Free The Reich Device by Richard D. Handy Page A

assurances… ’
    ‘Thank you Mr Ambassador,’ Sinclair took the chair. ‘Gentlemen, nonetheless, it would be foolish of us not to increase our intelligence gathering within Germany. We cannot let the situation spill beyond Germany’s borders, and we must understand the details of how this new regime is operating.’
    ‘Our island is well protected.’ General Gort crossed his arms, and scowled across the room. ‘The army has reasonable reserves, albeit mostly inexperienced young men on their national service, but they’re feisty and eager. If the Hun want to kick off again, we will be ready.’ Sweat trickled from his short grey hair, running down his chubby face onto the over-starched shirt collar of his uniform.
    ‘Sir, if I might make an observation… ’ The grey man leant forward.
    ‘Danny, go ahead… gentlemen, Major Nash has been our eyes and ears on the ground in Germany for some time.’
    ‘Leipzig is crawling with German troops. These are not conscripts or boy soldiers, but in the main, seasoned professionals. The security services are utterly ruthless with the civilian population. I have personally witnessed summary executions; and in broad daylight. Both the regular army and the SS seem to be driven by a single purpose: to impose Hitler’s ideology on the masses. The Nazi Party has become a ruthless killing machine. This situation is repeated in towns all over Germany as far as I can tell.’
    Murmurs of disapproval went round the room.
    Nash paused, absently rubbing his brow. ‘My gut feeling tells me there’s something else. I don’t know exactly… the SS are showing a particular interest in civilian engineers and physicists, but for what purpose? It doesn’t make any sense.’
    ‘I dunno man, that would tie in with goings on in South Africa.’ Rudy Temple, a weather-beaten and grizzled Africaan in his early fifties piped up. His muscular stocky frame stretched the fabric of his worn lumberjack-style shirt.
    ‘Go on… ’ Sinclair furrowed his brow.
    ‘Yep, the bloody Germans are messing with us. What they do at home is their business; but there are too many of them running around the Transvaal these days. It’s making some of the diamond traders a bit edgy; it’s not good for business.’
    The Ambassador nodded. ‘I agree, it just isn’t cricket. We’re reliant on both the diamond and the precious metal trade in the region. The Germans are posturing, they want their old colony back – well they can’t have it! At the end of the Great War, the reparations were very clear. German West Africa, or
Deutsch-Südwestafrika
as they liked to call it, became a British territory. The west-coast diamond trade and other mineral rights in the colony are ours.’
    ‘But why do you think this is aggravating the Germans now?’ Sinclair probed the Ambassador.
    ‘I don’t know. The influence of the National Socialists is spreading, they’re finding sympathy with unsavoury types. Stirring up trouble in the colonies, as it were.’
    ‘So what are the Nazis up to?’ Sinclair spoke for everyone.
    ‘The intelligence reports make some bloody interesting observations. Several reasonably senior figures from the Nazi Party have made journeys to Cape Town via banks in Geneva; but what the hell for? Anyways, the visits have been all too damned regular for my liking.’ Temple spat his disgust, pausing to let the information sink in.
    ‘Are these confirmed reports?’ interrupted Sinclair.
    ‘Yes,’ the Ambassador nodded vigorously. ‘Signals experts have deciphered the code used by the diplomatic arm of the Nazi Party. We know the dates of intended arrivals of party officials, and who they are; what’s more they’re bringing large amounts of gold with them.’
    ‘Gold?’ Sinclair stood upright.
    ‘Yes, for several months now.’
    ‘I’ve seen it myself,’ Rudy Temple picked up the thread. ‘I purchased one of the gold bars on the black market, Swastika stamp an’ all. They’re selling