They spoke in whispers as they took in the layout. "Looks pretty quiet," Hi said. "Most of 'em are probably asleep, like good little vampires."

"That balcony with the swastika," McKay said, studying Neuanfang's Gebäude Ein (Building One) through binoculars. "Guess whose quarters."

Diego read the Gothic script on the plaque above the balcony: " 'Neuanfang.' What does that mean?"

" 'New Beginning,' " Hi said.

Diego chuckled. "We'll put a stop to that," he said. Then he looked at Hi. "How do we do it?"

"What does 'Gebäude Ein' mean?" McKay asked, referring to the plaque below the Neuanfang plaque.

"Building One," Hi said.

McKay said, "That means the others are--"

"Buildings Two, Three, and Four," Diego concluded.

Hi said, "Anybody writing this down?" The next Schütze would soon walk past, and they had seen about all they could see anyway without going onto the premises. "Let's get back to Nova Dolencia," Hi said, "and figure out a plan." They crept back a few yards through the shielding undergrowth, then waited till the Schütze, who still might possibly hear them, had time to go by. They then headed back for Nova Dolencia through the dense foliage, Hi leading the way.

The undergrowth thinned out the deeper they went into the canopied jungle. "I've got to get to Manaus," McKay finally said, walking last behind Diego, "and get word to my superiors. They can have commandos out here in a matter of--"

"That's not the way," Hi interrupted over his shoulder. "We can't simply go in with commandos. Not at first."

"Why not?" McKay wanted to know.

"Because of Eva. I'm bringing her back--alive, so to speak." Hi stopped and waited for McKay, to look the Britisher firmly in the eye. "We're taking no chance of having her killed with the others. Now that we have a cure."

"The cure sounds pretty farfetched to me," McKay groused. He wasn't prepared to argue for killing Hi's used-to-be, whom Hi clearly desired as his will-be-again.

"I'm willing to try it," Hi said. "Got any better ideas?" Hi turned and resumed walking, Diego and McKay following. "What are commandos going to do anyway? Shoot 'em? That won't faze a vampire. Chase 'em with hammers and stakes? Or crosses? Or garlic?"

"And what would you do?" McKay countered, almost shouting over Diego's shoulder at Hi. "Have them force-fed with that Chinaman's extract, then wait for six hours?"

"Five hours and a half," Hi said, brushing a long fern stalk out of his way. Diego, following, caught the stalk with his hand.

"Don't get cute with me, Hickenlooper," McKay warned.

"Shut up," Diego told McKay. Diego let go of the stalk and it hit McKay in the face. Diego asked Hi, "Got any kind of plan, compadre?"

"With that guy around?" After a moment, Hi said, "I'll have one by this time tomorrow."

Hi spent the next day by the river at Nova Dolencia. He was thinking, scheming, and preferred to do it alone. While Hi sat staring at the river's brown water, Diego and McKay bounced around some ideas of their own, in the shack the three rented from Maneco. As they talked, Diego and McKay cracked Brazil nuts and drank pineapple juice. They had to keep the shack open, to get a little breeze, despite the drunken whoops and ceaseless samba music outside.

McKay favored dropping some atomic bombs, one on the Nazi compound itself and two or three in the surrounding area, to make sure all the vampires were fried. Diego suggested a conventional force, overwhelming the Nazis, whether vampires or not, with sheer numbers. Hitler, after all, was a war criminal, and ought to be put on trial. What a nitwit, thought McKay. He reminded Diego that this was a secret operation. The world would be better off not knowing, after so many lives had been lost, that Hitler not only had given the Allies the slip, but was now potentially immortal. It would be a black eye for Ike, Churchill, and everyone else. No, Western intelligence would quietly handle this matter, while the world went about its business.

Diego asked how atomic explosions--assuming they would have any lasting effect on vampires--could be kept secret. "We would use small bombs," McKay answered. And what, asked Diego, about Nova Dolencia, which might take virtually a direct hit? "That's the beauty of it," McKay said, "it would blow this place off the map." And what, Diego asked, about Eva? McKay threw down his Brazil nuts with disgust. "Stop asking questions," he said, "and think up some answers yourself."

That night, in Maneco's shack of a restaurant, Hi was too busy thinking to eat. Maneco's rather ragged but sexy eighteen-year-old daughter had served them three bowls of fish soup, prepared with one fish cut in thirds. Hi was served the tail, but ignored it. Diego got the middle and dug in, while he and Maneco's daughter playfully eyed each other. McKay, who was given the head, just nibbled around the gills.

"You don't want the eyes?" asked Diego.

"Nah, you can have 'em," McKay said, shoving the whole bowl toward Diego.

"I've got a plan," Hi announced. His companions looked at him eagerly. "It's going to take coordination. I'll be depending on you for the clockwork, McKay. And we'll need some help from my father. I'll leave that up to you, Diego. I'm not going to have time."

"May we have some details?" McKay asked. "What will you be doing?"

Hi smiled. "I'm going to pull a Rudolf Hess."

McKay stared at Hi incredulously. Diego was puzzled as he ate. "You're going to pull a what?" Diego asked.

McKay glanced with aggravation at Diego, and at Maneco's daughter whom Diego found so distracting.

"'A Rudolf Hess'," McKay repeated for Diego. "How can you think about eating that?" Diego, glancing at Maneco's daughter, was confused by the question. "The fish head," McKay clarified.

"It's a perfectly natural thing to do," Diego said. "Who was Rudolf Hess?"

"Hitler's top henchman," McKay said. "Until he took it upon himself to parachute into Scotland during the war."

Diego asked, "Why did he parachute into Scotland?"

McKay sighed with impatience. "He was a nut! He thought he could get the British to surrender." McKay looked hard at Hi. "What do you mean you're going to 'pull a Rudolf Hess'?"

Hi shrugged as if the answer was simple. "I'm going to parachute right into their camp."