Anselm Bernhard sat calmly in the back seat of the German Volkswagen Kübelwagen, a four-seater designed by Ferdinand Porsche and, ironically, built by a U.S. firm in Berlin. The common vehicle for Nazi officers, his was driven by his junior officer, Hilgendorf.
Bernhard couldn"t be bothered with reading dispatches from Berlin. He spent the hours riding south past Naples and through the southern towns, peering at the passing landscape. He snorted once, telling Hilgendorf that the southern Italians must be beasts of the earth because their land was barren. He wondered how anyone with promise could live here, then satisfied himself by concluding that the primitive people of the south had no promise, so their environment was fitting.
“Where are we going?” asked the lieutenant.
“South. To Ma
