We're at that point in the story where the villain gloats over the captured heroes so readers can get some exposition of his intentions. Captain Steiner snatches Prince Rudolf's diary and explains how rumor of it changed the course of World War II:

“Of course! Why would the Fuhrer, in 1941, have tried to invade the Soviet Union if not for this? He had Europe in his grasp, the United States had not yet entered the war and only Great Britain opposed Germany. In addition, peace with Russia was guaranteed by a mutual non-aggression agreement, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Yet Hitler attacked Stalin by surprise, marking the beginning of his own end. He had discovered everything, that's the truth, and, just like you, he was looking for evidence.”

“Hmm... A sensible reasoning, Captain. But why open another front of the war when an intelligence operation could have been enough?”

“Your objection is also sensible, Mystere. Here is my answer: Such an operation was too risky, it could fail. And if Rudolph's diary had ended up in Stalin's hands? No, better to cover everything with a military attack, which was perhaps already in the Fuhrer's plans. You see, Professor? My men and I have arrived where Hitler and the Wehrmacht failed. And thanks to us, National Socialism will soon be re-evaluated.”

“'Better to cover everything with a military attack'... Devils from hell! He is absolutely crazy!”

“What do you think you are going to do with the monks and us?”

“Oh, nothing that a few cans of gasoline can't fix quickly, and we brought a lot of them. Books are flammable materials, as you should know.”

This story provides a fictional explanation why Germany broke its truce with Russia: Hitler wanted Prince Rudolf's diary. It's also smart enough to articulate the concern I had early on: If Hitler were truly descended from Austrian royalty, that knowledge would fan the flames of pro-Nazi sentiment. That's exactly what is happening here, not that we're supposed to cheer this development.

Sergio Badino, the author of this story, missed an opportunity here though. Earlier in the story, he went to pains to tell us about actress Romy Schneider (who portrayed Empress Sissi in a series of films) and Romy's mother Maria (who appeared in the films and also was Hitler's real life lover). Badino could have tied it all together in the narrative. What if Steiner's father had been the secret love child of Hitler and Maria Schneider, abandoned at birth to an orphanage?

This would justify the inclusion of the Schneider material; more importantly, it would give Steiner a strong motivation to prove that he was descended from both Hitler and Prince Rudolph, and therefore should be the leader of the modern Nazi resurgence for which he is working. It would also allow for a rift between Steiner and the young Nazi punks who consider the Eagles' Nest a sacred place which should be left alone rather than explored, thereby explaining why the punks are trying to prevent Martin and Renate from pursuing an investigation which Steiner has incentive to assist.

Social/Sharing