David sat cradling his snifter of Armagnac, listening with Evelyn and Henry as John related the background of the Service's connections. "Once we saw the war was not soon to end, we began expanding our network in Switzerland, and the geography of Schaffhausen made it a natural place to start."

John swirled his snifter and put it to his nose, smiling at David. "Your appearance on the scene last June was serendipitous. So much so that it was suspicious, and we had to do an exhaustive background check."

David nodded. "And that had been done by the time I arrived in London, else I would not have met with R."

"Exactly. And that's how we found records which would have otherwise remained obscure. Battle dispatches, notes recommending your field commission, appointment to Company Commander."

David felt his face warm, and he tried to hide it by nosing the Armagnac. 

John continued, "George Skipworth is highly respected in railroad circles, British, French and Swiss. His meeting you at your first dinner here last June was to begin the process of connecting to the Swiss network with which he was working."

"Is he still around" I've not seen him since ..." David paused and thought. "Since before Christmas."

"He is, but he prefers to work at digging in the field rather than sitting in an office administering."

"As do I." David shrugged. "But it appears R has other ideas about my usefulness." He pulled the folded page from his pocket, opened it and scanned. "He has appointed me to take charge of all covert operations from Switzerland into Germany."

Evelyn and John nodded in unison, and then John spoke. "He confirmed my recommendation last week."

"Hmm. So, I'm the last to know."

Henry chuckled. "I'm now out of the immediate loop, so I'm with you."

David pursed his lips, then looked at John and asked. "Are you aware of Horst Frankenthal?"

John shook his head. "Who is he?"

"He's directed by Karl, and he runs teams into central Germany. Areas well away from both the French and the Russian Fronts.

"Seems wasted activity," Henry said.

"It's as far away from French and Russian aerial bombers as is possible – well beyond their present and conceivable range. New factories are under construction or being planned there, and among them, BASF is clearing a huge piece of land to the west of Leipzig, likely a safer site for their ammonia synthesis. We've been anticipating a move for a long while now."

"They need massive energy for that."

"Exactly! I've tasked Horst with finding sources of coal and petroleum gas in the vicinity."

"Also hydroelectric sources," Henry added.

"He said the land is too flat for that."

"In the immediate area, yes. But sixty or seventy miles to the south, the Bohemian border is the crest of a mountain range which rises to over three thousand feet. I rambled along its spine many years ago."

David nodded. "And their transmission technology is advanced. We've seen that much of the central Rhein is strung with high-tension lines, a hundred thousand volts and more, I was proudly told."

Evelyn laughed. "I'm always amazed by the information you extract."

They continued the discussion of the new factories, and then David focused, "Be wisest to let them expend their resources in building the plant first, then target the power sources shortly before production begins."

He swirled his snifter again and stared into the amber liquid as he thought, then he looked at John. "I'll need a list of all your contacts and a summary of their resources and activities."

"I prepared it in anticipation. It's locked in my office, and I'll explain its encryption sequences to you tomorrow."

"Great! I'll be there from eight, but I'll be away in the afternoon, driving to Sonnenhang to meet with the two men I sent into the Mannheim area. They're locating the nine best coal gas plants to disable. With still no effective strikes against Oppau or Pirmasens by the French flyers, we need to find other ways to slow their supply of hydrogen."

Evelyn shook his head. "Leaving Maria again so soon? You just got back; you should take some time for yourself."

David chuckled. "I am, Sir. She's coming with me, and we're spending the Easter weekend with family."

Küsnacht, Switzerland — Thursday, 20 April 1916

A few minutes to four on Thursday, David and Maria drove down the lane to their grandparent's estate nestled in its own small bay on Lake Zürich. Maria sighed as she took in the scene. "This always brings a flood of memories. I feel like an eight-year-old again."

"Was that when you learned to sail?"

"It was. We spent the summer here with Grandma and Grandpa while Mama and Dada built the house in Gottenheim."

"So, 1905. Just before you turned nine."

She nodded as she dabbed her eyes. "Just before we moved to Germany. Most of my memories of Switzerland are from here."

David steered the car into the courtyard, stopped and shut it off. Then he pulled Maria into a hug. "Thinking of your brothers again, aren't you?"

She sniffled and nodded. "Umm. Frolicking and playing. Carefree."

"But, you would have continued that in Gottenheim."

"There was always work to do. Finishing and expanding the house, planting the vineyards, and concentrating on schoolwork. As they matured, their interests changed, and a little girl no longer fit into their new ones."

David pulled her tighter to his chest. "Like I did with my sister."

"It would be normal, wouldn't it? Nothing to do with not liking. Just changing interests. Boys and girls mature differently." She snuggled her face into the crook of his neck. "I love the differences."

David lifted Maria's head to kiss her when he was interrupted by the click of a car door opening and Michael's voice. "Are you two going to sit out here smooching, or are you coming in?" He chuckled. "Muriel has put on the water for tea."

"Hi, Grandpa. Just reminiscing about my summer here. I was flooded with memories as we came down the lane." She turned and received a kiss on her damp cheek.

After greetings, David and Michael each took a satchel as Maria led them into the house, meeting Mary in the foyer for more greetings and hugs. "Put your bags in your room and refresh. Tea will soon be ready."

While they nibbled and sipped, they caught up on the past several weeks of each other's lives. Then David began recounting some of his experiences at the armoury. "Your letter worked well, Grandpa. Horst put me into an instructor training programme, and –"

"Horst?" 

"Major Frankenthal." Damn! Slipped. He has no need to know about the collaboration. "We chatted casually a few times. Talked about his working with you on the Rhein years ago. He was curious about my having an automobile, so I mentioned selling watches and wine. We discussed many things." 

Michael chuckled. "Must have become rather friendly for you to call him by his first name. And more so to be excused from the last two and a half weeks of your training."

David shrugged and smiled. "My charming and manipulative ways."

"Did you sense he was attempting to recruit you?"

"Recruit?"

"He runs a small network of agents."

"Sales agents?"

"No, espionage." Michael laughed.

"Is this broad knowledge?"

"I wouldn't think so. He's very discreet. He had tried to recruit me."

"When?" 

"In early March. That's how I learned he was the Commandant of the Zeughaus, and I wrote to him on your behalf."

David sighed. "No sense dancing around this any longer. He's now part of our larger network."

Michael drained the last of his tea, then he nodded to David and tilted his head toward the hallway. "Let's go down and select some wines for dinner."