Читаем The Kindly Ones полностью

Finally his replacement arrived. Blobel didn’t drag things out: he gave us a brief farewell speech and took the first train to Kiev. No one, I think, missed him, especially since our new commander, Standartenführer Dr. Erwin Weinmann, stood in positive contrast to his predecessor. He was a young man, just a few years older than I, restrained, with a worried, almost sad face, and genuine National Socialist convictions. Like Dr. Thomas, he was a medical doctor by profession, but he had been working for several years in the Staatspolizei. He immediately made a good impression. “I spent several days in Kiev with Brigadeführer Thomas,” he informed us right away, “and he explained to me the immense difficulties the officers and men of this Kommando have had to face. You should know that it hasn’t been in vain, and that Germany is proud of you. I’m going to spend the next few days familiarizing myself with the Kommando’s work; to that end, I would like to have a frank, free discussion with each of you, individually.”