A Dark Song of Blood Read Free

where I learned what civil war does to a country, so I don’t mind being here at all. I know what to expect. As for Italy, it was Albert who brought me here.” Bora meant Field Marshal Kesselring, affectionately, though his face grew hard. “I assure you, Guidi, your king made a mistake when he turned on us. We’ll do what we must, but you’ll be out in the cold.”
    â€œYou mean the Italians. I see. Why do you bother with my company, then?”
    Bora looked down at the lighter he had taken in hand without using it. “Must there be a motive? This isn’t police work.”
    â€œSome higher-up found me an accommodation at Via Paganini, closer in. I was notified of it this morning, and have reason to think you had something to do with it.”
    â€œWhy should I?”
    â€œThat’s what I am asking you, Major Bora.” Irritably, Guidi carefully lifted the collar of his coat against the northern wind. It was a good coat, an expensive new one, and he was proud and protective of it in these lean years. Bora looked elsewhere and was rapidly isolating himself. Nothing else would be gotten out of him today. “I think you’ve shown me enough for now,” Guidi advised. In silence they walked across the belvedere to the Garibaldi monument, where Bora instructed his driver to take Guidi back to work.
    10 JANUARY 1944
    The first thing Westphal asked on Monday was, “What the hell’s going on at Verona? Have the Fascists finished trying their own?”
    Bora nodded. “Ciano has been condemned to death.”
    â€œGood! I’ll give credit to Mussolini for dumping his son-in-law. He shouldn’t have left his fat post at the Vatican. Who else, besides Ciano?”
    Bora didn’t need to look at the list. “De Bono, Gottardi, Pareschi and Marinelli.”
    â€œHa! Two of them are decrepit.”
    â€œThey’re all to be shot as traitors tomorrow at nine.”
    â€œServes them right. Now give me the bad news.”
    Bora reported on his meetings with Kesselring and Hohmann, adding that he had already requested an audience with Cardinal Borromeo to sample the moderate Vatican wing. “The worst news is that the Americans made it across the Peccia River. They’ve been at it since Thursday, and now they’ve done it. The French are still north of Cassino, but they may be there for weeks.”
    â€œSo, is it still looking slow?”
    â€œIt’s still looking slow.”
    Westphal went into his office, from where he called out to Bora after a while, “On Saturday there’s a party at Ott’s house. I want you to go if Dollmann is going. Have you met him already? Good. Sit by him. He loves to talk, for an SS.” Westphal came back in, with an ironical bent of his lips. “You know about him, of course.”
    â€œI heard rumors, General.” Bora did not say the kindest of them had been They say Dollmann fucks his chauffeur.
    â€œRumors? By God, you were a good choice. Now we only need to find a way to use your other talent. That’s the one we brought you here for.”
    â€œHopefully there’ll be no need.”
    â€œDon’t delude yourself. We haven’t seen the tip of what clandestine activities are yet to come. Ask Dollmann at the party. By the way, we go to Frascati tomorrow, and on the way back let’s swing by the shore. We won’t leave until 0700 hours, but be here at five as usual.”
    â€œI suggest we leave at six-thirty. American bombers become active by 0800 or so.”
    â€œWe’ll do as you say. Any news about the Reiner mess?”
    â€œOnly that they have a newcomer looking into it. The official word is still ‘accident’, but we know better.”
    â€œWasn’t her door locked from within?”
    â€œOr from without. Her keys are missing.”
    In the afternoon Bora prepared two itineraries: one through Frascati to Anzio and along the shore to Lido