from a jacket pocket, and then his slim notebook from another. He considered his words, read the number, then dialed.
-Allo all6!" said the high-pitched male voice on the second ring.
"I'll speak English, for I'm a Sonnenkind born and brought up in America-"
"What?"
"I flew over for a conference in Berlin and was instructed to contact Heracles before I returned to New York. My plane was delayed by weather or else I would have reached you hours ago, and my flight to the States is in three hours. We must meet. Now."
"Berlin .. . "Heracles' .. . ? Who are you?"
"I don't like repeating myself. I am a Sormenkind, the hihrer of the Sonnenkinder in America, and I demand respect from you. I have information you must be given."
Chapter Thirty-Three
"Where are you?"
"Ten meters from your front door."
"Mein Gott! I've heard nothing of this!"
"There wasn't time; the usual channels could not be used, for you've been compromised."
"I cannot believe this!"
"Believe, or I'll use this phone to reacHer in, even Bonn, and other instructions will be issued that will remove Heracles from his post. Come down and meet me within thirty seconds or I call Berlin."
"No! Wait! I'm coming!"
Well before a minute had passed, the lights on the upper floors were turned on, followed by the lights below. The front door opened and the Reverend Wi elm Koenig, in pajamas and draped in a blue shawl, appeared. Drew studied him from the shadows of the lawn. He was, indeed, a small man, but with massive shoulders and thick legs, not unlike a bull mastiff, the legs severely bowed. And like a huge bulldog, his large, pinched face was set in defiance, as if prepared to attack.
Latham walked out of the darkness of the lawn into the light of the entrance.
"Please, come here, Heracles. We'll talk outside."
"Why do you not come in? There's a chill in the air; it's far more comfortable inside."
"I'm not cold at all," said Drew.
"As a matter of fact, it's rather warui and humid."
"Then our air-conditioning would be preferable, would it not?"
"My instructions were not to have any conversations within your rectory; the assumption was obvious."
"That I'd tape whatever we said, incriminating myself?" cried Koenig in a harsh whisper, stepping outside.
"Are you vernickt?"
"Another more reasonable assumption could be made."
"Such as?" - "The house is wired by the French."
"Impossible! We have devices perpetually in operation that would reveal any invasion."
"New technology is born every day, Reverend. Come on, humor our superiors in Berlin even if they're wrong. Frankly, we both must."
"Very well." Koenig started to walk down the single porch step, when Drew stopped him.
"Hold it."
"What? 9 @
"Turn off the lights and close the door. Neither of us wants a cruising police car to stop, do we?"
"You have a point."
"Who else is in the house?"
"My assistant, whose rooms are in the attic, and my two hounds who remain in the kitchen until I summon them."
"Can you turn off the upstairs lights from down there?"
"The hallway, yes, not the bedroom."
"Turn them off too."
"You're excessively cautious, Herr Sonnenkind."
"A product of my training, Herr Demeter."
The minister went inside; seconds later the main lights, both upstairs and downstairs, were extinguished, when suddenly Koenig shouted, "Hunde! Aufrug!" When the neo leader returned to the darkened doorway, the moonlight revealed two additional figures, one on either side of him. They were low to the ground, large-headed, barrel chested and each poised on four slightly bowed legs. The reverend's dogs were not unlike the reverend himself; they were pit bulls.
"These are my friends, Donner and Blitzen; the parishioners' children like the names. They are completely harmless unless I give them a specific command, which, of course, I cannot repeat because they would tear you to pieces."
"Berlin wouldn't like that."
"Then don't give me any reason to use it," continued Koenig, walking out on the lawn, his guards waddling beside him.
"And please, no comments about owners looking like their pets, or vice versa. I hear that all the time."
"I can't imagine why. You're somewhat taller."
"You're not- amusing, Sonnenkind," said the Nazi, looking up at Drew and throwing his wide blue shawl over his shoulder, concealing his left hand. It was not difficult to know what Koenig held under the cloth.
"What is this information from Berlin? I'll reconfirm it, of course."
"Not from this house, you won't," contradicted Latham firmly.
"Go down the street, or even better, into another district, and call all you want to, but not from here. You're in enough trouble, don't compound it. That's a bit of friendly advice."
"They're