The Counterfeit Traitor Page #3

He was born distrustful.

But I must say,

in this case he has reason.

To retain 50 percent

of the stock for yourself

makes you appear

rather greedy.

Permissions are

going to be costly.

I am reserving many shares

for... helpful friends.

Why don't we have a drink,

play bridge and talk it over.

Good.

Willy, this is the fifth time in

a row that I've done the paying.

And for 3,000 crowns, you'd better

write a glowing letter to Berlin for me.

- Hello.

- Hello.

We're in here.

It's been a long time.

The last six months have...

I thought we'd

managed to lose you.

London felt that since you

and I hit it off so well at the start,

I ought to run this little show.

I must say I'm delighted.

The food in England

these days is ghastly.

Well, it's good

to see you, Red.

- Red?

- Yes.

Your code name from now on.

He's Memphis and I'm Dallas.

Don't ask me why.

Anything less like a Texan

you couldn't imagine.

It sounds rather cloak-and-daggerish,

but it's necessary.

Fix yourself a drink.

I hear you've done

a smashing job.

Even the little children hate you.

Yes.

I've lost most of my friends.

Been dropped from every club

except Book-of-the-Month.

Good.

Your refinery.

What do they call those things

now in the advertising business?

Visual presentation, that's it.

The Germans admire

thoroughness. It might help.

It looks so good I might

even invest in it myself.

But London thinks we ought

to protect ourselves on this,

in case they turn you down.

In order to assure

a flow of information,

they feel that

on this coming trip,

you ought to recruit some friends

in the German oil industry.

I agreed to take

the personal risks,

but I am not going to put

anybody else in jeopardy!

Many of your German friends

went along with Hitler

because it was

good business.

They thought it would be a quick war

and they'd profit by it.

They might, as you did, be willing

to pay the price of cooperation

in order to buy protection

for themselves after the war.

- You'll guarantee that protection?

- Definitely.

What about your friend

Otto Holtz in Hamburg?

He runs a refinery, doesn't he?

Yes, he's a possibility.

London will select

somebody in Berlin.

I leave day after tomorrow.

If it doesn't come through by then,

our agent will contact you there.

Don't tell me I'm going

to meet a little old lady

wearing a beard

in some dark alley.

If someone should find an excuse

to use your handkerchief

and return it

to your pocket like this...

...you'll know

you've made contact.

Three points showing.

Just a businessman keeping

his eyes and ears open.

Oh, Red.

Are you in good

physical condition?

We just want to make sure

you won't collapse on us.

I had my yearly checkup at the clinic

a few days ago. Anything else?

- No.

- What about these?

Oh, we'll see that they get to you.

Just... good luck, Red.

And... do be careful.

Your sudden concern

for my safety

touches me deeply.

Have the chap at the clinic

get his dental x-rays for us.

I got them this afternoon.

This one of the bilaterals

on the right side was the best.

During the months before,

I had written regularly to the baron,

keeping him excited about the

possibility of the refinery in Sweden.

Now, loaded down

with the fraudulent charts

and a briefcase full of forged

documents, I flew back to Berlin.

The baron had to put

in an appearance at a reception

for a Japanese trade

commission, and I went along.

It was a chance to meet

Albert Speer, Herman Goering

and Joseph Goebbels,

the minister of propaganda.

He was oily and over-polite,

and so was I.

There was no telling who might

prove helpful later on.

- A bit young, isn't she, Gerhard?

- That's my tragedy, they all are.

Baron von Oldenbourg. General

Schroeder would like to see you.

Excuse me, Eric.

Frau Mllendorf.

- Mr. Erickson.

- Excuse me, please.

So nice to see you again.

You've come back

on a happy day.

The news from the eastern front

is most encouraging.

A 50-mile advance

into the Caucasus.

Ah, yes.

Now that the Wehrmacht

has crossed the Don,

I'm sure that we can look

forward to more glorious victories.

Shall we drink to them?

Here.

Thank you so much.

Thanks.

I think you missed a drop.

Thank you.

No, no, it was so much more

attractive the other way.

Allow me.

I haven't been

in Stockholm for years.

Has it changed much?

No, it's still as beautiful as ever.

We seem to be standing

in the center of Martini Street.

Shall we try someplace

with a little less traffic?

- Good evening, general.

- Frau Mllendorf. Good evening.

Good evening.

- Good evening, general.

- Who's that?

You remember,

we met her at Albert Speer's.

She's the wife

of Friedrich Mllendorf.

Since we'll probably be seeing

each other from time to time,

we'd better establish

a reason for it right now.

The obvious

and most acceptable one

is that we immediately found

each other irresistibly attractive.

I don't know how believable

that would be to my German friends.

- You see, I'm married.

- So am I.

Unfortunately, that's exactly

what will make it credible.

Glance around.

In Berlin today, there's a feeling

of almost desperate urgency,

which somehow

seems to settle in the glands.

Now, if you could capture

some of that urgency,

I have something

to tell you.

- How's this?

- Oh, now there's candlelight

and champagne in your eyes.

And your smile has just

the right amount of lechery.

Do I look convincing?

Convincing?

You look convinced.

Now, I'm told you're here

to recruit some of the oil officials.

Whom did you have in mind?

Werner Albricht.

But London said no.

Oh, they're so right.

Werner Albricht has

been currying favor lately.

It would be quite a feather

in his cap to turn you in.

No, no, no. Your best bet

is the man you came

with this evening.

- The baron?

- Smile.

Well, he's as patriotic as Wagner.

With a name that

goes back even further.

His family means everything to him.

He'd do anything to protect them.

That's why he can't refuse you.

I couldn't do that.

He's one of my oldest friends.

I know.

There are many things

I've had to do

that I can't explain

to my conscience.

- Frau Mllendorf.

- Baron von Oldenbourg.

I should have warned you,

this man has as many conquests

to his credit as Genghis Khan.

If you hadn't interrupted,

I might have been one ahead.

If we don't get out of here,

I'm going to have to explain

the Fischer-Tropsch process

to the Japanese delegation.

Would you join us for dinner?

I'm sorry, I'm with friends.

- Oh, I'm so sorry. Goodbye.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye, Mr. Erickson.

- Goodbye.

I hope I'll see you again soon.

Now, Gerhard.

Assuming I could get

approval of the Swedish

government,

you think your oil commission would

be interested in exploring the idea?

Yes.

I think they would be

very interested.

How much do you figure

it would cost?

Not a penny.

I have no intention

of building a refinery.

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