The Mistery of Belicena Villca
As I spoke I was struck by the doubt that there had been an unexpected misunderstanding , because of some mistake made by me in the interpretation of instructions . But no matter how much I reflected , I could find no reason that could have caused Tarstein ' s surprise when asking about the reception of other applicants to the Thulegesellschaft . Or is it that , indeed , other applicants never came to Gregorstrasse 239 ? This was finally confirmed to me by Konrad Tarstein a few minutes later . He approved everything I said with a gesture of his bald head and , after putting the card in a leather briefcase , he invited me to go inside the huge ramshackle house .
The room where we were connected to the street door through a corridor from the small hall . To the right was a staircase of fine polished and carpeted wood , which , by means of a ninety-degree curve , led to the upper floor and continued on the railing , which extended laterally along a corridor , perfectly visible from below . Towards the front of the room opened two doors with large carved wooden frames . Taking through the door on the right we accessed , with Tarstein , an open courtyard , surrounded by galleries with small columns under Norman arches , in each of which doors were opened . Following the gallery on the left , we walked the distance to one side of the tiled patio and continued through a transverse gate that led us to another patio , this one closed with a bell jar , while the gallery stretched across this courtyard to die on the back wall .
Before we got there , we entered the last of the countless doors that led to the transposed galleries . The place where we had arrived , after so labyrinthine excursion , was truly amazing . As I closed the door that led to the gallery , it would seem that we were entering a modern apartment , more like being in a skyscraper on Bernaverstrasse than there , in the heart of a decaying 18th century mansion .
– Are you surprised , Mr . Kurt ? --Konrad Tarstein asked smiling-- . I had it remodelled a wing of this old house to live with some comfort . No big deal , rather simple , but comfortable for someone who has already covered great part of the final road .
... See Kurt , this is the kitchen , modern and well installed ; this , the dining room and living room . This way , please . See , these are the bedrooms , there are two because I usually receive a married couple of old friends as guests . Come this way Kurt ; see , this is the main room , where I spend most of the day and the night .
We were in front of a large room , with the four walls covered with bookshelves . In the center , under a height-adjustable square lamp that hung from the ceiling , a table covered with books , some open , others stacked , and several manuscripts , it allowed to guess the work or study place of Konrad Tarstein .
Somewhat overwhelmed by the particular spectacle I was witnessing and containing the desire to go immediately to examine the spines of the books , which were obviously very old , I contained my anxiety and asked :
– Why here ? Why build a house inside another house ? Wasn ' t it more feasible to acquire another more comfortable property in a more respectable neighborhood ?
– Easy , easy , Kurt , --Tarstein said-- this has been done like this for an important reason : We cannot abandon this property that is very dear to us . In it , very important things have happened for Germany and Humanity . Therefore , although few are those who usually visit it , we keep it intact , without changing anything of its old and disconcerting furniture . Thirty years ago , in 1908 , a secret group operated here whose members founded the Germanenorden in 1912 , which would later lead to the Thulegesellschaft and the N . S . D . A . P . Do you understand now why we must keep this house ? – Because it all started here , --I said admiringly . – Exactly , here the history of the next millennium began to be written . Here , only here , the Unknown Superiors came one day to seal the foundation of the Third Reich !! Berlin will fall from its foundations before a pin can be touched in this sacred house .
When Konrad Tarstein spoke in this way , his shrill voice took on prophetic tones and became magnetic and attractive , making one forget at times the bizarre aspect of the person who emitted it .
– Let ' s have a cup of tea --Tarstein proposed-- and I ' ll let you know a few things about the Thulegesellschaft and the arrangement we have done with Rudolph Hess over your admittance .
I accompanied him regretting leaving that fascinating library , until the brand new kitchen . We left the library through another door , adjacent to the one we had entered , and we went back to the gallery and the patio . I understood , thus , that Konrad Tarstein ' s house extended over that entire wing of the old mansion , in front of the second floor . – How many rooms does the house have ? I asked while I sweetened the aromatic Shanghai Tea . – Counting both floors , about ... thirty or thirty-two rooms --he answered enigmatically-- . Who could know ? – He looked at me for a long moment , as if doubting whether he should stop there or complete the answer . At last something in him seemed to relax , and he opted for the second alternative .
418