On July the 5th, however, there came a hurried summons from Captain
von Tappken for me to report at Koenigergratzerstrasse 70. I lost no
time in getting around, nor did I have to wait to be ushered up. I
was shown direct to the Captain's office and as he received me, I
noticed that he was in a rather excited frame of mind.

"Verdammt! Doctor! I am going to lose you. I am requested by the
Wilhelmstrasse to hand you over to them. Very annoying. I do not
like to lose you from our branch here. But we must obey."

I expressed my regrets.

"Doctor, you are bettering yourself. It is seldom that they over
there take any notice of us over here, or request the services of any
of my men. But your work has attracted some attention. I shall
request that your services are not entirely lost to this department.
Herr Stammer will take you over. Good-by and good luck!"

He gave me a hearty handshake and my connection with the Intelligence
Department of the Imperial Navy came to an end. Stammer and I hailed
a taxi and drove to the Wilhelmstrasse, where the doorkeeper put me
through an official ceremony similar to the procedure of
Koenigergratzerstrasse 70. Stammer gave the commissaire his card and
we were shown into a chamber and bidden to wait. I was frankly
curious about what was in store for me, but I knew better by now than
to ask questions. Presently there entered a tall, thin, iron-gray
gentleman, the very type of a Prussian bureaucrat. Walking with quick
nervous steps to his desk he acknowledged our bows with a curt nod and
turning to Stammer he said: