Entry for the 2015 short story challenge. Code lines arenames to be included in text of story.
The Goldfish Survived.
It was a quiet day in Barracks Two. Freezing cold weather had made it unpleasant outside. Newkirk and Carter were playing checkers, Le Beau had bribed Schultz with thea promise of strudel in return for chicken and a few herbs. It was a quiet day with the promise of a delicious dinner.
Suddenly, Kinch burst up from the underground tunnel. "Where is the Colonel?." he asked.
Hogan came into the room from his quarters. "What's up, Kinch?"
"Message from London. Important information is coming from an unknown source re crucial troop movements related to the upcoming invasion. It is imperative that when this information is received that the information it is passed on to London as soon as possible."
"Did London tell us when we are likely to receive this information?"said Hogan inquired.
"Negative,." Replied Kinch said. " It may be today or it may be in six months. But we will know who we are to obtain the information from when this person or persons ey combines four random sentences in one conversation. The sentences are:
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room."
"Put the candle back"
"Could you possibly try not to hit every single one?"
"Good thing it wasn't the goldfish."
"Blimey! Wwhat is all that meant to mean?" exclaimed said Newkirk. " How the heck is a casual contact going to put all thatthis into a conversation?"
"Oh finally", Kinch said, " One more thing, London has specifically said we are not to go looking for the contact to givegiving us this information. They will contact us."
For the next few days, the men looked at every guard, underground operative and friendly bar maid and wondered if this was their contact. But as time went on and no one approached them, the message from London was shelved.
Two months later the weather had improved and the men were outside hanging out the washing when. Hochstetter's car came into the compound. Hogan and his men quicklyswiftly went to the barracks and plugged in the coffee pot. The conversation wentas as expected. Carter and Newkirk had spent the previous night blowing up the Berlin express and Hochstetter was complaining to Klink about it and pointing out as usual that it was yet another sabotage in a circle around Stalag 13. Hogan contemplated going and joining them, but on reflection decided that he would let it be. On this occasion, Hochstetter sounded was just full of hot air and puff.
Hochstetter sounded as if he was just about to leave when they heard an almighty yell, "What is this?" was heard followed byThen static. The men quickly put the coffee pot away while Kinch quickly cut the wire to the pot and threw the receiver pot into the tunnel. He realised that there was no way that the wire wasn't going to be not traced to the barracks, but he wanted to keep the receiver if he could . Hochstetter walked intoout to the barracks with his sinister guards and Klink behind him. He had the microphone in his hand, trailing a bit of the wire behind it.
"What is this, Hogan?." aAsked Hochstetter in a measured but menancingmenacing voice.
Hogan shrugged his shoulders. "Looks like a microphone. Where did you get that, Major?,"
"You tell me, Hogan. No, don't bother, take him away."
At this point, Klink protested. "This is my Stalag, Major. You have no jurisdiction…."
"This is my Stalag Major. You have no jurisdiction…."
"Oh, shut up, Klink,." Replied Hochstetter ordered.
Things were looking ugly when another grey car came into the compound. It was General Burkhalter. The men silently breathed a sigh of relief. There was no love lost between Burkhalter and Hochstetter.
"What is going on here, Klink?." said Burkhalter.
"General Burkhalter, . We had a train was sabotaged last night. Klink denied any that it could possibley be any connection between the train and thise Stalag. I hadve my suspicions. but when I arrived have to say on this occasion I did have not any evidence –yet! Then I spotted that the picture of the Fuhrer was a bit crooked. I went to straighten it and found this!" Hochsetter held out the microphone. "Therefore, I am taking Hogan in for questioning."
I am taking Hogan in for questioning."
General Burkhalter smiled grimly:. "Major Hochstetter, this camp is under my command, you are not taking Hogan anywhere. Let's go to Klink's office."
The The fourFfour men and the two guards headed across the compound to the office. After posting a guard at the door, Hochstetter proceeded to barrage Hogan with questions for the next half hour. Hogan responded with his usual flippancy and Klink kept interrupting with inane comments. In the end, Hochstetter started screaming at Klink instead of Hogan.
"You incompetent, stupid excuse for a German soldier. I will make sure that you will be at the Russian Front on the next train…once the track is fixed you nincompoop."
Klink lost it and yelled back in Hochstetter's face. Hochstetter was stunned that Klink did this asbut it appeared the worm had finally turned. He backed away from the red-faced Klink, who really looked as if he was going to hit Hochstetter. Finally, Burkhalter had had enough and shouting loudly to be heard cried out
"MeineHerren, Siekönnenhiernichtkämpfen! Das isteinKriegszimmer."*
After a brief pause, he said more calmly
"You cannot break protocol like this and, if you keep on going, I will personally see to it that you will both be on the next train to the Urals. Do I make myself clear?"
The two men calmed down. Hogan was a bit shaken by Burkhalter saying this phrase but as it was in German he put it down to co-incidence.
He then noticed that Hochstetter was holding an object. He could only assume that Hochstetter had picked it up in the heat of the moment.
"NehmenSie die Kerzezurűck!" yelled Klink.** "
Bahhh," yelled Hochstetter. He flung the candlestick across the room. It bounced off the schnapps decanter and knocked one of the four glasses to the floor. They broke into countless shards.
"Why you…..you….." spluttered Hochstetter.
"BitteversuchenSienichtjedeneinzelnenzuschlagen?"*** said Klink sarcastically.
There was a long silence. Hogan was for once speechless. It was left to Hochstetter to have the final word in flawless unaccented English as he handed over an envelope to Hogan. ,"Good thing it wasn't the goldfish."
"Good thing it wasn't the goldfish." quipped Hochstetter. He spoke in flawless unaccented English as he handed over an envelope to Hogan. Klink and Burkhalter reached into their own pockets and passed over two more envelopes.
"Dis…..missed, Hogan," said Klink. As a stunned Hogan left the room. Klink pulled out the schnapps and poured shots.
"It's the simple things in life you treasure,." hHe proclaimed.
Smiling and stunned themselves now, Burkhalter and Hochstetter toasted the man who with this last sentancesentence had just identified himself as their hidden leader. Nimrod, master spy, alias Coloneal Wilhelm Klink.
"Prost!"
Footnotes
*Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room."* ** "Put the candle back."**
***Could you possibly try not to hit every single one?
Authors Notes
Thanks for the very helpful feedback everybody. I have requested a Beta and Book em Again has kindly offered to help me. Meantime I have adjusted the italics to make the story easier to read
The German has now been corrected thanks to my lovely German friend Angelika.
This chapter has been updated on October 10 2015 with grammar and spelling changes suggested by Book Em Again. Thanks very much for taking the time to be my Beta.