Part 126, Chapter 2142
Chapter Two Thousand One Hundred Forty-Two
12th May 1972
Wunsdorf-Zossen
“I’m surprised by all of this” Suse whispered to Manny, “That is all.”
“I know you expecting more on a Friday night” Manny said apologetically, “But this has to be completed by Monday.”
When Suse had entered the small apartment that Manny was renting, she found that he had a massive stack of books on the table. These were mostly dry historical tomes that involved accounts of the Franco-Prussian War. He also had a movie script that he was going over page by page with a red pencil, suggesting revisions based on what he was finding in the books.
“It depends” Suse said, “What exactly it this about?”
She flipped through the script. Judging by the sheer number of pages and what looked to be a staggering amount of detail as well as what would be a massive production.
“The battles of Mars-La-Tour and Gravelotte” Manny answered, “How they led up to the Siege of Metz and the writer told me that he thinks that modern Germany and the Heer were born out of these battles.”
“This is what the Second Army is having you do?”
“This is what my Uncle Stefan suggested would be a good use of my time” Manny replied, “Helping determine if a movie is going to get the support of the military is a big deal, and it is not the Second Army, it is the OKH.”
Suse knew that Manny’s Uncle was a high-ranking Officer in the Staff of the High Command, the third member of the Mischner family who had made the rank of General. She just didn’t know that he would suggest a position for a nephew while he waited for the Fourth Panzer to give him new orders. Of course, he might do such a good job that the High Command might just decide to keep him. It was an outcome that Suse wouldn’t be entirely displeased to see come to pass.
“What is your opinion so far?” Suse asked as she sat down across the table from Manny.
“That these battles were bloody stalemates” Manny replied, “It is easy to see a direct line between them and the battles of the First World War. There is even mention of Verdun and Units I’ve served with in the research materials if you would believe that.”
“Does the script reflect that?” Suse asked.
“Yes and no” Manny replied, “I get the impression that if the connection gets made too explicitly then it might make my superiors unhappy. So, I have been going through the script and finding the accounts of the soldiers who were on the ground at the locations described. No one with a modicum of sanity can argue with something that is a demonstratable fact.”
“You are so sweet when you are an idealist” Suse said with a smile. “People argue facts all the time, so you might be disappointed.”
“Someone has to be an optimist” Manny said, “With you being so cynical all the time.”
“I consider myself a realist” Suse said, “It comes from living in a world where it seems like everyone is taller than you.”
“I think you use that as an excuse” Manny replied.
“Says someone who is taller than most people” Suse said, “And don’t ever say that again, it is the sort of thing my mother would say to me, and I hate it.”
“I will try keep that in mind” Manny said as Suse picked up one of the heavy volumes stacked on the table. Opening it she saw an engraving of a violent scene involving Horse Cavalry, the caption below it said von Bredow’s Death Ride, the Prussian 7th Cuirassiers charge French Guns.
“They needed Panzers” Suse said.
Manny gave her a look.
“I agree” He said, “Except in the field you often only have what you bring with you. The funny part is that your grandfather longed for those days, or at least that is the impression I get from those who knew him.”
“He died before I was born” Suse said, “I have seen the movies about his life though, how he brought the cavalry traditions back in armor and wish I had known him. He was an innovator.”
“Talk to your father then” Manny said, “He probably knew that side of Marshal von Wolvogle better than anyone.”
That caught Suse a bit short. She had heard her mother talk about her maternal grandfather dozens of times. Her father had not mentioned having known him, but he must have. It seemed odd.
Wahlstatt, Silesia
Bas had been pulled out of school for a few days, returning only after he had been present when his father had been Ennobled by the Emperor for his service in Argentina. Coming back, Bas had swiftly learned that nothing had changed as far as the school was concerned. Niko was a Prince and they had never cared about that in the least, so they were even less concerned with whatever it was that Bas was these days.
While he was away though, something happened that was equally momentous in his thinking. Niko told him as they were waiting for lights out.
“Opa told me that he got us tickets for the Olympics” Niko said.
“Won’t that run into September?” Bas asked.
“He spoke with the Headmaster and Gruber thinks that it will be edifying for us to go to Munich” Niko said, “He thinks that we should take inspiration for the athletes we meet.”
“We’ll actually be able to meet the athletes?” Bas asked, “I thought that wasn’t a part of it.”
“We’ll be with Opa” Niko replied, “If anyone can get access, its him.”
“I hadn’t thought of that” Bas said as the lights were turned out which ended conversation. It being a Friday night, there was no set wakeup time, so no one was wasting time on getting to sleep. That said, you could never tell when Staber Arbeit would set up a fire drill or a surprise inspection. Bas fell asleep thinking about watching the Olympics live as opposed to the narrow view of television.
12th May 1972
Wunsdorf-Zossen
“I’m surprised by all of this” Suse whispered to Manny, “That is all.”
“I know you expecting more on a Friday night” Manny said apologetically, “But this has to be completed by Monday.”
When Suse had entered the small apartment that Manny was renting, she found that he had a massive stack of books on the table. These were mostly dry historical tomes that involved accounts of the Franco-Prussian War. He also had a movie script that he was going over page by page with a red pencil, suggesting revisions based on what he was finding in the books.
“It depends” Suse said, “What exactly it this about?”
She flipped through the script. Judging by the sheer number of pages and what looked to be a staggering amount of detail as well as what would be a massive production.
“The battles of Mars-La-Tour and Gravelotte” Manny answered, “How they led up to the Siege of Metz and the writer told me that he thinks that modern Germany and the Heer were born out of these battles.”
“This is what the Second Army is having you do?”
“This is what my Uncle Stefan suggested would be a good use of my time” Manny replied, “Helping determine if a movie is going to get the support of the military is a big deal, and it is not the Second Army, it is the OKH.”
Suse knew that Manny’s Uncle was a high-ranking Officer in the Staff of the High Command, the third member of the Mischner family who had made the rank of General. She just didn’t know that he would suggest a position for a nephew while he waited for the Fourth Panzer to give him new orders. Of course, he might do such a good job that the High Command might just decide to keep him. It was an outcome that Suse wouldn’t be entirely displeased to see come to pass.
“What is your opinion so far?” Suse asked as she sat down across the table from Manny.
“That these battles were bloody stalemates” Manny replied, “It is easy to see a direct line between them and the battles of the First World War. There is even mention of Verdun and Units I’ve served with in the research materials if you would believe that.”
“Does the script reflect that?” Suse asked.
“Yes and no” Manny replied, “I get the impression that if the connection gets made too explicitly then it might make my superiors unhappy. So, I have been going through the script and finding the accounts of the soldiers who were on the ground at the locations described. No one with a modicum of sanity can argue with something that is a demonstratable fact.”
“You are so sweet when you are an idealist” Suse said with a smile. “People argue facts all the time, so you might be disappointed.”
“Someone has to be an optimist” Manny said, “With you being so cynical all the time.”
“I consider myself a realist” Suse said, “It comes from living in a world where it seems like everyone is taller than you.”
“I think you use that as an excuse” Manny replied.
“Says someone who is taller than most people” Suse said, “And don’t ever say that again, it is the sort of thing my mother would say to me, and I hate it.”
“I will try keep that in mind” Manny said as Suse picked up one of the heavy volumes stacked on the table. Opening it she saw an engraving of a violent scene involving Horse Cavalry, the caption below it said von Bredow’s Death Ride, the Prussian 7th Cuirassiers charge French Guns.
“They needed Panzers” Suse said.
Manny gave her a look.
“I agree” He said, “Except in the field you often only have what you bring with you. The funny part is that your grandfather longed for those days, or at least that is the impression I get from those who knew him.”
“He died before I was born” Suse said, “I have seen the movies about his life though, how he brought the cavalry traditions back in armor and wish I had known him. He was an innovator.”
“Talk to your father then” Manny said, “He probably knew that side of Marshal von Wolvogle better than anyone.”
That caught Suse a bit short. She had heard her mother talk about her maternal grandfather dozens of times. Her father had not mentioned having known him, but he must have. It seemed odd.
Wahlstatt, Silesia
Bas had been pulled out of school for a few days, returning only after he had been present when his father had been Ennobled by the Emperor for his service in Argentina. Coming back, Bas had swiftly learned that nothing had changed as far as the school was concerned. Niko was a Prince and they had never cared about that in the least, so they were even less concerned with whatever it was that Bas was these days.
While he was away though, something happened that was equally momentous in his thinking. Niko told him as they were waiting for lights out.
“Opa told me that he got us tickets for the Olympics” Niko said.
“Won’t that run into September?” Bas asked.
“He spoke with the Headmaster and Gruber thinks that it will be edifying for us to go to Munich” Niko said, “He thinks that we should take inspiration for the athletes we meet.”
“We’ll actually be able to meet the athletes?” Bas asked, “I thought that wasn’t a part of it.”
“We’ll be with Opa” Niko replied, “If anyone can get access, its him.”
“I hadn’t thought of that” Bas said as the lights were turned out which ended conversation. It being a Friday night, there was no set wakeup time, so no one was wasting time on getting to sleep. That said, you could never tell when Staber Arbeit would set up a fire drill or a surprise inspection. Bas fell asleep thinking about watching the Olympics live as opposed to the narrow view of television.
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