(FICTION, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, JFJ, 2014) After all the legal work was done that protected the firms who had use of the patents, von Braun and his key engineers began meetings with the private companies’ scientists. Their mission was to get a rocket on the launch pad and to the moon, as soon as practicable and safe. The first time von Braun sat at the table with the industry scientists and began to look at drawings and data associated with the patents, he was hit by a wave of déjà vu, and nausea. After a moment, he raised his head and said, “I’m sorry, could you excuse me for a moment.” He went to the men’s room. He splashed water on his face and as he dried with a towel, he looked at himself in the mirror. He went back to the meeting room. “Excuse me, gentlemen, I’m sorry, but I must reschedule. Something unavoidable has come up.” ----- von Braun went to the White House to see President Johnson. He was let into the Oval Office. The office was empty and the door, from the Oval Office to the outside porch, was open. von Braun went to the door and looked out. President Johnson was standing on the edge of the porch, looking off into the distance. von Braun said, “Mr. President.” LBJ said, “Come on out, Werner, just gettin’ some air.” von Braun walked up beside the president, to the edge of the porch. It was then he realized the president was urinating. von Braun stepped back, “Excuse me, Mr. President.” LBJ said, “Aw shit, Werner, ain’t you ever seen a man piss off a porch, or y’all don’t do that in Germany?” The president shook himself and put himself back into his Hickey Freeman pants and turned and put out his right hand, the very hand. von Braun looked down at the president’s hand. He was the president. von Braun blocked it out of his mind and shook the president’s hand. LBL said, “Ata boy, Werner, come on in.” The president went straight to his desk and sat behind it, and motioned von Braun to take one of the chairs, in front of the desk. LBJ could have seated himself in the chair at the head of the two couches, creating a more relaxed, meeting environment, but he knew he doctor wanted something, and LBJ liked to make supplicants of people. “What can I do for you?” LBJ said. “I need to go to West Berlin…” LBJ said, “When?” “Immediately.” LBJ leaned on his elbows. He picked up the phone, “Get me the Pentagon; Air Force; Atlantic.” ----- A driver from the embassy took von Braun from the Berlin airfield to Spandau. von Braun was well known in Germany because during the Reich, he had often been in the papers, receiving praise from Hitler about his programs: he was known at Spandau. After he and his aide de camp had been waiting for some time to be led back, a guard approached. “It will be a few more moments. He said to tell you he is walking in India, at the moment, and will need a little more time.” von Braun looked puzzled. The guard said, “He gets travel and geography books from the town library and maps out walks of the world and in his mind, he walks them out in the garden. This week, it’s India.” von Braun thought his head would explode. He hollered, “Tell him his walk is over. I don’t have all day. Who gives a shit about India, anyway?!” Finally, they were lead back to the Spandau garden, where prisoners had their plots, for what they wanted to grow, vegetables, or flowers, for a time, until flowers were ruled out: Speer liked to grow flowers, and was still allowed to do so. Speer walked up to them. His cheeks were rosy; his forehead misted with perspiration from his ‘walk around India.’ Speaking German, he said, “Hello, gentlemen.” Replying in German, von Braun said, “Speer, you playing games with me!” Speer was highly narcissistic and typically prepared for any eventuality, but his face could not hide his perplexity. He stood silent; von Braun waited. Finally, Speer said, “I haven’t the slightest idea what you are talking about.” “I don’t believe you.” Speer said, “I don’t care whether you believe me, or not.” von Braun looked him hard, in his eyes. Something told him Speer was telling the truth, but he would not, just then, believe it because he could not think of any, other reason for what had happened. Finally, Speer said, “Let’s walk.” They walked beside each other, with their hands behind their backs, like two heads of state; the aide de camp followed, like a guard, though he had surrendered his side arm, when they entered. They continued in German and talked quietly so the guards might not eavesdrop. Speer said, “Why do not you tell me what you are talking about.” “How did Saretszki’s work make its way to the top of the United States government and into industry, without my knowing it?” “I did not know it had done so. How do you know?” “You did not answer my question. How did it happen?” Speer said, “I do not know; therefore, I cannot answer your question.” von Braun was working against Speer from a false premise he had constructed out of despair: That years before, when Speer had tipped him off that Heinz Saretszki was Hitler’s secret scientist, at the same time, Speer was in possession of a copy of Heinz’ work for Hitler, probably lifted from Berlin, maybe from the Furhrer-bunker, before Speer fled Berlin; and, that Speer had tipped him off, in order to neutralize Heinz and his information, in America, long enough for him, Speer, to escape death at Nuremberg and secure an agent to follow rocketry progress in America; acquire patents and trademarks; and, through the agents and silent positions in one, or maybe more corporations, introduce Heinz’ work, into industry and government, just when solutions to intractable problems were needed. It was quiet for some time and they walked. Speer stopped, when he desired, and pull up a weed, or two, from among vegetable plants, and flowers, there were not many; von Braun was nonplussed. Speer was a good politician, better than von Braun- Albert Speer had been an executive in Hitler’s government, a different situation than von Braun’s, by an order of magnitude, in the middle of dark forces and executive, political games, from all directions, in at least three dimensions, yet he made it out alive, only smelling like the smoke of the Reich’s demonic, criminal fires: To Speer, von Braun’s bravado was flaccid. Speer could have convincingly lied, if he had had to, but it was unnecessary. He stopped and turned square to von Braun and looked him in the eyes. “Tell me.” von Braun started to object. Speer said, “I said, ‘Tell me.’” von Braun said, “I saw his work.” “Where?” “In patents and trademarks.” “What does that have to do with me?” von Braun looked at Speer and suddenly, standing in the garden in Spandau, the prison in which Speer had been incarcerated for almost twenty years, he realized Speer was more free than he was. Speer saw the look cross is face. Speer helped him. “You came here because you thought I had the originals, or copies, of Saretszki’s work for Hitler at the time I tipped you off, and probably, that I had schemed to commercialize them, through representatives, in America, in advance of my release, next year, from this establishment. Your are a narcissist. I tipped you off only because Saretszki had wronged me, at the Berghoff, years before, in front of Hitler, and only for that reason: it is that simple.” von Braun started to speak. Speer moved in close to whisper to be sure the guards could not hear. “Do not you know that I knew, long before you, that the Reich would fail. And, I knew where all the treasures were. If you think I was stupid enough to not lay up treasure for myself, and my family, for life after the Furhrer, then you are a stupid man.” He leaned back, looked at von Braun, a small amount of time passed, and he again leaned in and said, “When my body is released from this place, I will go and collect my treasure. It is not in America, in any shape, form, or fashion. I bid you, ‘Good day,’ and to figure out, for yourself, where Saretszki, who was always smarter than you, might be, and how he preempted you. You may show yourself out.” Speer turned and walked away, stepping lightly on the pea gravel of the walk that went neatly between the plots, all designed and constructed according to Speer’s architectural plan and construction, for the gardens, which had been allowed by the Allies, and Spandau Prison. ----- von Braun’s plane touched down at Andrews Air Force Base and had his driver take him to the FBI Building. Again, he had to wait. After fifteen minutes, he was led back to the little man in the big office. J Edgar Hoover stood behind his desk. “Greetings, Director Hoover,” von Braun said. “Hello, Dr. von Braun.” After pleasantries, von Braun asked, “Director, I need to know where someone is.” Ever cautious, Hoover said, “Maybe I can help you.” von Braun knew he could. “I hope so.” Hoover bluntly said, “Who?” von Braun told him. He thought Hoover’s face indicated he knew the answer. Hoover picked up the phone and swiveled his big chair around so the back of it was facing von Braun- von Braun had heard of Hoover’s secrecy, but he hadn’t expected overt eccentricity. He could hear Hoover, but he couldn’t make out what he said, except for ‘Saretszki.’ After less than two minutes, Hoover swiveled around his chair, hung up the phone, looked across his big desk, and said, “He’s dead. Murdered. Killer never caught.” “Where?” von Braun asked. “New York City.”
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 20:06:37 +0000
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