Chapter 103. Back To Adolphine
July 1945 - January 1946
Adolphine was a tough girl. As time passed, she was slowly leaving behind the horrific memories of her abduction and torture by the SS and, by the end of the year, her mind was mostly healed. And, with fear mostly overcome, Adolphine began to diversify her daily schedule.
Obersalzberg and its magnificent environs were the antithesis of the gloomy subterranean Hirn. Besides Obersalzberg itself, with the
Berghof and the
Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest), Adolphine's
Sonderkreis (Special District) included the large mountainous, forested and picturesque
Berchtesgaden National Park and the superb lake
Königssee.
Of course, Adolphine could not spend the rest of her life in Obersalzberg, however beautiful it might have been. Her first visit to nearby Berchtesgaden was quite stressful at first but, seeing that the town was quiet and everybody was friendly, Adolphine calmed down and enjoyed walking, shopping and talking to normal people. However, she was armed with a
Walther P38 and accompanied by at least a dozen guards in plain clothes who were always nearby to protect her from harm.
Soon afterwards, Adolphine began to travel: Salzburg, München, Braunau am Inn, Linz, Nürnberg, Köln, Frankfurt, Breslau, Königsberg, Memel, Danzig... Her plan was to visit the whole Reich but she would obviously need many years for that.
Adolphine travelled by car on the extensive
Reichsautobahn network. Her car was an engineering marvel, probably the best car in the whole World. It was a
Mercedes-Benz 770 W150, greatly enhanced with a series of futuristic add-ons installed by the Hirn's robots: radio, car phone, three point seat belts, basic airbags, electro-hydraulic powered brakes and steering and even a limited but usable automatic gear changing system.
One of the most shocking features of Adolphine's Mercedes was its ability to be fully controlled by a robot, giving the impression of a self driving vehicle. During her long journeys, Adolphine would simply plug in Olaf and let him drive the car while she relaxed, enjoying the scenery.
Besides her ever present guards who travelled in their own cars, Adolphine was usually alone because Gretl's child Barbara was less than one year old, Eva's pregnancy was already advanced and Hitler was not supposed to leave Obersalzberg (and, being a robot, had no desire to travel).
Of course, while the guards were welcome, Adolphine had the means to defend herself in case of danger. Her car contained a veritable arsenal: the already mentioned
Walther P38 pistol, two
MP 40 submachine guns, a
Karabiner 98k sniper rifle, an astounding cache of ammunition, grenades, etc.
Fortunately, Adolphine was never attacked and she had no opportunity to show her skills outside her training range. Fortunately for the would be attackers...
In the autumn, Adolphine resumed her studies. Home-school, obviously, with Olaf as teacher. Checking the German high school curriculum, Olaf determined that Adolphine could fit in the eleventh grade and began to teach her the same subjects studied in the public schools. Adolphine was a little stressed but Olaf was confident that she would be able to pass her
Abitur exams in two or three years' time.
Adolphine enjoyed physical exercises: trekking, skiing, skating, rowing, swimming, running, etc. The addition of clean mountain air, pristine water and healthy food ensured that Adolphine was extremely fit and in a great shape.
During her first year spent in the Reich, Adolphine had grown one last centimetre, reaching 180 cm (5 feet, 11 inches) and had gained four more kilogrammes for a total of 63 kg (139 pounds). The extra weight was all placed in
strategically important locations, her adolescent body turning into that of a young woman.
February 1946 - onwards
A week after her 16th birthday and the birth of her step-sister Klara, Adolphine joined the Wehrmacht and started her military training. She was rapidly promoted to the rank of
Feldwebel but later that year she became increasingly disinterested and began to miss her scheduled training sessions much to the dismay of her superiors.
April 1946 - onwards
For Adolphine's April Fools' Day prank, see
this chapter.
Adolphine joined the Bundesrat as the non-voting representative of the
Obersalzberg Sonderkreis. Although she found it very boring and she didn't understand most of the discussed subjects, Adolphine nonetheless attended more than half of the Bundesrat sessions, making periodic trips to Berlin. Adolphine declined the hotel room made available for her, preferring to spend the nights in the Hirn.
17 May 1946, Obersalzberg, Deutsches Reich
Adolphine: "I'm at school!"
Eva: "Sorry, dear, but Helga is here."
Adolphine: "That's impossible. I talked to her less than one hour ago and she was still in the Hirn..."
Eva (laughing): "No, not the robot!
Helga Susanne Goebbels. It seems that she ran away from home..."
Adolphine: "Where is she?"
Eva: "In my room."
Adolphine: "Let's go!... Olaf, the classes are over for today."
Olaf: "Sure. We will resume school tomorrow."
************
Adolphine: "Helga!"
Helga ran towards Adolphine and hugged her. The thirteen years old girl was crying, dishevelled, muddy and very tired.
Helga: "Let me stay with you... Please..."
Adolphine: "Shhht, stop crying... Tell me what happened. Your mother again?"
Helga (still crying): "Yes. She hit me again. Here, see... I can't stand her. Since
Vatti died my life has been a nightmare... I don't want to go home, please..."
Adolphine: "Calm down. I won't send you back home. You can live with us... Come, you need a hot bath and a good night sleep. We shall talk tomorrow."
Helga stopped crying, kissed Adolphine and ran to the bathroom.
Adolphine (shouting): "Just tell the bathtub what you want..."
************
Olaf: "Keeping Helga Susanne here is against the law. She is a minor and she must be returned to her mother."
Adolphine: "But Magda beats her!"
Olaf: "Apparently, parents are allowed to beat their childern in this age, not only in the Reich but all over the World. There is nothing you can do. I am sorry."
Adolphine: "I won't send her away."
Olaf: "You are breaking the law."
Adolphine: "I don't care. After all, what can they do if I'm breaking the law? It's not like they can put me in prison or something. And the police cannot come here and take her away."
Olaf: "Are you above the law?"
Adolphine: "Umm... Yes, I think so. In Obersalzberg, I am the law."
Olaf: "Okay then. Do as you please."
Eva: "Super, Adolphine, you are a Dictator now!"
Adolphine (smilling): "It runs in the family..."
************
Adolphine was nearly asleep when she heard the door opening. She drew her gun but quickly slipped it back under her pillow. It was Helga.
Helga: "I'm sorry. I'm afraid to sleep alone..."
Adolphine (sighing): "Okay, come here..."
Helga jumped on the bed, made herself comfortable and put her cheek on Adolphine's shoulder.
Helga: "Can we turn on the
diamagnetic cushion?... Please..."
Adolphine: "It's late, Helga, and I'm tired. We will play tomorrow, ok?"
Helga: "Sorry. Good night, Adolphine... And thank you..."
Adolphine: "Good night, Helga."
Well, it seems I've got myself another baby sister...
Helga Susanne stayed in Obersalzberg, increasing its small population to eight
persons: Hitler, Eva, Gretl, Adolphine, Helga, Olaf, Barbara, Klara (in order of their ages).
Magda Goebbels was obviously enraged but Adolphine managed to calm her down. In the end, Magda acquiesced and let Helga Susanne live at the Berghof. Magda and her five younger children would visit from time to time but Helga would not. In fact, she won't leave Obersalzberg at all for quite a long time. So, Adolphine got a friend and Olaf got a new pupil.
14 June 1946, Obersalzberg, Deutsches Reich
Although speculations abound, we don't know for sure who had the idea to ennoble Adolphine and why. Fact is that Adolphine received a laconic letter from the
German Kaiser, inviting her to the
Berlin Palace for the ennoblement ceremony on the 23rd of June. The reason was, obviously,
great service to the Fatherland.
First of all, Adolphine was shocked, then bemused and finally extremely anxious.
No, I can't do it! I don't know what to wear, I don't know how to behave, I don't know what to say, I don't know how to address them, I don't know a fucking thing about royalty! And I'm royally fucked!
And, to make things worse, neither Olaf nor anyone else in Obersalzdorf were able to help Adolphine in any meaningful way. After watching Adolphine's lamentations for a couple of hours, Olaf devised a plan. He called Helga (the robot) and asked her to find someone to teach Adolphine everything about being a princess. Well, not really everything but at least everything that could be learned in one week.
Later that evening, Helga called Adolphine to tell her the good news.
Helga (the robot): "Hello, Adolphine."
Adolphine: "Hello."
Helga: "I made a few phone calls and I found someone who is willing to help you. It's
Prince Heinrich of Bavaria, the younger son of King Rupprecht."
Adolphine: "Umm... How young is he?"
Helga: "He is just 24 years old but I am sure that he is quite used to the proper protocol..."
Adolphine: "Oh, sure..."
Helga: "Prince Heinrich asked me for permission to call you tomorrow. I gave him your phone number."
Adolphine: "Oh..."
Helga: "Anything else?"
Adolphine: "Is he... Is he married?"
Helga: "No, he isn't."
Adolphine: "I see... Ok, Helga, thanks. Bye."
Helga: "Bye."
************
Adolphine: "I'll go outside to blow up some dynamite! Does anyone else want to come?... Come on, blowing up stuff does wonders to remove stress."
Gretl: "Don't look at me."
Eva: "I have to nurse Klara."
Helga: "I'm scared of explosions, sorry."
Adolphine: "I see... No problem, I'll take Olaf with me. You are
only girls after all!"
And, after a couple of explosions which obliterated a mock-up cabin, Adolphine went to bed, happy and relaxed.
A Prince... My God, I'm going to meet a real Prince... I wonder how he looks like... Gee, I'm such a slut!
