Nazi Magician: Inventor Read online

  Nazi Magician:

  Inventor

  Ward Wagher

  Nazi Magician:

  Inventor

  Ward Wagher

  Copyright © 2020 Ward Wagher

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 9798666074725

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  To my five grandchildren, most of whom are too young to read at the moment. They give me optimism for the future.

  CONTENTS

  DEDICATION

  CONTENTS

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - INTERLUDE

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  One must give credit to the Covid-19 virus which eliminated my commute. This opened more time in my afternoons and evenings to get extra writing done. This book came together quickly. Thanks also to Bob and Walter, who read the draft and made corrections and suggestions. Your contributions were invaluable.

  CHAPTER ONE

  October 12, 1939

  The combination of smells in the basement laboratory formed a familiar backdrop to the ongoing work. The bricks making up the wall were part of the foundations of the building but were still clean and neat. The Germans were fussy about everything. The Luftwaffe had acquired the building in the city of Frankfort, Germany early in the 1930s, and had never fully staffed it for some reason. The basement rooms were clean and dry and thus were perfect for use as a research laboratory.

  Dieter Faust studied the meters on his test gear as he manipulated the apparatus on his test stand. The Fatherland was at war, and he was hopeful that his work would make some small contribution to the war effort.

  The five lab workers had worked nearly around the clock for most of the week as they drove towards this signal experiment. As Dieter toiled, Florian Goldstein worked at the next table over and studied the twitching needles on the instruments.

  “I think we are nearly ready to try this, Florian,” Dieter muttered.

  “Nearly, or completely?”

  Dieter chuckled nervously. “I suppose I am completely ready. I am just nervous about this, you know.”

  Ludwig Garmen drifted over to the bench where Dieter worked. “If you are ready, I think we want the entire lab watching this.”

  “And if Dieter blows up the lab,” Konrad Melter commented, “we will be the first ones at the scene of the accident.”

  “I am not going to blow up the lab, Konrad,” Dieter replied sourly. “I am a careful scientist.”

  “Right. This coming from the man who nearly burned down the place last week.”

  “I did not. Things just got a little warm.”

  Ludwig put his hand on Konrad’s shoulder as a friendly reminder. Konrad took the hint and subsided. The four men gathered around Dieter’s workbench and studied the apparatus.

  “Perhaps we should have Ignatz here when you run the experiment,” Florian said. “He is the one who must answer to the Luftwaffe.”

  Ignatz Schneider was the laboratory manager and spent most of his time in a tiny office where he wrestled with the paperwork necessary to justify the money the Wehrmacht spent on this research.

  Florian walked to the other side of the room and knocked on the door to the office.

  “Enter!”

  “Herr Schneider, Dieter is ready to run the experiment. We thought you should be present.”

  The wiry little bald gnome of a man stood up. “Of course, I want to be present. The research is important. I am sure to be questioned about it when we deliver our report.”

  He walked past Florian and made his way to the bench. He folded his arms. “Now, Dieter, what is the nature of the experiment you are planning to perform?”

  Dieter was always annoyed when Ignatz used his pedantic mode of speech. He had stood in front of teachers on innumerable occasions to answer questions, and Ignatz’s habits reminded him of those instructors. Yet, Ignatz had the responsibility for the lab and would file the reports of the lab’s progress to Colonel Klemperer. The questioning was Ignatz’s way of structuring the experiment in his mind so he could report it accurately. He was well aware of the nature of Dieter’s work.

  “Very well, Herr Schneider,” Dieter said. “As you know, we discovered these energy streams, for want of a better term, that seem to emanate from nowhere. We concluded that they are the representation or effect of an unknown force. This experiment is designed to isolate and define that unknown force. Possibly it represents a new form of energy that we could tap for electrical power and other things.”

  “What other things?” Ignatz asked, drumming his fingers on each arm.

  “Unknown, mein Herr. But we believe it will be transformative.”

  “In other words, you are not quite sure.”

  Dieter nodded. “That is correct. We are conducting basic research. We are attempting to dig deeper into the possible sources, and gain a better understanding.”

  “Very well,” Ignatz said. “Are we ready to proceed?”

  “We are.”

  Ignatz looked around the room. “Does anyone wish to postpone the experiment for any reason?”

  The others shook their heads.

  “Very well, then, Dieter. You may proceed.”

  “The way we will do this,” Dieter said, “is that I will engage the initiator. Then we will watch the output from the meters here on the bench. I had also wired in a light bulb as a way to see a physical manifestation of the output. We may see it glow slightly, based upon previous work.”

  Dieter leaned over and flipped the arm on a knife switch to begin. The apparatus was quiescent. He began to turn the large knob that controlled a rheostat. They watched as the meter showing the input voltage began to creep up. When it reflected about forty percent of the available input, Dieter stopped.

  “We are close to the point where the forces in the apparatus will tip over and begin generating output. You will note that the graph is rolling and will show both the input on this line and the output with the other pen. Is everyone clear on this?”

  Everyone agreed.

  Dieter twisted the rheostat further and carefully watched the meters. The output power meter suddenly shot over to the right against the peg. Simultaneously the light bulb flared brightly and burned out while the output pen on the graph slammed to the top of the chart. The smell of burning electrical components became evident, and Dieter quickly opened the knife switch.

  Ignatz grunted. “That was interesting. What happened, Dieter?”

  “At a guess, Herr Schneider, we generated far more power from the experiment than we anticipated. All of the measuring devices went off the scale, and you saw what happened to the light
bulb.”

  “I did not expect that result.”

  “It surprised me,” Dieter responded.

  “And how will you proceed further?”

  “I wish to have the other lab employees double-check my work. At a guess, I believe we will need much more robust electrical connections for the next test.”

  Ignatz nodded. “Very well. It appears your experiment succeeded beyond expectations. Congratulations, Dieter.”

  “Thank you, Herr Schneider.”

  “I suggest that everyone go home and not return until Monday. We all need rest, and I am sure everyone will be thinking about what we observed. You all look tired.”

  The other three nodded but said nothing further. The work was demanding, and the workers were weary from the week’s activities. Dieter was exhausted. Schneider made sure the other three left the lab and then set the combination lock on the door. The two Luftwaffe guards snapped to attention as they went. Colonel Klemperer was a stickler on security.

  The next morning Ignatz Schneider caught an early Lufthansa flight to Berlin and made his way to the Reich Air Ministry building. After giving a brief report to Colonel Klemperer, a secretary quickly ushered him into Hermann Goering’s office.

  “What do you have for me this morning, Herr Schneider?” the porcine man asked impatiently.

  “Herr Reichsmarshall, we have succeeded in our initial investigations. We are pulling electrical energy from somewhere, I guess from outside of this universe.”

  “Please explain,” Goering grunted. “It sounds to me like that fellow who was in here last summer trying to sell us a perpetual motion machine.”

  “No, Herr Reichsmarshall. The test apparatus generated far more electrical power than was fed into it. The unexpected power ruined a couple of pieces of test equipment.”

  “So, what can we do with this?” Goering demanded. “The Führer is only funding weapons that can help the Reich right now. He expects a quick war.”

  “We are just at the beginning of our experiments,” Schneider stammered. “It is going to take a lot of work to determine exactly what we are looking at.”

  Goering cocked his head as he considered what the scientist told him. If something like this proved out, it might end Germany’s reliance on oil to power its armed forces and economy. But it seemed impossible, and he, therefore, considered it a long shot.

  “Let me give you some instructions, then, Herr Schneider. I will continue to fund your experiments for the time being.” Goering leaned forward and shook a sausage-shaped finger at the scientist. “But you must continue to deliver tangible results. Otherwise, Himmler will absorb you and your people into his projects, and I don’t think you would like that, would you?”

  “Of course not, Herr Reichsmarshall. We will not fail you.”

  “Report back to me in a month,” Goering ordered. “And bring me something that will benefit the armed forces.”

  “Of course, Herr Reichsmarshall, of course.”

  “Thank you for coming to see me, Herr Schneider.”

  Goering then picked up a document on his desk and paid no further attention to the scientist. Schneider seemed to stumble out of the Reichsmarshall’s office. Goering was certainly imperious. However, Schneider understood that the head of Germany’s armed forces was not only fighting a war against the Poles but also the SS and Heinrich Himmler. Schneider did not consider the Poles to be nearly as dangerous as the SS.

  # # #

  Dieter Faust walked the streets of Frankfort on Friday morning. After the day and night schedule in the laboratory, there was no edible food left in his small apartment. There was a delicatessen around the corner that he often visited, so he walked there. He was stopped at the door by an SS corporal.

  “What business have you here?” the man barked.

  Dieter stepped back. “I… uh… was coming to get something to eat.”

  “Then you should move along. A Jew operated this business and we closed it down.”

  Saying nothing further, Dieter walked down the street. He was no longer quite as hungry. He stopped at a grocery and bought some bread, cheese, and smoked sausage. His small rented room was poorly heated, so the food would keep for a while.

  He retreated to his apartment and fixed a light meal. As he ate, he pondered the question that he had often asked himself over the past few years: What is it about the Nazis and the Jews? Undoubtedly the government held a grudge against the Jewish people, and this was peculiar. He had met a number of them and regarded most as fine Germans.

  After eating, he stretched out on his bed and put his hands behind his head. Rather than reading, as was his usual weekend routine, he reflected on his work in the lab. His mind buzzed with ideas on how to refine the new devices he had invented. Ignatz was correct; taking the weekend off would allow him to think about the next steps. He planned to arrive early at the office on Monday so he could get busy on the projects.

  He was pleased with what he had invented, although he still had no idea what made the devices work or why they worked at all. If his work advanced the Reich, he would be delighted. Enemies surrounded Germany, and he wanted to find a weapon that would make a difference for his nation.

  CHAPTER TWO

  October 16, 1939

  Dieter arrived at the laboratory in a foul mood. He had been stopped on the street twice by Gestapo agents who vocally wondered why he was not in the armed forces defending the Fatherland. Each time, his papers subdued the officious police. The Reichsmarshall had provided the scientists with identity cards and orders that impressed everyone. Dieter, however, resented the minions of the government who poked their noses into everything he did.

  “Herr Faust!” Ignatz shouted. “In my office. Now!”

  Dieter quickly scuttled into the boss’s office, wondering what the man’s problem was now.

  “Yes, Herr Schneider?”

  “I want to know what you did to cheat on the experiment last Thursday.”

  “I don’t understand,” Dieter protested. “I made a mistake in not providing heavy enough wiring on the output side...”

  “Nein, nein, nein,” Ignatz waved his hand. “I want to know what you did to fool everyone into thinking the experiment worked.”

  “But, it did work.”

  “Dieter,” Ignatz’s voice warmed up, “you can tell me. You know that I have protected you in the past.”

  The young scientist felt a chill down his back. Not only did the laboratory director suspect he was Jewish, but he had gone out of his way to hide his background from the government. The Jews in Frankfort were gradually disappearing, and no one seemed to know where they went. Dieter feared the SS was murdering them, and had no idea what to do. He had grown up an orphan and had no records of parents. This automatically rendered him suspicious to the authorities.

  “You can tell me what you did,” Ignatz continued.

  “I don’t understand what you are saying,” Dieter said. “You have me puzzled.”

  “Let me explain to you then.” Ignatz was back in his pedantic mode. “I procured some heavy-duty wiring and parts on Friday. I wired them up and repeated the experiment. It did not work.”

  “You mean it did not put out as much power?”

  “No. It put out nothing. I even switched back to the light-weight wiring and the light bulb. Nothing happened.”

  “I don’t understand,” Dieter said. “Perhaps you could show me.”

  “Oh, very well.” Ignatz stood up and marched out into the lab.

  Florian Goldstein had just arrived and looked curiously at the other two as they headed towards Dieter’s bench. Dieter looked down at the test apparatus. Ignatz had reconnected the heavy-duty wiring and hooked up an arc light with a heavy smoked glass shield around it. In his usual fussy manner, the older scientist’s fabrication was much neater than anything Dieter could do.

  “This looks very good, Ignatz,” Dieter said. “And you say it didn’t work.”

  “Correct. It does not wor
k. Let me show you.”

  The laboratory director moved over to the input circuitry and flipped the knife switch over to start the apparatus. He began turning the rheostat carefully. They watched the meters show increasing power feeding to the machine. At the threshold, Ignatz cautiously advanced the knob and watched the output side. And nothing happened. He turned the rheostat back down and pulled the knife switch disgustedly.

  “You see. It doesn’t work.”

  Florian drifted over to the bench and studied the layout. “That looks correct to me, Ignatz.”

  “Well, then, Mr. Smart Scientist here has been fooling us,” he said, pointing at Dieter.

  Dieter shook his head. “I don’t know. It should have worked. Let me try it again.”

  Dieter closed the knife switch and advanced the rheostat carefully. Everything seemed nominal as he fed more power into the apparatus. He twisted the dial beyond the threshold, and with a crackle, the arc light burst into brightness. Even with the smoked glass, it was too bright to look at. He quickly turned the rheostat back, and the electric arc stopped shining. Ignatz stood behind him with his hands on his hips.

  “What am I missing?” he asked.

  “We need a control,” Florian said. “Let me try it, please, Dieter.”

  Dieter pulled the knife switch and stepped to the side. Florian moved to the center.

  “Okay, everyone is watching, correct? Now I will start the machine.”

  He re-engaged the knife switch, then started slowly twisting the rheostat. When he crested the threshold, the light again shined brightly. He quickly turned it down and pulled the main switch. Ignatz pushed him to the side and stepped up to the device. He engaged the switch and twisted the rheostat. Nothing happened. He stepped back.

  “This defies explanation!”

  Konrad Melter walked in, looking sleepy. “Is it Monday already? I feel like I had no weekend.”