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always produce champions, but centuries of Christian education have caused us to lose sight of this,’ he said, looking over his gold-rimmed glasses. ‘The Christians regard a shapely human body in a bathing suit as somehow sinful!’ Raucous laughter echoed off the stone walls.
    ‘It is your duty to breed from sound, shapely Nordic stock. We will have fought in vain if political victory is not followed by births of good blood. The question of multiplicity of children is not the private affair of the individual, but his duty towards his ancestors and our people. The existence of a sound marriage is futile if it does not result in the creation of numerous descendants. The minimum number of children for a good marriage is four. That doesn’t mean I want you or your officers to marry the first girl who might appear to meet our requirements. Without being tactless, you should get the girl to tell you a little about her family. If she discloses that her father shot himself, or an aunt or a cousin is in a lunatic asylum, you must do the decent thing. At all times the SS officer must behave with decorum. He should say openly, “I’m sorry, but I can’t marry you; there are too many diseases in your family.” ’
    Von Heißen nodded approvingly.
    ‘Now, before we break for lunch, we have time to take one or two questions.’
    A tall flaxen-haired major rose to attention. ‘What do you think is the greatest problem facing Germany today, Herr Reichsführer?’
    ‘Identify yourself.’
    ‘Sturmbannführer Austerlitz, Herr Reichsführer.’
    ‘That is an excellent question,’ Himmler said, coming out from behind the lectern. The SS major sat down, beaming at the compliment.
    ‘Quite apart from the need for Lebensraum – more land for the Third Reich to reach its potential,’ Himmler responded, ‘we must recapture the lost world of the Nordic race. We must restore das Herrenvolk , the master race, to its position of pre-eminence, and to provide a foundation for that, we have to reconstruct the lost history of the Aryans. With that in mind, we are shortly launching several archaeological expeditions to prove the origins and influence of the master race, including one to the highland jungles of Guatemala. Hauptsturmführer von Heißen, who has now joined us, will be leading this expedition. Perhaps you might like to comment on your mission, von Heißen.’
    ‘Certainly, Herr Reichsführer. The source of the pure Aryan race is crucially important, gentlemen,’ von Heißen explained, unfazed by the more senior ranks in the room. ‘Why? Because ancient Germanic tribes demonstrated far greater intellect and creativity than any other civilisation of their time. If our research can recover this knowledge, it will help the Third Reich to once again excel in science, medicine, agriculture and every other field of human endeavour. The German Nordic race is at the apex of humankind, while races like the Jews, the African Bushmen and the Australian Aborigines are at the very bottom.’
    Himmler beamed at his young protégé. ‘For the moment, the Africans and the Australians don’t concern us, but the Jews, together with gypsies and homosexuals, are quite another matter. The Führer will very shortly introduce the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring. This will enable us to sterilise the mentally retarded, the blind, the deaf, the schizophrenic – anyone who is likely to impede our glorious progress. The Jews will require special attention, of course.’ Reichsführer Himmler nodded to Obersturmbannführer Manfred von Knobelsdorff, the commandant of the new SS Nordic Academy, indicating to the colonel that it was time for lunch.

    Levi Weizman perused Der Angriff . The paper was, he knew, sponsored by the Nazis’ Minister for Enlightenment and Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, but it was the only one in his room. To his surprise Levi found a story on Catholics, but his surprise at it appearing in a Nazi paper