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There was another perceptible hesitation.

"Christ, I really hate to tell you,” he said. “I don’t want you playing games with her.”

“I think I have to know,” von Heurten-Mitnitz said.

"Fuck you,” Fulmar said. “You have to know what I goddamn well decide to tell you.”

Von Heurten-Mitnitz stiffened. He was not used to being talked to like that. But he kept control of himself.

“Someone you knew when you were at Marburg?” he asked reasonably. And then, when Fulmar remained silent, he added, “I don’t want to sound melodramatic, but I will be here when you are safe in England.”

“Tell him, Eric,” the Countess said. “As you pointed out, we are not in a delicate business.”

“I don’t want you trying to use her, you understand me? Her, or her father. ”

"Who recognized you? ” von Heurten-Mitnitz persisted, gently.

“Elizabeth von Handleman-Bitburg,” Fulmar said.

Von Heurten-Mitnitz’s eyebrows went up. The Countess looked at him with a question in her eyes.

“Generaloberst von Handleman-Bitburg’s daughter?”von Heurten-Mitnitz asked.

Fulmar nodded.

“Possibly it’s meaningless,” von Heurten-Mitnitz said. “She met a young Obersturmführer whom she had once known. Was there any reason you think she was suspicious?”

“Her father had told her that I was seen in Morocco in an American uniform, ” Fulmar said. “She knew.”

“And what do you think she will tell her father?” von Heurten-Mitnitz asked.

“Nothing,” Fulmar said. “She won’t tell him a thing.”

“I wish I shared your confidence,” von Heurten-Mitnitz said

“The only reason I’m telling you this,” Fulmar said, “is that I don’t want you to protect your ass by taking her out.”

“Telling me what?”

“We spent the night together,” Fulmar said. “Okay? Get the picture?”

“Yes, I think I do,” von Heurten-Mitnitz said.

“If anything happens to her,” Fulmar said,“I will—”

“Don’t be childish,” von Heurten-Mitnitz said.

“I was about to say something childish,” Fulmar said. “Like I will come back here and kill you myself. But I won’t have to do that. All I’ll have to do is make sure the Sicherheitsdienst finds out about you.”

"My God!” von Heurten-Mitnitz said.

“I made a mistake in telling you,” Fulmar said.

“No, you didn’t, Eric,” the Countess said. She walked to von Heurten-Mitnitz and put her arm in his, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Helmut understands that even in the midst of this insanity, people fall in love.”

Fulmar looked through them, then chuckled.

“Well, I’ll be goddamned,” he said. “The Merry Widow in the flesh.”