Upfall

"The final solution of the Jewish question is temporarily suspended in Europe, though Einsatzgruppen will continue to operate in Russia" said Eichman sedately, as if they were discussing sales proposals at a board meeting "None of the three destroyed extermination camps will be rebuilt. Instead the facility at Auschwitz will be modernized and expanded, and the operation centralized. It will actually ease some of the rail transport issues."

Globocnik and Wirth stole a glance at each other. Heydrich and Eichmann would not be bothering with this now if a firing squad was waiting.

"So you see gentlemen" said Heydrich "your incompetence may yet lead us to new efficiencies. Wirth, you are useless as a commander, but Eichmann assures me you are one of our best gas-men, and the complex a Belzec was a marvel before its untimely end."

"Thank you sir" mumbled Wirth.

"Wirth" said Eichman "you are familiar with the Zyklon B experiments?"

"Yes sir!" said Wirth enthusiastically.

"You will go to Auschwitz where your technical expertise will be put to use" said Eichmann. "Come with me."

Wirth felt like singing. Auschwitz—it was his reprieve. He snapped his heels again, saluted, suppressed a smile and followed Eichmann from the room. Globocnik remained seated in front of Heydrich, awaiting his own fate. He doubted it would be anything as good as being sent to Auschwitz.

"General" said Heydrich "you are a loyal Nazi with a distinguished police career, and long time party member. You faced difficulties in Lubin, and did not handle them with aplomb, but in your defense, they were unusual."

Globo nodded.

"You know Lubin" Heydrich continued "and it seems the problem of the foreign infiltrators is resolved. I certainly will extract from the prisoner whatever useful information remains." Globocnik looked at Heydrich. He could hardly believe his ears—he was going to keep Lubin! "You will remain in Lubin, which henceforth will house a Jewish ghetto. You will take into Lubin, and house, all the Jews that should have been eliminated at my camps over the last six weeks— do you understand."

"Ja, Main Herr."

"I will take several months, at least, and you will have many difficulties, but you will have to handle them" Heydrich said dispassionately, eager now to be rid of Globocnik and begin interrogating the captive enemy commander. "Then when the time comes you will ship the ghetto to Auschwitz."

"Jawohl, Mein Herr," shouted Globocnik, relieved and already thinking about replacing his missed lunch.

Chapter 45

Shortly after midnight on June 30, thirty-five days after they landed, Feldhandler radioed Yatom that he had received a confirmatory signal from Dimona. Ido and three other men carefully loaded Rafi onto a truck, as one of his local doctors looked on nervously. The doctor, an Austrian called Neustadt, grabbed Ido‘s sleeve. "Where are you taking him?" asked Neustadt in halting English.

"We are evacuating him" answered Ido, offering nothing else.

"He is my case" insisted Neustadt.

"No doctor, he is mine. But thank you." Ido gently pushed Neustadt away and climbed onto the truck with the other commandos. All the Israelis were riding out to the capsule, even the three men who were not going home. Mofaz drove—Yatom next to him. As Mofaz pulled the truck out, De Jong suddenly ran into the street, also begging to know what was happening. Yatom motioned the Dutchman to the passenger window. "We‘ll be back" said Yatom. "I promise."

"Can you at least tell me..."

"N0" interrupted Yatom. The truck drove Off into the darkness.

Thirty minutes later they reached the crash site, which was illuminated with lanterns and the sayeret's last few glow sticks. Perchansky and Feldhandler still worked inside on the inverted computer terminals, while Bolander rigged an area to hold Rafi stable during the return. With the capsule upside-down, it was going to be impossible for anybody to strap in properly. Bolandler was anxious to get home, but feared that they would all be killed on the journey, tossed about like pellets in a child's rattle.

"What's the story Doctor?" said Yatom stepping into the cramped space.

"Once the interior is usable, the men should climb in" said Feldhandler. "I'll transmit a coded signal. If things work properly, the Device will egress the capsule like any ordinary mission."

"But you're staying."

"Yes. Dr. Perchansky will transmit the signal from inside the capsule—once I give it to her."

"You haven't given her the code yet?" asked Yatom in disbelief.

"No he hasn‘t" said Perchansky with a touch of exasperation, but no real anger. It seemed to Yatom that she had enjoyed working again with Feldhandler, despite their difficulties and differences.

'Beseder" said Feldhandler "no harm now." Perchansky took out a notepad, but Feldhandler waved her off. "You won‘t need it. It's simple, and it's in English. U-P-F-A-L-L-2-4-9-1."

"Cute" said Perchansky.