Auf unser Sudetenland

The American and the three Germans sat around the small table, enjoying their glass of whiskey. Hitler and Eva Braun sat on their leather sofa, Goebbels Bowmore sat across from them on two comftorable chairs. Hitler had come home overall good-mooded, he'd immediately called for Joseph and Alistair and had brought Eva with him for his new friend to meet. Alistair was delighted by the pretty photographer. She'd served them the whiskey and taken a glass for herself, which her lover had scowled upon, but a smile directed to him made her get her way. 

"And you've been into photography for a long time?" Bowmore asked her. 

"Yes. I was a model at first," she explained, "and soon I became one of Adolfs friends assistants in photography. I've always loved pictures and video. A good photographer can capture the feeling and the emotion of the moment, and I think that's beautiful, and quite a challenge." 

"Definitely. I've tried it, but I prove to be no better than the average man." Alistair admitted. "Do you sell your work? Or sometimes work for Adolf?"

"I have taken several recordings of him, some even in color. I'm hoping to do more in the future."

"That's wonderful! I'm sure you're very talented."

"Not so much talented as hard-working," she replied with a laugh, "in Germany hard work is a virtue. It's the reason for our sucess as a people."

"I know. German fairytales are also set on hard work, not like the American ones where the girl doesn't do much other than wait for the Prince to save her."

"Oh yes, that's very true. But I, on the otherhand, like other kinds of fairytales better, just don't tell Adolf. He'd be angry with me for not liking the german ones best."

"Which ones do you like best?" Bowmore asked, leaning forwards towards her. Goebbels and Hitler were talking about something else, but as Bowmore leaned forwards Hitler glanced at them quickly. Even though Hitler and Evas relationship was secret, hidden from the outside world, they had been together forever, and Hitler was protective of the young woman. The American was too interested in his lover, it made Hitler uncomftorable, especially because the American was intelligent and handsome. But as soon as he picked up that the conversation was about fairytales he turned his full attention back to Goebbels. 

"Romanian." 

"Romanian, why?" Bowmore asked, ever more interested.

"Because in some Romanian fairytales those win who are cunning, witty and manipulative. And I think it's like that in real life."

"Do you have an example? I apologize, I know nothing about Romanian folklore."

"I can tell you my favourite," she said, pausing to shoot a look at her partner, "do we want to take a short walk? I want some fresh air."

"Will he let you go?" Bowmore asked. 

"I sure hope so." She answered with a smile. "Adi, I'm going out to take a walk."

"Alone?" He asked. His voice didn't hold emotion but his eyes promised worry.

"No, with Mr. Bowmore." 

"Alright, be back soon." He said. Alistair Bowmore had grown on the dictator, and although it didn't please Hitler to have his woman take a stroll with his friend, he also felt preassure to let her go. The American had something authoritarian about him as well, but he was a gentleman, a good man with good morals, Hitler knew he needn't worry. 

So Eva and Bowmore took a leave, Hitler forced the young woman to take her coat. "Even if you're not going to be out long you need to keep warm." He'd argued. Bowmore found it sort of sweet, he hadn't ever seen this kind of gentleness from the Reichskanzler, but then again, Hitler had suprised him in many ways.

The two walked slowly around the block. Eva had begun to recount the fairytale the second they'd exited the building. "So, I don't remember it too well, one of my friends told it to me ages ago. But I'll try to repeat it as well as I can."

"Go ahead." 

"There was a young man," but Bowmore interrupted her and insisted that she started with 'one upon a time' so she restarted the tale, "Once upon a time there was a young man," she shot him a playfull look as she said it, "and he was the talk of the town. Not in a good way; he was naughty and mean. He played many pranks on the villigers. Soon they decided they had to do something about him. So they tried to rid themselves of him; but he, being smart and witty, always got away. Eventually they went so far as to try and kill him; they captured him and threw him into a barrel which they let down a stream, but, upon drowning to death the river spat him back out for even the devil couldn't stand him and refused to allow him enter hell." At this point Bowmore laughed heartily, "anyway, the moral of the story is, as I said before, that the smart and cunning people win, even if they aren't always the 'good guys'." At this point the American wanted so badly to ask her if she thought that her Adolf was such a man, but he decided against it. Even though this was still just a dream, it felt wrong to overstep. 

They returned back to the living room where Hitler and Goebbels still conversed, drinking scoth and smoking cigarettes. Bowmore and Eva took a seat. "We were waiting for you to toast to the Munich Agreement," Goebbels said. Bowmore thanked them, Eva poured all of their glasses but left hers untouched. 

The men raised their glasses. "Auf unser Sudetenland!" Hitler called. Goebbels and Bowmore echoed the toast and drank. They continued to drink and makes toasts, and with every glass they became merrier.

"Auf diesen Sieg und die weiteren die Folgen werden!"

"Auf unseren Führer!"

"Auf die vielen weiteren Tagen, an denen wir Whiskey trinken werden!"