IN> Franz's Destiny

[Daniel Childers]

A scene from Franz's life:

Franz stood at attention in his sergeant's office, not allowing his weakness
to show. He did not refute the charges. The charges were, shamefully,
true. He *had* killed the Jews quickly and cleanly, giving them better
deaths than the traitors against civilization deserved. Shameful behavior
for a man of the Gestapo.

His sergeant sweated and lit another cigarette. "There is something you
can do..." he began. "The war is...not going well." Franz shifted 
uncomfortably
at the defeatism, but did not dispute his superior. "The Eastern Front needs
men badly. If you were to volunteer..."

Franz nodded. "Yes. I will wipe the stain of my cowardice away. I will
be worthy of the Fuhrer again."

"Just one thing..." his sergeant blew a cloud of cigarette smoke. "Why? Why
risk it all for Undermen?"

Franz hung his head in shame. "It just seemed...wrong. To drag it out. Even
enemies...I was weak. Sentimental. I am sorry."

The sergeant looked nervous at this answer. "Well. Just keep your mouth
shut at the front."

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A scene after Franz's life, a few weeks later:

He had been too weak. He had treated the Fuhrer's enemies with
mercy; then he had not been strong enough to stop the hordes of
the subhuman Slavs.

Still, Hell was not what he expected. It seemed quiet, and peaceful,
especially after the constant roar of artillery and guns that had filled his
last few weeks. Not like Hell at all.

And the old man smoking a cigarette did not seem to be Satan.

This did not seem right to Franz, not at all.

He got up slowly. "I was weak...we were all so weak...we did not
save civilization from..." he was going to say *the Jews*, but he could
not. It came out "our leaders" instead. "I showed mercy..." he tried
to finish this with *where I should not have*, but couldn't. It came out
"even when I thought I shouldn't". He tried to say, *I deserve to go
to Hell*, but nothing came out.

The old man looked very sad. "Oh, my poor Franz. You never were within
earshot of a Balseraph, and yet look how human lies have damaged you!
Come. My name is Yves, and I have much I must tell you. You won't like
much of it. But you are stronger than you know."

Franz followed. He didn't understand, but he was good at following orders.