Lumen by Ben Pastor Read Free Book Online Page A

not much for compromises, even though I can relate to the obedience and discipline of a ‘soldier of Christ’.”
    “Well, that’s that. What will you do now?”
    By a questioning gesture of his head Bora asked for permission to take along the typescripts. Since he was already placing them in his briefcase, Malecki could only nod in acceptance. “I have to go back to work now. If you care to walk me out, Father, I’ll ask you a few questions.”

2 November
    Doctor Nowotny didn’t expect Bora back so soon. He asked him how the wound was coming along, and lectured him when he heard of the nausea.

    “You should have called me at once about that. Don’t you know that vomit can be a very serious sign after a head injury? It could have been the build up of intracranial pressure.”
    “Obviously it wasn’t, Colonel. The reason why I’m here has nothing to do with my head.” Bora spoke for perhaps five minutes, during which the physician listened on the edge of his chair, half-intrigued and half-amused. When he could no longer keep the curiosity to himself, he interrupted.
    “So, what’s with this sainted nun, other than she’d dead? Do we have the body, at least?”
    “No.”
    “Well, we’ll need the body.”
    Bora had a frustrated look on his face. “It won’t be easy to have it released to us. I tried for the past two days, and got nowhere.”
    “How high did you go?”
    “I called at the Curia. The archbishop refused even to see me.”
    “Well, how high did you go on our side?”
    “I’m expecting to hear from General Blaskowitz’s staff this afternoon.”
    Nowotny grunted. “Hans Frank is the one you want to go to.”
    Bora didn’t answer. He let the issue fall, with a stern setting of lips. Nowotny couldn’t say if the reaction was due to his dispensing with Frank’s title of Governor General, or because Bora didn’t care to follow that avenue; he put a cigarette in his mouth and let it dangle from his lips.
    Bora sat with stock-still rigidity. Nowotny smoked Muratti’s. He was now studiously standing the long, flat cigarette box on end at the centre of his desk.

    “This is an official investigation, Captain. Without the body…” Nowotny flicked his finger at the box, and the box fell over.
    “I know. I’ll try again.”
    “It’s been twelve damn days. Unless she’s like Jesus Christ and has got up and walked off, you had better get the dead nun here before too much longer.”
     
    An hour later, Father Malecki said he certainly didn’t have the authority to have the body exhumed. Bora had a drumming headache, and grew angry.
    “I don’t understand why you have to be so reticent. All courtesy has been extended to the sisters so far, and you’re giving me some lip service about authority! I could get the SS involved and have you give me the body.”
    Malecki felt it was an empty threat, and tightened his jaw. “Apparently you will have to do just that.”
    As it turned out, at the SS command north-west of the Old City, Hauptsturmführer Salle-Weber didn’t seem interested at first, but eventually began paying attention to what Bora was telling him.
    “Well, that’s a good one! I’d just like to know what the nun did, that someone put a bullet through her.”
    “None of us know. That’s why I’ve come.”
    “To get the muscle to enter the nunnery, eh?”
    “Yes. The sisters have dispensation to bury their own in the vault of the chapel.”
    “Now then!” Salle-Weber rocked on the soles of his shiny boots for some time. “Are you sure you don’t have other reasons to want to get in?”
    “What other reasons could I possibly have?”
    “That’s what I’m asking. What should any of us care about a Polack nun? We’ll end up having to kill a few in
time. Maybe there’s something worthwhile in the nunnery that the Army knows about.”
    “I know of no such thing.”
    “Precious manuscripts, holy vessels - hidden Jews?” Salle-Weber smirked at Bora’s impatience.