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Information
Name/Nickname: Louis Ludwig von Dobermann; Louis Dobermann; Freiherr (Baron) von Dobermann; Inspector Dobermann; Der Wächter Der Stadt (Watchman Of The City); the King of Hearts (Diamond Network codename); Saint Louis; Dobey
Gender: Cisgender male
Birthdate/Age/Sign: NA; forties; Scorpio
Orientation: Heteroromantic heterosexual
Relationship Status: Married/"widowed" (Inga Dobermann)
Race/Ethnicity/Nationality: Caucasian; Germanic descent; German
Class: Junker (nobility)
Religion: Lutheran (nonpracticing)
Profession: Hereditary baron and landowner; former soldier; philanthropist, socialite; Allied/Diamond Network collaborator
Birthplace/Residence: Eastern Germany (German Prussia)/WWII Germany
Personality/Characteristics
Dobermann comes across as quite forbidding and mysterious to others, largely due to his stiff, perpetually serious attitude and his disinclination to chatter and socialize; he's gained a reputation for being cold and potentially hostile. A handful of people, mainly benefactors of the von Dobermann family's charity, have a warmer view of him, though they're still rather intimidated. This reputation is largely undeserved, however, as most of Dobermann's attitude is due to a combination of practiced stoicism, a traditional Prussian mindset, and a near-crushing sense of anxiety dealing with other people; Dobermann despises the smalltalk and socializing he's required to engage in, always second guessing his responses, and prefers to be left alone. He's dealt with other people's negative reactions to his awkwardness much of his life, and doesn't consider the effort and agonizing to be worth it. When Inga enters his life, he gladly lets her handle much of the social aspect of the relationship, while he finds it much easier to deal with people behind the scenes--which usually means throwing money at them.
Although he tries, Dobermann isn't an especially warm or doting father toward his daughter Adelina; having acted like an adult most of his life, he's uncertain how to treat children, and isn't prone to emotional displays. He only distances himself from her further following a brief separation in the city; despite finding her safe, he's overwhelmed by guilt that he let her out of his sight at all, and believes himself unsuited to having her left under his supervision. He rebuffs most of Adelina's efforts to get closer, not understanding that what she desires is his approval; she grows close to family friend Gunter Hesse instead, as Inga is often too busy handling Dobermann's business to deal with her either. Dobermann's wealth ensures that she never wants for anything, though it also means Adelina grows up quite sheltered and naive about the outside world. Despite the Junkers losing their noble status under the Weimar Republic, the von Dobermann family maintains respectable standing, and Dobermann himself clings to rather outdated Prussian mindsets and ideals.
Dobermann's aloofness serves him well when dealing with the Nazis, as it means he can hold them at arm's length when they request access to his property, without seeming too resistant; his closed-off demeanor makes him difficult for others to read or manipulate, and unpleasant rumors often float around him. He learns it's in his family's best interest to let these rumors go unchallenged, as they obscure his true allegiances and let him play both sides, so he never speaks up to dispel them. He has mixed feelings regarding Inga's resistance efforts once he finds out; he's crushed inside to be separated from her (this manifests as anger rather than grief), and furious with Josef Diamant for contributing to the situation, yet reluctantly carries on Inga's work by allowing the Diamond Network access to his home. He finds himself abruptly forced outside his comfort zone and has to make a choice for himself, without her input, for the first time in a long time, and despite their shared goals, his relationship with Diamant remains precarious afterward. He already has a close friendship with neighbor Katharina von Thiel; as he needs to confide in her regarding Inga's welfare, this gives others, including Adelina, the impression that they're romantically involved, another mistaken assumption he uses to his benefit. Dobermann is essentially an honest person, so the lengths he has to go to to deceive so many people make him quite ill at ease, and he's caught off guard to realize how skilled Inga already is at such things.
Normally being so honest (even if not especially open with others), getting involved in the resistance causes him many unpleasant conflicted feelings. Most of these center on trust; Dobermann's trust is rarely given, slowly earned, quickly lost, and very difficult to regain, so to learn how much deceit he's surrounded by hits him hard. It takes a while for him to fully trust even those he's closest to again, and although he maintains his distance, he grows even more overprotective of the lone innocent in the situation, Adelina. He chafes when Hesse, to whom Adelina turns for consolation following Inga's feigned death, rebukes him for not stepping up as a father, even while he realizes it's true. He tries hard, in Inga's absence, to do better by her.
Although part of the former noble class, and coming from a world vastly different from that of most common folk, Dobermann is well beloved by them, especially those who live in the nearby city and the mountain town, as he and his family are known for their charitable contributions following various calamities, including the Spanish Flu pandemic which kills the entire family save Dobermann himself. The people look up to and adore Dobermann almost as a sort of folk hero, the main reason the Nazi Party knows they can't go directly against him, and try so hard to gain his favor; even the unpleasant rumors that circulate around him (many of them likely spread by the Party itself) do little to dispel the people's adoration. He's near bulletproof to Nazi accusations of being disloyal to the Reich, but to be safe, cultivates a tense relationship of a sort with one of them, Ernst Dannecker, anyway; additionally, Hesse inadvertently aids him with this by using his own connections with the SS to keep the Party at bay. Just as he helped them repeatedly when they needed it most, the people end up helping Dobermann and his family when they need it.
Appearance
Dobermann is a fawn Doberman pinscher with cropped, upright ears and short fur. He's of tall height; with a fit/athletic, lightly muscled body type; has light blue eyes; and has fawn and tan/rust fur and sandy blond hair.
Dobermann, during the Great War, wears the traditional uniform of the Imperial German Army (transitioning from the Pickelhaube to the Stahlhelm). Otherwise he always dresses formally and stylishly, though a bit old fashioned, in the Prussian Junker style, often in a blue double-breasted jacket/tunic, sometimes with his military medals and decorations, close-fitting trousers, and boots. He sometimes, especially in public or while meeting public figures, wears a blue night watchman's kepi inscribed with the word WÄCHTER (he dislikes this cap but was gifted it by officials along with the honorary titles "Inspector" and "Watchman Of The City," so feels obligated to wear it). Somewhat lanky, broad shouldered, and narrow waisted, he has an overly formal, rather haughty carriage, always appearing disapproving or outright hostile; he has a cold, forbidding expression, a withering glare, and never smiles.
Family & Relationships
Inga von Dobermann (Wife)
Dobermann meets Inga when she visits him in hospital; unlike with most people, he quickly trusts her and proposes. She helps handle the numerous public relations that bother him so; her warm, graceful, compassionate demeanor contrasts sharply with his cool, terse, aloof one, yet this only ensures that both Dobermanns are even more beloved by the people. Despite this, she has a darker side as well, and isn't above using her feminine charm to manipulate and even deceive others, even if for what she deems a good cause. She keeps a particular secret even from her own husband, although it's unintentional at first, and she's plagued with guilt over it.
Adelina von Dobermann (Daughter)
Although Dobermann loves Adelina (whom he calls Addy, while Inga and Hesse call her Lina) fiercely, and provides her with the best of everything and protects her the best he can from every threat, he's afraid of not being a good enough father, and so ironically distances himself from her. He's often unintentionally critical toward her when worried about her welfare; unfortunately, Adelina perceives this as disapproval, and grows anxious of disappointing him. Although she works hard to gain his praise, for much of her life, their relationship is rather strained, and she turns to Gunter Hesse instead for the familial warmth she needs.
Stephen Gerhardt (Acquaintance/Ally/Son-In-Law)
Gerhardt grows close to Adelina after being stationed at the Dobermann estate as a Wehrmacht guard, and is physically threatened by Hesse--not Dobermann--after they start a tentative relationship. Ironically, it's not so much their illicit romance that raises Dobermann's ire, as the fact that Gerhardt deceives him, by actually being an American spy who's working with the resistance. He seems to understand that Gerhardt and Adelina genuinely care for each other, and so doesn't interfere between them.
Ilse von Dobermann (Mother)
Dobermann's mother, who loses her life to the flu pandemic while Dobermann is recuperating from wounds in a military hospital; she dies begging to know where her son is, not knowing whether he's alive or dead. Although a charming, outgoing social butterfly, she's the only member of the von Dobermann family to make a good effort to understand her younger son's reclusive nature, and she tries hard to be someone he can trust and feel comfortable with. Out of all his relatives, her death hits Dobermann hardest.
Rudolf von Dobermann (Father)
Dobermann's father, who loses his life to the flu pandemic while Dobermann is recuperating in a military hospital. Polite, genteel, and well spoken, he's not as outgoing as his wife, yet still prefers socializing, and doesn't really understand his younger son's introverted moods.
Horst von Dobermann (Brother)
Dobermann's older brother, who loses his life to the flu pandemic while Dobermann is recuperating in a military hospital. He and Dobermann are polar opposites; Horst is loud, sociable, outgoing, a braggart, and a ladies' man, engaging in frequent dalliances and risky behaviors. He's not malicious, however, and aside from some gentle ribbing, he lets his brother be himself. He's the rightful heir to the von Dobermann estate, so father Rudolf tolerates his behavior, reasoning that he'll settle down and find a wife eventually. They love each other, but the differences in their personalities ensure that he and Dobermann are never especially close.
Ewald von Dobermann (Uncle)
Dobermann's uncle (Rudolf's younger brother), who loses his life to the flu pandemic while Dobermann is recuperating in a military hospital. Rather physically soft and insecure, he's a bit more shy than most of the rest of the von Dobermann clan, yet still desires the sort of social stimulation that Dobermann avoids; he latches on to Horst, and tends to live through him vicariously, listening wide eyed to his exploits and providing him with a captive audience. He's not particularly close to Dobermann, despite them both being younger brothers of a more popular older sibling, but does get along with him well.
History
Louis Ludwig von Dobermann is born in 1898 Prussian Germany, the younger of the two sons of Freiherr Rudolf and Freifrau Ilse von Dobermann. He doesn't cry when he's born, which alarms Ilse, though the doctor assures her the new baby is healthy before leaving. Rudolf had planned to name him Ludwig, yet Ilse finds the name too harsh; she chooses the softer French version of the name, Louis, and both parents settle on Ludwig as a middle name instead. Infant Louis makes some disgruntled sounds but otherwise doesn't fuss.
As the younger son, Louis is not intended to inherit his father's estate; this will go to older brother Horst instead. By this time, the power of the Junkers is waning, and the old, formerly grand von Dobermann property has been reduced to a skeleton crew on a slightly functioning farm; they no longer till the land or grow major crops, though they do raise a few livestock, and produce small batches of edible goods for sale or trade to neighboring Junkers or in the city, about an hour's drive away. The von Dobermanns have close ties to a not-distant mountain town, where the family cemetery plot is located; they've also become well liked among the city folk for their habit of frequently donating large sums of money to charitable causes, such as improving the local infrastructure. The elder von Dobermanns--Rudolf, Ilse, and Rudolf's younger brother Ewald--are social butterflies, often attending parties and gatherings, and Horst is an exuberant, boisterous clown (and occasional troublemaker), a breath of fresh air among the otherwise rather staid Junkers.
Louis is the exception, the lone introvert in his family; quiet and shy, he despises attending social events, always hiding away in corners or ducking behind his mother's dress, wincing at the noise. Although he always obeys Ilse's gentle requests to greet guests and family friends, he then retreats and makes no other efforts to socialize. He even refrains from playing with the other children, a fact that concerns Ilse. He prefers solitary, sedate activities, such as wandering the farm, exploring the numerous hidden passageways within the manor, and watching the staff and his parents at work. Ilse, deciding to make the most of this habit, takes him on long walks through the nearby woods and foothills, pointing out various natural phenomena and telling him old German folktales and myths. They sit beneath the stars one winter night and Ilse shares a legend about the swirling aurora, that the lights were once believed to be the souls of departed ancestors, dancing a waltz as they watched over their families below. Louis listens, rapt, to all the tales his mother tells him. Although his shyness and isolation pain her, Ilse sees that he seems to thrive when on his own, and determines to encourage him in his solitary pursuits, while not forcing him to do anything that goes against his nature.
Ilse doesn't always do so well keeping her promise to herself, however. As Louis reaches his teens, he becomes acquainted with a neighboring Junker girl, Katharina von Thiel; both sets of parents realize that a marriage between the families could benefit them, especially seeing as Horst so far shows no interest in settling down, and so plan to pair the two off. Louis and Katharina catch on pretty quickly what their parents are up to; while both families are gathered at the von Dobermann estate, Katharina slips away with Louis, tells him outright she's not interested in him that way (although he agrees, her bluntness surprises him), and suggests that they rebel by sneaking off to spend the rest of the evening exploring the estate. Although he dislikes the idea of disobeying his parents, Louis obliges and takes Katharina on a tour of the manor; she's especially interested in the hidden passageways, so he shows her one that leads underground and, to her amazement, resurfaces beneath her own home. It's a particularly lengthy tunnel, so by the time they return to the von Dobermann estate, they're both dirty and mussed and quite a deal of time has passed. The adults and Horst are frantically searching the house for the missing teens. When the two appear, Frau von Thiel is aghast and furious, claiming Louis is no good for her daughter; a bewildered Ilse defends her son, and even Herr von Thiel expresses confusion over why his wife is so upset, yet Frau von Thiel forbids her daughter to see Louis again, and they head home.
Louis is left humiliated by the entire experience; he sits sulking in his underclothes as Ilse washes his soiled clothing, and when she asks if he ever gets lonely, and worries that he'll never find someone, he replies to say, "If that happens, then that happens. What's the point of dwelling on something you can't change?" Ilse, perplexed, asks, "Is that really what you believe...?" She doesn't press the issue, though, and apologizes for interfering. The arranged marriage plans for the two teenagers are scrapped.
Louis wakes in the middle of the night not long after to a soft knocking sound in his wall; he opens a hidden passage, and Katharina climbs out. Realizing she came via the underground passage, he rebukes her for endangering herself, but she says she wished to apologize for getting him yelled at and putting him through an unpleasant experience: "I take it you haven't had many pleasant experiences." Katharina has picked up on something nobody else, save perhaps Ilse, has realized yet: Louis avoids people so much not because he's a snob, believes he's better than others, or dislikes people, but because every time he's tried so far, he's done nothing but end up getting hurt. All the effort for nothing but negative experiences has left him cynical and withdrawn; he's decided it's easier to be lonely than to be disappointed. Despite the differences in their personalities, Katharina understands him, and although they never fall in love they do become good friends.
It isn't long after that when Katharina arrives, breathless and disheveled, at the von Dobermann estate late one night, begging for help: Fire has broken out at the von Thiel house, and she was unable to wake her parents. The von Dobermanns call the fire brigade in the city, but it's about an hour out, so they also send runners to the other neighboring Junker estates to ask for aid. All the able-bodied adult males hurry off to the von Thiel home, about a mile away yet just within view of the von Dobermann estate, to fight the fire and try to rescue the residents; Louis stays behind with his mother and Katharina, helping to calm the latter. Within hours, the fire is finally extinguished; most of the house is spared, though it's in need of repairs and isn't fit for habitation for the time being. Worst is that Katharina's parents are found deceased, likely having succumbed to the smoke before Katharina found them. Katharina breaks down crying; Ilse has a room set up for her. Louis visits and comforts her; when Ilse goes looking for him in the morning, he's not in his room. She finds him sitting on Katharina's bed with her sleeping next to him, head on his lap, both of them still fully clothed. They settle the still-sleeping Katharina on the bed and exit; Louis peers uncertainly at his mother, knowing how inappropriate the situation was, yet Ilse simply tells him, "You're a good friend, Louis."
The von Dobermanns fawn over Katharina when she wakes in the morning, insisting that she remain with them, as family, until her home is fully repaired; Katharina hugs Louis hard, and after a brief surprised hesitation, he returns the gesture. Katharina stays with the von Dobermann family for the next few months, and she and Louis live practically as brother and sister during this time. Although the von Dobermanns offer to let her stay with them indefinitely, Katharina decides to return home and take charge of her household, as the last surviving von Thiel. Louis grows even more quiet and withdrawn; Ilse worries that he's depressed by Katharina's absence, when in truth, her decision makes him seriously ponder his own course in life. He's not the family heir, so he assumes there must be some other path he's to take; when Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated and the threat of war looms, he finally makes his decision, and tells the family he's enlisting in the army. It's common for younger siblings in Junker families to enter the military, but Ilse begs him to reconsider; he's not violent, not a soldier, and war isn't even a certainty, surely he can prove himself in other ways. Yet Louis is adamant--if Katharina can grow up and take charge of her own life, then he should as well, and this is the only path he can think of that will allow him to step out from his family's shadow. Although Ilse still worries how he'll handle army life when he dislikes interacting with people so much, she can't dissuade him; Louis wishes Katharina farewell, and his family sees him off at the train station, though his mother insists that he take one of her rings, for luck to return him safely home. Louis's last view of his parents, uncle, and brother is them waving to him from the platform as the train pulls away.
Every morning at roll call, when the name "Louis von Dobermann" is called, Louis responds, "Dobermann. Here," until the "von" is dropped; he wishes to be thought of as a fellow soldier, not a privileged Junker, and to eventually get by on his own earned merits rather than continue to ride his family's coattails. His military training ends up becoming a crash course when about a month later war is declared and Germany formally enters, and Dobermann heads for the Western Front. He acquires a reputation as somewhat of a prude for his refusal to patronize the taverns and brothels with the others, though this is written off as typical behavior for a Prussian, and he otherwise excels at military discipline and structure, being skilled both at following orders and at giving them. He serves with distinction throughout the war, earning the Iron Cross First Class and rising to the rank of Hauptmann (Captain). He writes letters home to his family and to Katharina, though he's not much of a letter writer so they become more infrequent as time goes on.
While separated from his unit one day, Dobermann comes across a badly wounded soldier lying unconscious in no man's land; he hurries to sling him over his shoulders and stumbles to safety in a trench, barely avoiding being killed by a shell blast as he does, though he himself is wounded as well. As he shelters with the unconscious soldier, he's confused to see earth silently exploding above and around him; he tries yelling, only to realize he can't hear a thing. He shields the soldier's body with his own for what feels like hours, until he feels something grab his shoulder; looking up, he sees that several more German soldiers have found him. Their mouths move, but no sound comes out. Dobermann tells them he can't hear them but the unconscious soldier is more seriously injured than he is; both of them are helped out of the trench and carried to safety.
Dobermann and the soldier both end up in the same military hospital, at opposite ends of the same ward. He communicates with the staff via written notes; he has a wound to the side of his abdomen but is expected to make a full recovery, although it'll take a while. The doctor says he should eventually regain his hearing. From nurse gossip he learns a little about the other soldier he rescued; his name is Hesse, he's the last survivor of his unit, and he has no family to come visit him. It isn't too much later that a sorrowful-looking nurse brings Dobermann a telegram and a letter, which due to complications arrived at the same time; the telegram tersely informs him that everyone in his family has died. Stunned, Dobermann opens the letter. It's from the chief of the help staff; he fills in the details, that Ewald and Horst returned from the city one day, Ewald falling ill shortly after; the rest of the family, and many of the staff, became ill in quick succession, and passed away one after the other after going to the hospital. An influenza pandemic has been ravaging the city and the troops, and Dobermann suddenly finds that he's the last of his family left; his mother died calling out for him, not knowing whether he was still alive or not. Devastated and numb, Dobermann looks toward the unconscious Hesse's bed and realizes they're in much the same situation now.
Dobermann takes a brief time, after the nurses have retreated and the lights have been turned down, to grieve to himself; he then decides to take action the best way the von Dobermanns know how. In the morning he asks a nurse for paper and pen, and dictates telegrams to send. He contacts the attorneys in charge of the family's finances and requests two large transfers of funds: One to the city hospital, one to the city officials, to be put toward combating the flu pandemic and enforcing health measures. He has a third telegram sent to the von Dobermann estate to confirm that he's alive, with a letter to arrive shortly after; he lets the chief of the help staff know he'll return home to take over the family's affairs as soon as he's sufficiently recovered, leaving him in charge in the meantime. He then rests, not knowing what else to do.
After some time Dobermann wakes from a doze to see nurses hurrying past his bed; he looks to see them rushing to the other side of the ward where Hesse's bed is located, and notices that Hesse is awake. Although he can't hear anything, he can see the way Hesse writhes and thrashes, and can tell from the look on his face and the attention of the wounded soldiers in the other beds that he's screaming. He watches as the nurses try ineffectively to calm him down before a doctor arrives and gives him an injection; Dobermann knows this must be morphine, as they've used it on him already and he dislikes the way it makes him feel. Hesse's flailing slows and finally stops as he relaxes; he's kept heavily sedated afterward, while Dobermann vows to try to bite down his own pain and avoid the needle as much as he's able.
A day or so later, a young woman he's never met before stops by his bedside, smiles, and starts talking to him. She pauses, apparently awaiting a response, and starts looking rather uncertain when he doesn't speak; he finally tells her he can't hear anything she says. Surprised, she makes a gesture for him to wait, leaves a moment, then returns with pen and paper; she writes down her name, Inga. "Louis," Dobermann tells her, and they start to communicate, Inga writing notes, Dobermann reading and responding. Inga explains that she often visits and talks with wounded troops in hospital to help boost their morale; Dobermann suggests she visit Hesse, as he has no family or fellow soldiers to come see him. The two of them gradually get to know each other this way, though it's slow and cumbersome, and Inga finally asks if he'd be open to learning how to sign with his hands; Dobermann knows nothing of sign language, but is a quick learner, mimicking Inga's motions and soon constructing sentences on his own. It isn't long before Inga and Dobermann hold entire conversations in near-silence. Upon waking one day Dobermann realizes he can dimly hear muffled sounds, and not long after, a soft murmuring when Inga arrives; it's the first time he's heard her speak. He begins to understand individual words as his hearing slowly returns, and they're able to set aside their signing and talk.
Oddly, despite the time they spend communicating--Inga continues visiting the others in the ward, though she lingers with him longer--Dobermann realizes that he knows very little about Inga, as she reveals little about her past, only that she no longer has any family, either, but has inherited enough money to allow her to not work for now, and she chooses instead to visit the troops. He sees no reason to go into detail about his own background, even though he finds himself looking forward to her visits; he feels comfortable talking to her, something he isn't used to. It's only when she touches his hand one day that he realizes he's developed feelings for her; he suspects she feels the same, yet isn't certain. She accompanies him whenever he's allowed up from his bed to walk around the hospital for exercise, and when on one such outing he retreats into a storage closet and kisses her, she returns the gesture. They share a few similar encounters in the following days, and finally he presents her with the ring his mother gave him; Inga accepts. The two are wed by a chaplain, a very brief ceremony in the hospital's sunroom, before Dobermann returns to his bed, still weak and fatigued. They make plans to head for Dobermann's home as soon as he's deemed fit to release; the war has ended in an armistice, and even if he were physically able to return to duty, he's notified that his military position has been slashed, along with those of most other troops. Inga makes her rounds visiting the other patients, including Hesse; as she walks away from him Dobermann notices the disappointment on Hesse's face, and can tell that he's fallen in love with her also.
Dobermann has the hospital contact his staff to send a driver and car to pick them up when he's ready to be released; Inga waits with him, having packed and brought some of her own belongings. The driver seems perplexed to see Inga when he arrives--although Dobermann informed his staff he would be returning, he didn't mention Inga--yet puts their luggage in the car, helps them in, and they depart the hospital. The drive is a long one, so Inga dozes off along the way; Dobermann wakes her when the estate finally comes in view. Inga looks out the window, and blinks in surprise; they're let through a large stone gate with guards, and trundle up the long country drive to the three-story manor, her apparent confusion only growing. The help staff crowd around the entrance and greet Dobermann enthusiastically, glad to finally have him back; they're obviously curious about Inga, yet refrain from speaking up. Only the chief of the help staff discreetly inquires who she is; when Dobermann informs them that she's his wife, and is to be treated accordingly, everyone's eyes go wide and they cast each other stunned looks. Dobermann excuses himself to speak privately with the help staff chief, and suggests that a maid show Inga to the parlor for a refreshment while she waits. Inga departs, looking equally perplexed.
Dobermann spends a brief while being updated by his chief. He outlines how they received Dobermann's telegrams and letters regarding his status and the donations; his eyes grow wet as he describes the von Dobermann family's last days, and he apologizes that he couldn't do more. Dobermann reassures him that he knows he did all he could, and he kept the household running in his absence. The help staff chief promises to continue dealing with visitors and calls while Dobermann recovers, and Dobermann makes his way back to the parlor where Inga is waiting. The two of them head to his private quarters. Inga finally speaks up herself: She and the maid talked a little, and she's learned about Dobermann's Junker status, that he's a Freiherr, and comes from an extremely wealthy, well-known family. "Why did you not tell me...?" she asks. "Would you have given me a different answer otherwise...?" he says; "Of course not," she says, to which he replies, "This is the only way I could know for certain."
Husband and wife now, the Dobermanns retire to bed and pass their first night together. Dobermann wakes the next morning, later than usual and in a good deal of pain; noticing that Inga is gone, he gets up and manages to slowly wash up, dress himself, and head into the hallway. His chief of the help staff greets him and explains that a deputy to the city mayor arrived early that morning to thank him for his donations; Inga awoke to the call, and decided to speak with him herself so Dobermann could get more sleep. Dobermann asks how the meeting went, and is told the deputy mayor, while initially surprised to meet Inga, departed in a good mood; Inga afterward requested that any other visitors be rescheduled for later so Dobermann could remain undisturbed, and then had another member of the help staff show her around the estate so she could familiarize herself. Dobermann decides to wait in the parlor for her to finish. Inga arrives a short while later and Dobermann nods for the servant to let them be; he asks her how her morning has been, and she repeats what the chief of the help staff said. Dobermann tries to stand up, only to nearly double over in pain; Inga hurries to help him, saying perhaps they shouldn't exert themselves so much again for a while, and they head back to his quarters, Dobermann reiterating to the chief to keep his schedule clear that day. Back in private, Inga gets him settled in a chair and orders some refreshments sent in the dumbwaiter; looking wary, she says she didn't want to disturb his sleep, but asks if she's overstepped her bounds. Dobermann replies, "We're partners now, ja...? This is what partners do." He adds that she seems naturally skilled at dealing with social situations--something with which he's always struggled, finding it complicated and tedious--and suggests that he might count on her to handle more such interactions going forward; Inga seems a little surprised, but doesn't protest.
The next day, an unannounced visitor arrives: Katharina von Thiel. Dobermann tells the staff to let her in. As soon as she appears, she throws her arms around him and hugs him tight; seeing the look on Inga's face, Dobermann awkwardly introduces the two. Katharina's lack of surprise indicates she's already been informed about Inga; the two women politely grasp hands, Katharina saying in a completely pleasant, yet just slightly warning, manner, that she hopes Inga knows what's best for the Dobermann household; Inga just as pleasantly replies, "I hope I know what's best for my husband, otherwise he wouldn't have asked me here." There's a brief but tense silence as the two size each other up, neither wavering; after a moment Katharina smiles and says to Dobermann, "You've chosen excellently...it looks like you two will be perfect together." She excuses herself, wishing them both well and promising to keep in touch. Inga lets out a breath and asks as soon as she's gone, "Why do I feel like I was trying out for a part and she was the judge...?" "Childhood friend," Dobermann says; then, "Our parents tried to pair us off...we decided otherwise." Seeming to understand, Inga says, "I suppose I have some high standards to meet, then," to which Dobermann replies, "You already have."
Inga settles quickly and smoothly into the role of woman of the house, overseeing Dobermann's schedule of visitors until he's recovered enough to do so himself, and also overseeing the help staff. Everyone who stops by to pay their respects and condolences to Dobermann is surprised to meet her, yet departs in good spirits, Inga always making an excellent impression with her social skills and innate charm. She's just as capable with the staff, whose initial mixed feelings of joy that Dobermann found a suitable wife, and suspicion about the abruptness of it, soon turn to acceptance, as she quickly becomes well loved by the rest of the household. She sees to getting the estate back up and running as efficiently as it was under the von Dobermann family in pre-war time, including restarting the production of limited farming goods the von Dobermanns were once known for, and reestablishing connections with their Junker neighbors, who, despite Inga's lack of noble status, are soon won over by her. She's especially interested in Frau von Dobermann's solarium, which has fallen into neglect since her passing; gazing at the giant ash tree rising through all three floors of the house, she asks if she can attempt to set it back in order, and Dobermann promises to get her everything she needs. It isn't long before it's lush with new life, the same as the rest of the once languishing estate.
Dobermann eventually recovers his strength and resumes his full duties, though it's now Inga most visitors wish to speak with, which he doesn't mind at all. He also resumes making occasional donations to the city and nearby mountain town; on a visit, the city authorities bestow upon him the honorary title of Inspector, and name him "Der Wächter Der Stadt," Watchman of the City, gifting him a special cap in addition. Although he despises "that f**king hat," Dobermann resigns himself to wearing it in public. The mayor shows him a pedestal in the square, and the plans to erect a statue in his honor; nonplussed, Dobermann curtly replies, "There will be no statue of me there as long as I live."
Inga approaches Dobermann pensively one evening with a request: She just remembered Herr Hesse, the other soldier she visited in the military hospital; when they'd parted ways, she'd had him promise to get in touch with her once he was released, yet she's still heard nothing from him, and she's concerned. She contacted the military hospital to ask after him; he was let go some time back, having been relieved of his army position, the same as Dobermann was when the war ended and the military was greatly reduced. She remembers he had no family to get in touch with; would it be possible for her to accompany him on his next visit to the city, and try to locate him? Dobermann agrees, and Inga is alongside him when he returns to the city to speak with some authorities about the use of his donations. He parts ways with her and goes to his meeting; an hour or so through it, the group is interrupted by a servant who says Dobermann has a telephone call from his wife. Dobermann privately takes the call; Inga says she's found Hesse in his apartment, near unconscious from what seems to be an overdose, and she needs help transporting him. Dobermann excuses himself and drives to the apartment building named. Inga greets him outside, anxious and upset; as they hurry inside the dingy building and up the rickety stairs, she explains that she found Hesse naked and unconscious, with a syringe of morphine nearby, and barely managed to rouse him; when Dobermann suggests they take him to a doctor, she says Hesse refused, insisting that doctors were the reason he's in the state he is. Hesse has no phone, so she hurried to a business across the street to call Dobermann; "I promised him we'd take him back and I'd look after him," she says, and apologizes, though Dobermann simply says they should hurry up, and think about it later.
They find Hesse slumped on the bed, unconscious again; Inga only partly succeeds in rousing him, so Dobermann tells her to sit Hesse upright, wrap a blanket around him, and help hoist him onto his back so he can carry him down to the car. Hesse regains consciousness just long enough to ask why Dobermann is there, then passes out again, causing Dobermann to nearly drop him; they manage to get him in the car, and make the long drive home. The surprised help staff hurry to prepare a room, and Dobermann drops Hesse on the bed. Inga asks to stay by his side so he doesn't wake alone and confused; Dobermann tells her to get some rest herself. Before he can leave, she kisses and embraces him, and he heads to his room.
Hesse wakes the next day, foggy and perplexed; Inga explains what's happened, and insists that he stay with them while recovering from his overdose. She promises to take care of him during his stay. Upon hearing this, and learning of Dobermann's role in things, Hesse--who succumbed to morphine addiction following his release from the hospital, feeling betrayed by the government and the army--vows to get clean, and to repay them for their kindness someday. Over the next week or so he suffers through withdrawal, sweating, shivering, and vomiting as Inga tends to him. He finally pulls through and is able to keep down some water, then a little food, then take short shuffling walks around his room. He's still very weak, and in pain from his injury; Inga, with Dobermann's permission, tells him he can stay as long as he needs, as she considers him her friend. Dobermann, for his part, isn't so blindly accepting--he senses a deep bitterness lurking beneath the surface--yet tolerates his presence, knowing he can trust Inga.
Inga becomes pregnant; although the pregnancy progresses normally, she falls ill as she nears term, and by the time she goes into labor she's nearly swooning with fever. Dobermann bundles her in the car; although he dislikes doing so, he leaves Hesse in charge, and rushes Inga to the city. In the hospital she delivers a daughter, who also has a fever, though not as serious as Inga's; Dobermann stays by Inga's bedside, holding the fussing baby in his arms, until Inga's fever finally breaks and she comes to. Surprised to find Dobermann with the baby, she names her Adelina, nicknaming her Lina, though Dobermann prefers to call her Addy. As soon as Inga and Adelina are declared healthy, they head home. Hesse kept the household running smoothly in their absence; like Inga, he refers to Adelina as Lina. Inga has some difficulty adjusting to life as a new mother at first; Adelina is colicky and cries almost constantly, and Dobermann is often absent or busy dealing with officials. He tries to comfort his increasingly exhausted wife when he returns home at night, yet she's distraught over being unable to figure out what her child wants.
Early one morning Dobermann awakes to Inga shaking his arm; she'd managed to doze off for the first time in days, only to wake, go to Adelina's crib in the adjacent nursery suite, and find her missing. She's frantic, unable to find the baby in her room. Dobermann tries to calm her, and they both go looking, Dobermann instructing the servants they come across in the hallway to also look. Inga thinks to ask Hesse for help, and they head for his quarters, only to spot him seated in a chair overlooking the veranda; he appears to be dozing, the swaddled Adelina cradled in his arms. He wakes when Inga calls his name and retrieves Adelina; he explains that, unable to sleep himself, he went walking around the house to exercise his injured hip, as he often does late at night. He heard Adelina crying and went to check on her; the Dobermanns were both sleeping, and he knew Inga hadn't had a decent rest in a long while, so decided to bring Adelina along with him. He walked around the house and sang her lullabies until she finally fell asleep, and he sat overlooking the lawn and did the same. He apologizes for alarming them, but offers to tend to Adelina during her colicky fits, to allow Inga time to rest. Both he and Dobermann have to convince her to go along, though Hesse provides the better argument, insisting that colicky babies are nothing to be ashamed of and he's willing to help. Dobermann, never having been around babies before--and never having been colicky himself--prefers that Hesse not get so close to Adelina, yet knows that Inga needs rest, and so agrees with him. Inga brings Adelina to Hesse when she can't get her to stop fussing, as Hesse is oddly skilled at settling her down, explaining that he occasionally did the same with babies in the orphanage. Eventually, Adelina grows out of this phase, though Hesse still enjoys walking her around the estate grounds.
Dobermann and Inga take toddler Adelina on a visit to the city. While there, Dobermann loses track of his daughter, and although he contains his feelings, inwardly he panics just as Inga did previously; he and Inga go looking, and he finally locates the frightened, crying Adelina cowering near an alley. He uncharacteristically scoops her up and hugs her tight, relieved that she's safe. Although Adelina is none the worse for wear, and Inga doesn't blame him for the incident, Dobermann feels deeply guilty for endangering his daughter, and as a defensive measure starts to distance himself from her. Adelina is confused about why her father seems to want nothing to do with her anymore, when the truth is he doesn't know how to keep her safe and prevent his worry from overwhelming him. Inga and Hesse both notice the rift opening between them but can do nothing to fix it.
The Dobermanns' Junker neighbors are rather far away due to the expanses of farmland between them; their nearest neighbor, Herrin Katharina, lives about a mile away, and the city is over an hour's drive away over roads that are often inaccessible in the winter. Adelina is homeschooled by tutors, and has no other children her age to play with; Dobermann is frequently busy, Inga often accompanying him, so Hesse is the one she grows close to. This bothers Dobermann, who finds it inappropriate, though Inga vouches for Hesse, and Hesse never does anything to harm Adelina. He's the only one who can coax her out of hiding when she throws her rare tantrums; Dobermann seethes that he has no idea where Adelina's hiding place is while Hesse knows. Still, despite her relative isolation, Adelina grows up a bright, happy child, always friendly to the staff as she daydreams and makes believe--fueled by Hesse's tales of old German chivalry--and curiously explores the estate.
Dobermann is the first to notice the country's shifting political atmosphere whenever he visits the city and talks to officials. A new party, the National Socialists, quickly rise to prominence and start blanketing the city with their propaganda. Despite his old-fashioned patriotism, Dobermann dislikes their militant bent, and his gut tells him to steer clear of them; when members of the party attempt to accost him and gain his attention, he rebuffs them, though he's careful to do so as neutrally as possible, sensing that it would be foolish to antagonize them. They also vie for Hesse's attention when he visits the city along with Dobermann; although he follows Dobermann's lead in attempting to put them off, he does pause to listen to one who calls out, "Kamerad, Bruder!" and hands him a pamphlet. Hesse denies being overly interested in the new movement, but they grow increasingly difficult to avoid, especially after they win in the elections and take power. Dobermann and Hesse are dumbfounded by the sight of the scores of red, white, and black swastika banners adorning all the building fronts and every streetlamp; the city seems transformed overnight. The city officials Dobermann knows so well now defer--rather nervously--to the new regime, and some disappear from their posts, replaced by loyal party members. The two come across a rally in the city square, where a party leader is giving an impassioned speech to an enthusiastic, if disgruntled, crowd; their anger makes Dobermann uneasy, and he moves on before any members can notice him. It's a few moments before he realizes that he's alone; glancing back, he sees that Hesse lingered behind and is listening to the speaker. He snaps out of it and hurries to catch up with Dobermann, blushing and mumbling an apology, though he's oddly quiet and pensive the entire way home, and Dobermann can't help but suspect the party rhetoric has struck a chord for him.
For a long while Dobermann is preoccupied with his typical duties, though he finds it increasingly difficult to avoid dealing with Nazi Party officials who are intent on speaking with him. As he's so influential, they're interested in gaining his favor, but he wants nothing to do with them. Inga is uncomfortable whenever she interacts with them, and often retreats so she doesn't have to. Dobermann is startled one day when Adelina casually mentions some of the party's talking points; when he asks where she learned such things, she says she heard them from "Uncle Gunter." Inga attempts to calm Dobermann down, but he's furious; he confronts Hesse and threatens him to stop sharing such information with Adelina, saying he's her father, not Hesse. Hesse seems genuinely dismayed that Adelina has picked up on his opinions, and promises to never discuss the subject around her again. He apologizes also to Inga, who tells Dobermann she'll keep a closer eye on Adelina's interactions to make sure it doesn't happen again. The incident is quickly settled without much fuss, though Hesse seems especially upset by the undue influence he has over Adelina.
The threat of war rumbles anew. The Junker neighbors prepare the best they can for the expected impending shortages; Dobermann hires new workers to help the existing staff start farming and producing small goods for trade or sale, so his estate can help keep others provided with eggs and dairy products when possible. The news arrives that the German Reich has turned on its own ally, the Soviet Union, and the Eastern Front quickly turns into a battlefield. The Dobermann estate is far enough from the front to be safe, but the relative nearness of combat makes Dobermann uneasy. He's dumbfounded when Hesse announces, as if out of the blue, that he's enlisting in a paramilitary group associated with the Nazi Party and after training will likely head east. This group, the SS-VT, is soon after rechristened the Waffen-SS; Hesse had requested more information from the people he met in the city, and has already met their qualifications. Inga attempts to talk Hesse out of his plans, insisting that he's already served his country, but he's adamant that he needs to go; Dobermann can't help but suspect he's trying to place some distance between himself and the family, and the SS offers him a sense of community he no longer has access to with the military. Hesse reacts with anger at the mere suggestion of again serving in the Heer, saying that they turned their back on him when he needed them most. Most devastated of all is young Adelina; Hesse is her only friend, and she begs him not to go. He sadly wishes her farewell and says she'll be fine without him for a while; he promises to write her letters whenever he's able, and has her promise to be good. He says goodbye to Dobermann and Inga; Dobermann's driver takes him to the city, where he boards a train and heads out.
Life settles into quiet tedium on the Dobermann estate; aside from the odd newspaper or radio broadcast and the tension in the air, one would almost believe there's no war going on. Adelina grows despondent and withdrawn; Inga suggests that Dobermann spend some time with her and try to rebuild the connection they lost. Dobermann is skeptical--he really doesn't know how to be a doting father, and still feels guilt over the incident from her early childhood--yet makes an effort. He takes Adelina out with him into the woods one winter evening and, much as his mother once had, points out the aurora and tells the old fairytale of their ancestors watching over them. Adelina, who'd already been enraptured by Hesse's tales, listens spellbound, and asks to accompany her father other times when he goes out to inspect the family's property. Although Dobermann never quite manages to feel warm toward her, Adelina obviously enjoys his company, and he and Inga help fill in the void that Hesse left.
Hesse keeps his promise to write when he can, and his letters are detailed though sporadic; Adelina always greets them with enthusiasm. He writes both to "Lina" and to Inga; Dobermann is concerned that he might start feeding Adelina inappropriate ideas again, yet Adelina reads her letters to Inga, and Inga tells Dobermann they contain nothing objectionable, just observations of daily life on the front. Indeed, the letters Inga receives are markedly different, and it's obvious Hesse withholds certain information from Adelina; his writings to Inga are less descriptive and a bit more blunt. He writes as if he knows she'll share this information with her husband, and is honest about the difficult situation on the front, though also circumspect about sharing too much. The Soviets are formidable enemies and even the Waffen-SS is having difficulty holding them back; the situation is barely more than a stalemate, complete with trench combat, just like his previous experience. He expresses concern about this going on indefinitely, and isn't sure when his tour will end. His letters to Adelina conceal most of this worry, instead sharing sanitized stories about life in a military unit and everything he observes along the way, so Inga decides to withhold his concerns from her as well. Adelina dutifully writes letters back; though it's uncertain how many of them get through, at least it distracts her from her loneliness, and helps pass the time.
One day, after Hesse has been away for several years, a letter arrives, bearing not Hesse's name but the name V. IMMERWAHR, and a stamp of the SS logo. Uneasy, Inga opens it, but gets only as far as the official Waffen-SS letterhead before quailing and bringing the letter to Dobermann. Dobermann pulls out and looks over the letter as Inga sits nearby, hands to her face. To put her mind at ease, Dobermann gets the important part out of the way quickly: "He's alive." Vincenz Immerwahr is Hesse's commanding officer; he explains how Hesse was badly injured in combat, yet is currently recuperating in a military hospital. He's expected to fully recover, and will be sent home as soon as he's able to handle transportation. Inga is relieved by this news; although worried at first about Hesse's injury, Adelina is excited to learn "Uncle Gunter" will be coming home soon. She takes to watching the country road leading to the estate, keeping her eyes open for any visitors.
Dobermann, meanwhile, has made certain changes to the estate. Nazi Party officials have gotten obnoxious in their demands for access to his property--they appear interested in establishing a command center making use of the hidden passages and tunnels for the war effort--and once or twice, he's even caught them trespassing. He decides to fight fire with fire, sort of: Making use of his many connections, he manages to secure the aid of the Wehrmacht, in providing him with an assortment of guards from among their number, to patrol and protect his land and household, ostensibly from the Soviets, in reality from the more militant of their own kind. He requests only the aid of those who are not fit for combat--meaning the Wehrmacht will more readily grant him access to their services--with the additional stipulation that they not be official members of the Nazi Party. Although they still serve the Führer, their loyalty is to the Fatherland rather than the Reich, and they're more likely to be willing to direct the Nazis away from Dobermann's property. The first soldier to arrive for this odd duty is Sergeant Alger Holt, a Great War veteran whose principles seem closely aligned with Dobermann's; Dobermann instructs him on the locations of most of the passages and tunnels, so that when further troops arrive, he can determine where best to place additional guards to keep an eye out for intruders. A few dozen more soldiers filter in, among them a young Junker private named Konrad Helmstadt, who establishes himself as unofficial majordomo of the estate. They soon become a common sight on the property as they unobtrusively patrol the grounds and report any unusual occurrences to Dobermann himself.
A military truck arrives one day while Dobermann is away; Hesse has returned, and Inga and Adelina welcome him back to the estate. He's sleeping off the long ride when Dobermann returns; Inga fills him in, that Hesse sustained another injury to his hip just as in the last war, yet had requested to receive no morphine during his treatment. Although expected to make a full recovery, he's unlikely to be declared fit to return to combat any time soon, if at all; although he hasn't complained about this, it's obvious the information pains him. He joins the Dobermanns and their Wehrmacht guests at dinner, lean, gaunt, and limping, yet polite and restrained. He seems perplexed by their guests yet holds his tongue until they depart, then inquires why there's such a military presence on the estate. When Dobermann tells him of the Party officials attempting to gain access to his property, he expects some sort of pushback from Hesse, yet Hesse seems to find this news troubling, and offers to use his own influence to help convince them to stay away.
Hesse requests permission to use the estate's stables to house his retired service horse from the Waffen-SS, Gewitter; Dobermann consents, and Gewitter arrives in a trailer. Adelina is excited by the new arrival and fawns over her. Not long after, a message arrives, addressed to Hesse from SS headquarters in the city, though the name on the envelope is different, R. Heidenreich. Hesse seems vaguely uncomfortable to open and read the letter in Inga's presence, yet afterward explains: Upon learning he'd be unable to return to combat in the Waffen-SS, Hesse decided to transfer to the SS's noncombatant branch, the Allgemeine-SS; he didn't wish to tell the Dobermanns until he was sure he'd been accepted, which the letter confirms. Inga can barely conceal her dismay when he explains that his new job will involve primarily investigating claims of disobedience and crimes against the Reich, even though he tries to assure her they should have no trouble; Adelina is heartbroken to learn the new job requires him to move to the city, though he insists he'll continue to visit and stay at the estate often enough that she won't have a chance to miss him. Dobermann has mixed feelings about this development but holds his tongue. A courier arrives with a package for Hesse, his new SS uniforms and dress sword, as well as an unexpected surprise, a medal--the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross; when he tries a uniform on and shows it to them, Inga's and Adelina's reactions are markedly different: Adelina admiringly tells him he's now "just like a real knight!" while Inga says nothing, just looks uneasy. Adelina's enthusiasm dims when Hesse has to go to the city, though he hugs her and promises he'll return soon. Strangely, Dobermann notices that Inga seems somewhat relieved once her old friend is gone.
Hesse does indeed return for visits and overnight stays, and brings one distinct benefit with his new job: He uses his position in the SS to effectively cow the lesser Nazi officials who keep nagging at Dobermann, so their presence and annoyance is greatly minimized. When Dobermann's contacts strongly hint at him that he needs to "make nice" with Nazi authorities in order to avoid any accusations of not being faithful enough to the Reich, Hesse fills him in on the person suggested for him to meet: Ernst Dannecker, an Obersturmbannführer or lieutenant colonel, is commandant of the local labor camp that recently began operations at the city's edge. Hesse warns him that Dannecker has an unsavory reputation for cruelty, yet an alliance with him could go far to boost Dobermann's image with the Reich--if the unpleasant aspect doesn't rub off on him. He advises Dobermann to tread carefully. Dobermann chafes at taking advice from Hesse, especially considering who he works for now, yet he realizes he's in a position to make good points, and takes them into consideration.
A meeting is arranged between Dobermann and Commandant Dannecker at the Dobermann estate. Inga and Adelina accompany Dobermann to greet him; Dannecker arrives with a girl around Adelina's age, and introduces her as his stepdaughter, Margarethe, or Gret. Dobermann suggests that Adelina take Gret on a tour around the estate while the adults talk, and the two girls leave. The three of them sit in the parlor; Dannecker makes himself comfortable quite easily, yet Inga is very plainly ill at ease, and Dobermann finds that he dislikes the other man already. As if sensing this, Dannecker outright says that he knows he hasn't been invited there merely to socialize, and asks what it is that Dobermann wants from him. Startled and somewhat alarmed, Dobermann asks in return why he thinks he wants anything. Dannecker points out how "your lovely wife" looks ready to crawl out of her own skin, and Inga actually cringes before excusing herself. Dannecker seems unconcerned by this, just reiterates his point that obviously the two of them are in an "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" situation, and requests that Dobermann tell him what he hopes to get out of it. Although being in the same room as Dannecker makes him want to take a shower, Dobermann is relieved to not have to pussyfoot around it, and outlines the predicament he's in and why he was recommended to meet with Dannecker. Dannecker listens and doesn't react to Dobermann's bluntness; he agrees to put in a good word for Dobermann with the Nazi Party, as long as Dobermann will make a few public visits with him in return, to boost his own reputation a little: "Turns out the city folk quite like you, even if the Reich doesn't." Dobermann reluctantly consents and they shake hands; Adelina and Gret return just then, so the Danneckers depart. Inga returns as well; Adelina mentions how "weird" her interaction with Gret was, while Inga expresses her own extreme dislike for Commandant Dannecker. Dobermann agrees with their assessment, yet urges them to go along and tolerate the situation for now, it won't be this way forever.
Dobermann follows through with his end of the agreement, visiting with Dannecker in the city, appearing with him when he speaks with city officials; he's skeptical, yet when he has to interact with Party officials, he notices a distinct change in their demeanor--they seem friendlier, more tolerant of him. Hesse confirms rumors that Dobermann's image among Party officials has improved, and what grumbling there was about possibly investigating him for disloyalty has evaporated: Dannecker, too, has held up his end of the bargain. So when Dannecker asks Dobermann to visit his camp for an informal tour, making it clear this is the last such request he'll make of him, Dobermann swallows his revulsion and agrees. He arrives at the camp gate and is allowed inside, where Dannecker greets him and starts to show him around.
Dobermann is appalled by what he sees--he's already heard the rumors about what the Nazi Party is up to regarding the Jews and various other groups deemed to be enemies of the state, one reason Hesse's choice of employment rankled him so--yet bites his tongue and maintains a detached demeanor as Dannecker shows him around. Dannecker insists his is not an extermination camp, though most of the inmates are painfully thin, and he points out that those who are deemed too ill or weak to work are "euthanized" and cremated accordingly--he points at the chimney spewing the thick smoke that's become well known and detested by city folk. Dobermann asks what "euthanasia" entails; Dannecker replies, "That's fancy talk for we shoot them in the back of the head." As if to illustrate, he points out a line of prisoners nearby, a group of them being led out back behind a building every few minutes, followed by a burst of gunfire. Dobermann wants nothing more than to leave then and there, yet lets a guard show him the ledger where they keep track of the prisoners sent to be executed.
Dobermann glances at the list and spots a name with the profession "Arzt"--physician--next to it, and asks where in the line this particular prisoner is; Dannecker glances disinterestedly at the ledger--"They're all Jews to me, how am I expected to tell them apart?"--yet he does recognize the name, Tobias Schäfer, and points out a rather slight, short man with spectacles and red hair. Dobermann asks, if he's no longer able to do manual labor, why don't they employ him in the camp's medical ward. Dannecker finally shows a flicker of temper, snapping that there's no way he'd allow a Jew to lay hands on any of his men, and besides, it's illegal for Jews to practice medicine. Dr. Schäfer is set to be executed in a few moments as he's no longer useful. Dobermann finds himself doing something utterly unexpected: Acting purely on impulse, without stopping to think, he asks how much Dannecker will take for Schäfer. His own inquiry appalls him; even Dannecker gives him an odd look, raising an eyebrow as he asks, "You want to buy him...?" Dobermann again swallows his revulsion and gives Dannecker a pointed look; Dannecker pauses, obviously caught off guard by the strange request, and first replies that the SS pays him well and he doesn't need money, then, when Dobermann doesn't back down, ventures, "I've heard you have some expensive antique tapestries in your possession." "You want a tapestry...?" Dobermann asks, perplexed; "My choice," Dannecker clarifies, and Dobermann agrees.
Apparently satisfied that he's gotten the better end of the deal, Dannecker swaggers over to the line and jeeringly calls out, "Herr Doktor!" The man in spectacles doesn't respond, not even when Dannecker calls out repeatedly, louder and more disgruntled each time; finally he yells right in Schäfer's face, startling him, and, pointing at Dobermann, orders him to go with him. Schäfer seems confused by the request, and stalls when Dobermann heads for the gate; Dannecker actually smacks him with his riding crop to get him moving again, sparking Dobermann's ire, though again he conceals it. As Dobermann's visit is plainly over, Dannecker calls out, "I look forward to choosing my tapestry!" and the two exit the camp.
Dobermann's chauffeur looks perplexed by his guest, yet says nothing, just opens the door for Dobermann, although Dobermann ushers Schäfer into the vehicle first. As soon as they're seated within--Schäfer cranes his neck to look back at the gate as they pull away, as if unable to believe what's happening--Dobermann taps his shoulder to draw his attention, and using his hands as Inga taught him, asks Schäfer, "You are deaf...?" He explains this is the only feasible reason Schäfer would appear to ignore Dannecker's orders; Schäfer confirms it, adding that nobody else knows--he was able to conceal this disability well enough, by reading lips--and if they had known, he would have been killed far sooner. He asks why Dobermann saved his life, and quails when told Dobermann wishes him to be his in-home physician, insisting he's no longer allowed to practice medicine; Dobermann tells him not to worry about it, he'll be safe while under his roof.
Inga and Adelina are just as surprised as anyone when Dobermann returns with Schäfer in tow; Adelina, upon learning that he's Jewish, asks him, "Do you eat babies...?" "LINA!" Inga exclaims, "Don't even ask something so horrid!"--and she apologizes to Schäfer, the chastened Adelina also saying she's sorry. Schäfer insists it's all right, and says no, he does not eat babies. Dobermann explains why Schäfer is there, and instructs Inga to tell the kitchen staff to set an extra place at the dinner table that evening while he shows Schäfer to which room will be his. He and Schäfer head off down the hall together.
Dobermann is slightly distracted occasionally signing at Schäfer as he walks, pointing out a few things--including the occasional Wehrmacht guards, who glance at Schäfer in puzzlement as they pass--and explaining that he'll have the chance to wash up and change into new clothes, and he'll have the tailor fit him for some of his own when possible. Schäfer nods at each comment, then suddenly slows down, and steps behind Dobermann, eyes wide, shrinking in on himself. Dobermann looks up and spots Lt. Hesse approaching. Hesse greets him before noticing Schäfer hiding behind him; he blinks in surprise, then asks, curiously, "What is this...?" As soon as Dobermann curtly explains the situation, however, Hesse's curiosity shifts; his eyes narrow and his nose wrinkles as he glares at Schäfer. He tells Dobermann he has to return Schäfer to the camp immediately, else he's breaking the law; Dannecker himself broke the law when agreeing to this arrangement, so he'll need to abide by the same rules in taking him back. Dobermann puts up with Hesse's increasingly hostile comments for a moment or so before cutting him off, saying Schäfer is staying and that's that, no more argument--Hesse is merely a guest himself, after all. Hesse obediently stops arguing, yet he does glare at Schäfer again, spits on the floor, and storms past. It's all Dobermann can do to try to calm Schäfer down afterward; although he couldn't see what Dobermann was saying, he got every word of Hesse's end of the dispute, and is certain he's going to be sent back to the camp. Dobermann insists this won't happen, and, spotting Sgt. Holt nearby, requests him to help Schäfer settle into his room and prepare for supper. He then heads to the parlor to take a breath and settle his own nerves, still unsure why he's acted so rashly.
Inga appears and her presence helps him settle himself. "This isn't like you," she says, yet when he asks if she thinks he's made a mistake, she says no, he's merely acted with his heart, not his mind. He mentions Hesse's ire; Inga says she'll try to talk to him about it, yet wonders how Dobermann intends to handle the entire situation, which is highly illegal. "Try to leave the worrying to me," he replies, "and make sure Herr Schäfer feels welcomed here." Inga agrees.
Dinner time comes, and Dobermann tells Inga, who is better at handling such things, to fetch Schäfer so he can join them. Schäfer, freshly bathed and in clean if oversized clothes, hesitantly sits with the Dobermanns and the Wehrmacht guests, who glance at him briefly before shrugging it off and starting to chat with each other. Everything seems to be settling down when Hesse arrives; spotting Schäfer seated at the table, he visibly bristles and stomps over to Dobermann, again demanding that Schäfer be "taken back where he belongs." Everyone falls silent and listens; fighting down a surge of embarrassment and anger, Dobermann tells Hesse he's not the head of the household and to hold his tongue. Schäfer hurriedly stands and offers to leave, but Dobermann tells him to stay; when Hesse persists--"I won't sit down to supper with some Jew!"--Dobermann pointedly tells him he's welcome to take supper in his private quarters, then. Hesse breaks off, again glares malevolently at Schäfer, and leaves. Awkward silence fills the room--Inga and Adelina, especially, look humiliated--and Schäfer again meekly stands and says he'll take his supper in the kitchens if it'll help resolve things. Dobermann tries to convince him to stay, yet he excuses himself and exits. "Show him there, bitte," Dobermann tells Inga, before leaving himself. He heads to Hesse's quarters and, although it makes him seethe, curtly tells him that "that Jew" won't be at supper with them, so he's welcome to return.
Dobermann returns and seats himself at the dinner table. Inga arrives next, mentioning that Schäfer made it to the kitchens, and Hesse arrives a moment later, still looking sulky. Dinner passes with the Dobermanns and Hesse eating in uneasy silence while the Wehrmacht guests engage in some stilted conversation. Hesse retires early and Inga heads to the kitchens to fetch Schäfer and lead him back to his room. She joins Dobermann in their private quarters afterward and explains how the kitchen staff gave Schäfer a warm welcome, plying him with more food and drink than he could handle, then sending him off with his arms full of leftovers "in case you get hungry in the middle of the night." Their kindness moved Schäfer to tears, though he's also still fearful of Hesse sending him away; Inga had to reassure him repeatedly that he's safe while under their roof. She promised to instruct the kitchen staff on how to prepare meals for him, though admittedly she doesn't know much about kosher; Schäfer replied that that was all right, and they'd already done so much for him. Dobermann muses that they'll need to devise a way for Schäfer to know when someone's at his door, perhaps some sort of button that triggers a light; Inga kisses him, and tells him simply, "You're a good person, Louis."
The next day, Hesse again appeals to Dobermann to return Schäfer to the camp; the two engage in a brief, heated dispute, where Hesse makes it obvious he doesn't wish to get the Dobermanns in trouble, but he's obligated to report such information to his superiors. Dobermann retorts that under his roof, he makes the rules ("Your rules don't override the laws of the Reich!" Hesse insists), and as Hesse is merely a guest there, he's welcome to leave any time he wishes; he says he won't hear any further argument, the issue is settled. He adds, "And don't even think of trying this routine on Inga. We're of the same mind on this matter." Hesse looks displeased and frustrated, yet bites his tongue and leaves. Dobermann isn't surprised later on when Inga admits Hesse tried to appeal to her as well, though she told him she had no ability to do anything about it, her husband is in charge. She takes over getting Schäfer settled in and familiarizing him with the estate, and with Sgt. Holt discusses rigging a visual doorbell system for his room. Adelina gets involved as well, doing what she can to make Schäfer feel at home, including apologizing for her comment regarding babies. (Inga explains that when she brought this up with Hesse, he seemed genuinely dismayed and promised to discuss the matter with the Wehrmacht staff--as he never made any such comments himself--although he hadn't changed his mind regarding Schäfer's presence.)
Hesse returns to the city and things briefly settle down. He returns the next day, however, with an ultimatum: While he can't force Dobermann to take Schäfer back to the camp, or Dannecker to renege on the deal, he also can't allow the situation to continue as is. Insisting that he can't protect the family from possible legal trouble unless they make concessions, he says that Schäfer will be required to always wear a yellow Judenstern on his person, and to remain on Dobermann property, else he may end up taken into custody by authorities. Dobermann steams over this, viewing it as a threat disguised as a request, yet realizes it's indeed the wisest course of action, plus he's getting weary of arguing about it. He tells Inga about the request; she asks to be the one to inform Schäfer, to which he agrees, a bit relieved not to have to do it himself. Schäfer willingly accepts the request--he's still grateful and feels indebted to the Dobermanns for their kindness--and Inga even sews a star for him personally. Dobermann later learns through sources that Hesse had actually visited the labor camp and tried to threaten Dannecker into going back on the deal, but Dannecker simply laughed him off. The commandant arrives a while later to browse Dobermann's tapestries; he ends up selecting one of a matched pair featuring the Devil and an angel--Dannecker chooses the Devil--and cheerfully departs, declaring their deal concluded. Dobermann apologizes to Inga for breaking up the tapestry pair; Inga shakes her head and says she's just glad they won't have to deal with Dannecker anymore, as he makes her skin crawl.
Despite Schäfer abiding by the stipulations set out by Hesse, and gingerly attempting to greet him politely every time they cross paths, Hesse's enmity toward him isn't mollified. More than once he hears of Hesse's cold, rude behavior toward Schäfer, a situation that seems to distress Inga. Things take an odd turn, however, when Hesse ends up badly injured and Dr. Schäfer is called to tend to him; diagnosing a collapsed lung, he requests a long sharp needle and alcohol, and is quickly able to help Hesse breathe again. A city doctor arrives an hour or so later to check Hesse over while Schäfer hides away; he admits that whoever treated him first did an excellent job, and all that's needed is to keep an eye on the puncture wound and get plenty of rest. The next day Inga fills Dobermann in on Hesse's condition: Schäfer visited him late the previous night and made the mistake of giving him morphine. Inga discovered this early that morning and told Schäfer of his mistake; Schäfer was mortified, and needed to again be reassured he wouldn't be sent back to the camp. As Hesse is likely to end up going through withdrawal again, Inga says she'll probably need to check in on him frequently for the next week or so.
When Inga goes to see Hesse the next morning, however, she finds him sound asleep, another syringe on the bedside stand; she wakes him and he groggily tells her that Schäfer stopped by again late the previous night and gave him the syringe, which he claimed was a nonaddictive sedative to help him sleep through his pain and nausea. He felt so miserable he decided to take Schäfer's word for it, and gave himself the shot. He spends the next few days mostly sleeping or dozing before venturing out of his room one morning, weak and shaky, yet famished. His demeanor toward Schäfer shifts subtly; although he still doesn't socialize with him, he nods briefly at Schäfer's greetings, and even requests that he remain at the dinner table when he arrives, when previously Schäfer would always eat in the kitchens when Hesse joined the Dobermanns. Inga reports that he's started teaching himself sign language, and he requests Schäfer's help in treating Gewitter for colic. Gewitter's recovery seems to seal things; Hesse treats Schäfer the same as he treats the rest of the help staff, greeting him politely, engaging in brief conversations (Schäfer helps him learn to sign correctly), and devising a means of getting Schäfer's attention by stomping twice with his boot. He even actively helps conceal Schäfer's presence from Nazi visitors who are unaware of Dobermann's arrangement, and although the two quite obviously can never be friends, Schäfer and Hesse manage to tolerate and be cordial with each other. Dobermann finds the change in situation strange, but is glad not to have to deal with Hesse's antagonism anymore.
Some ominous news breaks: A prisoner escape is reported at the labor camp. Dannecker is murdered in the escape; at first it's believed that Gret was taken hostage, yet Hesse, who's tangentially involved in the investigation, confides in Dobermann that it looks as if she was actually involved. About a dozen prisoners fled, their ringleader a Jewish ID forger named Josef Diamant; no known photos of him exist, so leads quickly die out. Dobermann tries to brush off the implication that Diamant may decide to target others associated with Dannecker, as Dannecker had victimized him numerous times while he was a prisoner. He does look into hiring additional soldier guards for his estate, however, as Nazi officials again start pestering him for access, even despite Hesse's influence. They're first interested in merely attempting to track down the escapees and punish them...yet as time passes, their requests again shift into a desire to establish a command base on his property. Dobermann learns from city officials that members of the Nazi Party, and especially the SS, are being targeted for bombings, arson, and assassination attempts, and it soon becomes clear that Diamant has a hand in what's occurring: Many of the bombs feature complex trigger mechanisms consisting of watch gears and tiny moving parts such as Diamant was known for in his old job of jeweler and watch repairer. When graffiti of painted red diamonds begins appearing near the sites of such events, the growing resistance movement, which seems equally focused on sabotage and bombings as well as rescuing and transporting Jews and other minorities to safety, acquires a name: the Diamond Network.
Dobermann is too busy focusing on securing his estate, and fending off demands to turn it into a command base--while trying to maintain his precarious relationship with the Party--to take much notice of odd events occurring on his property. He grants Schäfer permission to search the land within his boundary markers for old animal traps after one is accidentally located during a hunting outing; a while later, Inga and Adelina both mention hearing indistinct noises at night. This could easily be attributed to possible pests making their way into the old house...yet Dobermann feels vaguely suspicious, and finds himself pondering the estate's many hidden passages. Unsure who to trust, he asks Sgt. Holt to check on the passages now and then, just to be safe; he wouldn't put it past the pushier Nazi officials to try sneaking onto his property. He also makes a request of Hesse, for information on Diamant; Hesse seems surprised by his concern, but obliges, giving him a general description provided by the camp guards: Diamant is tall, dark skinned, dark haired, and dark eyed, and has a scar on his right hand--it was injured by Dannecker, so he now uses his left hand--and has expertise working with specialized tools to create small, elaborate objects capable of movement. He's been given the nickname "The Jack of Diamonds." Despite his obvious hatred, Hesse's summary of Diamant and his activities is surprisingly restrained and lacks the Nazis' customary multitudinous slurs; Dobermann believes his description is relatively accurate. He's warned about Diamant numerous times when he visits the city, though he's more concerned about maintaining the safety of his estate and family as the war drags on. Inga seems especially rattled and distracted by these events, though she puts on a brave face for him and Adelina, and reassures him she'll be all right once things start to settle down.
Late one night, Dobermann is suddenly awakened by the sound of one gunshot, then another. He bolts upright; noticing that Inga isn't beside him, he rushes from his room and in the general direction from which he believes the sound came. In a secluded hallway toward the back of the house, he's startled to come across Sgt. Holt, Inga, a man lying on the floor, and another man he doesn't recognize. He has only a few seconds to take in all the details--the man on the floor is dead, Inga is wounded and is wielding a gun, the other man fits Diamant's description, and Inga's gold locket has fallen off and snapped open, revealing a tiny Star of David inside--before the noises and shouting of other Wehrmacht guards approaching catches their attention. Almost without thinking, Dobermann turns back, grabs the gun from Inga's hand, and pushes her toward the man he assumes is Diamant, saying, "Take her. Someplace safe." The stranger grabs Inga's arm and pulls her after him, toward one of the passage entries which is standing open behind them. "Louis--? Louis...!" Inga exclaims as she disappears from sight. Dobermann then turns to Holt, and gives him the only story that pops into his head--Inga was wounded by an intruder and killed him in self-defense, yet herself succumbed to her injury; he decided to take her body to some extended family of hers, in accordance with her final wishes. "I don't think they'll believe that," Holt says, to which Dobermann replies, "You have a better story?" yet Holt offers none. Dobermann drops the gun next to the body, retrieves Inga's locket, and enters the passage himself, shutting it behind him just as he hears Helmstadt and the other guards arriving. He's startled when he dimly spots another unfamiliar man lurking in the passage ahead; "We'll keep her safe," the stranger whispers, and disappears further into the passage.
He heads through the passages in the direction of his room, exits through the wall, and takes a few moments to catch his breath and steady his nerves. He looks at Inga's locket and tries to make sense of everything he just saw; it's obvious her recent distraction--as well as her growing anxiety--has a source, and not only is she apparently involved in the resistance, but she's been keeping some other secrets from him. She's always been his North Star, his guide and source of direction, and he feels rudderless and lost without her. He briefly wonders if he should feel betrayed by this obvious breach of confidence, yet shakes it off--there are more important things to think of, and she's never steered him wrong before--and waits until a soft knock comes at the door. As he'd expected, it's Holt, come to inform him that Helmstadt has taken over the situation and called Hesse, who's staying in the city. Dobermann's anger flares until Holt says this is merely the most rational course of action that would otherwise be taken in such a situation, as the Sicherheitsdienst is the agency most likely to investigate a Nazi-related crime. Dobermann shrugs off the questions he wishes to ask most, focusing instead on what's most important: "The dead man, who is he and what is he doing in my house?" Holt explains he's a Nazi official of low standing who apparently found a way inside and remained concealed until nightfall, when Inga encountered him in the hallway; "She was merely defending herself, Herr Dobermann, you must believe me." He confirms that the stranger was Josef Diamant, who, like him, heard the initial shot and came to Inga's defense; the other unknown man Dobermann describes was likely one of his associates. He's also confirmed that Adelina is safe, still asleep in her room; Dobermann instructs him to repeat his story to anyone who requests it, while he lies low for an hour or so. Holt promises to fetch him as soon as Hesse arrives. "Herr Dobermann," he says as Dobermann starts to turn away, "your wife is a good woman," and he departs.
Dobermann gets the word when Hesse arrives from the city, approximately an hour's drive; he braces himself and goes to speak with him. He's rather surprised by Hesse's obvious shock and distress once he's told Inga has been shot and killed. He can't understand why Dobermann removed her body from an active crime scene--he knows Dobermann well enough to also know this is strange behavior for him. When Dobermann reiterates his story about Inga's last wish to be taken to her extended family, Hesse's confusion grows: "But...she never said anything about having any extended family." Dobermann hardly has to feign anger when he retorts, "She didn't always tell you everything." This answer seems to cow Hesse somewhat; realizing that he needs Hesse's help to cover up Inga's crime, he forces himself to calm down and tries a different tack, appealing to emotion--something he's unused to, but suspects might work on someone like Hesse--requesting that he ask to be the lead investigator in the case, and try to get it settled quickly and quietly, out of respect for Inga and the grieving family. He feels dirty doing this, yet can't afford to let the case get the kind of attention and scrutiny he knows it otherwise will. Hesse seems reluctant...yet just as Dobermann had hoped, promises to speak with Heidenreich and try to give the investigation a low profile. He has an associate secure the scene and collect the dead man's body to take back to the city for autopsy, and says he'll return in the morning to collect further evidence and question the staff; in the meantime, he advises Dobermann to explain the situation to Adelina, and departs.
By now, most of the guards and staff have awakened and are milling about uneasily. The most pressing matter now taken care of, Dobermann requests to speak privately with Holt, and asks him to explain the entire situation. Holt first reiterates what's already obvious--Inga came across the intruder, who shot and mildly wounded her, before she managed to wrest the gun from him and kill him in return--yet Dobermann interrupts, wanting the rest of the story. What led to all this? What does he have to do with anything and how is Inga involved? Holt starts to answer, then cuts himself off, looking behind Dobermann; Dobermann turns and sees Tobias Schäfer standing in the doorway, wringing his hands. Seeing he has Dobermann's attention, Schäfer says, "This is my fault," and explains everything that's happened.
This entire sequence of events in fact started with Dobermann's rescue of Schäfer from the labor camp. Diamant's escape happened after, unrelated to Schäfer, yet learning about it, and Diamant's budding escape network, piqued something in Schäfer. When he discovered some old traps concealed on the Dobermann property, he asked and was granted permission to dismantle them for safety ressons; one evening while searching for any he'd overlooked, he encountered a man who'd triggered one. Schäfer could tell from his striped outfit that he was an escapee, and convinced him to keep calm while he fetched his medical bag and helped free and treat him. Not long after, he was contacted by Diamant himself, who requested his aid for other escapees--by ensuring them safe passage through Dobermann's property, via the same passages the Nazis desire access to. Schäfer couldn't do this on his own, so he gathered a small group of the help staff whom he trusted most and ran the request by them. A few declined to get involved, but most agreed, and recruited their own most trusted members of the staff to help. It was during one of their meetings--disguised as a social gathering--that they were discovered by Holt, who joined their cause. Dobermann is stunned to learn that almost his entire help staff--sans the Wehrmacht guards, aside from Holt--has been actively participating in the resistance effort for months now, and he had no idea.
This still begs the question--how is Inga involved? Schäfer takes credit for this as well: Inga came to him one evening, insisting on apologizing; she'd been touched by her husband's rescue of him, and bothered by the country's rising nationalist sentiment, and felt guilty for not doing more to help herself. Schäfer had wondered why she had reason to feel guilt; Inga had shown him her locket, within which was concealed a Star of David. She told him that absolutely no one knew, not even her family or Hesse; she'd never told Dobermann simply because she was nonpracticing and so never felt it mattered, and by the time it did, she wasn't sure if she could trust him with the information, especially after he'd gotten acquainted with Dannecker. Dobermann feels wounded that Inga didn't consider him trustworthy, but again bites it down; Schäfer explains that he told Inga if she wished to help, she should visit Herrin von Thiel, and ask to see "the Jack of Diamonds." "Katharina--?" Dobermann exclaims, confused; "What does she--" Yet he cuts himself off, realization dawning, and looks at Holt; Holt confirms that Diamant took Inga to Katharina's place via the tunnels, and that's where she's currently hiding. Schäfer explains how, although he's never met Katharina, Diamant informed him that she's involved in the resistance, by allowing escapees to use the passages on her property. Holt adds that other Junkers in the area have been involved in similar efforts for a while now; if Dobermann's property were included, it would fill in a large gap in the escape network. Inga met with Katharina under the pretense of a social visit and after making her request, was asked to return at a later time; when she did, she was introduced to Diamant--the Jack of Diamonds--who explained to her how she could help, by enabling safer access to the estate. This involved keeping the Wehrmacht guards, Hesse, and even Dobermann in the dark regarding who exactly is using the house. Dobermann asks how long this has been going on; Schäfer replies that it's been at least several months.
Dobermann is at a loss; to learn that most of his help staff, Holt, Schäfer, Katharina, and Inga have been working together, and keeping such a massive secret from him, for so long is a painful blow. To be deceived so by his childhood friend Katharina, and his own wife, feels especially like a betrayal of his trust, and he doesn't know how to react. Schäfer and Holt both insist on taking the blame; Dobermann brushes them off, as there are more important things to deal with right now. He stresses that Holt stick to the story, and fill Schäfer in, while he goes to see Katharina.
Dobermann makes the mile-long walk to the von Thiel estate in the dark, trying futilely to sort his thoughts. The chief of Katharina's help staff lets him in immediately and fetches Katharina; Dobermann can tell he knows why he's there. Katharina arrives, apologizing profusely for the deceit; Dobermann simply asks if Inga is all right. Katharina confirms that she is, and she'll do everything she can to protect her. She elaborates on Schäfer's story by explaining how Inga came to see her and requested to see the Jack of Diamonds; Katharina set up a meeting between them (Inga was surprised to learn the Jack of Diamonds is a person), at which Diamant recruited Inga to provide better access to the house. "I'm so sorry, Louis," she adds, and seems sincere; "She would have told you, but she didn't know if she could. And she wanted to protect you and Adelina." Dobermann advises her that Hesse is in charge of the investigation and has been instructed to keep it low key, though he may still come by to ask questions; he again has Katharina promise to keep Inga safe, which she does, and he leaves. As he's walking back down the long drive, he glances back at the house and abruptly halts; even in the poor light, he can see Inga in an upstairs window, looking down at him, her expression distressed. He pauses and stares up at her for a moment before pointing at himself, putting his hands to his heart, then pointing up at her: I LOVE YOU. Inga visibly takes a breath, and signs in return: I LOVE YOU. Dobermann turns and continues on his way home.
Hesse returns early in the morning with a group of investigators; his eyes are red and it's obvious that, like Dobermann, he got little sleep. His men set to questioning everyone in the household, although according to the official story, only Dobermann and Holt were witnesses; neither of them mentions Diamant or the other man, and Hesse questions Schäfer privately so the other SS men aren't aware of his presence (Schäfer wasn't a witness, so has little to offer him but tears). Hesse shows Dobermann the SS file on the man Inga shot; he's a minor official, nobody important, so blame can easily be laid on him alone and he won't be missed. "Everyone loves you and Inga," Hesse says; "no one will bother questioning you both had the right to defend yourselves." Dobermann hides his disgust at the thought of using the public's impression of his family to perpetuate a lie, knowing he has no choice. Hesse waits until he and Dobermann are alone and then mentions how, on his way from questioning Schäfer, he came across Adelina, who, obviously upset and anxious, asked him what was going on; he was shocked to discover no one had filled her in yet on what had happened, and expresses anger about having to be the one to inform her her mother was shot. He asks Dobermann why he never spoke with her like he'd advised the previous night. Dobermann's temper flares--he knows Hesse has a point, and it chafes, reminding him of his failures with Adelina early on--and the two engage in a brief but heated argument, with Dobermann snapping at Hesse, "Don't tell me how to raise her! I'm her father, not you!" "Then ACT like it!" Hesse retorts, effectively silencing him; "You're not the only one grieving! She just lost her mother. She needs you now. Stop thinking about yourself for a moment and go be the person she needs!" They both force themselves to calm down; Hesse curtly says he needs to return to the city to wrap up the investigation, but as everyone's accounts line up and blame can cleanly be placed on the dead man, there should be little else required, and he believes no one will need to bother the Dobermanns further; the case will likely be closed within a few days, just as he requested. As Hesse turns to leave, Dobermann quietly thanks him; despite their differences, Hesse has kept his promise. Hesse pauses briefly before saying, "Just go see to Lina for a little while. She needs her family now," and leaves.
Dobermann does visit Adelina's room, where she's curled up in her bed weeping to herself; he sits with her for a while, and listens to her heartbroken questions about why Inga did something so foolish, why didn't she get the chance to say goodbye, but he has no answers for her. He leaves her in peace when she finally says she'd rather talk to Hesse when he comes back. Pushing aside his hurt--Hesse was the one who practically raised her, and has always been the first person she turns to for advice and comfort, after all--he wonders to Holt if he should let her in on the secret. Holt asks if he feels Adelina understands the seriousness of the situation and the need for silence, then if he thinks she'd be able to maintain that silence around Hesse; Dobermann isn't sure that she could, or that she would convincingly act like a grieving daughter. Although it pains him, he decides it's best not to involve Adelina in the plan.
Hesse informs him a couple of days later: Heidenreich has declared the investigation into Inga's and the official's deaths complete, and the case is closed. He offers his personal condolences. Dobermann requests Hesse to come see Adelina, who isn't taking the loss well, and he consents. Dobermann retreats to his quarters to finally grieve privately; although Inga is still alive, he knows it'll be too dangerous to talk to or see her again, so it feels almost as if she is dead. He can dimly see the lights from Katharina's house from his window, and imagines that Inga sees the same when she looks his way. This is the only comfort he takes from the situation, as he's so used to her always being there, guiding the way, that now he feels utterly lost. He tells Helmstadt to deal with the various city officials sending their condolences and well wishes, a task that Inga once would have handled, spending most of his time alone.
Late one night a soft knock comes--not from the door, but from Dobermann's wall. He suspects who it is before he presses on the hidden panel, opening up the passage behind the wall; Diamant hesitates before entering the room. He briefly and quietly fills Dobermann in on Inga's situation--Katharina has changed her appearance somewhat and set her up as her maid, hiding her in plain sight--and reassures him that she's doing well. Dobermann's already poor mood sours when Diamant tries explaining how much Inga helped the network through her actions; "It hasn't worked out as well for us as it has for you, has it?" he interjects. Sensing his anger, Diamant ventures, "I know you must dislike me and what I am, but--" before Dobermann cuts him off, voice rising: "Dislike you?--I HATE you! I don't give a damn what you are. I hate you for breaking up my family. I hate you for taking my wife away from our daughter! Now get out of my house!" Diamant, looking cowed, retreats into the hidden passage, and Dobermann slams it shut behind him.
Some time passes in which Dobermann strengthens the security around the estate, deals with city and Nazi officials offering well wishes, and makes sure Adelina is well looked after; Hesse's visits manage to improve her mood more than his, so he tells himself this is a good thing. Late one evening, worn out from a long day, he heads to the kitchens to advise the workers about the following day's menu--and walks right into a confusing scene: Several of the kitchen staff, accompanied by Holt, appear to be leading a group of bedraggled strangers through the kitchen. Dobermann can tell almost immediately that they're refugees and escapees being funneled through his house without his knowledge. They all stare at each other wide eyed for a moment, before Dobermann gathers himself, glowers a little, and enters the kitchen. He walks briskly to the back, opens a pantry, and disappears within; after a moment Holt and a few of the others approach hesitantly and watch as he empties supplies from a shelf, then moves the shelf aside--the faint outline of a door is revealed. Dobermann pries and pulls it partly open, revealing a dark narrow passage behind. To Holt and the other confused staff, he curtly says, "From now on, use this way instead; the south outside passage is compromised." He then exits without another word, leaving the others perplexed and uncertain.
Sgt. Holt hesitantly approaches Dobermann in his study not long after and informs him, outright, that Diamant would like to talk to him; Dobermann's anger is instantly piqued, yet Holt urges him to hear him out, so Dobermann allows him in. Diamant's attitude is decidedly more respectful this time; he removes his cap and refers to Dobermann as "Freiherr Dobermann" even though Dobermann can tell it chafes him to do so. He admits that, following the incident with Inga, he refrained from ordering his associates to stop using Dobermann's estate, though he did instruct them to be more selective and discreet. He's since heard of what happened in the kitchens, and asks Dobermann to aid in the Network's efforts. When Dobermann says he has no desire to get involved, Diamant points out that he already chose to do so, when he pointed out the unknown passageway. He adds that Dobermann doesn't have to involve himself directly, all he asks is for full access to the estate, and what protection the property offers. Dobermann asks why his permission is required when Diamant's shown that he's willing to use his property whether he knows about it or not; Diamant responds that he'll give his word to instruct the Network to cease trespassing on Dobermann's property, should Dobermann request it. He reminds Dobermann, however, of Inga's work, and asks if he really wants to end it.
Dobermann really doesn't wish to get further involved, yet he knows it's a bit too late now; realizing that his impulsive action in revealing the secret passage must have been inspired by Inga's works, and hating the thought of ending everything she seemed to stand for, he reluctantly agrees to Diamant's proposal: The Diamond Network will be granted access to the entirety of the common property--the same request the Nazis keep making--and reasonable access to private quarters, and those of his staff who are already involved will continue to offer what assistance and protection they can. Diamant offers his hand for Dobermann to shake; Dobermann hesitates, still considering him little more than a criminal who broke up his family, until Diamant--obviously rendered uneasy by Dobermann's hesitation--promises in turn to offer the Network's full protection to him and his family. "I'll protect Frau Dobermann and Fräulein Adelina with my life if need be," he says, and finally Dobermann clasps his hand. "If you don't look after them," he warns under his breath, "I'll hunt you down myself." They shake hands, and the arrangement is settled; Holt sees Diamant off.
Dobermann hardly notices any change in circumstances following the agreement; Diamant is effective at keeping a low profile. He's also shrewd; when Nazi officials again start grumbling about Dobermann's iffy support of their cause, he proposes a temporary yet dramatic solution that won't involve him needing to "make nice" with any officers of Dannecker's ilk: He'll help stage another death, making it look as if Dobermann himself killed a trespasser on his property. "How does being a murderer help me?" Dobermann exclaims; Diamant replies that the pretend trespasser will be an enemy of the state, making Dobermann look like a fellow traveler of the Nazis, while at the same time instilling a healthy dose of fear and respect in civilians. Those who really know Dobermann will know better; everyone else, like before, will be fooled. Dobermann goes along with the plot, and it's just as Diamant predicted, the Party gets off his back; yet just as Dobermann himself had suspected would happen, Hesse seems doubtful of the situation. He doesn't confront Dobermann about it, however, so Dobermann decides not to dwell on it.
Dobermann copes with maintaining and looking after his estate as the war goes on, Diamant and various members of the Diamond Network occasionally advising from the background. Diamant is usually the one who is two steps ahead, yet even he's caught rather by surprise when Dobermann's estate manages to be infiltrated by an Allied spy: Sgt. Holt receives the news first that the Americans have stationed one of their own as a Wehrmacht guard on his property. Dobermann, and Hesse, had been suspicious of Sgt. Stephen Gerhardt from the start, yet Dobermann is a little unsettled to learn that he slipped past Diamant's notice. Diamant is even more bothered by this oversight than he is, especially since it turns out Gerhardt has been sent to get in touch with him specifically; he decides to meet with Gerhardt, while advising Dobermann to pretend he's unaware of the situation, just in case he can't be trusted. Gerhardt is deemed to in fact be an American spy and is introduced to various others in the household who are involved in resistance efforts--including Holt and Schäfer--while Dobermann feigns ignorance and does what he can to keep Hesse in the dark.
Another issue Dobermann has to deal with is Adelina's growing rebelliousness; the already fragile relationship between the two suffered a severe blow following Inga's "death," and she's started acting out more often as the war has intensified. Hesse carries most of the weight dealing with her; Dobermann realizes long before he does that Adelina has developed a crush on him, and has hopes of marrying someone similar someday. (This much becomes obvious after Diamant himself unintentionally catches her eye, following a visit to the estate disguised as a member of the SS.) Dobermann knows Hesse himself will never act on such things even if he ever acknowledges them--he's always viewed Adelina as more like a daughter, and has taken a nightclub singer in the city as his mistress--yet this development concerns him, that Adelina is so open to being radicalized yet again. When a young Wehrmacht Junker named Wilhelm Volker starts visiting the estate and expresses interest in her, which she appears to return, Dobermann doesn't protest, considering that preferable to the alternative. He ends up distracted by ongoing drama created by the Nazi Party and the SS in particular whenever its members visit his household or get his acquaintances involved, such as the alarming assassination of Rupprecht Heidenreich, staged by his own wife. Heidenreich was the chief of the Allgemeine-SS and occasionally visited the Dobermann estate, so his scandalous death throws things into instant turmoil, and even Hesse seems to be tiring of his beloved SS's blatant corruption.
Hesse had already had suspicions that the Diamond Network--which he initially suspected in his boss's murder--may be operating clandestinely out of Dobermann's property, although with the belief that Dobermann is none the wiser. Adelina unwittingly tips him off by mentioning Diamant's visit while disguised as a member of the SS; believing Diamant is targeting Dobermann's family, Hesse is incensed, and steps up his efforts to root him out. Dobermann, accordingly, boosts his household's own security to attempt to bypass Hesse's investigation, counting on his loyalty to the family to keep him blind to what Dobermann is really up to. At the same time, he continues letting Gerhardt operate under the assumption that he sympathizes with the Nazis. He despises playing both sides and being so deceitful--he frequently wonders how Inga even pulled it off as long as she did--yet knows there's no alternative for the time being. He's alarmed when a Network member, Lukas Mettbach, attacks Hesse in his own house, shades of Inga's previous confrontation with the intruder, and makes his anger known to Diamant; Diamant, uninvolved in the matter, is likewise rattled, and takes Lukas to task for it. Hesse survives the attempt, and in response, gives another SS member a tip that results in the deaths of dozens of Sinti prisoners. Although Dobermann's long known what Hesse is capable of--he and Katharina are certain he's to blame for the death of Gesine von Gustedt, a neighboring Junker, as well as the fire that destroyed her house--the depth of his rage this time alarms even him, and for the first time he worries both for Hesse's sanity and Adelina's safety.
Dobermann is always one of the first to learn about everything that happens under his roof, so he learns, around the same time that Hesse does, that Sgt. Gerhardt spent the night with Adelina in her room. His feelings are mixed--on the one hand, he regrets how quickly Adelina has grown up and moved on without him, and is steamed by Gerhardt's lack of discretion; yet on the other hand, he knows this is likely the best possible outcome for Adelina: Gerhardt is an Ally, and Jewish, whereas Hesse and Volker are both members of the Nazi Party. Considering that Gerhardt has infiltrated the household in an effort to determine--and if need be, undermine--Dobermann's loyalty to the Party, Dobermann reasons that he, along with Diamant, is in the best position to protect Adelina from Hesse's influence. He puts on a front of fatherly disapproval when Gerhardt meets him, but otherwise declines to act. Hesse's reaction is much different: He promptly confronts Gerhardt and threatens him that if he so much as makes Adelina cry, he'll shoot him himself.
Surprisingly, Diamant's reaction to the budding relationship between Gerhardt and Adelina is more like Hesse's; he rails against Gerhardt's impulsivity, and threatens him not to mess things up or get even more on Dobermann's or Hesse's bad side. Gerhardt at last talks back in Adelina's defense, insisting she's not a sheltered little girl anymore, and can make decisions for herself; people like Dobermann, Diamant, and Hesse aren't doing her any favors, and need to step back and give her space to grow. Dobermann is stung by the realization of how much he's held Adelina back all these years by outright lying to her, just as Hesse did; he decides it's time to stop shielding her from the real world, that no matter how awful the truth may be, she needs to know it and decide things on her own. He instructs Diamant to let Gerhardt be as honest as he wishes with Adelina, and that includes not only learning the truth about the SS and what they've been doing all this time, but everyone else's connection to it all, including that most of her own friends and family have been withholding the truth from her.
Adelina, accordingly, starts lashing out. The adjutant of the labor camp and a rival of Hesse's, Jan Delbrück, advises her that not only are truly horrible things happening all around her, but also that the SS is fully aware, and is responsible. Hesse had previously told her that the trains she heard in the distance at night were carrying soldiers and supplies; she's told that in fact they're transporting prisoners, such as Dr. Schäfer, to be incarcerated and killed in the camps. People like himself and Hesse are responsible for the deaths of scores, if not hundreds, of innocent people. Gerhardt confirms this awful information; when she doubts that he could know such things, he outs himself as an American spy as proof. To his surprise, she doesn't run to Dobermann to tell on him, yet she insists he's lying, and even if it's true, it's only some Jews and everyone knows they're the enemy.
Diamant stops by the Dobermann house to discuss the situation with Gerhardt, and Dobermann happens to come across them as they're talking; Gerhardt's reaction makes it clear he has no idea Dobermann and Diamant have been working together, until Dobermann tells Diamant to get out of his chair. Diamant finally confirms to the confused Gerhardt that Dobermann is not, in fact, a Nazi sympathizer, but has been actively aiding the resistance for years. Adelina and Hesse aren't involved. Gerhardt warns that Adelina is catching on, and based on her reaction to him, she's going to feel terribly betrayed by everyone's deceit and lack of trust in her. Dobermann remembers how he felt when Inga withheld her actions from him, and hates that he's done the exact same thing to Adelina; he suggests that they let her in on what's happening while they still have the chance, as Hesse has reported that the war seems to be coming to a head as Allied troops draw closer. Gerhardt volunteers to introduce Adelina to Diamant.
Gerhardt convinces Adelina to join him at Katharina von Thiel's home to meet someone who will let her know all the truth. Although she's angry with Gerhardt for his own lies, she wishes to know the rest, and so heads to the von Thiel estate. There she's surprised to meet Diamant--surprised, as she recognizes him, from when he was in disguise as an SS officer in her own home. She's alarmed to learn who he really is--yet even more astonished when Inga appears, alive and well. Inga herself is startled by Adelina's hateful speech toward Diamant, and that nobody has informed her yet that she's half Jewish, herself. Adelina flees back to the Dobermann estate before Gerhardt can stop her. Dobermann notices her distress, yet refrains from intervening, as he knows all the conflicted things she must be feeling right now and isn't sure what good he can do.
Holt approaches him not long after with ominous news: A convoy of Wehrmacht vehicles has been spotted coming their way. Someone, somehow, caught wind of the meeting at Katharina's home, and that Inga is still alive. Dobermann calls Katharina to send Inga back immediately, as he suspects a showdown is about to occur, and wants to try securing his house. His own Wehrmacht guards prepare to need to face off against their own. He, Adelina, Gerhardt, and Schäfer meet Diamant and Inga when they arrive; Dobermann and Inga embrace hard, their first time meeting since their brief glance at Katharina's home years ago. Adelina appears confused by her father's acceptance of the situation, realizing that he, too, knew all along; she doesn't get to mention it, as the Wehrmacht officials arrive at the estate--and immediately following them is Hesse.
Hesse is caught off guard by the sight of Inga, wearing her Star of David. A confrontation ensues among the two sides, yet Hesse isn't the instigator--this is Private Helmstadt, who, although not a Nazi and previously loyal to the Dobermanns, is infuriated to learn they're in fact race traitors. In the confusing fight, Helmstadt is shot and killed, Volker abruptly switches sides to defend the Dobermanns alongside fellow Wehrmacht guards Holt and Lt. Senta Werner and is wounded, and Gerhardt, at Dobermann's order, pulls a protesting Diamant out of the dispute and they escape. When the order is given to arrest the Dobermanns, Adelina stands up to Hesse, putting herself between him and her parents. He shakes off his bewilderment and, scowling at Inga, volunteers to transport the Dobermanns to the city for interrogation and, presumably, execution; the Wehrmacht leader consents as his men start taking over the Dobermann property. Schäfer insists on going with the Dobermanns, and Hesse guides them out to his car: "I don't want to shoot you, but I will if I have to." Schäfer sits in the front seat beside Hesse while the Dobermanns sit in the back, Dobermann putting his arms around Inga and Adelina and doing his best to remain calm although he's filled with dread. Hesse pulls away from the estate and back up the country road, a small convoy of assorted Wehrmacht and SS vehicles following.
The group rides in silence for a while before Dobermann notices something which the two women miss: Hesse peers in the mirror to see how close the other vehicles are, then taps Schäfer's shoulder, startling him; he appears to sign something, but Dobermann can't see what it is. Schäfer looks confused, yet nods. He blinks when Hesse signs something else, then turns and leans over the back of his seat. "Get down," he says, and Dobermann doesn't argue, just slips off the seat, pulling Adelina and Inga, both protesting in confusion, down to the floorboards with him. He sees Schäfer disappear as well; a moment later, Inga and Adelina cry out when Hesse stomps the gas, sending the car hurtling forward.
Dobermann holds tight to both women, who try not to whimper every time the car hits a bump. Schäfer yells out directions and Hesse steers the car accordingly. After a few moments of this Schäfer says, "Here! Here!" and Hesse abruptly brakes, scattering gravel; he immediately exits, strides around the car, and jerks open the back door. "Out," he orders the Dobermanns, wielding his pistol; the three reluctantly exit. Inga and Adelina are shaking, evidently thinking he's planning to simply dispose of them there, yet Dobermann notices that Schäfer has exited the car on his own and Hesse isn't even looking at him; he has the brief irrational thought that somehow they're working together and Schäfer has betrayed them, but that makes no sense, and Hesse then turns to Schäfer and signs, "Where?" Schäfer takes a quick moment to gain his bearings before pointing, and to Dobermann's surprise, Hesse turns back and tells them to follow Schäfer; he'll remain behind, and try to delay the approaching convoy. Dobermann realizes that Hesse is disobeying his own orders, and letting them go.
"They'll kill you, you know," he says, although he's pretty sure Hesse is fully aware of this, and the resigned look he gets makes it clear. Inga and Adelina both beg him to come with them, yet he refuses and urges them to get going. As Dobermann grasps their arms and moves to follow Schäfer, who's already started jogging off, Hesse addresses Inga, telling her, "Even if I'd known...it wouldn't have changed how I feel about you." It's confirmation of what Dobermann already suspected long ago while in the military hospital: Hesse has been in love with Inga all along, and now he's likely going to die for her.
Dobermann has to pull Inga and Adelina along with him, as they resist somewhat, both still crying out for Hesse to follow. Dobermann glances over his shoulder as they jog away, sees Hesse staring after them, then Hesse glances away and he loses sight of him behind the trees and brush. He spots Schäfer waiting ahead--"This way! Hurry!"--and follows. After a few breathless moments of jogging through the trees and weeds, a volley of gunfire echoes through the air; Inga and Adelina both flinch and cry out, and even Dobermann winces and nearly stumbles. Only Schäfer doesn't react, just keeps going until they exit into a clearing near a small hill; he starts searching in the weeds, when a dark yawns open where one wasn't before; as if by magic, Gerhardt and Diamant appear, and the Dobermanns head toward them. Lukas Mettbach arrives from another direction a moment later, leading several horses--Adelina recognizes Gewitter, and throws her arms around the mare's neck. Although grateful to see Schäfer and the Dobermanns, they're confused about how they escaped, when Lukas insists he'd heard that Hesse was taking them to the city; "He let us go," Dobermann says, simply, and the way the two women are weeping makes it clear what Hesse's fate must be. Diamant describes a nearby escape route into the mountains; he's already made contact with Network operatives, and residents of the mountain town have sent an appropriated military truck to wait for them on the path and shuttle them to safety. (Dobermann assumes the mountain town residents have agreed to help as his family are interred in their cemetery.) Diamant and Lukas will accompany them to the meetup point, but then they'll part ways for the time being. Everyone climbs atop the horses and sets off again.
They reach the mountains and carefully navigate up through the foothills and into steeper terrain. Upon a narrow mountain pass they at last come to the waiting military truck; Diamant and Lukas wish them well and part ways, one man taking the horses while the Dobermanns, Schäfer, and Gerhardt climb in the back of the truck. As it roars to life and begins its slow trundle up the mountain road, Dobermann again puts his arms around Inga and Adelina, hugging them close as Gerhardt looks on and Schäfer puts his head down. He finally has his family back, though it feels bittersweet.
After a drive of a few hours, the driver thumps on the back of the cab, and Schäfer, feeling it, peers out from under the tarp; the road is widening and he says he can see some sort of gate ahead. The truck slows to a stop, the driver speaks to someone, then, evidently allowed to continue, it passes through the gate and into a cobblestone clearing. This time when the back of the truck is opened, Dobermann blinks--a crowd of people surges around, faces lighting up as soon as they see him. He and the others are helped out by the people of the mountain town. A young man approaches him, saying Dobermann doesn't know him but maybe he knew his father, the previous mayor of the town; he's the mayor now, and they've never forgotten Dobermann's kindness to them during the pandemic. Now they finally have the chance to pay the Dobermann family back: They've set up a place for them to stay as long as they need, they'll provide for them from their own stores, and they'll protect them if need be--as far as they're concerned, the Dobermanns are their own, now: "We hope you can consider this your home; we'll do anything we can to make it so." Not quite able to comprehend their kindness--he never expected anything in return for his charity so long ago--Dobermann struggles just to find his voice to murmur, "Danke...vielen Dank."
The mayor leads the Dobermanns to his large home near the town square; he's set up his own house for the Dobermanns to shelter in for the time being. They eschew dinner, requesting rest instead, and are taken to their bedroom suites. Dobermann and Inga are left alone for the first time since being reunited; Inga breaks down, apologizing for her deceit, the trouble she's caused, everything, but Dobermann repeatedly insists she has nothing to apologize for; he could never hate her for what she did, she's his North Star. She says that Adelina must hate her, yet again Dobermann says it isn't so; she might need a little time to sort out her thoughts, but she could never hate Inga. He tells her to get some sleep while he talks with the mayor a bit to sort out a few details, and leaves her.
The town mayor agrees to talk with Dobermann privately. He says he's in contact with the Diamond Network on the ground, and they report that Dobermann's property has been seized by the state. Dobermann is concerned only about his staff, whom he had to leave behind; the mayor reports that some of his Wehrmacht guards escaped while others surrendered, though he has no information yet on who did what, just that one of them--Helmstadt--was killed. The help staff are informally in custody but so far are being treated well; when Dobermann expresses worry that they may be punished for collaborating with the Network, the mayor promises to have someone check on them and try to keep them safe. Dobermann, perplexed, asks him how long they've been planning all this; the mayor replies that Diamant, anticipating that someday the Dobermanns might need a safe place to escape to, started planning this a long time ago: "Herr Diamant cares quite a lot for your family. From what I understand, you've both done him quite a service." Dobermann asks what Diamant's currently doing; the mayor replies that they haven't been able to establish contact with him since he last spoke with the Dobermanns, though he's likely busy, and the mayor promises to keep Dobermann informed of developments as soon as they arise; he urges Dobermann to go get some sleep. Dobermann, exhausted, returns to his room and lies down with Inga; a moment or so later, Adelina tentatively enters the room, then crawls into the bed and curls up next to Inga. The three fall asleep holding each other.
The next day, after breakfast, the mayor fills the Dobermanns in; Network operatives will work to retrieve what belongings of the Dobermanns' that they can and bring them to the town. Dobermann says, "I have my family...that's what matters." The mayor agrees, but, "Every little bit, ja?" Inga is surprised to learn about how long this plan has been in place and how many people are involved; the mayor explains that most town residents have always opposed the Nazi regime, and have managed to evade most state scrutiny due to their relatively isolated location. The Dobermann family's donations of money and small goods went far toward keeping the town afloat in hard times, and now that they have the advantage and the Dobermanns are in need, they're more than willing to return the favor. He adds that they still don't know where Diamant is but will keep trying to contact Network members on the radiotelegraph. He's most likely very busy: The Allies have reached the city and routed the SS, while the Wehrmacht is mostly defeated. Dobermann anxiously asks which Allies; upon hearing that somehow the Americans reached the city before the Red Army, he feels a bit of relief, as he's not sure how the Soviets would treat his German staff. The mayor again promises to keep him updated.
Over the next few days, more details emerge: The Americans have taken the city and liberated the labor camp. Shortly after, Dobermann's estate is also liberated; he learns that Holt, Volker, and Senta have all survived and cooperated. The Wehrmacht and especially the SS have been defeated, the Red Army has arrived from the east, and there are rumors that the Führer has taken his own life. The Third Reich is crumbling. The mayor is troubled, however; nobody can seem to find Diamant. Lukas Mettbach arrives on horseback, breathless, not long after, with awful news: As he, Diamant, and other Network members were attempting to sabotage a few final Nazi efforts at gaining the upper hand, Diamant was captured, and placed on a train headed for one of the last camps left operational--the few remaining members of the SS are no longer interested in slave labor, they're interested in killing off who they can. Inga and Adelina are heartbroken, and Gerhardt is numb. There's nothing to be done for it, however, and all they can do is mourn and push on.
Dobermann makes the difficult decision to leave his estate behind, and remain in the mountain town; he knows that for Inga and Adelina there are too many painful memories, and it seems best to start anew. He lets go those of his help staff who wish to leave, and continues to pay those who choose to remain and keep up the estate in the meantime. Schäfer decides to return to the city, where he hasn't lived since before he ended up in Dannecker's camp; now that he's free to do as he chooses without fear of punishment, he longs to see what's changed and what's stayed the same. The Dobermanns wish him a tearful goodbye, though he promises to remain in touch with the family who once saved his life. They also receive an odd delivery from a former Network member: a pair of tapestries, both the angel and the devil that once adorned the wall in the manor. The devil tapestry had been found in the administration building of the labor camp where Dannecker had placed it...it had concealed the same hidden passageway that Diamant used in his escape. And a mystery is solved, regarding who tipped off the Nazis about Adelina's visit with Diamant and Inga: The informant was Senta Werner's father, a devoted member of the Party. Senta, who was acquaintances with Adelina, had mentioned her visit to Katharina's home in passing, unaware of its significance; Herr Werner had passed along the information, details leaked out, and the raid on the Dobermann property was planned. Senta herself had no direct hand in it, and her subsequent behavior made it clear she disagreed with her father's actions. Dobermann had wondered if Hesse were involved; it turns out he honestly had no clue that Inga was still alive until he met her face to face. Even the turncoat Helmstadt had no hand in it.
The biggest development regards Adelina and Gerhardt: They've grown close since their time at the estate, and decide to marry. Shortly after the ceremony, attended by many in the mountain town, a mysterious gift addressed to the newlyweds arrives: A pair of rings, with a jack of diamonds playing card. Adelina gasps on seeing it, knowing what it must mean: Diamant survived his run-in with the SS. He's since come to the mountain town himself and the Dobermanns welcome him back; his train had been intercepted by Allied troops before it could reach the camp, and it's taken him a while to sort out affairs remaining from the war. He plans to start a new jewelry shop in the town, assisted by Gret Dannecker. Lukas Mettbach, meanwhile, goes to work in some nearby stables where he can be near the horses he loves so much.
The Dobermanns live peacefully in the mountain town for a year or so, wistful about being away from their ancestral home (they return now and then to visit Katharina), yet otherwise content. Dobermann finally has the time to spend with his family, no longer separated by the war, and belatedly realizes that this is all he's ever wanted, a peaceful life with his family. It isn't long after, however, that rumors start spreading about a handful of Nazi troops having escaped capture and headed into the Alps far to the south; allegedly there is a vast fortress in the mountains, from which they're planning on carrying out the next stage of a plan that was hatched during the war: They hope to create a sort of immortal "super soldier" who can withstand any injury and carry on the master race. They'd supposedly gotten close during the war; now the rumor is that they've succeeded at the basics of their goal. A meeting is called of former Network members and collaborators; Dobermann is full of dread over what this news could mean, and although Inga and Adelina both insist he's already done his part, he doesn't need to get involved, he remembers what happened the last time he tried not to get involved. A request is put out to send a team to infiltrate the Alpine Fortress and try to eliminate the new threat, and Dobermann and Gerhardt volunteer; not wishing to be separated again, Inga and Adelina also insist on going. Schäfer, Holt, Gret, and various others will remain behind to maintain contact via radiotelegraph.
The team heads south via train, and makes their way into the Alps, accompanied by Yevgeny, a former Red Army guide. Using Diamond Network tactics, they're able to breach Fortress security, and after an extensive search are able to confirm that the rumors are true--SS members wearing odd white uniforms are present, and training is taking place. Additionally, there are signs that they plan to utilize some sort of "Wunderwaffe"--as it turns out, nuclear weaponry--to attack the remaining Allies--along with a massive loss of civilian life--and gain the upper hand. Nothing prepares the team, however, for the shock of coming face to face with two familiar parties: Helmstadt and Hesse. They're both present in the Fortress, dressed in white uniforms (although Helmstadt was never in the SS), and very much alive. Even more alarming is that once they detect the intruders, they immediately attack; they'd expected this from Helmstadt, yet Hesse's blind fanaticism, especially after how he'd helped them escape before, is mystifying. Even when Adelina cries out, "Uncle Gunter! It's me, Lina!" his only reaction is to strike her in the face before the group is forced to retreat, the new SS members' strength is far too much for them to fend off--even shooting them hardly slows them down, as their wounds quickly heal.
In hiding, the group establishes contact with another team, led by the Trench Rats, exploring another part of the Fortress. They've determined that the mastermind behind this project is the Thule Society, an esoteric group that heavily funded the Nazi Party and has had a hand in all sorts of shady affairs throughout and following the war. Their ultimate hope is to create a master race of humans turned gods. Indeed, the swastika on Hesse's uniform has been switched with a broken sun cross, the emblem of the Thule Society. A doctor with the other team believes he's located an antiserum which, while it has no effect on the super soldiers' increased abilities and presumable "immortality," should snap them out of their mindless obedience; whether they decide to stop attacking or to remain loyal to the Society, however, depends. He directs the team to a cache where they can find the antiserum, and when they next run into Hesse, they just barely manage to inject him with it, abruptly ending the attack; Hesse crumples and collapses as if dead. He sucks in a breath and comes to a moment later, however, blinking and confused, startling Diamant, who'd approached to look him over. "What is this--?" he exclaims in obvious alarm, "Where am I?"
It soon becomes clear that Hesse has no memory of any of his time spent in the Alpine Fortress; following his shooting after the Dobermanns' escape, his mind is a blank. He seems genuinely dismayed to learn he's the cause of Adelina's black eye. Once it's theorized that his and Helmstadt's bodies must have been collected quickly after death by Thule Society members and administered the serum that brought them back to life, Hesse is first angered, then resigned; feeling cheated out of death, brought back into a world in which he has nothing left, he has no more motivation to attack, and poses no more threat. He even lashes out at them for not trying hard enough to kill him; Inga stuns everyone by stabbing him in the heart with his own dagger. It's a ruse, however; Hesse's wound quickly heals, proving that they haven't yet found a way to kill him. When the team argues over what to do with him, Dobermann is the one to break the stalemate, insisting that nobody is in a better position to help them than Hesse. Hesse initially refuses to assist, as he sees no point in anything...until Gerhardt convinces him to try to think harder about his dying memories. Hesse recalls that he did indeed see something hazy not long before he came to in the Fortress, a dim vision of someone he loved. Gerhardt convinces him that this may have been a vision of the afterlife, and that if they can find a way to properly nullify the serum, that can be his motivation. Not everyone seems to pick up on the implication that this means Hesse will have to die again, though Hesse gets it, and agrees to help them make their way through the Fortress.
As they explore, the Thule Society's plans become clearer, and their threat more omnipresent; although they succeed, during an altercation, in administering the antiserum to Helmstadt, he continues to side with the Society, and even Hesse has difficulty fending him off. They finally learn how to kill those under the serum's influence: destroy the brain. It also soon becomes clear that the only way to make sure "Projekt Ultima Thule" is ended for good is to destroy the Alpine Fortress. The team begins planning with the Trench Rats' group to steal project resources to construct and place a number of bombs throughout the Fortress and set them off in a series of timed explosions. Diamant and Lukas have the experience necessary to assemble the bombs; it's strategically placing them throughout the immense Fortress, while avoiding Helmstadt and the other members of the Neue SS, that's the truly difficult part. An additional complication is that even after this is accomplished, to ensure everyone else can make it to safety first, someone will need to remain behind to set off the trigger device; the men quietly argue with each other over who should be the one to do this, without successfully reaching consensus.
Dobermann teams up with Diamant, while Hesse, Lukas, Gerhardt, Yevgeny, and the others also pair off to place the explosive devices, and the women remain by the radiotelegraph. They end up in a particularly dark, treacherous, cavernous part of the Fortress and start seeking an adequately concealed spot to place their device, as Helmstadt and his men, in addition to staging attacks, are trying to neutralize the bombs, and they can't afford to lose any more of them if they wish to completely destroy the Fortress. Dobermann locates a spot and stretches to insert the explosive so it'll detonate with the most effective force possible; as he pulls his arm back, letting out a breath, he feels a pebble under his foot slip, and with an alarmed yell tumbles sideways--impulsively reaching out and dislodging the device as he does so--bouncing once, flipping, and hurtling over a cliff. He slams into the cliffside, knocking the breath from his lungs, a searing pain shooting through his shoulder; blinking in confusion, he first glances down at the jagged rocks jutting from the cavern floor far below him, then up--Diamant is lying flat on his belly, gripping a protruding rock with one hand, Dobermann's own hand with the other. Although he's holding on to the sharp rock hard enough to draw blood, Dobermann can see that he's slowly slipping.
He starts twisting his hand, startling Diamant, who demands to know what he's doing and to stop, or he'll drop him. "If you don't let me go, we'll both fall!" Dobermann snaps, "Someone has to put back the bomb!" Diamant refuses--"What about Addy?--what about Inga?"--and his voice cracks--"I'm not letting you go." Even in the middle of his terror, Dobermann hears that crack in Diamant's voice, and it confirms another suspicion he's had for a long time, yet couldn't prove: Like Hesse, Diamant loves Inga.
Dobermann looks at Diamant's right hand gripping his, sees a scar upon it, remembers that Diamant always wields his revolver in his left hand. Why would he grab Dobermann with his right hand, if he's lefthanded?--unless his right hand isn't strong enough to do things, and he'd grabbed with it out of pure instinct. "You have to try to pull yourself up!" Diamant urges; Dobermann manages to grasp on with both hands and pull himself closer to look Diamant in the eyes. "Look after her," he says.
Diamant blinks, brow furrowing. "What--?"
"You promised," Dobermann says, and Diamant blinks again, understanding entering his eyes--years ago when he and Dobermann shook hands, after he'd promised to look after Inga and Adelina. "Look after her," Dobermann repeats himself, and wrenches Diamant's hand with both of his own, making him cry out and let go. Dobermann lets out his own panicked yell as Diamant shrinks away above him, arm outstretched, the word "Neiiiiiiiinnnnnn...!" echoing off the cavern walls--icy wind whips up past him--he doesn't have to look to know all those jags of stone are hurtling up as he's hurtling down faster and faster, and Dobermann clenches his teeth with a whimper and shuts his eyes
pain
dark
...
Dobermann In Heaven
...
dark
pain
Dobermann's eyes fly open and he sits bolt upright with a gasp, arms immediately going around him, trying to hold himself together--his torn skin--shattered bones--punctured insides. He blinks again--it's light--not dark--he pulls his arms back and looks down, sees no blood, no bone. Looks at his hands--confused--presses them to his ribs and his back--he could have sworn he felt it, the impact, the break, right there at the end--yet now, suddenly, no pain, no wounds. It then hits him--the end--he remembers the Fortress, ice, spikes of stone, Diamant's anguished face--yet now here he is...wearing a Prussian outfit? He stares at his double-breasted jacket for a moment, then looks to his side--he's not lying in the rocks, he's stretched out upon a bed. Looks up and ahead. A large room surrounds him, windows, doors overlooking a veranda--gauzy drapes swaying in a warm breeze--soft sounds without. Dobermann stares across his own old bedchambers on his family estate, mute.
After a moment of staring, feeling his panicked heartbeat begin to slow, he carefully pulls himself from the bed and slowly stands. Starts taking tentative steps across the room. Pauses before the full-length mirror when he spots himself, looks himself up and down--sees no injuries, and also, he hadn't been wearing clothes like this in the Alpine Fortress. He tries to shake off the eerie feeling he has--like he just stepped out of a violent, noisy, chaotic dream and into a gentle, quiet, isolated reality, the sleep vision still echoing in his ears--and continues toward the veranda. Exits, steps out onto the paving stones, holds a hand up to his eyes although he's standing in shadow, meaning it must be morning; he sees the distant forms of people here and there, working the land, feeding the livestock, hanging out clothes. A stable boy spots him, waves as he passes. Dobermann just stares, uncomprehending.
Behind him, a soft but clear knock. He whirls around abruptly, heart crowding up into his throat. The knock came from the door which, if this is in fact his old home, leads out to the hallway...but what is he doing here, how is he in his old home? The soft knock comes a second time, a bit louder; Dobermann gingerly approaches, grasps the handle, hesitates, twists. Slowly cracks open the door, heart starting to thud hard again, unsure what he'll see or if he wants to. Peers out, then down slightly, as his visitor is shorter than he is. Takes in a shaking breath, disbelief.
The woman standing before him, blond hair in an upsweep and bun, clad in a long white gown, widens her eyes, clasps her hands to her breast. "Louis," she says softly, and her eyes brim with tears--"My boy!"--and she steps forward and hugs him close.
Dobermann blinks repeatedly, his own eyes blurring. "Mutter...?" he murmurs.
Ilse leans back but doesn't let him go. She cups his face, kisses his forehead--"My boy, my baby boy, you're home"--and hugs him again.
Dobermann still doesn't understand. "Where...where am I?" he asks.
Ilse finally lets him go, dabs at her eyes, swallows. "You're home," she says, then, "Your new life." When he only stares at her she ventures, "What's the last thing you remember...?"
He stares at her a moment, not quite believing it's her...maybe he just stepped out of one dream and into another one. "Falling," he says; "I was falling." Looks around. "Am I dreaming...?"
Ilse's expression changes, sadness flitting through her eyes. "Nein," she says, "not dreaming." Then, "Oh, Louis...I'm so glad to see you...yet I'm so sorry. You shouldn't be here so soon...you should have had your whole life. I'm so sorry."
Your whole life. The realization, understanding, finally hits. Dobermann has to take a breath, feels his legs buckling. Ilse grasps his arm--"Bitte, over here, sit, sit"--and helps him sit in a chair. He stares into space, thoughts roiling, before--"Inga," he says, and glances up at his mother. "Inga--?" he says again, more urgently.
"She's fine," Ilse says.
"You're sure--?"
"I'm sure, Liebe. She's fine. You saved her."
"Addy?"
"They're fine. You saved them both. You don't have to worry."
Dobermann lets out his breath. He's nearly overwhelmed with relief...yet the grief comes immediately after, weighing heavily. "I should be with them," he says. "I should be there, not here."
"I know, Liebe, but what's to be done?"
"I'm not sure how much you know...we were apart for so long. I only just found her again...I don't know how she can handle it. It almost broke her the first time." His vision blurs. "And Addy...I was barely ever there at all."
"Liebe..." Ilse takes his face in her hands, tilts it up, looks in his eyes. "You raised your daughter well."
Dobermann averts his eyes. "I didn't raise her at all."
"You did. You're her biggest influence, larger than life...she always looked up to you. And you raised her well, you just don't know it."
"I was never there when she needed me. I had no idea what I was doing...so I just did nothing. I should have been there for her."
"We all make mistakes. Yet you were there when it mattered most. You gave her everything she needs to press on even with you gone. She's stronger than you know. And she'll use what you gave her to help her mother through." She strokes his face. "You did everything you could, Liebe, with everything you had. They'll hurt...but they'll be fine."
Dobermann isn't convinced. He peers around himself, down at his hands. Remembers how he wrenched Diamant's hand, the look on Diamant's face as he plummeted. Diamant did far more. Took action, while Dobermann stood back. Everything feels off.
"I feel like I don't belong here," he murmurs. "I never did enough...I could've done a lot more. Like Inga, even though she knew it was dangerous. I didn't want to be involved. I just wanted to be left alone."
"Louis, it's not a character flaw, it's just who you are. And you worked through it, you did what you could...don't you remember?"
"I didn't do enough. I was selfish." His vision blurs again and although he despises it, he feels the heat stream down his face.
A pause. Ilse sits on the chair arm, strokes his hair. "If loving your family enough to fight against every doubt and discomfort you have is selfish, then the world needs more selfish people in it. You can sit here, after everything you did, and still doubt that it was enough...? You're here, Louis. You're not here by accident. It means something. You left the world a little better for having had you in it...that's enough."
An odd memory--the young mayor of the mountain town, smiling at him, telling him his family's kindness had never been forgotten--flits through Dobermann's head. He'd sent money and goods to the town, the city, the hospital, with barely any thought. It just felt right; he never looked for or expected thanks, was uncomfortable when it was offered. Similar with allowing refugees to pass through his house...with saving Schäfer...with saving Hesse...with heading off from home so long ago, away to the front. With letting go of Diamant's hand, making sure he would live, would remain behind to look after Inga and Adelina. He's always considered himself rational, thinking things through to a fault, yet every one of these actions he took following his heart. With barely a second thought.
It's enough.
He takes a breath, lets it out. "Will I see them again...?" he asks, a crack of grief in his voice.
His mother clasps his hand. "You will," she says. "Hopefully not for a very long time."
Dobermann nods, rubs his eye. Another soft knock comes at the door; he lifts his head, looks at it, then at her. "Are you ready?" she asks; he steadies himself and nods again, and they both stand and walk toward the door. Ilse opens it, just slightly at first; someone brushes past her into the room. Dobermann's father smiles from ear to ear--"Louis"--and gives him a hard, quick hug. Then, suddenly, his uncle Ewald, beaming up at him and patting his arm, and his brother Horst, hugging and clapping him on the back--"Knew you'd end up here!" He's so caught up in all their greetings that it takes him a moment to notice another person standing back in the hall, looking on; his face lights up when Dobermann looks at him.
"Herr Ehrhard," Dobermann exclaims, recognizing the old chief of his help staff, who passed away some years previously. He's a bit surprised to see him there...but recalls the farm workers and washerwomen he saw outside, people who presumably once worked on the estate long ago, why should Herr Ehrhard not be here as well.
His family take a step back to give him space as he approaches Herr Ehrhard. He holds out his hand and the older man clasps it, tears springing to his eyes; he'd never been particularly emotional, good old steadfast Ehrhard, taking control of the estate whenever Dobermann wasn't able to, never complaining once, loyal to the end, but he's emotional now. Dobermann squeezes his hand to let him know it's all right. Still, "Why are you here...?" he asks, "You have family, ja...?"
Herr Ehrhard sniffles and nods. "Ja...I've been here so long, I could never say it, obviously, yet I always felt your family was my family. I was here when your father was young...and then you...and Fräulein Adelina...I wish only I could have stayed longer. I'm sorry you're here so soon, Herr Dobermann, yet I'm glad to see you. This is where I belong, if you'll have me."
"Of course," Dobermann says, his throat hurting; Herr Ehrhard did as much work raising him and Horst as did their parents. "You're my family as well," he adds, and Herr Ehrhard gets a look that helps him understand; he may have been a simple servant, toiling doing nothing hugely important, just simple servant things, things that would never seem to matter in the grand scheme of things...yet they mattered to him, and to Ehrhard, and that's enough.
He lets go of Herr Ehrhard's hand; Herr Ehrhard takes a step back. "Would you like to go for a walk...?" Ilse murmurs, "Sort your thoughts a little?" Dobermann takes a breath and nods. Father, uncle, brother, smile and bob their heads; they'll still be here when he gets back. Ilse loops her arm about his and heads back for the veranda, Dobermann accompanying her; they step out onto the paving, peer up at the sky, out across the wide, spreading fields swaying with grass, the distant woods, the even more distant low mountains. Dobermann thinks of the mountain town, then remembers the walks he and his mother would take, the sun-dappled leaves and fluffy clouds during the day, the stars wheeling far overhead and the Northern Lights dancing at dusk. His throat hurts again, his eyes sting. He realizes just how much he's missed this.
"I'll see them again...?" he asks a second time.
Ilse doesn't even hesitate. "You will, Liebe."
"What do I do until then...? She's my North Star...they both are."
"You'll see them before you know it. Time has no meaning here. Ein Augenblick, an eyeblink, a moment, they'll have lived a lifetime yet you'll see them again. You have your own life to live until then...a day, a year, a decade...whatever you wish. You can see it, live it all, again."
Dobermann stares out across the sunlit, swaying grass; the shaded woods, the looming hills. The clear sky vaulting overhead, seemingly without end. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, the scent of crops, damp earth, wind. Opens his eyes again, peers at his mother, only she's tall now, looking back down at him as he looks up. Even cast in shadow he can see her gentle smile. His little fingers curl within hers as she clasps his hand.
"Would you like to go for a walk, mein Liebchen...? I can tell you a story along the way."
Louis nods. Then...just faintly...a small smile. His mother steps off the edge of the paving--he hops down after her--and they start off through the rustling grass, toward the distant trees. A moment, a lifetime, it's all the same. It's enough.
Song for Louis Dobermann:
Trivia
*Louis Dobermann is one of my oldest characters; it took over thirty years and several attempted story reboots for me to finally understand his motivations. As such, he's gone through various permutations over the years, and has changed drastically from his original form.
His earliest known version--a character I liked to portray in childhood schoolyard play--was an overly serious, fanatical, yet bumbling and goofy Nazi, who was frequently being trapped, tricked, and bested by the Trench Rats whom he was always trying to capture.
The version of him that appeared in the earliest written versions of the story was not much different, though a bit less goofy, and now subservient to "Woofwoof Hitler," who himself assumed much of "Inspector Dobermann's" previous fanaticism. (He liked to yell, "Zose...dirty...TRENCH RATS!")
His character developed a more serious intermediate phase when I entered junior high and high school; by then he was murky and mysterious, spoke little, and while he seemed to have a penchant for occasionally murdering people (in Inspector Dobermann To The Core, I think, he stomped on some ice and sent somebody plunging into the water, for example), hints were given that he had his reasons, which I still didn't understand--I figured it would become clear in time.
Somewhere between goofy late Eighties Dobermann and ominous Nineties Dobermann, he acquired an outspoken daughter--Bambush--who was always intended to be an ally. I believe a forerunner of Gerhardt existed, possibly with a different name. Dobermann was intended to have two goofy henchmen named (Night)Stalker and Deserta, as well as some attack dobermans; I know these characters date to around 1989-91 as Deserta was loosely inspired by a junior high science teacher. It was unintentional, but I believe traces of the scrapped Nightstalker (likely a doberman) and Deserta (German shepherd) still persist in Gunter Hesse and Theodor Schulte. Recently my mother located a character list of proposed "McDonald's characters (miniatures)" (presumably Happy Meal toys) which I cannot definitely date but I believe it's from around this period, as it includes these two and the "Trench Mice," female counterparts of the Rats which I briefly toyed with in junior high before scrapping; the list goes thus:
1. Gold Rat
2. Black Rat
3. Inspector Dobermann
4. Woofwoof Hitler
5. Bambush Dobermann
6. Cramby
7. Deserta
8. Stalker [NOTE--AKA Nightstalker]
9. Moogle
10. Boxy
11. Jesse
12. Pink Mouse [NOTE--later renamed Pinky, she was Gold's equivalent]
13. Red Mouse [NOTE--later renamed Reddy, she was Black's equivalent]
14. Mice's dog
15. Pudlen (poodle) [NOTE--looks like this was originally "Pudel"]
16. Red Rat
17. Dalmy (Dalmatian)
18. Crough (Dobermann's doberman [he has three--one killed--this is one]) [NOTE--near this is written "Crohough, Crough"--variant spelling efforts)
19.
20.
I'm uncertain of some of these names but here are my guesses: Cramby: Sergeant Holt?; Moogle: A Trench Rat transport dog??; Boxy: Ditto? (probably a boxer); Jesse: Ditto (I'm just about positive Jesse was a Great Dane transport dog, probably belonging to Gold); Pink Mouse: Corporal Pinky Mouse; Red Mouse: Sergeant Reddy Mouse; Pudlen: A transport dog?; Dalmy: Ditto?; Crough: One of Dobermann's pack of trained attack dogs which no longer exist in the current story. The last two toy slots were never filled in. I must have never really developed many of these, given that I no longer remember them.
By the early 2000s, when I was beginning to write adult-themed fiction, Dobermann had acquired a sort of dominant personality; characters Inga Dobermann and Senta Werner first appeared (to the best of my knowledge), the former as Dobermann's definitely deceased wife who willingly engaged in a dominant/submissive relationship, the latter as a romantic interest of Dobermann's. (I've kept the sexual tension between Senta and Dobermann in the current version, though it's from Senta only--the two do not get involved--and obviously Inga is still alive. The dominant/submissive dynamic has meanwhile been transferred in a mildly different form to Gunter Hesse and Sophie Sommer.)
I'm unsure, but I believe it was somewhere around this time, or a bit earlier, when I first tried to determine why Dobermann carries the title "Inspector." He was loosely inspired by Louis/Ludwig Dobermann, a tax collector and the original breeder of doberman pinschers, but was never intended to be based on him. Still, originally, he was to be some sort of civil authority, presumably a police inspector, and was to appear wearing a peaked cap and possibly a uniform. I don't know that any early art of him like this exists but if it does, it's likely lost. I then came up with the theory that he was some sort of disgraced noble, likely a baron, who had lost his noble status for some reason; this seemed to coexist with his inspector title, rather than supplant it. These ideas didn't go much further than this at the time.
The previous written story version dated to 1990; the second attempted reboot occurred around 2003. A handful of chapters were written--including one in which Dobermann shoots and kills an unwanted visitor in front of an early version of Private Helmstadt--and a novella/extended excerpt focusing on Silver, Reseda, and Vischer was planned but both efforts soon fizzled out. This was the last yet most recent depiction of Dobermann as being casually murdery when it suited him. The story went dormant again for nearly twenty years as I worked on other plots. It resurfaced in late 2021; Dobermann was initially not a focus of new ideas, yet he gained my interest early on. I created a file to keep note of the dates of major plot epiphanies and the first one is: "learned Dobey's purpose 12/2/21." This was the date on which the plot details solidified that Inga Dobermann was in fact alive and was Jewish, and Dobermann decided to continue the resistance efforts she'd been engaged in before being caught. After over thirty years of development, I finally realized that Dobermann is not a casual murderer, a Nazi, or a bad guy; he's not even morally ambiguous, as I'd attempted to depict in the late Nineties/early 2000s. He's a good guy, and has been all along.
Over the following months further details emerged. Dobermann's actual name is von Dobermann; he's in fact a baron as planned, AKA a Freiherr, though his noble status is technically revoked with the rise of the Weimar Republic, rather than out of any sort of disgrace. He's a former soldier but is no longer involved in the military or any government posts. I retconned the problematic "Inspector" title by coming up with a concurrent reason why he's still often referred to by noble title and is so widely respected by the people and feared by the Nazis; he and his family have done numerous favors for the city and he was granted an honorary title despite his lack of rank. I wished to continue with his peaked-cap appearance but could not justify it. In an eBay listing, I came across a German "night watchman's" cap (I later learned it's called a kepi) from around this time period and decided to use this design for Dobermann; it made no sense for him to wear this cap "just because," so it became part of the city folks' honorary "Inspector" status, which I now modified to include an honorary "city watchman" role. The cap was modified to include the title "Wächter." By now, the "Inspector" title that once was so preeminent in this character is mostly obsolete, and barely used. He goes by the title Herr or Freiherr/Baron (despite the latter having no more standing); I've since determined that in the Great War he attained the rank of Hauptmann (captain), though as he's no longer military, he's not often referred to as this. So, we have Herr Dobermann; Freiherr (von) Dobermann; Wächter/Watchman Dobermann; Hauptmann Dobermann; not so much Inspector Dobermann. I hold on to the title mainly out of nostalgia.
By the time most of these details were resolved, the plot called for Dobermann not to survive the story's end. So although I finally determined Dobermann's true character and motivations after a lifetime of not knowing for sure, it was a bittersweet revelation.
*Dobermann was originally loosely inspired by tax collector and dog pound owner Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann; I kept the name, but other than that, the two no longer bear any association whatsoever.
*There's some anachronism here in that the von Dobermann family itself obviously predates the "creation" of this dog breed (1890s).
*[Coming soon.]
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