men.
"Joseph, wirst Du uns alleine lassen?" Hitler asked, to which Goebbels nodded and joined the other men in leaving.
Hitler leaned against his desk, his hands folded together and resting agaisnt his thigh. He cocked his head to the left and stared at Alistair with a truely friendly and almost fond expression. "Now, Alistair, please be so kind and tell me what it is that you know that we don't know."
"I have nothing useful to tell you, Adolf." He answered.
"Nothing?" He smiled again. But this time the smile was faked, and the fake smile made a shiver run down Alistairs spine. "Alright. How was the birth? Is your wife alright?" The sudden change of subject suprised Alistair. For a second he had no clue what the German was talking about. Hitler smiled softly again, this time with an empathetic aftertase; "Alistair, if you are going to lie to me, remember what you've said. And now, I ask you once again, is there something you need to tell me?"
"The birth was alright, Adolf. However I didn't really want the child. But I will take care of it. There is nothing further. I thank you for your time." He said without a smile. Hitler could tell that the American wasn't talking about the child but about the Lager, and he could also tell that there had never been a child.
"Einverstanden, Morgen machen wir dich zum Offizier."
(tomorrow we'll make you an officer)