Knight Of The Gypsies

By Scott C. Ristau

Robert and Kurt are friends traveling to Germany to work at a leading computer manufacturer.  Unbeknownst to Robert, however, Kurt is an agent in the Zigeuner Alliance, a secret organization dedicated to preventing the persecution of the Gypsy people such as occurred in Europe during the Holocaust.  Robert and Kurt meet Bryn Weiss, an air marshal in-training for Lufthansa airlines.  A romance quickly develops between her and Robert, but Kurt competes for her affections.  Meanwhile Kurt discovers that his new boss is using nanotechnology to develop racially selective weapons of mass destruction for a new Aryan uprising.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wings ePress, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9781597054119

Book preview

Part I

Rhine Gold

The Legend of Siegfried and the Nibelungen

R hine Gold is a loose adaptation of an old and complex fable that originated in Europe. The fable assumed several variations over the centuries as a consequence of passing from person to person through oral tradition and evolving folklore. Both Germanic and Scandinavian mythology include the legend of Prince Siegfried, the son of King Siegmund and Queen Sigelinde. The quick-tempered and obstinate prince was a man of great physical strength and prone to fighting. As a result, Siegfried’s own people came to dread and despise the prince and ultimately complained of his behavior to the king.

The king resolved to send his son to Mimer, the master blacksmith, so that the boy might learn self-discipline by working among strong and experienced men. Mimer made Siegfried work at the anvil and bellows for long hours every day. Time passed and his strength and knowledge of weapons increased.

Then one day a dispute arose between the prince and Wieland, Mimer’s best and mightiest worker. Siegfried won the fight and humiliated his opponent by taking hold of Wieland’s hair and dragging him through the shop. Becoming more prideful than ever, the prince ignored Mimer’s wrath and demanded that the master blacksmith forge a sword for him worthy of his great strength. Mimer agreed but secretly plotted revenge against Siegfried.

Mimer and his brother Regin, also known as Andvari, belonged to a race of dwarves called the Nibelungen who came from a realm of mist known as Niflheim. Regin, who had forsaken love and been turned into a dragon, guarded the Nibelungen’s vast treasure, called Rhine Gold, which was tainted with a curse of corrupting greed and madness. Using the Rhine Gold, Regin sought to rule the world.

To achieve his revenge, Mimer asked his brother to waylay Siegfried and kill him. Mimer then told the prince that he must go into the forest to fetch fuel from the charcoal-burner so that his special sword could be forged. Siegfried took his club, ventured into the forest in search of the charcoal-burner, and set the woodland ablaze with fire. Regin attacked, but Siegfried slew the dragon with his club.

After cutting up the dragon, Siegfried dipped his finger into the dragon’s blood and the prince’s skin turned as hard as horn. Seeking to make himself invulnerable, Siegfried took off his clothes and bathed in the dragon’s blood. His whole body became hard, except for a single spot between his shoulders where a leaf had clung to him and prevented the blood from touching there. To absorb Regin’s strength, the prince then cooked and ate the dragon meat. With the first taste, he began to hear voices. The birds told Siegfried of Mimer’s treachery and urged him to strike back against his enemy. Heeding the voices, Siegfried went to confront Mimer and threw the head of the dragon at his feet. Mimer feared for his life and attempted to appease Siegfried with a bribe. Distrustful, Siegfried killed Mimer and took what he wanted.

In his travels, Siegfried met Brunhild, the queen of Islant and a woman of great beauty, who lived in castle Isenstein on a lonely rock summit called Hindarfjell. Brunhild, which means warrior woman, was also a valkyrie, a virgin goddess who rides the air over the field of battle. Many tried to woo Brunhild but none were worthy of her. Others attempted to obtain her through battle but they could not defeat her.

Brunhild fell in love with Siegfried but was betrayed. And when Siegfried went to war against the kingdom of Burgundy, a grim knight named Hagen sought vengeance against Siegfried.

One

We Germans fear God, but nothing else in the world.

Otto von Bismarck — Speech to the Reichstag

Holding a dishrag soaked in chloroform, a strong male hand closed over Bryn’s mouth and nose. Instead of instinctively inhaling, she rebelled against that natural impulse of surprise and forced herself to exhale. By expelling air from her lungs and forestalling the intake of chloroform, she avoided the sudden loss of consciousness intended by her attacker.

Although the housebreaker held her head sandwiched between his powerful hands, Bryn twisted her body to the right. In turning, she drove the hard point of her elbow into his ribs and broke free of his vise-like grip.

The hour was late. Having taken the S-Bahn commuter train from Munich International Airport after leaving work, Bryn Weiss arrived home shortly after midnight. Young and unmarried, she lived alone in a second story apartment that sat in summit above the stone-faced Isenstein Book Store on Hindarfjell Street in the Schwabing district of Munich, Germany.

The room appeared dark and threatening despite the radiant presence of a plump harvest moon resting high in the heavens. A beam of its lambent, lunar light entered softly through an open window but only dimly illuminated the intruder. His glossy black silhouette moved swiftly to block Bryn’s exit from the living room. After interposing his bulk in front of the door, the large, looming figure crouched before her. Believing the victim of his violent passions to be effectively trapped, he smiled ominously, white teeth gleaming with predatory intent, and fixed his hungry gaze on the graceful curves outlining Bryn’s exquisitely proportioned figure. The unwelcome and unfamiliar visitor then lifted his muscular arms, spread his fingers as if expanding deadly claws, and prepared to lunge.

Bryn acknowledged the terrible designs of her intruder and demonstrated a talent for inventive warfare by plucking a decorative yet weighty figurine from off an end table and discharging said item at the object of her wrath. But the improvised missile missed the mark and crashed against the door in a useless shower of ceramic shrapnel.

The assailant leapt forward in a burst of aggression and reached his prey in a few quick strides. As his heavy body collided with hers, he wrapped a beefy arm around Bryn’s slender waist and slammed her against the wall. Her pretty head dented the plaster and, jolted by the sudden impact, reeled with dizziness. Employing a callous, greedy hand, he tore open Bryn’s blouse and took hold of her breast. The smooth, creamy complexion of her exposed skin appeared luminous in the moonlight.

A woman of exceptional physical charm, Bryn was experienced in rejecting unwanted advances from all sorts of men, but never one so bold as the depraved criminal currently demonstrating his perverted lust for her. Being inwardly determined to surrender her virginity only to that singular man who would prove himself to be her one true love, Bryn was all the more determined to prevent the capture and desecration of that sacred treasure by a vile rapist. So she took aim at his windpipe and, through her fist, communicated the strength of her resolve. The blow, backed by all her strength, staggered her attacker. Coughing in an effort to regain his breath, he relaxed his grip sufficiently for Bryn to slip free of his imprisoning embrace. Quick to recover, however, he reached the door seconds before Bryn and thereby thwarted her complete escape.

Shifting his weight from side to side in a most menacing manner, he blocked her getaway and threatened to make another offensive strike against her person. Come on, baby, he chuckled maliciously, you know you want it. His dark-skinned face twisted into an evil look of eager expectation as he voiced a concise description of the pleasures he meant to have from her.

Bryn stood her ground without flinching. Her limbs never quailed. She didn’t cry out for help because a scream would not likely arouse any alarm at this time of night. The lonely street outside her apartment sat empty, destitute of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. She had no one to turn to for assistance, no one to rely upon but herself.

Although Bryn normally dealt with people in a kind and respectful manner, life had acquainted her well enough with the other side of humanity to understand the need for a warrior’s response to this present situation. And while her enchanting feminine beauty might suggest otherwise, she was also well trained for the eventuality of hand-to-hand combat.

Bryn worked as a stewardess for Lufthansa airlines. In addition to her normal duties, however, she was also undergoing training to become an air marshal. After the September 11th terrorist attacks, the U.S. government began pressuring European airlines to deploy armed air marshals on certain transatlantic flights to and from the United States. Lufthansa quickly agreed and paid Germany's Federal Border Guard to assemble a small troop to serve as air marshals on randomly selected flights. This proved, however, to be an expensive venture for the airline and one that placed it at an economic disadvantage because, unlike American airlines, the government did not subsidize the burdensome costs associated with the deployment of air marshals.

To help reduce these costs and respond to other concerns voiced by crewmembers, Lufthansa initiated a training program for airline security in the hope of assigning their own personnel to act as sky marshals in place of the Federal Border Guard and thereby eliminate the more expensive fees charged by the Guard for that service. Pressed to find an adequate number of volunteers, the airline ultimately opened up the training program to other, non-security personnel. The pilots' association supported this plan in the hope that it would promote good training as well as good cooperation. By having crew actively participating in the training of in-house air marshals, it was hoped that both sides would have a better understand each other's jobs. Looking for career advancement, Bryn willingly enlisted in the part-time training program even though it required two years of unpaid instruction to be completed in combination with the performance of her continuing responsibilities as a stewardess.

The rapist charged again. Bryn moved to the left, checked herself, and sprang right instead. The evasive maneuver failed. Anticipating the feint, the housebreaker swung out and caught her in the abdomen with a strong uppercut. He buried his fist in her stomach and she doubled over in pain. Then, knotting his fingers in her luxuriant blonde hair, he lifted her head with a violent jerk and forced her to look him in the eye.

Bryn rebelled in a strong spirit of defiance and delivered two quick jabs against his scowling eye with such energy of feeling that her knuckles bled in consequence of the brutal impact. Undaunted, the assailant forced her to the carpet, pinned her under his weight, and leaned in to kiss her. She fought back, however, with far more strength and agility than he had anticipated. Bryn rammed her forehead against the bridge of his nose and, as he sprang back in shock while releasing a strangled howl of pain, she rolled out from under him.

Both combatants scrambled to their feet and once again faced off against each other.

The man’s dark, ebony face wore an expression of demonic villainy. I mean to have you, he promised, and I don’t mind doing it rough. He then compounded the threat conveyed by his appalling pronouncement by drawing forth a knife.

He advanced toward her. She jumped and kicked, planting the ball of her foot on the underside of his chin. His jaw slammed shut with an audible crack and his neck snapped back. Bryn landed on her feet, pivoted her body to the left, took two sidesteps forward and again leapt into the air. This time, her feet struck him in the chest. Propelled backward, the intruder crashed through the second story window and fell to the deserted street below.

Bryn rushed to the shattered window and looked down from her elevated stronghold. She saw the rain-slick pavement glimmering beneath the sodium glow of the streetlamps. Her assailant lay at an awkward angle of repose with a dark halo of blood pooled around his fractured skull. Confident that he no longer posed a threat, Bryn went to the telephone and called the police.

Two

Behavior is a mirror in which everyone shows his image.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — Die Wahlverwandtschaften

R obert Siegfried Dillman , you’re in trouble again, said the elder gentleman in a reproving tone. A man of corpulent proportions and dignified appearance, Siegmund Dillman assumed a grave demeanor in addressing his son. He stood, resting his knuckles against the smooth surface of a hand-carved mahogany desk, and leaned forward.

Several miles outside Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the library of his father’s expansive, colonial home, Robert reclined in a well-padded, tobacco-colored leather chair with his legs stretched out before him and his loafer-clad feet perched negligently atop an ottoman. The elegant yet masculine furniture complemented the books and artwork on display around him. Daylight poured in through large, multi-paned windows. Bright and warm, the room was redolent with the scent of lemon oil polish manually impregnated in the burnished oak paneling of the walls.

Imagine how proud I am that my twenty-four year old son has been expelled from Harvard University for fighting with his fellow students. And to make matters worse, the father said in continuation, the dean described the altercation as something of a political incident.

Hardly. Robert set aside the accusation casually. A few girls were sitting at a table in the dining hall when a group of Middle Eastern men chose to join them without the benefit of an invitation. The girls stood up and prepared to withdraw from their unwanted companions. The men interpreted this as an insult to their ethnic heritage and began verbally attacking the young ladies, accusing them of being bigots and casting aspersions on their virtue. I raised my voice in defense of the girls. The men replied by raising their fists and a scuffle ensued.

It’s beneath your social station to be brawling in public, Siegmund protested with a sense of offended propriety, and it’s not the sort of conduct that’s expected of a Harvard medical student. Dean Ferguson told me that one of the men had to be taken to the hospital and that the other two were almost as badly beaten as the first before security managed to subdue you. His account seems quite credible since all the inquiries I have made about the incident prove the accusation of your excessive use of force.

They struck first, Robert reminded him. Once my adversary delivered that decisive blow, I saw no reason to proceed with timidity or reserve. I gave the impertinent rogues a bit of a thrashing. What of it? I contend that I was well within my rights to do so.

Siegmund checked his son’s line of defense. No one seems very interested in your rights, or the privileges of wealth and birth for that matter. Your adversaries are threatening a lawsuit against the school unless you’re punished, and punished severely.

That’s ridiculous. Robert rejected the idea out of hand.

Perhaps. Siegmund conceded the possibility but earnestly pursued the topic of conversation despite his son’s flippant dismissal of the subject’s merit. Witnesses have testified that the other men swung at you first. That alone should keep you from serving any jail time over this outrageous brouhaha. And your accusers wouldn’t stand a chance in a civil suit against you. But they strenuously contend that school security should have done a better job of protecting them from you even though they were the aggressors.

How absurd. His composure unruffled, Robert remained in full possession of a smug, self-important attitude.

Yes, Siegmund agreed. But the university has received intense criticism lately from the Muslim community as well as from others for its decision to publish that cartoon of the prophet Muhammad in the school newspaper. As you know, the publication sparked international outrage. The university doesn’t want any more negative publicity and would rather keep this incident of yours out of the media spotlight. If you’re expelled, the men have agreed to drop the lawsuit and refrain from speaking to the media.

Robert listened politely, but with inward indifference, then reiterated the fact that he was not the one who started the fight.

I understand the injustice of the situation, Siegmund professed with great solemnity. And something really ought to be done about the growing Muslim menace. More should be done to track these people and keep tabs on their activities in this country, even those who are U.S. citizens. They should be registered and fingerprinted. Information should be collected on their backgrounds and they ought to be required to carry detailed identification papers. Workhouses should be established for those that can’t prove regular employment or account for their finances. Siegmund paused. But all that is beside the point.

You’re right; the point is to get me reinstated at Harvard.

No, Siegmund countered, your dissolute nature and uncertain future is the point of our discussion. You’re in trouble, and this isn’t the first time you’ve been reprimanded for this sort of thing. The school is using your history of violence as grounds for dismissal. Plus your grades are bad, and you’ve changed your major three times in two years. All that stands against you. You may be strong, handsome and intelligent with enough charm to get your way nine times out of ten. But you’re also willful, unruly and lacking in direction. And it’s those qualities that prevent you from achieving your full potential. So I’ve decided not to challenge the university in the matter of your expulsion. Instead, I’m going to regard it as an opportunity for your personal growth.

What do you mean?

I’m sending you away for a while to live in Germany. I have a friend in Munich. His name is Wilhelm Andvari. He’s the head of Mimer Industries and he has graciously agreed to give you a job. You’ll be working among disciplined and skillful men. Mimer Industries is the leading computer manufacturer in all of Europe. And there is a rumor being circulated of an imminent, advantageous merger with a major Japanese company. Mimer Industries is aiming at an expanded global market. It's a rapidly growing business, one that promises to be quite profitable. So perhaps by working at Mimer Industries, you can make your own fortune and reduce your dependence upon mine.

You’re cutting off my allowance? Robert inquired peevishly.

No. You can keep your allowance and I’ll even set you up with lodging in Munich. I’m perfectly willing to help get you started over there. But you absolutely must maintain your employment. If you quit or are fired, I will cut you off completely.

Robert took the news of his punishment with a smirking, self-satisfied air. Having spent the last six years at Harvard, he had begun to languish for fresh scenery anyway. Would you object to my taking a friend along with me?

Why? They have plenty of women in Germany. With your charisma, I’m certain that you’ll make an abundance of new friends in no time.

Robert nodded confidently. I look forward to doing just that. But I was speaking of a male friend, a comrade to share in my adventure abroad.

Who?

Kurt Hagan, a friend of mine from Harvard. You’ve met him. He earned his undergraduate degree in computer science. And, like me, he speaks fluent German. So Kurt would make the perfect traveling companion for this overseas trip.

Siegmund looked skeptical. I intend for you to stay in Germany for at least a year. Would he be willing to take such a long hiatus from his studies?

He’s interested in that part of the world, Robert assured him. So I’m positive he’ll jump at the chance. What’s more, I’ve always found that my friends are generally willing to do as I ask. Besides, his graduate major is in world history, and who cares about history anyway?

Siegmund grumbled over the question but acquiesced. All right. I’ll talk to Wilhelm Andvari about getting your friend a job.

Great. Look out Munich, here I come!

Robert, I want you to behave yourself over there. Wilhelm is a very powerful man. His favor could do much for your future and his displeasure might easily result in your destruction. He’s a leader, an influential part of something that is much bigger than you or me. Siegmund neared the brink of full disclosure, almost revealed the hidden truth of the Nibelungen. But then he turned back, deciding that his son was not yet mature enough to receive a formal introduction into that secret society.

The faltering of his father’s words briefly awoke a consciousness of mystery in Robert’s mind, but the vague feeling was soon dispelled when Siegmund resumed his discourse and began to talk at length on the tragic consequences of an idle and undisciplined life.

Three

He who considers too much will perform little.

Friedrich Schiller — William Tell

Seated fraternally at Robert Dillman’s side, Kurt Hagan occupied a comfortable chair in the first class section of a Lufthansa Boeing 747, which soared high above Europe through a night-shrouded sky. He had willingly involved himself in Robert’s fate and readily accepted the invitation to accompany his exiled friend to Germany.

Both men were well favored in appearance in addition to being in the prime and vigor of their youth. Unlike his golden-haired companion, however, Kurt possessed a dusky complexion and his head was crowned with a short mat of coal-black hair. Over a slim, athletic figure, he wore a red, long-sleeved polo shirt, with a silver cross hanging around his neck, black twill trousers, and glossy, Italian-made leather shoes. Kurt’s clothes, although of good quality, were still noticeably inferior, however, to those that neatly attired Robert’s person.

Kurt befriended Robert after contriving a means of introduction nearly two years ago and, against his better judgment, he even found himself liking him on occasion. But such intermittent feelings of amity wouldn’t stop Kurt from using Robert as a means of infiltrating the Nibelungen or prevent him from betraying Robert if betrayal should become necessary.

Drawing nearer to the place of his ancestral origin, Kurt experienced a building nervous excitement, foreboding, and even reverence at the prospect of seeing in person those places he had until now only visited in books and film and through oral testimony. As his familial homeland, Germany held landmarks of profound importance to his past and thus the country maintained a strong hold upon his future.

Kurt marveled at the surreal nature of this unexpected journey. In a few hours, the plane would land