Free Lycanthropos by Jeffrey Sackett Page B

and small, delicate hands. Only the labels on the folders indicated that they were statistical reports sent to him from the commandants of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Treblinka, of Sorbibor and Bergen-Belsen, of Sachsenhausen and Buchenwald; and only a man like Schlacht, whose career in the S.S. had begun when he served as a staff officer at the Third Reich’s first concentration camp at Dachau, could fully know and understand what information those files contained.
    Himmler finished reading Schlacht’s report on the events which had transpired in the Ragoczy Palace the previous week, and he then placed the typewritten pages down upon the desk with a meticulous, almost gentle gesture. Then he looked up at Schlacht and appraised him with his small, inscrutable, reptilian eyes. Schlacht waited for his chief to respond to what he had just read. He wondered if Himmler could hear his heart pounding.
    After a few moments of silence Himmler spoke. His voice was soft and even, but subtly incredulous. "A werewolf, Schlacht? You are telling me that that you captured a werewolf?"
    This was the moment upon which everything else hinged, Schlacht thought as he replied, "I know, Reichsführer , I know. The entire notion is so ridiculous that I too at first refused to believe it , until I saw it with my own eyes. The prisoner Blasko told us about it through an interpreter, and of course we regarded the story as an example of the ignorant superstitions of an inferior race. But even though I am quite certain that neither Blasko nor the Gypsy Kaldy understands what really happens when this change occurs, the fact remains that in some way which we do not yet fully comprehend, this man Kaldy..."
    "I have watched your progress with interest, Schlacht," Himmler interrupted, quite obviously dismissing what the colonel had just been saying. "After your great success in removing the Jews from Slovenia to the ghetto in Lodz , I personally decided to promote you and put you in charge of solving the Hungarian Gypsy problem. I cannot believe that the strain of this responsibility has had such an effect upon your nerves in so short a period of time." He paused and his brow furrowed with concern. "Perhaps I have misjudged you."
    Schlacht chose his words carefully. He knew that he was about to offer Himmler evidence which was irrefutable, and he did not wish to put his chief in the position of having either to apologize or admit that he was wrong. "I know, Reichsführer, that you have every reason to doubt my sanity. On the surface, this seems insane. But I have a roll of film, a record of some of the events referred to in my report. Before you respond to this, I beg you for the opportunity to show it to you."
    Himmler paused before saying, "And how did this film come to be made?"
    "My initial idea," Schlacht explained, "was that this Gypsy was some sort of homicidal maniac whose madness could somehow be turned to our purposes." He had decided not to mention the Churchill plan; he did not wish to appear to be an inveterate schemer. "With that in mind I arranged to film his behavior when the seizure came upon him, and I also invited my cousin’s husband, a medical doctor with some knowledge of psychology, to be present as an observer."
    "Has this man been cleared?"
    "I did not feel there to be a need, Reichsführer ," Schlacht said quickly. "He is a relative, and I have known him for years."
    "And you vouch for his loyalty?"
    "I vouch for his compliance and his silence." That seemed sufficient and Himmler nodded. Schlacht continued. "We filmed this gypsy Kaldy from shortly before his transformation until he broke out of the cell. Corporal Oberwald, who had been operating the camera, stopped filming at that point, but we were able to save and develop the film." Schlacht licked his lips nervously. " Reichsführer , you are familiar with my record, you know me personally. You must be aware that I am not subject to delusions and that I am as