CHAPTER 15

HEINRICH HIMMLER was at his Armand Duprè apartment.

While waiting, Himmler was saying his usual prayer:

Führer, mein Führer,

von Gott mir gegeben,

beschütz und erhalte noch lange mein Leben

Du hast Deutschland errettet aus tiefster Not,

Dir verdank ich mein täglich Brot

Führer, mein Führer,

mein Glaube, mein Licht

Führer mein Führer,

verlasse mich nicht.

Himmler, like Adolf Hitler, listened to Wagner, and always, during his prayers, listened to the composer's music, trying in his heart to discover more and more the secret messages he left behind in his songs.

AFTER TWO HOURS OF WAITING, Armand Duprè finally arrives.

–– Why the delay? – Said in a more energetic tone and completely without patience.

–– Heil Hitler... – he gave the Nazi salute as if nothing had happened –– He was working out some things for Sebottendorff.

Himmler snorted in anger, he hated to hear that name.

–– Sebottendorff is useless, he thinks he is in charge only because he is the leader, when I send him to come quickly, I think it is good to come quickly, otherwise, it is your head that will roll, you know that, his head will roll at the right time, so, know which side you're going to be on.

–– Yes, sir – he said in a tone of humility and respect.

–– Well, we have a new job, probably the easiest of all, but this time, we have to get the information out anyway, we cannot kill without having the information.

–– I thought you did it.

–– Rillencourt didn't want to collaborate, so I had to kill him right there, there was no one around, normally, that place is infested with hypocrites who call themselves Christians.

Armand said nothing about Himmler's comment, he knew Himmler was the most competent person in the world when it came to killing someone, he just let him continue his story without interrupting it.

–– The good thing about this new job, is that the boy is a complete imbecile, daddy's little pothead, but this time, we have to kidnap him, you are allowed to kill anyone who gets in our way, as long as the boy comes alive in our hands.

–– We will have to wait for you at your home.

–– Let's use this as a first resource, I think there will be someone watching him over there – Himmler took some leaves out of the drawer and handed it to Armand – a week ago, I had the boy watched, oddly enough, he is as predictable as an Englishman, does the same things every day, at the same time.

–– Which makes everything easier.

–– As if I was happy to do an easy job, I am a hunter and not a nanny Armand, I need challenges, and this boy is an affront to my gift.

Armand Duprè looked at Henrique's photo and felt immeasurable satisfaction inside him, killing was a personal pleasure he felt, a boy like that, it was even more pleasurable.