those Polish groups that conveys to you through the French resistance,
in 1942, that the n.a.z.is are testing remote-controlled rockets near
Peenemnde, in the Baltic."
"The V-1 rocket."
"Yes. Anyway, since I am the person liaising between that Polish
resistance group and the Frenchmen who pa.s.s the information on to
you, through the SOE, London, I naturally know about your interest in
the American scientist, John Wilson."
Feeling his weariness slipping away from him, Bradley leaned
across the table and prompted Pialowicz with, "Yes?"
"This is where my former mistress, Kryzystina Kozilewski, comes
into the picture," Pialowicz said, keeping his features carefully
composed to mask any pain he might be feeling. "When the n.a.z.is
overrun Poland in September 1939, I form a Polish resistance group
and enlist the help of Kryzystina. Kryzystina has had a hard life, is
experienced in the ways of men I say this without rancour and on
behalf of the resistance, uses her charm and experience to gain the trust
of German officers, obtain valuable gossip f"rom them, and pa.s.s the
information on to us."
"Is that why she"s in a concentration camp?"
"I think so, yes," Pialowicz said.
At that moment, a great armada of Allied aircraft pa.s.sed overhead,
heading for Germany. Pialowicz glanced up at the ceiling of the annex,
then lowered his gaze again.
"Early in 1940 the Germans requisition the boarding house owned
by Kryzystina and send its residents to a concentration camp.
Kryzystina saves herself from this fate by engaging in an affair with the
commander of the troops involved in the requisition: an SS captain
named Ernst Stoll, who is under the command of my worst enemy,
Major Riedel. And it is through her affair with Stoll that Kryzystina
learns about the American, John Wilson."
The noise of the aircraft pa.s.sing overhead had reached a crescendo
and Pialowicz stopped talking for a moment, waiting for the bombers to pa.s.s on... for the noise to die down. Bradley thought of the ruins of Caen, of all the other ruins he had seen in his journey and shuddered to think of what that mighty armada of bombers would soon do to Germany. The awesome power of modern technology was now ever present... and if Wilson had progressed even further, G.o.d knows what
would be coming.