The Revolt of Gunner Asch by Hans Hellmut Kirst

Author:Hans Hellmut Kirst [Kirst, Hans Hellmut]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: war
ISBN: 9780515039290
Google: YEo_cDav4qsC
Amazon: B0007GPWF0
Goodreads: 1021099
Publisher: Little, Brown
Published: 1955-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

This Ingrid Asch was a remarkable girl, he thought. She had the face of someone in a painting, an excellent figure, and was by no means stupid. He didn't even mind being seen in uniform with her. He found himself getting mildly excited whenever he thought of her.

"Like a game of chess?" asked Major Luschke, who had come up on him unawares. Lumpface gave a particularly sinister smile, which was usually enough to throw even senior captains off their balance.

Lieutenant Wedelmann leaped to his feet. He was feeling slightly confused in any case. Luschke confused him still further. He could never make out whether he liked this inscrutable man or was afraid of him.

"Stay where you are, Lieutenant," said the major in a soft voice that seemed to cut through the air like a razor blade. "I have no intention of drilling you, I merely wanted to know if you would like a game of chess."

"Of course, sir," said Wedelmann hurriedly. And he looked up submissively into Lumpface's lumpy face.

"No, my dear boy," said the major dryly, "you don't seem quite in the right mood for a game. I expect what you need is some fresh air."

And he stalked away with short sharp strides, snapping the fingers of his right hand contentedly.

The lieutenant stared after his commanding officer in admiration. There was a man who had his ear to the ground all right.

Wedelmann went to the telephone booth, looked through the pages of the directory and dialed the number of the cafe Asch. One of the employees answered. He asked to speak to Fraulein Asch and was put through to her at once. Ingrid's voice sounded pleasantly welcoming, and he was ready to believe that there was something almost sensual about it. He felt excited.

"I just wanted to ask if you would care to come out with me this evening. I'd suggest the cafe Liedke, but say if there's anywhere else you'd rather go. I'll come in uniform if that's all right with you."

Ingrid hesitated for a moment. That wasn't a bad sign, he told himself--just coquettishness. Then she accepted. It was quite all right if he came in uniform, and she thought the cafe Liedke a good idea too; she understood the food there was excellent. There was only one thing: could he possibly let her brother, Gunner Asch, know that she was going to be in the cafe Liedke, for it was possible that he might want to see her.

"But of course. I'll see to that at once. I'll look forward to seeing you there then. In half an hour's time? Right, in an hour, at the cafe Liedke."

Wedelmann put down the receiver, nodded to his reflection in the glass, left the telephone booth and went over to his room to get ready. He told the orderly N.C.O. to let Asch know that his sister was to be found in the cafe Liedke.

He gave himself a shower and sang "O sole mio" to himself as he stood under it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.