Free Chosen of the Valkyries (Twilight Of The Gods Book 2) by Christopher Nuttall Page A

purpled.  Horst was no more a diplomat than she was.  The SS had never been about diplomacy.  It rarely even bothered trying to be polite.
     
    “That was when we lay prostrate before you,” Ouvrard said.  “Now ... you need us.”
     
    Horst leaned forward.  “There’s such a thing as overplaying your hand,” he said.  “I concede that we need your help, but we don’t need it so badly that we’re ready to deal with the consequences of giving you what you want.  If you push this too far, you may wind up with the SS on the border instead of us.”
     
    Jacquinot smiled.  “So you’re saying we should quit while we’re ahead?”
     
    “Yes,” Horst said.  “You can get some concessions from us now - and we will honour them - but you can't get everything .”
     
    “True,” Jacquinot said.  “ Fraulein , with your permission, we will write up the terms of the agreement and make them public, once they are signed.  Our public needs to know that we are making progress.”
     
    Gudrun nodded.  The French economy had been hit by multiple strikes, but - unlike in the Reich - the strikers hadn't gained any real concessions.  They were growing tired of waiting for change, she’d been told.  It wouldn't be long before Jacquinot and Ouvrard found themselves on opposing sides, if they failed to put the brakes on now.  A civil war in France might keep the French from causing trouble, but it would definitely interfere with the shipment of supplies to the Reich .
     
    “That would be acceptable,” she said.
     
    “There is one other condition,” Ouvrard said, softly.  “We want the conscripted labourers returned from the Reich .”
     
    Gudrun wasn't entirely sure if that was a good idea or not - for France.  Hans Krueger had pointed out that hundreds of thousands of Frenchmen were in Germany, Frenchmen who would have problems finding employment when they got home.  Dumping so many workers onto the French economy would probably cause all sorts of headaches for the French Government, which might be why Ouvrard wanted it.  But it wasn't as if anyone in Germany wanted to keep the Gastarbeiters .
     
    “They will be returned home,” she said, bluntly.  She had no idea what would be done - if anything could be done - about the Gastarbeiters from Germany East, but that wasn't her problem.  “Do you have any other demands?”
     
    Ouvrard smiled.  “Not at all, Fraulein .”
     
    “We thank you for coming, Fraulein ,” Jacquinot said.  “And we will have the terms of the provisional agreement written up now.”
     
    “Of course,” Gudrun said.
     
    She watched the two Frenchmen leave, then sat back and waited - doing her best to keep her face impassive - until Jacquinot returned with the provisional agreement.  It was nothing more than a list of points, but it covered everything they’d discussed.  She signed both copies, then passed one back to Jacquinot.  The provisional government would have to hold a formal signing ceremony later, once the agreement was approved. 
     
    And there’s no reason why they won’t approve it, she thought.  It gives us what we want .
     
    As soon as both copies were signed, she rose and followed the escort out of the room, back to the car.  Horst walked beside her, looking pensive.  He hadn't liked the idea of negotiating with the French at all, Gudrun knew, even though he’d seen no alternative.  But then, as far as everyone was concerned, he was nothing more than her bodyguard.  His objections had been strictly private.
     
    “Well,” Horst said, as the car passed through the gates and back onto the road leading to the private airfield.  “That could have gone worse, I suppose.”
     
    “Yeah,” Gudrun said. 
     
    She wanted to hug him - they’d been lovers ever since the Reich Council had fallen - but she didn't know if she could trust the driver.  He might well be keeping an eye on her for his superiors.  God alone knew what having a