führers on the Eastern Front, and a long list of SS officers already there who
had earned a sweet sinecure like the SS-SD detachment in Marburg an der
Lahn. Peis had long before decided that it was far better to be a big fish in a
little pond than the other way around.
Peis set up his security arrangements at about seven in the morning,
soon after Schroeder had left him; he personally checked his arrangements
twice; and he was at the Hauptbahnhof forty-five minutes before the sched-
uled arrival of the private train.
The train itself, though it rolled into the station on schedule to the
minute, was otherwise a disappointment. To start with, it wasnt actually a
train. It was one car, self-propellednot much more than a streetcar. And
there were no senior SS officers to be impressed with the way Peis had han-
dled his responsibilities. Only Reichsminister Speer and three othersall
civilians, one a womanstepped out of the car.
And even Speer himself wasnt in uniform. He was wearing a business
suit and looked like any other civilian.
After the Reichsminister and his party reached the platform, Karl-Heinz
Schroeder, wearing his best party uniform, marched up and gave a stiff-
armed Nazi salute, then launched into his welcoming speech. Speer made a
vague gesture with his hand in reply to the salute and cut Schroeder off at
about word five.
Very good of you to say so, Herr Gauleiter, Speer said, and then went
quickly on. I had hoped that Professor Dyer would be able to meet us.
From the look on Schroeders face, it was obvious to Peis that Schroeder
had never heard of Professor Dyer.
Peis had.
Unless there were two Professor Dyers, which was highly unlikely,
Reichsminister Speer desired the company of a man who had one foot in a
Konzentrationslager (concentration camp) and the other on a banana peel.
Forgive me, Herr Reichsminister, Schroeder said. Professor Dyer?
T H E S O L D I E R S P I E S
3
And then, Peis thought, Schroeder finally put his brain in gear. Perhaps
Obersturmführer Peis can help you. Peis!
Peis marched over and saluted.
Speer smiled at Peis. There was supposed to have been a message
sent he began.
I sent it, Herr Speer, the woman said.
Speer nodded.
requesting Professor Friedrich Dyer to meet with me.
I have received no such message, Herr Reichsminister, Peis said. But I
think I know
the Americans mind their own damned business? Peis won-
dered. Germany had no real quarrel with America. What the hell did they
want with French North Africa, anyhow? There was nothing there but sand
and Arabs riding around on camels.
T H E S O L D I E R S P I E S
7
And then he remembered that he actually knew somebody in French
North Africa, a policeman like himself: Obersturmbannführer SS-SD (Lieu-
tenant Colonel) Johann Müller, who had been raised on a farm in Kolbe not
three miles from where Peis sat, was on the staff of the Franco-German
Armistice Commission for Morocco.
Müller, who came home to see his mother from time to time, had once
been a simple Wachtmann (Patrolman) on the Kreis Marburg police. But he
had been smart enough to join the Nazi Party early on, and he had been
transferred to Berlin and commissioned in the SS-SD. And now he was a big
shot.
Who just might, Peis thought, spend the rest of the war in an American
POW cage. But better that, Peis decided, than the Eastern Front.
It was an hour and a half before he saw Professor Friedrich Dyer walk-
ing toward the car.
You wont mind, Professor, if I see the Reichsminister safely onto his
train? Peis said when Dyer had gotten into the car.
We all must do our duty, Dyer said dryly.
Peis discreetly followed the Reichsministers convoy to the Hauptbahn-
hof.
On the way from the Hauptbahnhof to the university, Peis asked, as
casually as he could,What did Reichsminister Speer want with you?
There was no reply for a moment, as Dyer considered his response.
We spoke of the molecular structure of tungsten carbon alloys, Dyer fi-
nally said. Specifically, the effect of high temperatures on their dimensions,
and the difficulties encountered in their machining.
Peis had no idea what that meant, and he suspected that Dyer, aware
of that, was rubbing his ignorance in his face. Yesterday, the professor
would not have dared antagonize him. But they both knew that things had
changed.
I have no idea what that means, Peis admitted. And then he changed
the subject before Dyer had a chance to reply:Radio Frankfurt just said the
Americans have invaded North Africa.
Really?
Youre an educated man, Professor, Peis said. Why would the Ameri-
cans want North Africa?
No telling, Professor Dyer said. And then he added,You must remem-
ber, Herr Obersturmführer, that the Americans are crazy.
Why do you say that?
8
W . E . B . G R I F F I N
Well, for one thing, they believe they can win this war, Dyer said.
Wouldnt you say that makes them crazy?
Peiss face tightened as he realized that the professor had mocked him