his Turkish garb, nodded obsequiously. “Very good, Your Majesty,” he said. “Always at your service.”
Ludwig let himself drop back again. “And now let us go on celebrating my birthday,” he purred like a fat, contented cat. “I’ve found a wonderful fairy tale here. I would like to read it aloud to the best of my ability.
Compris?
”
A LITTLE LATER Dürckheim and I were standing out on the balcony of the hunting lodge. In silence we looked at the many bonfires slowly going out around us. Although it was August, an icy wind blew over the mountain.
“What in God’s name did you mean when you spoke of an assassination attempt just now?” I asked at last. “You mentioned Bismarck. Do you really think that—”
“Shhh.” Dürckheim put a finger to his lips. “Even here on Schachen I don’t know who’s still to be trusted. That postilion, Hesselschwerdt, plays whatever tune the king wants to hear. Damn lackey!” He kicked the balcony, while the king’s monotonous voice droned on inside. Ludwig had reached his third fairy tale.
“But you’re right,” he said at last. “I did find out something that makes me uneasy. I know a few people in the Ministry of the Interior. It’s rumored that one of Bismarck’s men will soon be coming to Munich. None other than Carl von Strelitz, an agent whom the chancellor has employed in”—he drew a finger briefly across his throat—“in, well, rather delicate affairs. Von Strelitz has already worked for many different powers. He is regarded as one of the best spies in Europe, and one of the deadliest.”
My heart missed a beat. “You really think that the chancellor of the German Empire plans to have Ludwig
killed?
” I asked in a hoarse voice. “Why?”
Count Dürckheim was speaking so quietly now that I could hardly hear what he said. “Do you remember the king’s last furious outburst against the Prussians?” he asked. “When he said he’d sooner let the Austrians have his kingdom than stay in the German Empire under the heel of the Hohenzollerns?”
Diffidently, I nodded. It was a fact: Ludwig had never forgotten that early in his reign he had lost the war against Prussia, and therefore had to fight against France in 1870 on the side of the Hohenzollerns he despised. The German Confederation had won the war, and King Wilhelm of Prussia, who as it happened was a distant relation of Ludwig, had put on airs as German Emperor ever since. Ludwig had made several attempts to hand over his crown to the Austrians and simply abdicate.
“Bismarck has had enough,” Dürckheim went on quietly. “If Bavaria leaves the Empire, his dream of a German fatherland is over. For some time the imperial chancellor has been thinking of installing Ludwig’s uncle Luitpold as ruler of Bavaria. But, of course, the present king is in the way . . .”
His last words lingered menacingly in the air. I began to shiver under my thin caftan.
“But perhaps von Strelitz is only coming to assess the situation in Munich,” whispered Dürckheim. “Whatever happens, we must be on our guard.”
“What do you suggest?”
The count looked at me thoughtfully for a moment. Finally he asked, “Would you trust yourself to keep this man Strelitz under observation?”
I felt all the color draining from my face. “But I’m not a police officer, a detective of any kind. I’m only a doctor. I hardly think . . .”
“Theodor, I beg you!” Dürckheim had never before addressed me by my Christian name. “There’s no one else I can trust! The Ministry of the Interior turned away from the king long ago, and even the police may have been infiltrated. We have to find out what Bismarck has in mind, and before Ludwig’s enemies do.” A smile showed on his face for a moment. “What’s more, as an unknown assistant doctor, you have a considerable advantage. No one will suspect you of being a Bavarian agent on a secret mission.”
“Oh, wonderful,” I whispered. “And
Ludwig let himself drop back again. “And now let us go on celebrating my birthday,” he purred like a fat, contented cat. “I’ve found a wonderful fairy tale here. I would like to read it aloud to the best of my ability.
Compris?
”
A LITTLE LATER Dürckheim and I were standing out on the balcony of the hunting lodge. In silence we looked at the many bonfires slowly going out around us. Although it was August, an icy wind blew over the mountain.
“What in God’s name did you mean when you spoke of an assassination attempt just now?” I asked at last. “You mentioned Bismarck. Do you really think that—”
“Shhh.” Dürckheim put a finger to his lips. “Even here on Schachen I don’t know who’s still to be trusted. That postilion, Hesselschwerdt, plays whatever tune the king wants to hear. Damn lackey!” He kicked the balcony, while the king’s monotonous voice droned on inside. Ludwig had reached his third fairy tale.
“But you’re right,” he said at last. “I did find out something that makes me uneasy. I know a few people in the Ministry of the Interior. It’s rumored that one of Bismarck’s men will soon be coming to Munich. None other than Carl von Strelitz, an agent whom the chancellor has employed in”—he drew a finger briefly across his throat—“in, well, rather delicate affairs. Von Strelitz has already worked for many different powers. He is regarded as one of the best spies in Europe, and one of the deadliest.”
My heart missed a beat. “You really think that the chancellor of the German Empire plans to have Ludwig
killed?
” I asked in a hoarse voice. “Why?”
Count Dürckheim was speaking so quietly now that I could hardly hear what he said. “Do you remember the king’s last furious outburst against the Prussians?” he asked. “When he said he’d sooner let the Austrians have his kingdom than stay in the German Empire under the heel of the Hohenzollerns?”
Diffidently, I nodded. It was a fact: Ludwig had never forgotten that early in his reign he had lost the war against Prussia, and therefore had to fight against France in 1870 on the side of the Hohenzollerns he despised. The German Confederation had won the war, and King Wilhelm of Prussia, who as it happened was a distant relation of Ludwig, had put on airs as German Emperor ever since. Ludwig had made several attempts to hand over his crown to the Austrians and simply abdicate.
“Bismarck has had enough,” Dürckheim went on quietly. “If Bavaria leaves the Empire, his dream of a German fatherland is over. For some time the imperial chancellor has been thinking of installing Ludwig’s uncle Luitpold as ruler of Bavaria. But, of course, the present king is in the way . . .”
His last words lingered menacingly in the air. I began to shiver under my thin caftan.
“But perhaps von Strelitz is only coming to assess the situation in Munich,” whispered Dürckheim. “Whatever happens, we must be on our guard.”
“What do you suggest?”
The count looked at me thoughtfully for a moment. Finally he asked, “Would you trust yourself to keep this man Strelitz under observation?”
I felt all the color draining from my face. “But I’m not a police officer, a detective of any kind. I’m only a doctor. I hardly think . . .”
“Theodor, I beg you!” Dürckheim had never before addressed me by my Christian name. “There’s no one else I can trust! The Ministry of the Interior turned away from the king long ago, and even the police may have been infiltrated. We have to find out what Bismarck has in mind, and before Ludwig’s enemies do.” A smile showed on his face for a moment. “What’s more, as an unknown assistant doctor, you have a considerable advantage. No one will suspect you of being a Bavarian agent on a secret mission.”
“Oh, wonderful,” I whispered. “And
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