Night had fallen outside. The Führer, despite news of an intruder, had spent all afternoon on his memoirs, then had napped in his coffin till eight. (He had heard something fall through the roof, but Dorsch and Kegel had handled it.) His second-floor quarters were Spartan, but had a pleasant bamboo decor, the base's only mahogany coffin, and a balcony overlooking the compound. The room was well lit with kerosene lamps. It was Kegel, knowing Hitler loved symbols, who had suggested a bamboo motif, Hitler having bamboozled the world. No one pointed out that bamboo is so hollow inside.

Hitler leaned forward to gaze at the seeds, while Kegel and Dorsch stood in front of the desk.

"What kind of seeds are they?" Hitler asked.

"He spoke of a dragon's palm," Kegel said. "He calls this a gift, to be discussed only with you." Kegel handed Hitler a small photo. "Please note, mein Führer, this photograph, found in the intruder's wallet." It was a picture of a Dracaena palm. "It is a plant. Perhaps the palm of which he speaks."

"I have seen that plant somewhere before," Dorsch said, thoughtfully rubbing one of his chins.

Hitler dropped the photo onto the desk. He began musingly pacing. "Who would carry pictures of plants around in his wallet?" he wondered aloud.

"Only a plant would, mein Führer," Dorsch said. Kegel signaled for Dorsch to be quiet.

Hitler continued to muse. "How did he know we are here?"

"That is what we must learn," Dorsch said, glancing defiantly at Kegel.

"I will torture it out of him," Kegel said. His mouth savored the word "torture" like blood.

"Allow me to offer my assistance," Dorsch said with feigned graciousness.

"Very kind of you," noted Kegel, smiling falsely.

Hitler picked up a few seeds between his fingers, for a closer look at them. He smelled them. There was a faint and not very pleasant odor. "Not edible, I assume," Hitler said.

"Would you like me to eat one?" Dorsch offered.

Hitler sprinkled the seeds back onto the cloth. "No," he said. "Not yet anyway." He regarded the seeds for a moment, then looked at Dorsch. "I want you to bring him to me."

For Hi the hours had dragged in the small locked room where he alternately sat and paced. When Dorsch unlocked the door and entered, Hi impatiently rose from his seat. "I demand to see the Führer," Hi said.

"Your demand is accepted."

"It is? Wait. I demand to use a bathroom first."

Dorsch and a Schütze escorted Hi to a bathroom. As Hi urinated, a torrent of thoughts ran through his mind. He tried to go over mentally what to say to the Führer. He wondered if Hitler would look the same as he did in the wartime newsreels. He wondered if vampires pee red.

When Dorsch took Hi into Hitler's quarters, the Führer was seated comfortably behind the desk in his bamboo swivel chair. Kegel stood smirking nearby. Hitler stared coldly at Hi, who looked thrilled at the sight of the Führer. Hi clicked his heels and gave the Nazi salute. "Heil, mein Führer!"

Hitler, Dorsch, and Kegel just stared.

"It's an honor to meet you, mein Führer," Hi gushed. "An absolute honor. I've been an admirer of yours since--well, since I read about the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923. I've been an admirer of your officers too. The kind of guys you have around you. That's what I want to be. There's nothing like being a Nazi. Right, guys? Especially the nocturnal kind."

After a moment, Hitler quietly asked him, "How did you know we were here?"

Hi promptly pulled a chair up to the front of the desk. "Well you see, mein Führer--" Hi then remembered his manners. "May I sit down?" he asked politely.

When he got no response, Hi sat down.

"You see, mein Führer, I have the reputation--I assume they told you my name, it's Hickenlooper. Hi."

"Hi," Hitler said. He didn't know if it was a name or a greeting.

"I have the reputation--well earned, I might add--of knowing the Amazon jungle better than any other fellow alive. So well, in fact, that the Western intelligence folks wanted me to help find you. Well I've found you, but not to help them. I'm here on my own. They don't even know where I am."

Hitler continued to stare.

"You can imagine my excitement," Hi went on, "when they told me the story--you being alive, a vampire here in the jungle."

"And why are you here?" Hitler asked.

Hi looked surprised by the question, as if the answer were obvious. "I want to be a part of it," he said. "I want to be a part of your team."

Hitler stared for a moment longer. Then his eyes, as Hi noted, moved to the seeds and photo on his desk.

"I know a bag of seeds, mein Führer, may not look like much of a gift," Hi said. "But it's a token of my sincerity." Eager to explain, Hi pulled his chair closer to the desk. "These are seeds, mein Führer, of the Dracaena palm. Dracaena means dragon. The picture is of the plant full grown. The ancient Greeks named this plant in honor of vampires. It makes a great house plant."

"My God," Dorsch interjected, suddenly remembering. "He is right, mein Führer. The castle of the Countess. That is where I saw that plant."

"Who's the Countess?" Hi asked.

"The Countess," Dorsch said, "is a lady who--"

"It's none of his business who the Countess is!" Kegel angrily told Dorsch.

Unfazed, Hi continued. "I know you like symbols, mein Führer--the swastika and all. I thought you might like to spruce up the place with some plants virtually named in your honor."

Hitler rose from his chair and began thoughtfully pacing. Hi waited, then said rather sheepishly, "I'm sorry if you don't like the plant, mein Führer. I could have brought a cake, but I was afraid it might get squashed when I landed."

"So you want to be a part of my team," Hitler said, still pacing.

"Yes, mein Führer," Hi said, rising expectantly from his chair.

"You want to be a vampire."

"Very much so. I'd be eternally grateful."

Hitler stopped pacing and regarded Hi. "And what have you to offer? Besides a bag of seeds."

"Knowledge, mein Führer," Hi said. "To begin with, I am fluent in German."

"So what?" Kegel said. "How's your Portuguese?"

"Fluent there too," Hi exaggerated. "And there's my unrivaled knowledge of this jungle, mein Führer, which serves as your refuge. I can serve as your eyes, your ears, as the need may arise."

Hitler thought that a good point. But it was the next point that really impressed him. "And a fortune," Hi said. "I am the sole heir of Hickenlooper Foods, one of the largest food companies in America. Every penny shall be at your disposal, as soon as my father is gone." Hitler began pacing again, somewhat faster than before. "All I ask in return, mein Führer, is the opportunity to serve you. Forever."

Hitler stopped, looked again at Hi, then glanced toward the Obergruppenführers. "What do you think, Herr Dorsch? Herr Kegel?"

"This food-giant father of yours," Kegel said to Hi. "How well is he?"

"He's got a bad heart," Hi lied. "He could go any day."

Hitler looked at Dorsch for his thoughts. "There is much food for thought here," Dorsch said.

"May I suggest," Kegel said, "a trial period for Herr Hickenlooper. Probationary status."

"Subject, of course, to immediate termination," Dorsch added.

"Such as a dip in our pool," Kegel said.

Hitler was letting these dolts feel important. He had already made his decision. In addition to the points made, the Führer had thought of something else--something vitally important, and having nothing to do with the jungle, a fortune, or plants--that made this fellow seem almost a godsend.

"You are accepted, Herr Hickenlooper," Hitler said, walking back to his desk chair, "on a provisional basis."

"Thank you, mein Führer," Hi exulted.

"Your knowledge, not to mention your fortune, may indeed come in handy." Hitler sat down.

"What a moment," Hi said. "My mom would be some kind of proud. I can't tell you how much this means, I--"

"Then don't," Kegel stopped him. "You have taken enough of the Führer's time." Kegel signaled to Dorsch to take Hi away.

Hi looked at the seeds, which were still on Hitler's desk. Hi of course wanted to be in charge of the plant's cultivation--and he wanted to get on with it. But he didn't want to make an issue of it, seeming pushy, right then, lest he arouse suspicion just when he had them bamboozled. Hi would wait. He saluted Hitler again with a raised arm and click of the heels. Hitler, his eyes having returned to his memoirs, half-raised an acknowledging hand. Hi turned to leave, Dorsch set to follow him.

"I do like the plant," Hitler said. Hi stopped and turned at the door. Hitler had picked up the photo and was regarding it. "It will add just the right touch." The Führer suddenly became angry. "Why did no one tell me before of this palm of the dragon's existence?"

For a moment Dorsch and Kegel didn't know what to say. "Why didn't you tell him?" Kegel then asked Dorsch accusingly.

"Because," Dorsch blustered, "because I thought that you would."

Hi acted puzzled as he returned from the door. "But you didn't know," he told Dorsch. "When I asked you, you--"

"I did know," Dorsch insisted.

"So did I," Kegel said.

"You didn't know," Hi told Dorsch.

"Did know," Dorsch insisted.

"Didn't."

"Did!"

"Didn't!"

"No, Dorsch, you didn't," Hitler interjected, thinking back. Dorsch froze, as did Kegel. "You couldn't even remember where--"

"Take him out," Kegel told Dorsch with a nod toward Hi. Complete evasion was the only way out now for the two Obergruppenführers.

"Neither one of you knew," Hitler said.

"I am taking him out," Dorsch told Kegel.

"You showed me this photo," said Hitler, "and--"

"You know where to take him," Kegel told Dorsch.

"You said, 'It's some kind of plant,' " Hitler recalled, "and--"

"You come with me," Dorsch told Hi.

"Wait!" Hitler screamed.

Dorsch and Kegel snapped to attention with simultaneous clicks of their heels.

Hitler sighed. "Do you see," he asked Hi, "what I have to deal with?" Then he bellowed at Dorsch, "I'll tell you when to take the man out!"

"I thought, sir," Dorsch said softly, "that Herr Hickenlooper's visit was over."

"It was not," Hitler softly replied. Then he looked kindly at Hi. "You are in charge of the plant's cultivation."

"Thank you, mein Führer," Hi said happily. He wouldn't have to ask after all.

Hitler looked again at Dorsch. "See that he has his own room in Gebäude Zwei," Hitler said in his routinely gruff manner, "and a table to work on."

"I will, mein Führer," Dorsch said. "Is that all?"

Hitler looked at Kegel, who was staring at Hi with resentment. "Don't just stand there, Kegel!" Hitler yelled, Kegel jumping. "Give our new Schütze his seeds!"