Читаем The Schirmer Inheritance полностью

“Yes, let’s do that,” said George. He had given them the reassuring impression that he was content with his picture of them as simple revolutionaries still fighting for a lost cause. That was enough. “I expect you’d like to know a bit more about the whole affair, wouldn’t you, Sergeant?” he added.

“That is what I wish.”

George told him the history of the case from the beginning.

For a time the Sergeant listened politely, interrupting only to ask for the explanation of a legal word or phrase he did not understand. When Miss Kolin translated it into German he acknowledged the service each time with a nod. He seemed almost indifferent, as if he were listening to something that was really no concern of his. It was when George came to the part played in the case by the account of the first Sergeant Schirmer’s exploits at Eylau that his attitude changed. Suddenly he leaned forward across the table and began interrupting with abrupt, sharp-voiced questions.

“You say Franz Schirmer. He had the same name and rank as me, this old man?”

“Yes. And he was roughly the same age as you were when you dropped into Crete.”

“So! Go on, please.”

George went on, but not for long.

“Where was he wounded?”

“In the arm.”

“As I was at Eben-Emael.”

“No, he had a sabre cut.”

“It does not matter. It is the same. Go on, please.”

George went on again. The Sergeant’s eyes were fixed on him intently. He interrupted again.

“Food? What food had he?”

“Some frozen potatoes he’d taken from a barn.” George smiled. “You know, Sergeant, I’ve got the complete account of all this written out by Franz Schirmer’s second son, Hans. That’s the one who emigrated to America. He wrote it out for his children, to show them what a fine man their grandfather had been.”

“You have this here?”

“I have a copy at the hotel in Florina.”

“I may see it?” He was eager now.

“Sure. You can have it. You’ll probably have the original eventually. I guess all the family papers are rightfully yours.”

“Ah yes. The family papers.” He nodded thoughtfully.

“But what Hans wrote isn’t the whole story by any means. There were some things Franz Schirmer didn’t tell his children.”

“So? What things?”

George went on to tell him then about the meeting with Maria, about Mr. Moreton’s investigation, and about his discovery of the truth in the army records at Potsdam.

The Sergeant listened without interruption now; and when George finished he remained silent for a moment or two staring down at the table in front of him. At last he looked up and there was a quiet smile of satisfaction on his face.

“That was a man,” he said to Arthur.

“One of the boys, all right,” Arthur agreed, nodding; “same name and rank, too. Let’s see-Dragoons were…”

But the Sergeant had turned to George again. “And this Maria. She was my great Urgrossmutter?”

“That’s right. Her first son, Karl, was your Urgrossvater. But you see the strong case we have through knowing about the change of name. Amelia Schneider’s first cousin was your grandfather, Friedrich, and he survived her. You remember him?”

The Sergeant nodded vaguely. “Yes. I remember.”

“Legally, he inherited the money. You will inherit from him through your father. Of course your claim may have to be advanced through the German or maybe the Swiss courts. You may have to apply for Swiss papers first. I don’t know, It depends on the attitude of the Pennsylvania court. Certainly we can expect the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fight. What the attitude of the Alien Property Custodian will be we don’t yet know. It’ll be tough, but I guess you won’t mind that, eh?”

“No.” But he did not appear either to understand or to be paying much attention to what George was saying. “I have never been to Ansbach,” he said slowly.

“Well, you’ll have plenty of time later on, I guess. Now, about the business side of it all. The law firm I represent are the attorneys for the administrator of the estate, so we couldn’t act for you ourselves. You’d have to retain someone else. I don’t know whether or not you can afford to put up money for the costs of fighting the case. They’d be pretty heavy. If you. didn’t want to do that we could recommend a good firm. They would act for you on a contingency basis. Explain it all, Miss Kolin, will you please?”

She explained. He listened absently and then nodded.

“You understand?” George asked.

“Yes. I understand. You do all.”

“Very well. Now, how soon can you leave for America?”

George saw Arthur look at him sharply. Now the trouble was going to start.

The Sergeant frowned. “America?”

“Yes. We could travel together if you like.”

“But I do not wish to go to America.”

“Well, Sergeant, if you’re going to claim your estate, I’m afraid you’ll have to go.” George smiled. “The case can’t be fought without you.”

“You said that you would do all.”

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