"I hear they're pretty lousy at sea, but they do drink like fish when on land. And they're not shy with the girls. We're doing a very good business. Still, I will be glad to see all the Fascist bastards run out of town and good ol' GIs filling the streets. And my beds."

Canidy looked past where Palasota was standing and noticed that the two Thompson submachine guns still stood in the corner. But with them was a Johnson LMG.

So Socks Lanza sent some of the Johnny guns here, too.

Nothing surprises me anymore. . . .

"Look, I've got a curious problem," Canidy said. "A new-"

The door suddenly swung open, and Vito appeared. He rattled off something in Sicilian-Did he just say Muller?-and then Canidy saw Palasota's face change.

Jimmy Skinny replied in Sicilian, then switched back to English and told Canidy, "This should not take long. Help yourself to the food. I'll have more sent."

[FOUR].

Room 802 Hotel Michelangelo Palermo, Sicily 0750 1 June 1943 Sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling on his pants, SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Oskar Kappler looked up at German Trade Ministry Director Ernst Beck.

"You found me . . . here?"

Beck grunted. "It is our job to have such information. You told me you were coming overnight to Palermo. You don't think that this is my first time here, or to the hotel?" He paused. "Or to have business with Jimmy Skinny?"

Kappler considered that, then nodded.

Of course. You're an Abwehr agent.

Get your damn head clear, Oskar . . .

Beck then grinned.

"You need not worry about me mentioning the . . . girl."

"I wasn't," Kappler lied.

Beck then said, "I have been here because we have a fairly healthy dossier on your man Hans Muller. It's important to keep an eye on the dangerous ones. Especially those who can be coerced."

Kappler looked at him but didn't reply.

He pulled on a T-shirt and yawned.

"Those details can wait," Beck said, reaching into his jacket and coming out with a folded thin sheet of paper. "This takes absolute priority."

Kappler's pulse began to race as he took the sheet and immediately recognized the now-familiar routing head:

HIGHEST SECRECY.

TO- SS-OBERSTURMBANNFUHRER OSKAR KAPPLER.

SS PROVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS SICILY.

THROUGH- HERR ERNST BECK, DIRECTOR.

GERMAN TRADE MINISTRY, MESSINA, SICILY.

BEGIN MESSAGE.

MAY 31ST, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, 1943.

DEAR OSKAR,.

AS I FIRST WROTE, MY KARLCHEN, THE TIME HAS NOW COME TO PERFORM EXTRAORDINARY TASKS THAT OUR ALMIGHTY GOD HAS CHOSEN FOR ME.

WHILE THESE ARE DANGEROUS, I HAVE EVERY CONVICTION THAT I WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AND THAT OUR FAMILY SOON SHALL BE TOGETHER AGAIN.

FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU AND YOUR MOTHER AND SISTER IMMEDIATELY PUT YOURSELVES IN THE CAPABLE HANDS OF AGENTS ACTING ON MY BEHALF WHO WILL SEE YOU TO SAFETY.

AS YOU READ THIS, AMERICAN AGENTS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING YOUR MOTHER AND SISTER INTO SAFE HIDING. KNOW THAT, WITH THE GESTAPO KEEPING REGULAR TRACK OF THEM, YOU PROBABLY HAVE A WINDOW OF 24 TO 36 HOURS BEFORE THE GESTAPO DECIDES THAT THEY ARE MISSING AND/OR ON THE RUN AND SENDS A MESSAGE TO SICILY ORDERING YOUR ARREST.

THIS IS THE REASON IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE TO THE AGENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

IF YOU FAIL, THEN WE ALL FAIL. AND AFTER OUR ARREST AND INTERROGATION, I DO NOT BELIEVE WE WILL BE ALLOWED THE LUXURY OF FRITZ THYSSEN -- THAT IS TO SAY, SPENDING THE REST OF THE WAR IN A KONZENTRATIONSLAGER -- BUT INSTEAD FACE SUMMARY EXECUTION.

THE AGENT WHO WILL ASSIST YOU HAS THE CODE NAME JUPITER.

YOU WILL EVENTUALLY BE REUNITED WITH YOUR MOTHER AND SISTER, THEN APPROACHED BY THE POWERFUL AMERICAN GENTLEMAN WHO HAS UNIQUE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR KAPPLER FAMILY BUSINESSES AND INVESTMENTS IN THE AMERICAS THAT I TOLD YOU NOW CONSTITUTE OUR FAMILY'S ENTIRE WEALTH.

IT IS IMPORTANT YOU ASSUME CONTROL OF THESE UNTIL SUCH TIME AS I CAN JOIN YOU. AS YOU KNOW, OUR COMPANIES EMPLOY MANY PEOPLE AND THEY ARE COUNTING ON US, NOW AND AFTER THIS MADNESS ENDS.

I PRAY WE ALL SEE EACH OTHER SOON. GODSPEED.

YOUR FATHER.

END MESSAGE.

HIGHEST SECRECY.

"You have read the letter and are satisfied that you understand its content?" Beck said.

Satisfied?

Perhaps terrified is a more appropriate word. . . .

Oskar Kappler did not trust his voice to speak at first.

He cleared his throat, then said, "Jawohl."

Ernst Beck held out his hand.

After a moment's confusion, Kappler put the message in it.

Beck then went over to the side table and took the box of matches from the ashtray, struck one, and, holding the thin paper over the ashtray, put the tip of the flame to the paper. He let go of it just as it went up in a flash.

Oskar Kappler's mind began to race.

There is no telling how much time I have-when did that twenty-four-hour clock start?

And how am I supposed to find this Jupiter? Just go sit in my office at Messina and wait for the phone to ring?

Or wait for the gottverdammt Gestapo to come arrest me first?

And . . . what do I do about Lucia?

You fool-you do absolutely nothing with your folly!

Beck turned to him and could see that he was mentally distressed.

"I know this is difficult, Oskar. I am here to help, including now getting you to connect with this Jupiter." He glanced at his watch. "I believe that I need to return to Messina. Would you like a ride?"

XI.

[ONE].

Hotel Michelangelo Palermo, Sicily 0905 1 June 1943 Dick Canidy had just finished eating the last of four eggs that had been on the plate and was draining his coffee mug to wash it down when there was a knock on Jimmy Skinny's office door-and it immediately swung open.

Canidy turned to see what he almost instantly realized was probably the same view that whoever was in Room 802 had seen an hour earlier.

Vito the midget stood there with a man in a suit towering behind him.

Jesus, Shorty! Is this all you do all day?

By the way, your boss ain't here. . . .

Vito hesitated entering, looking somewhat surprised to see only Canidy in the office. He finally walked in and motioned for the man in the suit to follow.

Canidy, now getting a better view, sized up the man. He noticed he had a white rose in the lapel of his rumpled two-piece suit.

What the hell is that supposed to signify? Anything?

He was around five-nine and 190, maybe thirty years old, and with gentle Germanic features. His longish thin dark hair framed a somewhat friendly but inquisitive face. As his eyes met Canidy's, Canidy nodded once but said nothing as he turned his attention to refilling his coffee mug.

Vito then said something to Canidy. Canidy had absolutely no idea what exactly it was, but it clearly had the tone of an order.

Canidy looked at him and shrugged.

Vito motioned impatiently at Canidy, then pointed to the door and said, "Prego."

Oh! Well, Shorty, since you've told me "please," then sure.

Go take a rolling fuck at a miniature doughnut.

Canidy shook his head, pointed to the ground, and firmly said, "I wait for Jimmy."

The man in the suit looked at him as if he now understood that Canidy was here to get one of Jimmy Skinny's girls.

And I don't know who the hell you are, but (a) that ain't happening and (b) even if it were, it'd be none of your damn business.

Vito made a face, then walked over and motioned for Canidy to bend down so he could say something in his ear.

Now what? Are you joking?

Impatiently, Vito motioned again.

Jesus, all right! All right!