Читаем The Kindly Ones полностью

In Pyatigorsk, I couldn’t find Müller. The soldier on guard thought he must have gone to the AOK, but he wasn’t sure; I thought about waiting for him, then decided to leave: might as well report the incident directly to Bierkamp. I went to the sanatorium to get my things and sent my driver to scare up some gasoline at the AOK. It wasn’t very polite to leave without saying goodbye; but I had no desire to say goodbye to these people. In Mineralnye Vody, the road passed close to the factory, which lay behind the railroad, at the foot of the mountain; I didn’t stop. Back in Vorshilovsk, I wrote my report, confining myself mostly to the technical and organizational aspects of the action. But I also inserted a sentence about “certain deplorable excesses on the part of officers supposed to set an example.” I knew that would be enough. The next day, in fact, Thielecke came to my office to let me know that Bierkamp wanted to see me. Prill, after reading my report, had already asked some questions: I had refused to answer him, telling him it concerned no one but the Kommandant. Bierkamp received me politely, had me sit down, and asked what had happened; Thielecke was also present at the discussion. I related the incident to them as neutrally as possible. “And what do you think should be done?” Thielecke asked when I had finished.—“I think, Sturmbannführer, that it’s a case for the SS-Gericht, a court of the SS and the police,” I replied. “Or at the very least for a psychiatrist.”—“You exaggerate,” Bierkamp said. “Hauptsturmführer Turek is an excellent officer, very capable. His indignation and legitimate anger at the Jews, bearers of the Stalin system, are understandable. And also you yourself acknowledge that you didn’t get there till the end of the incident. No doubt there was provocation.”—“Even if those Jews were insolent or tried to run away, his reaction was unworthy of an SS officer. Especially in front of the men.”—“On that point you’re probably right.” He looked at Thielecke for an instant, then turned to me: “I’m planning on going to Pyatigorsk in a few days. I’ll discuss the incident myself with Hauptsturmführer Turek. Thank you for letting me know about these facts.”