Panzerfaust

Chapter 2 - Beginnings

16th of August, 1944, Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary

Otto was already up and about in his designated headquarters, the Adria Palace when Edmund Veesenmayer was announced the next day early in the morning. 

He knew the Standartenführer back from Berlin and before that - from Vienna, when the German National Socialist Workers' Party was still banned in Austria - and knew how shrewd he was. It was not a mistake he was left alone on the first day of his stay in Budapest, not from Veesenmayer's part, at least.

'My apologies I couldn't meet you when you arrived. I'm pleased to see the hungarians did not eat you alive.' The bayerische man said after Otto saluted. 

'If their goal would be fattening me up, I think it could work.'

'They do have good cooks, huh? It's a mystery to me how they can cook so delicious food from scratches.'

Because you never had a hungarian grandmother, that's why you have no idea. 

'So, fine dining aside, what's your first impression of the Regent and his court?' 

Settling himself on the leather couch, Veesenmayer made himself comfortable in Otto's hastily established office, still cluttered with boxes. The building used to be the headquarters of the Royal Hungarian Navy and Shipping Corporations, but after Trianon - having lost their seaport, the company quickly went bankrupt and the building spacious and vacant. Perfect for his stay.

Walking from behind his desk, Otto approached the higher ranking officer slowly. 

'Always surrounded by his court - as you said. His wife did not spare me two words. I haven't met the son yet - I was told he is out of town, but I think you know exactly where he is. They all look broken, disheartened. Except for the widow. Would I be far off if I say the Edelsheims have a greater hand in Horthy's treason than it looks?'

Veesenmayer chuckled, his fingers absently tapping the fine material of the couch.

'Excellent deductions, Sturmbannführer.' 

'So it was worth it to make me face them first before we could converse?' Casually leaning against his table, he observed the man in charge of Hungary. He made a bold choice of letting him know of this plot. 

'You are far too clever for a military combatant, Skorzeny. You should consider a field in politics once we have won the war.' 

'Thank you, I'll keep it in mind.' And I mean never by that, you slippery little eel.

'I bet Fölkersam did not found anything about another Edelsheim girl.' Of course he knew how Otto runs his division or at least who does his reconnaissant mission.

'No. There is another one? Three like the Graces?' Otto casually signaled his entering aide to bring them coffee and Adrian, if he had already awoken from his beauty sleep. 

'There is. Clara, Emil's eldest. She married an american banker, Harry van Buren. Sophia went to live with them for a while, I guess she had time to build connections across the ocean.' 

'Why did she came back?' Otto asked suddenly.

'What do you mean?'

'Why did she returned to Hungary? I would guess a woman of her character would have found herself a fitting place in America, the land of opportunities. Why come back?'

'I confess to not knowing.' That made Veesenmayer think. 'Are you suggesting the americans sent her back as some short of spy?'

'I was not suggesting that, you made that up.'