When Hugo wanted Lanny he would telephone, and always use the code name of "Boecklin."
They agreed upon a certain spot on a well-frequented street, and whenever they were to meet,
Lanny would stop at that spot and Hugo would step into the car. They would do all their
talking in the car, so there could never be any eavesdropping. All this having been agreed
upon, Lanny drove his fellow conspirator to Dachau and left him near the concentration camp,
so that he might start getting in touch with his friend.
The art expert telephoned the American consul in Munich. He had taken the precaution to
meet that gentleman on his previous visit and to invite him to the Detaze show. Now he took
him to dinner, and over a bottle of good wine they chatted about the affairs of Germany and
the outside world. Lanny contributed an account of the riots in Paris, and the consul said that
this kind of thing proved the need of a strong government, such as Hitler was now furnishing to
the German people. The official was sure that the excesses of the
significance; National Socialism would soon settle down and get itself on a living basis with the
rest of Europe. Lanny found this a sensible point of view, and his conversation showed no
faintest trace of Pinkness.
Incidentally he mentioned that he was in Munich to arrange for a picture deal with Baron
von Zinszollern. He wondered if the consul knew anything about this gentleman, and his
reputation in the community. The reply was that the baron bore an excellent reputation, but of
course the consul couldn't say as to his financial situation. Lanny smiled and said: "He is selling,
not buying." He knew that the consul would take this inquiry as the purpose for which he had
been invited to dine; it was a proper purpose, it being the duty of consuls to assist their fellow
countrymen with information. They parted friends, and the official was satisfied that Lanny
Budd was in Munich for legitimate reasons, and if later on Lanny should get into any sort of
trouble, the representative of his country would have every reason to assist him and vouch for
him.
Lanny stayed in his room the rest of the evening and read the
and still more of what the Nazis wanted the Germans to believe was happening. The
Reichsführer was in the Rheinland, attending the wedding of one of his Gauleiter. He was
stopping at the Rhein Hotel in Essen, and had visited the Krupp works and conferred with
several of the steel magnates. That was in accord with what Hugo had said; and so was the fact
that Minister-Präsident General Göring was accompanying him. Flying in the rear cabin in a
plane was the best of occasions for one man to whisper into another man's ear; and what was
Göring telling Adi about plots against him, and the urgent need to disband the S.A. and avert
the "Second Revolution"? Lanny put his imagination to work; for it was a part of his job to
point out these things to Hugo and have Hugo pass them on to discontented members of the
S.A. in Dachau. From the leading editorial in the newspaper Lanny followed the campaign now
going on against those evil persons who were described by the German equivalents of grouches,
knockers, and smart Alecks, soreheads, muckrakers, and wet blankets.
VIII
Late at night Lanny was summoned tothe telephone. There being none in his room, he went
downstairs, and there was the voice of "Boecklin," saying: "Can I see you?" Lanny replied,
He went to his car and picked up his friend at the place agreed upon. "Well," said Hugo, "I
believe it can be arranged."
"Oh, good!" exclaimed the other.
"I promised not to name any names, and there's no need of your knowing the details, I
suppose."
"None in the world. I just want to know that I can come to a certain place and pick up my
friend."
"There's only one trouble: I'm afraid it will cost a lot of money. You see, it can't be done by a
common guard. Somebody higher up has to consent."
"What do you think it will cost?"
"About twenty thousand marks. I can't be sure what will be demanded; it might be twenty-
five or thirty thousand before we get through."
"That's all right, Hugo; I can afford it. I'll get the cash and give it to you whenever you say."
"The job ought to be put through as soon as it's agreed upon. The longer we wait, the more
chance of somebody's talking."
"Absolutely. I have certain arrangements to make, and it's hard for me to know exactly how
long it will take, but I'm pretty sure I can be ready by Friday night. Would that be all right?"
"So far as I can guess."
"If something went wrong with my plans I might have to put it off till Saturday. Whenever
you are ready for the money, you have to let me know before the bank closes."
All this was assented to; and after dropping his friend on a quiet street Lanny went to one of