The Mistery of Belicena Villca
The initially sardonic gesture on the Professor ' s face was turning aggressive , his eyes shone with anger . I didn ' t have it all my way and I already felt the blood boiling in my veins . After all , in that 1937 , I was 19 years old and the proud Professor , no more than 25 or 26 , that is , ages at which words and gestures should be measured ...
– Von Sübermann – he said violently – I must thank your good will , but you are the last person that I would take to Asia , do you understand me ?
– No , Herr Professor --I replied , because I really didn ' t understand why Professor Schaeffer hated me to the point of not being able to disguise it .
– Don ' t you understand Von Sübermann ? --he started to scream in an uncontrolled manner-- . Well , I ' ll make it very clear . You are a sinister person , bearing an ignominious mark . Your presence is an affront in any spiritual realm , an affront to God , who in his infinite mercy allows you to live among men . You should be marginalized , separated from us or , better , exterminated like a rat , because you , Von Sübermann , pollute everything that surrounds you , you ... – continued Ernst Schaeffer with his insults , totally beside himself and I , who at first had been astonished upon hearing an allusion to the Sign , was reacting quickly .
Without thinking , I shot my right fist at the Professor ' s face , hitting him squarely on the chin . The blow was quite strong , as it sent him stumbling several meters away , on the classroom desks . The six students , alerted by Schaeffer ' s screams , rushed in his aid , and while four of them helped him get up , two others were holding me to prevent me from hitting him again .
I was engulfed in fury because the Professor ' s aggression had wounded me in the deepest . I was innocent ; I knew nothing of Marks or Signs ; I studied with my efforts put into seeking the good of the fatherland and that was without any doubt a noble end .
I did not understand Professor Schaeffer ' s hatred nor his desire to have me " exterminated like a rat ". – He ' s certainly crazy --I thought as I was dragged to the door by Ernst Schaeffer ' s chosen alumni . – Take him away ! Get him out of my sight ! --he screamed completely beside himself-- . He is a liar and a murderer ! He says he does not understand but deep down in his heart knows it all , because he is the image of Lucifer tempter ! His purpose is to destroy our mission with his damned presence ...!
Minutes later the absurd accusations by Ernst Schaeffer were still ringing in my ears : Murderer , liar , ignominious mark , Lucifer ... God , what is this ?
– Are you okay Kurt ? – One of the “ chosen ” was shaking me by the shoulders , trying to get me to react . I looked at him , still blinded by fury and puzzled by the attitude of the Professor , and just then I recognized him . It was Oskar Feil , a good comrade from Vilna , Latvia . We became friends in the early years of the NAPOLA , when as " foreigners " we were mocked by our German comrades .
– Kurt , calm down --Oskar said-- . I have to go back to the classroom , but I have to talk to you . Meet me at the gym in half an hour .
I watched him walk away and shook my head trying to clear myself of that nightmare . I did not know that Oskar was part of the group selected by Ernst Schaeffer and I had no idea what he wanted to talk about , but I would wait for him because he was one of the few friends I had in Lissa . However that half hour of waiting would be as long as a century , as my mood drove me to leave immediately and return to Berlin , seat of the Flieger H . J .
After washing my face with cold water and ready to wait for Oskar , I stood in a lonely corner of the huge gym . I was calmer when my kamerad arrived . – Hi Kurt --he said-- I see you ' re better . – Yes Oskar . Everything is over . I ' m sorry I got out of control , but the insults of the Professor left me no other alternative . What did you want to talk to me about ? --I asked coldly , as I was ignorant of his position on what happened .
– Listen to me well Kurt , --he said-- . You are my friend , the only one in whom I can trust . I have been chosen by Ernst Schaeffer probably by mistake , because nothing unites me to him and to his group . Every day that passes , the more I realize that there is something strange in all this , but I live simulating , driven by the selfish desire to share the mission in Asia and gain the professional benefit it will bring to all its members . I would like to speak with full confidence with you so that you advise me , but you must promise me that you won ' t tell anyone what I say to you . Will you do it Kurt ? Can I trust in you ?
– Yes , you know you can Oskar – I said relieved – rest assured that no one will know about our conversation or its content .
– I take your word for it , Kurt . --he shook my hand to seal the pact-- . There are several extraordinary points in all this affair . The first is the place of the mission : Tibet . Obviously we were wrong when we assumed that it would be espionage . In Tibet there is nothing to spy ; there you go to look for something else . And that ' s not all . Nor is clear the criteria used in the selection of our
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