Raising his head, Hitler glowered at Hi, who still stood, at a loss, by the table. "I just caught him," Kegel told the Führer with great satisfaction, "here in your quarters."

The frowning Führer began getting out of the coffin. Hi frantically searched his mind as he waited to be grilled. He wished he was dreaming all this. Then the wish gave Hi an idea.

"My robe," Hitler said hoarsely. Kegel fetched it from a peg and helped Hitler into it. Tying the belt, Hitler walked over to Hi, standing contritely by the table, and crossed his arms on his chest. Hitler cocked back his head and stared down his nose at Hi. "First," said the Führer, "how did you get past Schütze Bingle?"

Hi glanced at Bingle, who was looking on terrified from the doorway. Kegel, stepping to Hitler's side, looked smugly at Hi and leaned forward, as if eager to hear Hi's explanation.

Hi hesitated, as if about to confess some horrible misdeed. "I explained to him that you were in danger," Hi finally told Hitler. "He had to let me in to confirm it."

"That's right, mein Führer!" scared Bingle exclaimed from the doorway. "I had to know if you were in danger!"

Hitler closed his eyes in forbearance, fists clenched under his folded arms, lips pressed tightly shut under his Charlie Chaplin moustache. After a moment he opened his eyes again and looked at Hi. "In danger from what?" he asked in a quiet, controlled tone.

Hi sighed remorsefully, seeming almost near tears. "Mein Führer, I've made a terrible mistake." Hi gestured toward the Dracaena palm. "I should never have brought these plants here. Can you ever forgive me?"

Hitler frowned with concern and impatience. "What are you talking about, Oberschütze?"

"I had a dream, mein Führer, a nightmare," Hi said with anguish, putting both hands to his head as he began pacing about. "I dreamt that the dragon's palm produces a secretion--called, in this nightmare, dragon's blood--that is lethal, even to vampires. I dreamt that Herr Kegel stood here and, in honor of you, held a cup to this, your own dragon's palm, as it poured dragon's blood from its stem. The Obergruppenführer drank it, and--and exploded, filling your quarters, mein Führer, with a thousand bloody pieces of himself." Hi seemed choked with emotion.

"Get to the point," Hitler growled. Kegel was listening to Hi with amazement. Here again was talk of vampires exploding.

"I woke up, in a cold sweat," Hi said, almost gasping for breath, "and I saw it, on the plant in my room. I saw dragon's blood oozing out of the stem"--Hi put a hand to his throat as if he would strangle--"as if it was ready to spew out and attack me, seeping into my pores, and--"

"Nonsense!" Hitler said, stepping closer to Hi. "Pull yourself together, Oberschütze. It was a dream, it--"

"No, mein Führer," Hi said half-hysterically, "the dream was an omen. Look!" Hi pointed at the stem of Hitler's Dracaena. "It is real, mein Führer. I ran here to see--to see if dragon's blood was coming out of your plant, endangering you. And look! there it is!"

Hitler looked. Sure enough, there was bloodlike red liquid on the Dracaena palm's stem.

"We've got to destroy them, mein Führer," Hi said urgently, "we've got to destroy all of these plants! They're endangering everyone on the compound!"

"Nonsense!" Kegel said. "You heard the Führer. It was only a dream."

"But see here, Kegel," the confused Führer said, pointing at the plant stem. "There is, uh--dragon's blood or whatever, on this plant."

"Mein Führer," Kegel said quietly, "may I have a word with you?"

Hitler followed Kegel over toward the coffin, away from Hi, who continued acting distraught. Kegel was not about to let his and the Countess's D.P.E. supply be destroyed. "There is nothing wrong with the plants," Kegel whispered to Hitler. "This imbecile has it all wrong."

Hitler looked quizzically at Kegel. "How can you be sure? There are such things as omens. If he dreamed--"

"He thought he was dreaming," Kegel said, no longer whispering. "He woke up from a dream, and, half-asleep, saw his damn plant was bleeding, and thought he had dreamed it. He had actually dreamed something else."

"But the plant was bleeding--that's the point," Hitler said in full voice. "Who cares what he dreamed? To be on the safe side, we destroy the plants, and--"

"Mein Führer," Kegel politely interrupted, "may I have another word with you?" Kegel and Hitler moved still further away from Hi. Kegel knew why the plant was bleeding: obviously the Countess had tapped Hitler's plant. Kegel wouldn't presume to ask Hitler what the Countess had been doing in his quarters. Kegel was perfectly willing to share her.

"I've been meaning to tell you," Kegel whispered. "I only recently found out myself." Noting Bingle still in the doorway, Kegel ordered him out with a nod of the head. Kegel then glanced back at Hi--who was wondering what Kegel was up to--to be sure Hi couldn't hear.

"What he calls dragon's blood," Kegel whispered to Hitler, "this Dracaena palm extract, is a drug. A non-addictive narcotic." Hitler looked at Kegel with amazement. Kegel whispered more quietly still, "I need not tell you, mein Führer, the potential--"

"Could you speak a little louder?" Hitler whispered. Hi wondered what the hell they were saying.

"Of course." Kegel put his arm around Hitler's shoulders, and whispered right in his ear. "You can see the potential such a substance has, if produced in sufficient quantity, both for large revenues and for--bribery enhancement." Hitler liked what he was hearing. "A fringe benefit to offer all deserving allies or minions."

"Yes," Hitler said, intrigued. "For their eternal enjoyment." Then he looked curiously at Kegel. "How do you know this?"

"Know what?"

"Remove your arm, please."

Kegel took his arm from Hitler's shoulders. "Forgive me, mein Führer." Kegel was trying to think of an answer to Hitler's question.

"How do you know this secret of the dragon's blood? That it is a non-addictive narcotic."

Kegel couldn't tell him the truth. If Kegel implicated the Countess, he would lose her promised affections. Kegel needed to implicate someone he would like to lose altogether. "Dorsch told me," he said.

"Dorsch? How did he know?"

"I should have asked. I'll ask him as soon as I see him. In fact, I'll go wake him up now."

Kegel left in a hurry, to talk to Dorsch before Hitler had a chance to.

Hitler mused for a moment. If Dorsch knew, what difference did the how make? The Führer felt good as he walked over to Hi. He was appreciative of Hi's great concern, however misguided, and of the unforeseen benefit Hi's plants had brought for the future.

"You've done it again, Oberschütze," Hitler said cheerily.

"I have?" Hi wondered what in the world Kegel had told him.

"You think this blood of the dragon could harm me. But the joke is on you." Hitler chuckled.

Hi smiled nervously. "How is that?"

"You may be told in due course. The important thing now is, you must nurture more plants." Hitler spoke amiably but firmly. "You must fill Gebäude Zwei and Gebäude Drei with them. Do you understand? You must give us that dragon's blood."

"I understand."

"The more you can give us, the better."

"I'll give you as much as I can."

Hitler smiled. "You will dine here this evening, with me and the officers."

Oh great, Hi thought, so I'm going to die after all.