Versailles – November 9, 1937 – 09:21 AM
The sun had finally begun to pierce the fog with timid golden rays as Émile entered the greenhouse of the Orangerie. The warm, humid air inside clashed sharply with the biting cold outside, and for a moment, he felt as though he had stepped into another country — or another time.
Security was tight. Two men in dark suits patted him down before allowing him in. A third led him past rows of citrus plants to a door hidden behind a carved wooden screen.
Inside, the air was thick with perfume and tension. Kurt Reiner sat at a table beside a silver samovar, poring over maps. He was smaller than Émile had expected — but denser. Steel-gray eyes. Spine straight as a blade.
"Mr. Verhaeren, I presume," he said, his German accent polished by years of diplomatic life.
"Yes. I came to inform you someone tried to kill you three hours ago."
Reiner raised an eyebrow, expression unchanged.
"Good to know I still bother people."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Nor a surprise."
Émile sat down uninvited. He glanced at the papers spread out on the table: escape routes, fake identities, contingency diagrams.
"The Orangerie isn't safe."
"Nowhere is," Reiner replied. "But this is among the least unsafe."
Silence hung between them like smoke. Finally, Émile asked:
"Why are you really here? The official story doesn't justify the risk."
Reiner looked at him. For the first time, the chancellor's eyes seemed human — tired, wary, but piercingly alert.
"Because there's a secret meeting tomorrow. The French, the British, and... a shadow from the Vatican. They're discussing a proposal that, if leaked, could ignite Europe."
"And you want to stop it?"
"I want to choose who lights the match."
Before Émile could respond, the door creaked open. Clara stepped in, flawless in a dark green dress and leather gloves. Behind her came Captain Ritter, still pale from the earlier attempt on his life.
"Apologies for the delay. I was changing identities," she said with a half-smile.
"A useful habit," Émile muttered.
"And an increasingly necessary one," Clara added, her gaze settling on Reiner with an unreadable glint.
"If we're going to stop a war, we must first know who's hoping to win it."