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Halstead watched the preparations for his address with pride and satisfaction, and sang “Deutschland über Alles” with the enthusiasm of the rest, until a catch in his throat prevented him from doing more than mouthing the words of the national anthem. The Reichskanzler returned the stares of the crowd, and basked in the gazes of respect from the men in the first few rows and the looks of admiration from the women standing beside them. One woman in particular, a pretty young blonde whose hair above her rich fur coat shimmered in the torchlight, stared up into his eyes with a gaze unwavering in the face of a phalanx of elite soldiers positioning themselves directly in front of her. The singing by both civilians and soldiers ended as the brigade at last settled into position facing the crowd, and then Halstead the new Reichskanzler began to speak. “People of Germany! Tonight is a night for celebration, for the celebration of a new beginning for both the German Workers’ Party and for Germany as a whole!” Cheers rippled through the masses huddled together in the last of the winter cold. “This very day, great victories have been achieved against the Communists in the Ruhr!” More cheers. “Now that the country is back at work and the lines of communication are open, our beloved Wehrmacht has been able to act decisively against the Red Army! Soon, very soon, the Ruhr will be restored to order, and the German workers located therein will be able to get back to what they do best! Work!” A few laughs drifted up from below. “Yes, but they will be working for the German people, not for the French on the far side of the Rhine!” There was a moment of collective hesitation in the crowd, and then wild cheering as they comprehended his words. “Germany will not pay the tribute that the Allies have demanded of her, not the new Germany! Germany will not pay the tribute agreed to by Herr Ebert and his cronies. No, the German people from this night forth shall engage in passive resistance! No more gold marks, no more commodities that represent the toil of the German laborer! No, Germany, as of this very week, has ceased to pay the so-called ‘reparations’!” The cheers grew into a delirious roar, and the brigade eyed the opposing crowd with uneasiness. “As I have said before, ‘I have cast fire upon the world, and, behold, I am guarding it until it blazes!’” |