Kautner expected the worst to occur as he led the Rat Patrol and a very sour-looking Dietrich to Lehning's tent. When he entered the tent, he saw Lehning looked much calmer, but there was still a trace of rage in his eyes as he smoked another cigarette. The colonel looked them up and down, studying each man closely. Trying not to let Lehning intimidate him, Kautner cleared his throat before introducing the Rat Patrol and Lehning. He then stepped back, not wanting to be in Lehning's line of fire should he be made angry.
"So, these are the men that have been giving you so much trouble ever since the Americans landed in North Africa?" Lehning asked, glaring at Dietrich, smoke drifting in the captain's direction.
"Yes, Colonel," Dietrich replied, trying to make as little eye contact with Lehning as possible.
"Fascinating, especially since two of them do not even seem to know what armies they are fighting for." Lehning gestured to Troy and Hitchcock's hats.
"Colonel, we need their help if we are going to prevent the SS from getting that crystal ball," Dietrich said. "It would be wise not to antagonize them."
"They killed over thirty men and wounded countless others just two days ago, and suddenly you want us working with them?"
"It is absurd, yes, but we do not have any other options. I have worked with them before, sometimes by choice, other times with a gun to the back of my head, but things worked out in the end."
Lehning looked at Troy. "I see. So, when things do not go your way, are you going to put a gun to my head?" He motioned for Kautner to translate.
Kautner felt sick, fearing he was going to be stuck in a verbal fistfight between two very stubborn soldiers. He translated anyway.
"I won't put a gun to your head as long as you can promise you won't do the same," Troy replied.
"How do I know you can keep that promise?" Lehning asked.
"You don't, and neither do I."
Lehning fell silent. "I value trust, Sergeant."
"I hate to say this, but that is the best you are going to get, Colonel," Dietrich said.
"No. I do not want to settle. Either we trust each other, or you get ready to be sent to prisoner-of-war camps in Germany."
"What can be defined as 'trust' here, Colonel?" Troy asked. "Us being subservient to you and catering to your demands as long as we're here?"
"No. That is not what I want, Sergeant. I want assurance that we are not going to kill each other before we go after the Sorcery Division. My men will not harm yours. After all—" Lehning gestured to the wheelchair-bound Moffitt, "my chief surgeon has gone above and beyond with taking care of your British companion."
Kautner rocked on his heels as he waited for Troy to respond. He blinked, then a cobra appeared on Lehning's desk. Its head rose from its coils, forked tongue inspecting its surroundings as it flicked in and out of its mouth. What do you want us to do? Kautner thought.
The cobra looked at him, but didn't do anything that could be interpreted as a response. Curious, Kautner moved closer, holding his hand out. In the corner of his eye, he could see Moffitt doing the same.
"Is there something on my desk that you two find interesting?" Lehning asked.
"You probably cannot see it, Colonel, but there is a cobra on your desk," Kautner replied.
The cobra slithered over Moffitt's hand first, then moved over Kautner's. It ducked under their hands, wrapping itself around their wrists and bringing them close together.
"I would say that is a pretty clear message," Moffitt said.
"What is it doing?" Lehning's tone was reminiscent of a parent playing along with a child's fantasy.
"It has wrapped around both of our wrists," Kautner said. "I assume that means they want us working together."
"You do realize this is something that can easily be faked, right?"
"Colonel, you have more experience dealing with this kind of thing than any of us here," Dietrich said. "Do you really think he is lying?"
"Do you see this snake, Captain?" Lehning asked.
Dietrich was quiet for a moment. Kautner noticed he was looking in the direction of the cobra, and the cobra was looking at him as well. "I do, Colonel."
"I was under the impression that only Kautner and our wounded prisoner could see them." Lehning glared at Dietrich. "Is there something else that you are not telling me?!"
"Colonel, why is it so important that I tell you every little detail about things like this?"
"Because I do not want this getting people killed, not on my watch."
"People will certainly get killed if we let the SS get that crystal ball," Kautner said.
"And we cannot attack them ourselves," Dietrich added. "We will all suffer the consequences."
Lehning sighed, rubbing his face as he thought. "You seriously think our best chance at stopping the SS is putting our lives and trust in the Rat Patrol?"
"Yes, Colonel."
Lehning looked at Troy. "Well? You are the one in charge, Sergeant. Can we both set aside our vitriol for a time?"
"I'll give it my best effort," Troy replied.
"Fine." Lehning returned his gaze to Dietrich. "This will be on your head if things go wrong."
Dietrich gave him a weak smirk. "Colonel, this would not be the first time such actions have caused immense regret on my part."
Reluctantly, Kaulbach allowed the rest of the Rat Patrol to have dinner in the hospital tent with Moffitt. Dinner was the same rations that the Germans received, except for Moffitt's, as he was only comfortable taking liquids for the time being.
"Have they been treating you alright here?" Troy asked.
"Very well, actually," Moffitt replied. "Kaulbach is bit pushy at times, but only because he doesn't want me making my condition worse."
"How are the nurses here?" Hitch asked.
"Only slightly nicer than Kaulbach." Moffitt looked at the patient next to him, the German private who had been complaining of neck pain when Moffitt first woke up in the hospital tent. The private looked to be asleep, but it was difficult to tell with the bandages on his head. "I've been getting along with the other patients. This one said he likes the sound of my voice, so I read to him last night."
"Nice to see you're making friends," Troy replied. "Speaking of which, I'm still trying to figure out why you and the lieutenant have been having those visions. It doesn't make sense. Do you have anything in common?"
"Not particularly. I really haven't had a chance to speak with Kautner in private."
"One thing you're gonna have to accept, Sarge, is that rarely does anything involving magic, especially visions, make sense," Tully said. "Frankly, I'm curious as to why Dietrich started seeing them. I think he's hiding something."
"That's not exactly new, Tully," Troy said.
"If this were an ordinary situation, I'd agree with you, but there's something really off about everything that's happened here. There is something strange about this place, like… people aren't meant to be here."
"Or perhaps only people that the cobras choose can only be here," Moffitt said.
"Yeah. That. That must be one powerful familiar that witch had. Normally, familiars become spirits that typically don't interact with the living. For this one to have been guarding that crystal ball for two thousand years is almost unheard of."
"There is something else interesting about all this." Moffitt sat up a bit straighter. "Egyptian cobras typically do not have blue eyes. They can either look black or a somewhat bronze-ish color, but never blue, not in normal cobras, that is."
"You said the ones you've been seeing have all-black scales and blue eyes?"
"Yes. They are certainly not ordinary cobras. I wonder if the familiar in the temple controls them."
"I'd be shocked if she didn't. Why exactly is this interesting?"
"The SS could be after the cobras as well."
"They'll have a hell of a time getting them," Troy muttered.
"I remember trying to get copperheads out of my parents' yard," Tully said. "They got a pretty fast strike, but they're a lot easier to handle than cobras because they're slower. There was one I had to deal with that wasn't having it many summers ago. I kept trying to hook it and put it in a container so we could drive it out somewhere and let it go, but this thing was smart. Kept dodging the hook and lunging at me and it was a back-and-forth dance that drove me nuts. It wanted that yard and it was willing to fight for it."
"Did you get it out?" Hitch asked.
"Eventually. I had to get a neighbor to help, but we got it out and dropped it off near the river. Anyway, that copperhead was tough, so I can't imagine what hundreds of angry cobras are going to do."
"Well, they could always get a flute and charm them, like they do in India."
"I don't think that will work on these particular cobras," Moffitt said, shaking his head.
"No, but picturing a bunch of SS officers with flutes is funny."
"There's also the obvious solution," Troy said.
"Which is?" Moffitt asked.
"I don't think they could use explosives, but they could just spray the place with machine guns."
"Would that even work?" Tully raised an eyebrow. "We don't even know if the snakes are physical. They could be spirits that happen to be capable of poisoning someone. Or, at least, they can poison someone who doesn't belong there."
"I would be willing to take the risk of going if it gets us some answers," Moffitt said.
"Is that doctor going to let you? He might strap you to the bed if you try to leave."
"Not if we can convince him that Moffitt should go," Troy replied.
"What about the German lieutenant?"
"We have no way of knowing if only one of us can go, or if both are needed," Moffitt said.
Troy let out a heavy sigh. "Does this really have to be that complicated?"
"Yes," Tully replied with a slight grin. "It's complicated for a reason, I think. Makes it harder to abuse."
"That won't stop the SS from trying."
"Not a bit." Tully fell silent for a moment. "I think we should try to work more information outta Dietrich. I don't think he'll talk to us, but he might talk to Kautner."
Troy looked at Moffitt. "Think you can convince Kautner to work on Dietrich?"
"I can try," Moffitt replied. "He's probably just as curious as we are about what's going on."
Kautner hesitated a little as he approached Dietrich in the officers' mess tent. The captain was sitting alone in the back of the tent, looking deep in thought. Kautner wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to be disturbed, but he straightened his back and went anyway. He saw the cobra today. How many other people here can see them? "Captain?" Kautner said. "Would you mind company?"
"Not at all. Have a seat, Lieutenant." Dietrich glanced up at him as he sat down. "Do you need something?"
Kautner didn't respond at first. He looked toward the tent entrance, despite knowing that Lehning preferred to eat alone in his own tent. "I wanted to know… when did you start seeing the cobras?"
"Why do you wish to know?"
"I want to know how widespread this is."
"Can I rely on you to not tell the colonel? I would rather not be called every vulgar insult under the sun again."
"I promise, and I would like to apologize for Lehning's behavior—"
Dietrich shook his head. "He can take responsibility for his own actions. You should not feel obliged to do that for him."
"Still, he should not have treated you that way."
"It seems to be a normal thing for him. Honestly, it shocks me that Rommel has kept him around."
"Lehning is a decent commander when the situation calls for it, but his… interpersonal skills need some work."
"That is blatantly obvious."
"He is working on it. Slow going, but he is working on it."
"I believe Sergeant Troy would ponder surrender for a half-second before Lehning develops better people skills."
Kautner grinned a little. "I am just glad they did not fight."
"Same, although I expected both of them to argue more, since they both seem to have skulls lined with lead. Cooperating with Troy is like dealing with, well, dealing with a venomous snake. At any second, the snake could strike if you move in any way that could be interpreted as a threat, and he views us in the same manner."
"Why bother cooperating if you cannot trust each other?"
"Because there are no other options, or because something happens where we have to set aside our differences for something greater than ourselves. I would class this as a scenario where we are dealing with something greater than ourselves."
"I suppose we should consider ourselves fortunate that Lehning does not have the best relationship with magic. Many officers would probably want that crystal ball."
"If I may be honest with you, Lieutenant, the temptation has crossed my mind. I do not want more of my men getting killed. Would it not be nice to know what exactly the Rat Patrol has planned? Whether or not they are deceiving me? It certainly would be nice, but it is not right." Dietrich glanced around to make sure they weren't being listened to. "I used to have a psychic in my unit, long before I dealt with the Rat Patrol. A sergeant whom everyone thought was just a little odd, but was a considerate and well-meaning young man. He did not tell me about his abilities until after one of our basecamps was bombed by the British. He had 'witnessed' the bombing happening an hour beforehand, and said nothing because he was not sure I could be trusted. Afterward, he broke one of the core unwritten rules of being a psychic in full control of his powers—not to look inside other people's minds. He spent several hours probing and piecing together a picture of me, because he felt guilty over not warning us. It was quite unsettling, knowing that he had been in my head, but… I do not feel I can fault him. Even now. I promised I would keep his secret, and for a few weeks, we did not have to worry about any attacks."
A sick feeling twisted in Kautner's stomach. "Was he killed?"
"No. I did not want him being discovered, by either the Allies or the SS, especially with how often we were able to avoid being destroyed or captured. That perfection would likely have been his downfall. After discussing it with the sergeant, I arranged for him to be transferred. He is now a guard in a prisoner-of-war camp near the city of Augsburg." Dietrich fell silent for a moment, looking lost in his own head. "There are times where I wish he was still here. I often wonder how things would be different, but I also have to remind myself that I am not getting him back, and that I could not bring myself to use him, though he probably would have volunteered after so many of his friends have been killed."
Kautner nodded a little.
"There was one other thing that occurred when I still had this man. Just before he was transferred, he told me to 'be mindful of my dreams.' At the time, I was not sure what to make of that. Why be mindful of my own dreams? I do not have the powers he has." Dietrich shook his head. "The same night that you began seeing cobras, I… had a similar vision, but it was different. I actually saw the familiar of the witch who had made the crystal ball, and she said that she has been expecting me."
Kautner frowned, thinking hard for a moment. "Why tell me this, Captain?" he whispered.
"You have a better understanding of magic than anyone else in this camp."
"That does not mean I know everything. Let me take a look at some of my books, and perhaps I can come up with a good answer for you."
"I would appreciate that, Lieutenant. Thank you." With that, Dietrich left the table, and left Kautner alone to think about what he had just learned.
The rest of the Rat Patrol was escorted to a tent where they would sleep for the night, under guard. Moffitt feared Troy's restlessness would get the better of him, and he would break them all out at some point during the night, but he also had faith that wouldn't happen. Candles kept the tent dimly lit for the patients who were still awake and reading. Kaulbach was finally resting while nurses and other medics tended to the patients.
Kautner was kind enough to lend Moffitt some of his books, all of which were written by the same man, Brencis Hallwell, and all of which detailed the history of magic in various cultures. Moffitt vaguely remembered the name appearing on books in his father's library, but had never bothered reading them. The top two books were specifically on the Egyptian and Nubian applications of magic. After adjusting his posture to get comfortable, Moffitt flipped through the Egyptian tome to a section on animal familiars and companions.
He jumped a little when a hand touched his left arm, and turned to see the German private, who quickly lifted his hand, saying, "My apologies. I did not mean to scare you."
"It is alright. What do you need?" Moffitt asked.
"I was wondering… if you would read again tonight."
"I can, though… the book I am reading right now is not of the exciting variety."
The private grinned. "That is alright. I am having trouble sleeping anyway."
"Alright. Settle in, and I will begin chapter one of Brencis Hallwell's The History and Application of Magic in Ancient Egypt."
Over the next hour or so, Moffitt had been so focused on reading and making sure he was translating the book correctly that he didn't notice Colonel Lehning entering the tent. The colonel didn't interrupt him right away, and instead stood near a pole holding up part of the tent, looking as though he was actually listening in an attentive manner. He waited until Moffitt finished the section he was on, and said, "That was a wonderful performance, Sergeant."
Moffitt glanced up at Lehning. "Thank you, Colonel. I… I-I know magic upsets you, but—"
"What exactly are you reading?" Lehning held out his hand.
Moffitt handed him the book, and sat up straight when he saw Lehning's expression sober. "Do you recognize this book, Colonel?"
"Recognize it? I… held a copy in my hands not that long ago." Lehning rubbed his face. "Someone came through one of our previous camps back in December, looking for artifacts that belonged to Mr. Hallwell. We captured her, because she was a little too close to the camp for our comfort. I was certain she was a spy, but—" Lehning shook his head, "she was not. She was just an archeologist, looking for some artifacts."
"Are you by any chance talking about a woman named Evelina Kestle?"
Lehning turned to face Moffitt, his eyes wide. "Yes, actually. Do you know her?"
Moffitt nodded. "She babysat me when she was about ten years old. Her father and mine worked on some projects together. I remember it was not often, though, probably because her father specialized in magical artifacts and mine focused on the more… mundane artifacts. I caught up with her just before the war began to help with some interesting things that had been found in western China. Bones that were not human, nor of any other animal that is commonly known. At first, we suspected they were of an extinct species, but Miss Kestle determined they belonged to a dragon, which, according to her, are not extinct."
Lehning was quiet for some time, occasionally looking down at the book in his hands and sighing. "I helped Miss Kestle get those artifacts she was after, Mr. Hallwell's sapphire sword and axe. They were deep in a cave, guarded by mummies that necromancers had been messing with. One of the mummies burned her really badly, and we had to find someone in the British camp nearby who would help us. There was a psychic who offered to come back to our camp and brew a potion that would help her. We sent her back with the British." Lehning lowered his voice. "I did not want the Sorcery Division finding out about her if she was to be sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany."
"If I were to find her and ask her, then she would tell me that all of what you are saying is true?"
Lehning nodded. "You can even ask Kautner, as he was assigned as her translator while she was with us."
"I will ask him in the morning."
"Go ahead." Lehning handed the book back to Moffitt, but he hung on for a few seconds even Moffitt had tried to take it back. The colonel let out a heavy sigh when he finally let go, and stood. "I will send Kautner to you. Have a good night."
Moffitt watched Lehning leave. He was stunned by the colonel's behavior when the topic shifted to Evelina Kestle. Lehning seemed… less angry, less confrontational. Then again, Evelina had that effect on people. She was kind and cooperative. Moffitt doubted that she would have tried any of the stunts Troy pulled when it came to breaking out of a German camp. Evelina wasn't a soldier, and he imagined she had just wanted to be let go and finish her work. Somehow, she pulled it off—with Lehning's help. He looked forward to going home and asking Evelina if what Lehning said was true, but for now, talking with Kautner would do. I should ask which unit they ended up contacting. Perhaps that would be a better way of verifying the story, Moffitt thought, setting the book on his bedside table. It would have to wait until this was over, when they figured out what the cobras wanted, and prevented the SS from getting their hands on that crystal ball.
