“The Arimaspian!” Tannenbaum’s ejaculation was a cry of pure joy. He grinned at Franz, willing to forget anything in the exuberant, crazy memory. “ ‘As when a gryphon thro’ the wilderness, with wingèd course, o’er hill or moory dale, pursues the Arimaspian.’ Sorry, sir.”
The Oberst had been caught quite off guard. “Some other time,” he muttered. His manic mood had been diluted by the baffling interruption. He looked at his watch once more.
“Well, then, here are your orders. Operation Greif is terminated.”
He held up his hand, signaling that rank was once more fully in effect and he wanted no more interruptions. “No. No. Greif has not been a failure. It has accomplished many of the things it set out to do and has succeeded less well in others. If Oberstgruppenführer Dietrich”—the tone no
