TWO
"Wait a minute?" said Leo. "Are you telling us that you worked for the Nazis during World War II?"
"Don't get all in an uproar," said Cole, smiling. "It wasn't like that. Actually, I worked for the Office of Strategic Services. What became the Central Intelligence Agency in 1947."
"You were with the CIA?" questioned Prue.
"No, I was with the OSS," said Cole. "It was dissolved in 1945 after the war ended. Two years later the CIA was established with the National Security Act of 1947. Many of the people who worked for the OSS joined the CIA."
"But you didn't?" Piper asked.
"No," said Cole. "My assignment with the Brotherhood of the Thorn ended when World War II ended. There was no reason for me to join the CIA although I'm sure I could have if I had wanted."
"Okay, hang on a second," said Phoebe. "Cole, you're a demon. Why would you be working for the OSS or whatever it was?"
"Well you don't think World War II started because of a few humans, do you?" Cole asked. "Almost every major confrontation in history was demonically inspired. World War I was the same. But World War II was a little different from the first Great War."
"What do you mean different?" Prue asked.
"A demon named Kernian approached the Source in the early 1930s," said Cole. "His idea was to possess some unimportant politician in some European country and start a war. War is always good business for demons. They can cause all kinds of chaos with a minimum of interference."
"I can imagine," said Phoebe. "So the Source went along with it?"
"Oh yeah," said Cole. "He envisioned some localized war between a couple of countries that would help further some plans he had. But Kernian carried it too far. Before anyone knew what he was doing, he had instigated a much bigger conflict than even the Source imagined. When the Source found out what Kernian's plan really was he ordered him to stop immediately."
"Apparently he didn't," said Leo.
"Oh no," said Cole. "In fact he continued to escalate the conflict. Before even the Source could stop him he had invaded Poland."
"Kernian possessed Hitler?" Prue questioned.
"That he did," said Cole. "And some of his subordinates possessed others of the Nazi party that became Hitler's inner circle. Goering, Himmler, Eichmann, a few others. Their intention was to take over the entire world. That's something not even the Source would have tried. But Kernian thought he could actually do it."
"So what does that have to do with you working for the OSS?" Leo asked.
"Well, when it was discovered that world war was coming," said Cole, "the Source decided to do a little spin control so to speak. Since Kernian wouldn't listen to him – and it would have been much too dangerous to vanquish him without exposing magic to the mortal world – he decided to try to counter what he was doing. The Brotherhood of the Thorn was tasked with infiltrating the intelligence agencies of the Allies and providing them with whatever help they could."
"Wait a minute," said Prue. "Are you telling us that the Source of All Evil was actually working for the good guys during World War II? That's just a little hard to believe."
"Well, it wasn't anything as altruistic as that," said Cole. "Kernian was risking exposing magic to the mortal world. The Source's only motivation was protecting the existence of demons from being exposed. He couldn't care less whose side he was on. It just happened that the Allies were the best way to protect demons from being exposed."
"So as a member of the Brotherhood, you were assigned to the OSS?" Phoebe asked.
"Yes," said Cole. "As an OSS agent I was assigned to infiltrate the German High Command and learn as much as I could about their plans. There were three of us assigned to the German High Command. I was actually a very minor player in all this."
"So, that's how you ended up working for this Sperrle?" Phoebe asked.
"Sort of," said Cole. "I worked directly for a General Hans Hiedler," said Cole. "He was responsible for helping to set up the German prison camps for prisoners of war and later for setting up the extermination camps. When Eichmann came up with his 'final solution', SS-Sturmbannführer Johann Sperrle was partially responsible for designing some of the camps. For that he asked General Hiedler for some suggestions about the best way to set up the camps and the best locations for them."
"Did you have anything to do with that?" Phoebe asked apprehensively.
"No," said Cole. "Mostly I was a clerk for Hiedler. But I did accompany him to several meetings with Sperrle. That's how I met him."
"I never knew you spoke German," Phoebe said.
"I'm over a hundred years old," said Cole. "I've learned a few languages in that time. Of course I haven't used it since World War II. I've probably forgotten most of it by now."
"So you never had anything to do with the extermination camps?" Prue asked suspiciously. "You were never responsible for the millions that were murdered in those camps?"
"Absolutely nothing," said Cole. "Like I said, I was a clerk for a German general and my assignment was to get information on German war plans. That's all I did."
"So if you didn't have anything to do with camps," Piper asked, "how did you work for him?"
"Mostly I delivered communiqués between him and General Hiedler," said Cole. "I guess 'working for him' was a bit strong. You might say I was a courier for him on occasion."
"You've never said much about your past," said Phoebe. "I never knew you were involved in the war."
"Everyone was involved in one way or another," said Cole. "Just before the war ended I was recalled by the OSS. They knew Germany was about to fall and they recalled many operatives they had there. But I can say that because of what I did – and what others of the Brotherhood did – the war ended a lot differently from what it could have."
"What happened to Kernian and the other demons once the war was over?" Prue asked.
"They openly opposed the Source of All Evil," said Cole. "There wasn't much else he could do. As soon as they dispossessed the humans they had possessed he vanquished them."
"How much do you know about Sperrle?" Phoebe asked. "Anything I can use in my report?"
"Some I guess," said Cole, picking up one of the pictures. "I see you have some pictures of him."
"Yeah," said Phoebe. "I was able to find them on the Internet. That's supposed to be him on the right."
"Actually," said Cole, "he's the one next to the guy on the right. I remember when that picture was taken. When it was published they got the order of the men in the picture wrong. A lot of the time it's still that way. The man on the right was some lieutenant with the SS. I don't remember his name. But Sperrle is the one next to him."
"Thanks," said Phoebe. "I'd hate to make a mistake like that."
"That guy looks familiar," said Piper, looking at the picture. "I think I've seen him somewhere before."
"That's not possible," said Cole. "As I understand it, Sperrle escaped to Argentina after the war. I heard a rumor that he was captured in 1968 and was taken back to Germany to stand trial. Besides, he'd be about ninety now. I doubt he'd look the same after so many years."
"Maybe it was just someone who looked like him," said Leo. "They do say we all have a twin somewhere in the world."
"Maybe," said Piper. "He just looks so familiar. I know I've seen him somewhere before."
"Well, if you remember where," said Prue, "I'm sure you'll tell us."
"In the mean time," said Phoebe, "the dinner was great, as usual, Piper. Now, I think Cole and I should spend some alone time together. Besides, I want to pick his brain about Sperrle. He might know something I can use in my report."
"Now how come I knew that was coming?" Piper questioned sarcastically. "Go on, you two. The rest of us can take care of the dishes."
Together Phoebe and Cole left the dinning room and headed for their room upstairs.