Part 69, Chapter 1001
Chapter One Thousand One
15th February 1953
Berlin
“The former Prime Minister of Romania has died” Kat read aloud.
“Normally we send condolences to the families” Kira replied. The Romanians had been allies of Germany for decades and King Michael of Romania was a cousin of Louis Ferdinand, as well as the head of a Cadet Branch of the House of Hohenzollern. That didn’t mean that Kira liked them. Their constant squabbling with Hungary, also allied with Germany, had caused no end of headaches over the previous four decades. The former Prime Minster in question had been at the center of all of that for two of those decades. The death of Iuliu Maniu at the age of eighty was another geopolitical minefield to be negotiated.
“I will make the proper arrangements” Kat said.
“Thank you” Kira said, the less she had to think about that the happier she would be.
Kat looked down to the next story. “Congressman Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin declares Kraut Scare bogus.”
Kira found that incredibly amusing. “He is not stupid” She said, “Half of Wisconsin is proudly German, you remember when we were there during the war.”
Kat had said in the past that it was an aspect of that region of the United States that had left her cold. It seemed like the people there had an off-kilter view of Germany like it had been during the nineteenth century. Fortunately, she had her hands full with the Kira’s security and the discovery that Kira was pregnant partway through that trip to say anything untoward. This announcement by the Congressman, no matter how self-serving was in keeping with a document that Kat said she had been handed in preparation for today’s briefing by the BND. Of the people of theirs who were embedded in the US Government, few had been discovered. Instead, it seemed like relative innocents were getting swept up and the Agencies of the US Government were stupidly purging themselves of people knowledgeable of European affairs. According to Kat, a friend of hers had been one of those innocents.
“I remember” Kat replied, “The BND suggests that you make no public announcements and strongly recommends that you keep your Hands out of the United States.”
“That makes sense” Kira said, “Have Asia and Kris been informed?”
“Yes” Kat said, “I think that Kris was disappointed, she had a lot of fun in San Francisco last spring.”
“An unattached young woman in a city full of University students” Kira said, “I’m amazed she had time to complete the mission.”
Kat just shrugged. Kira knew that Kris seldom had trouble keeping focused, still Kris had said that she had found Stanford University and UC Berkeley daunting because of the social aspect of American Universities. The alternative was Asia, whose silent nature would have drawn the worst sort of attention to her in that environment.
It was noticeable that they were not talking about the recent detonation of an atomic bomb in the Nevada Desert. Kat had already made her feelings clear on the subject. A couple weeks earlier Kat had slipped and told Kira that wars killed people like her. If there was another war, Kira would be removed from the City, the people in the neighborhood where Kat had grown up would go to work and life would go on. Right up until the instant they were incinerated. Nuclear bombs seemed to exist with the express purpose of killing civilians by the hundreds of thousands. Kira could understand that, Louis had been suggesting that the League of Nations needed to get involved before the situation got out of hand.
“I know that there are certain issues that bother you Katherine” Kira said, “I can always get someone else to discuss these matters.”
Kat looked at her and shrugged. She seemed to be saying “Have it your way” without saying so.
“France declares intention to develop nuclear arms” Kat read aloud. Kira almost groaned aloud with that news. That was possibly the worst of all worlds.
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“They always do that?” Aurora asked as they looked over at the Empress and the Gräfin as they sat at a table to one side of the Imperial Court deep in discussion. It was noticeable that the space was cordoned off and two armed men from the 1st Imperial Foot were standing there to keep anyone from getting too close.
“If Katy is in town” Kiki said, “She is my mother’s Aide-de-Camp, she advises her on International events, Intelligence and Military matters.”
“State secrets” Aurora said.
“Some of it, yes” Kiki said, “Then she meets with Antonia, the Obersthofmeisterin who does the same thing except with politics. It’s like a mini meeting of the Order of Louise every week.”
“Order of Louise?” Aurora asked. It was a reminder to Kiki that Aurora wasn’t really a part of the Imperial Court. Zella had declined to come this afternoon because she said she wasn’t feeling well. It was a reminder that what was happening to Zella was inevitably going to happen to them, at any time.
“It’s a chivalrous order for women that my Mother is the Grand Mistress of” Kiki said, “Charity, politics and other things. Katy is in charge of the part of it that does those other things. They are constantly trying to expand their role in the State.”
“That sounds exciting” Aurora said.
When Kiki thought about what she had said, she realized that it did sound exciting.
15th February 1953
Berlin
“The former Prime Minister of Romania has died” Kat read aloud.
“Normally we send condolences to the families” Kira replied. The Romanians had been allies of Germany for decades and King Michael of Romania was a cousin of Louis Ferdinand, as well as the head of a Cadet Branch of the House of Hohenzollern. That didn’t mean that Kira liked them. Their constant squabbling with Hungary, also allied with Germany, had caused no end of headaches over the previous four decades. The former Prime Minster in question had been at the center of all of that for two of those decades. The death of Iuliu Maniu at the age of eighty was another geopolitical minefield to be negotiated.
“I will make the proper arrangements” Kat said.
“Thank you” Kira said, the less she had to think about that the happier she would be.
Kat looked down to the next story. “Congressman Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin declares Kraut Scare bogus.”
Kira found that incredibly amusing. “He is not stupid” She said, “Half of Wisconsin is proudly German, you remember when we were there during the war.”
Kat had said in the past that it was an aspect of that region of the United States that had left her cold. It seemed like the people there had an off-kilter view of Germany like it had been during the nineteenth century. Fortunately, she had her hands full with the Kira’s security and the discovery that Kira was pregnant partway through that trip to say anything untoward. This announcement by the Congressman, no matter how self-serving was in keeping with a document that Kat said she had been handed in preparation for today’s briefing by the BND. Of the people of theirs who were embedded in the US Government, few had been discovered. Instead, it seemed like relative innocents were getting swept up and the Agencies of the US Government were stupidly purging themselves of people knowledgeable of European affairs. According to Kat, a friend of hers had been one of those innocents.
“I remember” Kat replied, “The BND suggests that you make no public announcements and strongly recommends that you keep your Hands out of the United States.”
“That makes sense” Kira said, “Have Asia and Kris been informed?”
“Yes” Kat said, “I think that Kris was disappointed, she had a lot of fun in San Francisco last spring.”
“An unattached young woman in a city full of University students” Kira said, “I’m amazed she had time to complete the mission.”
Kat just shrugged. Kira knew that Kris seldom had trouble keeping focused, still Kris had said that she had found Stanford University and UC Berkeley daunting because of the social aspect of American Universities. The alternative was Asia, whose silent nature would have drawn the worst sort of attention to her in that environment.
It was noticeable that they were not talking about the recent detonation of an atomic bomb in the Nevada Desert. Kat had already made her feelings clear on the subject. A couple weeks earlier Kat had slipped and told Kira that wars killed people like her. If there was another war, Kira would be removed from the City, the people in the neighborhood where Kat had grown up would go to work and life would go on. Right up until the instant they were incinerated. Nuclear bombs seemed to exist with the express purpose of killing civilians by the hundreds of thousands. Kira could understand that, Louis had been suggesting that the League of Nations needed to get involved before the situation got out of hand.
“I know that there are certain issues that bother you Katherine” Kira said, “I can always get someone else to discuss these matters.”
Kat looked at her and shrugged. She seemed to be saying “Have it your way” without saying so.
“France declares intention to develop nuclear arms” Kat read aloud. Kira almost groaned aloud with that news. That was possibly the worst of all worlds.
----------------------------------------------------------------
“They always do that?” Aurora asked as they looked over at the Empress and the Gräfin as they sat at a table to one side of the Imperial Court deep in discussion. It was noticeable that the space was cordoned off and two armed men from the 1st Imperial Foot were standing there to keep anyone from getting too close.
“If Katy is in town” Kiki said, “She is my mother’s Aide-de-Camp, she advises her on International events, Intelligence and Military matters.”
“State secrets” Aurora said.
“Some of it, yes” Kiki said, “Then she meets with Antonia, the Obersthofmeisterin who does the same thing except with politics. It’s like a mini meeting of the Order of Louise every week.”
“Order of Louise?” Aurora asked. It was a reminder to Kiki that Aurora wasn’t really a part of the Imperial Court. Zella had declined to come this afternoon because she said she wasn’t feeling well. It was a reminder that what was happening to Zella was inevitably going to happen to them, at any time.
“It’s a chivalrous order for women that my Mother is the Grand Mistress of” Kiki said, “Charity, politics and other things. Katy is in charge of the part of it that does those other things. They are constantly trying to expand their role in the State.”
“That sounds exciting” Aurora said.
When Kiki thought about what she had said, she realized that it did sound exciting.
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