“I lived in Berlin for ten years,” he replied. “I was stationed only a stone’s throw away from Charité Hospital, a hospital that speaks well of Germany’s long commitment to the betterment of humanity. It is one of the reasons I remain hopeful for a positive outcome today.”
“Ja,” the general said tersely. “Charité Hospital is the finest in all of Europe, but let us return to the matter at hand. While it is no small concession, I am prepared to permit American ships to off-load relief supplies at Rotterdam, provided that no American sets foot on land. Let this concession serve as testament to the German Empire’s humane governance. I would like this concession acknowledged by President Wilson himself.”
Benedict nodded. “The message shall be wired to the president today.”
Delia wanted to jump up and shout in triumph, but anotherbattle loomed. Finn and Mathilde Verhaegen remained locked up in that Gothic horror called Saint-Gilles Prison. Benedict and the baron murmured gracious platitudes while Delia searched through her stack of documents to find the relevant passages that could perhaps free Finn and Mathilde. Her fingers trembled as she slid the papers to Benedict. She held her breath as he began.
“It has come to our attention that you currently have an American pilot under detention. Six weeks ago, Lieutenant Delaney approached you with a gallant, albeit somewhat foolish offer.”
Gallant,albeit somewhat foolish. The phrase perfectly encapsulated what Finn had done, and maybe he deserved the punishment he was enduring, but he’d done no harm to anyone but himself. If Benedict could win Finn’s freedom, he might walk out of the prison this very day. He could breathe clean air, eat decent food. Her heart thudded as she stared at the general, praying for a sliver of compassion.
“I am aware of the case,” the general said coldly.
Benedict proceeded with the same calm, level-headed tone. “As a sign of goodwill—”
“No,” the general interrupted. “Lieutenant Delaney will remain a prisoner at Saint-Gilles as long as I am Governor General of Belgium.”
Delia couldn’t hold her tongue. “What law has he been charged with breaking?”
The general’s brows shot up, his eyes wide as if astonished that a female dared to speak to him. Benedict also shot her a surly glare, and she cursed herself for overstepping. But wasn’t this the crux of the matter? What Finn did was reckless and ill-advised, but not illegal.
“He is in violation of martial law, legitimately imposed by Germany to keep order among a rebellious population,” General Ryckman said, his voice lashing out like a whip.
As usual, Benedict remained calm. “Still, in the spirit of the Hague Convention—”
“Absolutely not,” General Ryckman shot back. “Delaney shall remain in prison, and before you waste my time by requesting clemency for the Verhaegen woman, the answer is no. Mathilde Verhaegen is scheduled to be tried next week. She will be found guilty and will almost certainly be executed, which is the appropriate sentence for a woman who spread incendiary lies to keep the rebellion stoked.La Libre Belgiquehas caused the deaths of a great many people on both the German and Belgian sides. She must be made to pay for it.”
Baron von Eschenbach’s voice was like a cool dash of water, dousing the general’s ire. “Don’t forget. People all over the world made the English nurse Edith Cavell a saint after you ordered her execution. It would be best not to make Mathilde Verhaegen another martyred heroine who fell victim to German atrocities.”
“I have no interest in the opinions of those across the Channel,” the general said. “Their minds are set against us. We despise the Allies, and they despise us. The war of public opinion is over, and the only way to maintain control in Belgium is to enforce the letter of the law.”
“On the contrary, the war is drawing to a close,” the baron said, his voice bleak. “Our long-hoped-for Spring Offensive has stalled, and defeat looms on our doorstep. We suffer from low morale, while the Allies grow stronger with each new shipload of American troops. When the war ends, the world will remember how we treated our enemies. Our survival in the coming years will depend on the mercy we show today. Please, for the sake of Germany’s future, show some compassion for the two people who will be turned into martyrs and heroes if you insist on enforcing ‘the letter of the law.’”
“I consider it anhonorto enforce the laws of Germany,” General Ryckman snapped. “Do not try my patience, or perhaps I can find a clause to prohibit any American ship from using the Port of Rotterdam.”
Benedict cleared his throat. “Forgive me, General Ryckman. We seem to have strayed from our primary purpose for being heretoday. Now, my secretary has prepared a document to authorize reopening the Port of Rotterdam to ships sent by the CRB. All it needs is your signature.”
Delia opened the folder with the all-important letter of authorization. While they had won the argument to allow CRB relief shipments to flow into Belgium, they’d lost in their attempt to save two brave people languishing in prison, isolated and forgotten by the rest of the world.
Defeat made Delia’s limbs feel heavy as she climbed into the carriage alongside Benedict and the baron. She ought to be overjoyed by their victory in reopening the port, and yet all she could think about was Finn.
Would the general have granted clemency for Finn had she not offended him? Shooting her mouth off might have cost Finn months or even years of imprisonment. How sanctimonious she’d been when condemning Finn for his inability to control his emotions, and yet at the most important meeting of her life, she’d been equally hotheaded.
“Congratulations on your great victory,” the baron said to Benedict. “We shall go home and have a toast to your success.”
“Delia deserves credit too,” Benedict generously said. “Her knowledge of the treaties made our case unfold like a perfectly choreographed dance.”
She managed a smile to acknowledge Benedict’s compliment, but it evaporated quickly. Her presence at the meeting could have sunk Finn’s chances of clemency forever.
Benedict must have sensed her anguish because he sounded unusually kind as he responded, “Don’t torture yourself with regrets, Delia. It’s unlikely that anything we could have said or done would have resulted in General Ryckman showing mercy to Finn or Mathilde. The general still wants revenge on the two people who humiliated him.”
“Then he’s an idiot,” the baron said. “The end of the war is near, and he ought to be worried about his reputation after the war rather than exacting his revenge.”
Delia’s gaze strayed outside the carriage window to a charming café, where the tables were filled with German soldiers instead of ordinary Belgians. She couldn’t blame the soldiers or even General Ryckman for this war. Responsibility for the horrors of the past four years belonged squarely on the shoulders of the kings and kaisers who had let the world sink into the abyss rather than sit down and compromise around a table.
What would happen to those kings and kaisers after the war? The Russian czar had been assassinated by his own people. What about Kaiser Wilhelm? Of all the leaders, he had the reputation for being the most belligerent. If Germany lost the war, as Baron von Eschenbach believed they would, things would not go well for the kaiser.
“Why don’t we ask the kaiser for clemency?” Delia said, surprising even herself with the audacious proposal.
