Light and Shadow - Novel
Light and Shadow - Novel


I don't just write poems, I also write stories. In a way, this has been a long tradition for me. I officially wrote my first story when I was seven. Of course, I have learned more and gained new experiences over the years. From 2000 to 2004, I successfully took part in the author's course "The Great School of Writing" at the Axel Andersson Academy.
In 2018/ early 2019 my debut novel was published under the new title "Light and Shadow". It has been available online since January 3, 2019 and can be found at BOD or Amazon Soli deo gloria. I would be happy to receive feedback from steve.fr@gmx.de be happy.

About the novel Light and Shadow:
The ailing president of Königsland appoints the young entrepreneur Michael Steinberg as finance minister in order to make a fresh political start. Michael does his best to promote reforms, but reactionary forces oppose him. He is torn between his love for hotel employee Susanne Wiesenhof and his loyalty to his country. Susanne embarks on a journey to the Christian faith through the example of active charity. A political affair, uncovered by the journalists Dora and Dina Winter, reveals plans for a conspiracy against democracy. The clock is ticking incessantly. Enemy agents are on their heels. After the presidential election, there is a big showdown. Will the four allies still manage to stop the coup?

Here is the prologue and the first chapter of my first novel:


Please note that for legal reasons I can only post an old version of my novel here. A current sample chapter is available at Google Books.

Light and shadow
formerly: Shadow of the Night
Prolog:

5 November 1898
Darkness lay over Königsstadt. Only soft moonlight illuminated the elegant villa in the wealthy district of Hohenthal. The windows of the house were darkened and the curtains drawn. Only a few rays of light came through a window on the first floor.
Behind this window, the faithful servant of the house kept watch at the bedside of his master, who was breathing his last. The man of the world's wife had long since died and his son had renounced him, so that the servant was the only one who held out until the end.
Suddenly he was startled out of his thoughts because the owner of the house's eyes had moved. Apparently he woke up again, probably for the last time.
“Shall I bring you something?” the servant asked eagerly.
“Yes,” answered the dying man. “Open the bottom drawer of my desk and get me the documents!”
The servant hurried across the room to the polished mahogany desk. He opened the drawer, took out a familiar stack of papers and brought them to him. When he handed it to his master, the latter looked at him intently. The look of determination sent a chill down the servant's spine. It was as if the room was darker than the darkness that lay over the city outside.
"I'm going to die now, but make sure that the plan is put into action!" said the master of the house resolutely. "Something must be done! Humanity must finally be freed from the scourge of backwardness! Even if it takes another hundred years. It will happen!"
The servant trembled: “Yes, sir. But how am I supposed to do this alone?”
"The plans will soon be out of date," said the master of the house. "So let trustworthy people in on them, so they can renew and improve them. Try to win over your sons and my son to the cause. You'll see. One day it will work. King Baldwin is too weak. He doesn't have enough assertiveness. If I weren't dying now, the plan would soon be carried out."
With his last strength he stood up: "So you or one of our descendants will carry out the plan. You must swear that to me!"
“I swear I will do everything possible,” replied the servant, feeling very uncomfortable in his own skin.
"And what is impossible," added the master of the house. Suddenly he sank backwards into his bed. His breathing stopped. A great man was dead.
The servant felt miserable. He knew that he had to carry out the task, but it seemed impossible to him.
So he took the documents to the attic of the house and hid them together with junk in an old wooden chest. Then he went downstairs and called the hearse.

1. The encounter

Saturday, August 1, 1998
In the dark Schönwald one could hear the trampling of many boots. The intruders walked rhythmically through the cracking undergrowth,
until their leader stopped in a small clearing. The light of the stars and the moon only dimly illuminated the place, but the men were equipped with flashlights.
The commander turned to them. Then he called out: "It has taken a long time, but now the time has come. Building the secret facility is a very risky undertaking, but we will do it! And you will take up positions here and guard the building."
Then he gave instructions to his officers: “Some of our men will set up the tents; the others will clear the undergrowth to make way for the trucks and the last ones will form the observation posts!”
The leader now took his sergeant aside. "And we'll look at all the strategic points in the terrain. In case of emergency."
With that they left the clearing.
Only at dawn did the men stop their work and go into their camouflage tents.

Sunday, August 2
Susanne Wiesenhof left her three-room apartment, which she shared with a friend. But when she was about to lock the door, she turned around and went into the bathroom to check whether her hair was OK and whether her make-up matched the ball gown she had put on today. Today could be her big day, that was what the dreamy twenty-one-year-old had decided.
Susanne, who everyone just called Susi, looked in the mirror and brushed a strand of her blonde hair out of her face. Yes, everything was fine. She looked attractive. The red dress that she had borrowed from her roommate also seemed to be intended for this purpose.
Satisfied, Susi went to the door and finally locked it. Her apartment was in the Blumenthal district, which was predominantly inhabited by the middle class of Königsstadt. However, it was the lower part of the middle class that lived here primarily in multi-story apartment buildings.
And she really wanted to get away from here. The rich and famous lived in the west, in the Hohenthal district. And she would have loved to be one of them.
Unfortunately, she was not born into a wealthy home. Her father was a simple tour guide in the port town of Seeheim. After school, Susi moved out of home because there were apparently still apprenticeships available in Königsstadt. And Susi was definitely qualified for an office or administrative job. But her hopes were dashed. There were no apprenticeships available for any of the jobs she wanted and because she did not want to be a tour guide like her father, she waited and did some jobs here and there. At the moment she had a job at the Hotel Excelsior, which her friend Meike had helped her get. But her apartment and car took up so much money that there was often not much left at the end of the month.
Susi unlocked her Fiat Panda, which was parked on the side of the road in front of the house. Then she started the engine, drove off and left Rotkehlchenweg in the direction of the city center.
Susi drove the car along the promenade through the magnificent business and banking landscape. She passed ministries, expensive hotels and exclusive shops. At the "Bank von Königsland" she turned right onto Lindenallee. Here she saw the same picture. On the right was the Hotel Excelsior where she worked. But she drove past it.
Königsland was rich and this was reflected in the capital of the tiny state. A quarter of the citizens could be described as rich, which was an enormous percentage, but the middle class received little of this. The middle class, mind you, because officially there were no poor people here. At least none who were citizens of the country. Apart from the settlement that lay east of the city and was inhabited by foreigners who worked in the huge factories in the industrial area and on which the country's wealth was based.
Yes, Königsland was rich and it attracted rich tourists. Less well-off tourists could not afford the horrendous prices for a night in one of the many hotels. They came for just a day and spent most of their money in the casinos.
The tourists who could afford it liked to vacation on the Königsland coast, preferably in Seeheim. Otherwise, there wasn't much else worth seeing in Königsland. There were a few scattered villages and Schönwald in the south, which was hardly visited by tourists. The latter, however, was Susi's goal.
She drove along the Lindenallee, which, where the Waldberg district began, now became Waldstrasse. At the end of the street began a well-developed forest path, which would normally have been deserted had it not been populated by dozens of cars, taxis and buses. An above-average number of luxury cars drove along here, but there were also many mid-range and small cars on the road.
Susi's destination was the Waldstein estate, which was located in the middle of a forest and where the popular folk festival was being held, to which the wealthy landowner Oswald Bauer had invited everyone. Fortunately, Susi had managed to buy a ticket, unlike her friends. They were probably jealous of her now. Because all of Königsland's celebrities were represented at the party, even if they would be celebrating separately from the 1,000 or so lucky middle-class people who had managed to get a ticket. The huge park with its many pavilions was open to ordinary people. The celebrities and the rich, on the other hand, celebrated in the manor house, which was more like a small castle. In the evening there would be a rock and pop concert and then the barrier between ordinary people and celebrities would be removed when the president gave a speech.
Now the estate finally opened up in front of Susi on the left. Large fences and walls, as well as dense bushes, prevented her from taking a look at the grounds. On the right was the Schönwald forest with its old, gnarled beech trees. By now they were only moving forward at walking pace. After a while, a huge parking lot opened up on the right, which was already covered by many cars. Buses stopped and released their human cargo. Taxis stopped or drove on to the main entrance. A parking attendant waved Susi on. It took a while until one of the blue-uniformed men could show her a parking space. Susi got out, careful not to let her dress touch the dirty ground.
Susi was about to leave purposefully when the rough voice of a park guard called her back.
“You haven’t paid the parking fee yet,” he said firmly.
“Do I have to do that?” asked Susi, surprised.
“Of course, who else would pay for all this effort? If no one paid, our services would be superfluous!”
Susi thought to herself that she didn't care at all about the services of the blue-uniformed men, but she didn't. She walked up to a ticket booth, swallowed when she saw the prices and paid with gritted teeth. Then Susi took the parking ticket to the car and put it on the dashboard. She went back across the street and joined the long line of people waiting in front of the park. Two muscular security guards checked the tickets. After half an hour it was Susi's turn.
“Show your ticket!” ordered the guard on the left.
Susi took hers out of her pocket and gave it to the man.
He looked at the card and then said: "It's fake. From the black market or something. I'm sorry, we can't let you in."
"Wait, that can't be true. I bought them myself," Susi cried out in despair. All her dreams, all her hopes for this day seemed to be shattered.
“Move aside!” the security guard grumbled. “There are more people waiting to get in. People with real tickets.”
As if in a daze, Susi walked along the fence, away from the entrance. She was standing on the other side of the promised land and couldn't get in. Feelings that she had never felt so strongly before broke up inside her like a dam. With all the strength and determination of her heart, she wanted to get across, but couldn't. For a while she looked for holes in the fence, but it was a pointless endeavor. Disillusioned, she looked back as the stream of visitors slowly ebbed away. Even the guards left their posts and went in. Susi stood there alone with tears in her eyes.

Michael Steinberg sat down in a corner of the Villa Waldstein. He watched as dignified gentlemen and tastefully dressed ladies greeted each other and engaged in animated conversation. Almost all of Königsland's celebrities and those from beyond had come. Fortunately, Sibilla Weissendorn, his ex-girlfriend, was not among them. She would certainly have spoiled the party for him.
Michael was in contact with Oswald Bauer, the landowner on whose property the festival was held. Oswald was his fatherly friend. After his parents died, he took great care of him.
Michael had grown up in humble circumstances, but by the age of 28 he had built up a fast food chain. His brilliant mind, his way with money and a few loans from Oswald had helped him. At 25 he had started with a fast food restaurant and had now opened branches all over the country. He had made quick money by filling this gap in the market. Everyone flocked to Steinberg's restaurants, young and old, rich and less well-off. With tireless effort he had built up a company. Michael was also the most popular entrepreneur in the country and the most handsome and sought-after bachelor. But after his relationship with Sibilla he didn't want to start another one so quickly. And despite everything he had achieved, he felt empty inside. There was a bottomless hole inside him that sucked him in if he thought about it too often. He had no one to talk to about it. Not even Oswald.
But then Michael pushed the thoughts aside. It was summer and this festival was its highlight.
Bankers, nobles, actors, factory owners, singers and journalists passed by. And they greeted him warmly when they saw him.
Then Michael stood up and went into the foyer because the President was announced. A number of guests were already waiting there, having also heard of his arrival.
President Gerhard Boss was still quite young at 41. He was of an impressive stature and not easy to understand. His policies allowed for money laundering and corruption, which made him unpopular with the common people. And new elections were in less than two months. However, he had no political opponents, as they had all retired from politics. Nevertheless, he could be voted out of office if the majority of citizens voted against him in the election. His party then had to put forward one or more new candidates who could then be elected in a second round of voting.
President Boss now entered the country house. His black, tailored suit fit him perfectly. He wore a light blue tie made of the finest silk. To his right walked General Gustav Weissendorn, Sibilla's father. At 60, he was not yet old and was well versed in all areas of the military and politics. He was the president's military advisor and the complete opposite of him. While President Boss smiled now and again, Weissendorn just looked at him with a steely gaze. His appearance, including his grey hair, could have given the impression of a wise man if it hadn't been for that cold look.

Oswald Bauer approached the President in a friendly and open manner.
“I am pleased to welcome you to my country estate,” he said at the beginning.
“I am also happy to be able to take part in this festival,” said the president with a wink.
After the welcoming scene, the small gathering broke up again. The guests spread out into different rooms or onto the large terrace, sat down in seating areas and chatted with each other. In one corner, a small group of people had gathered around President Boss.
Since Michael knew him particularly well, he joined him. Boss gestured with his arms and shouted excitedly: "A new era for our country is about to begin. No more corruption and money laundering! We will finally put an end to this."
Michael wondered why Boss had only come up with this idea so shortly before the election.
But he continued: "We will stimulate the economy and distribute the profits more fairly. Everything will be different. A new era is beginning."
Michael mingled with the debating group and explained his views. President Boss was not at all annoyed by this, but seemed to view him with favor. Suddenly the mood in the group changed to one of approval for President Boss. Yes, this time everything would be different. The only one who still looked around coldly and calculatingly was the general, who had not left the president's side.
Boss began again: “Yes, there will be a new beginning for our country and today is just the beginning.”

Laughing, Dora and Dina Winter walked through the villa past the crowds of people. It was a completely new situation for the sisters, who were both journalists. It was their first time at the summer festival, which took place every year at Gut Waldstein. Their job was to report on the festival for the "Königsstadt Allgemeine Zeitung". It was a great honor that the two aspiring journalists had been chosen for this, because Dora had only been working for the Allgemeine for a year after studying journalism and Dina had only just started. But Harry Hans, the newspaper's editor-in-chief, had quickly discovered the talent of the two sisters and took them along today.
Dora and Dina shared the same profession, but were very different. This was also reflected in their responsibilities. They worked together. Dora was also an excellent photographer and, because she had an eye for the unusual, took the photos for the articles. Dina, on the other hand, was more interested in people and conducted the interviews. They took turns writing the articles, but this was the biggest assignment of their careers to date.
The 24-year-old Dina and the 25-year-old Dora also differed in their appearance. Dora had straight, raven-black hair, while Dina had chestnut-brown curls. Dora was a tidy person, while Dina preferred things to be more chaotic. This sometimes led to arguments, but they always ended peacefully.
Today they had dressed up for the occasion and were not wearing the jeans they usually wore.
It was a big day for the sisters and Harry Hans had high expectations of them. He probably gave them the job because of their versatility. And he knew he could count on them.
But Dora and Dina were by no means arrogant about the opportunity that was presented to them. They wanted nothing more than to do a good job and stayed down to earth.
But they didn't need to come up just yet. The most important thing of the evening was the President's speech and until then they were allowed to have fun here. Up until then they had also joked and laughed with the other guests.
But now the journalists were heading towards a very specific seating area in the hunting lounge, because their editor-in-chief had called them.
In the hunting salon, dozens of antlers and stuffed deer heads were attached to the walls. Expensive Persian carpets and precious bear skins covering the floor complemented the furnishings.
Finally, Dora spotted Harry Hans. He had also seen the two of them, stood up and walked towards her.
"I have something for you girls," he said cheerfully. "The President has announced a new beginning for Kingsland. You better take care of that. Boss is in the Yellow Salon right now."
The editor-in-chief of the state newspaper, which was also the most important in the country, had been in his position for a number of years. At 51, he was just as agile as he had been at the beginning of his career. He had dyed his hair blond to hide the grey streaks. He was a stately figure and anyone who did not know his real age would have thought he was younger.
“OK, let’s do it,” said Dina and the sisters set off.
On the way they met a famous actress. Dora pulled on Dina's sleeve because she knew that she would not be able to get rid of Dina otherwise.
In the yellow salon, a large crowd was standing around the President. Since they had arrived late, Dina asked a bystander about the content of the speech that Boss had given. Dora took photos of the President while Dina took notes. Dora noticed General Weissendorn's ice-cold eyes. When the crowd had dispersed, Dora asked her younger sister.
“Did you see the eyes of General Weissendorn, who was standing next to President Boss the whole time?”
Dina nodded: "The young, attractive man in the crowd to the right of the president looked completely different. It's a pity that you can't see into people's hearts."

Robbed of all hope, Susi had been waiting in front of the manor house fence for an hour. She could hear cheerful laughter coming from the park, but she was completely alone. She stared sadly at the other side while the parking attendant made his rounds for what must have been the twentieth time and smiled mockingly at her.
Suddenly she heard a bright boy’s voice next to her: “Would you like to come in too?”
Susi looked around and spotted a boy of about eight with blond hair. She bent down to him and said: "Yes, but unfortunately I don't have a ticket."
Susi looked at the boy. He was wearing simple clothes.
"It doesn't matter, I don't have one either," the boy answered cheerfully. "By the way, I'm in Uli and who are you?"
“I’m Susanne, but my friends call me Susi,” she replied.
“Oh, my mother’s name was that too,” Uli noted.
“Her name was? Is she no longer alive?” asked Susi.
"My parents died in a car accident." The boy's voice sounded sad. "But I live with my uncle."
“And why are you here alone?” asked Susi.
“Because I want to get in,” the boy said as if it were obvious.
"But I've tried everything," sighed Susi. "There are no holes in the fence."
“Then let’s take the driveway,” Uli thought.
Susi wanted to object, but the boy took her hand and pulled her along. Since Uli was so convinced that it could work, Susi went along.
At the courtyard entrance, where only invited guests were allowed in, several guards were standing and passing the time. When they saw the mismatched couple, they fell silent and moved aside.
Susi looked at Uli. Who was the boy that the guards let him in so easily? Susi couldn't believe it. She was standing in the courtyard of the manor house, which was full of luxury cars and which only celebrities were allowed to enter.
"What are you hiding from me?" Susi asked the boy. "Why did the guards let us in?"
Uli proudly announced: “All this belongs to my uncle.”
“Oswald Bauer is your uncle?” asked Susi in surprise.
But Uli tore himself away from her and ran into the villa. And Susi had no choice but to follow him.

Michael and Oswald were deep in conversation when President Boss approached them.
“Could I speak to you alone for a moment?” he asked, pointing to Michael.
"Okay," he said and agreed. He apologized to Oswald and went with the President into an adjoining room. What did Boss want from him? Although they had seen each other several times, they had not yet had a personal conversation.
"You're probably wondering why I want to speak to you alone," said Boss kindly. "But before I get started, let me ask you what you think about the new beginning?"
“I think it’s a good opportunity for Königsland to improve its reputation,” Michael said carefully.
“That’s right,” said Boss, “And that’s where you come in.”
Michael looked excited. What would happen next?
"You have built up a restaurant chain in a very short time. Before that, you worked in a leading position at the Bank of Königsland," praised Boss. "You are good with management and money. That's why I thought of you. I am looking for new members for the government and you are perfectly suited for the position of Finance Minister!"
Michael burst out in surprise: “But I have no experience in this field. And I’m too young for that.”
“Don’t say that!” replied Boss, “You are more qualified than your predecessors.”
"But I don't belong to any party," Michael replied eagerly. "And I'm totally involved in my business."
“That can be changed.”
Boss smiled. "And a managing director can continue your business. I know some excellent ones. And you will also be given consultants to assist you."
“And my managers are supposed to be financed with state money?” Michael asked skeptically.
"No, of course not," replied the president, grinning, as if Michael had told a good joke. "But with your new salary, you will definitely be able to afford a managing director. I would also give you free rein over all financial matters of the state and possible reforms."
Michael liked the idea. If he took advantage of this opportunity, he could change the situation in Königsland.
"I have already been able to persuade General Weissendorn to take up the post of Minister of Defense, which he will then hold with the post of the highest-ranking general."
This was not unusual in Königsland. Government members were allowed to hold up to two offices and, if they owned a business, they could continue to run it.
But the fact that General Weissendorn was to be part of the new government was not a positive argument for the cause that Boss represented.
“Alfred von Hohenburg, the police chief, has also agreed and Oswald Bauer may take over the office of Minister of Agriculture,” Boss continued.
That sounded much better. But why hadn't Oswald told him about it yet? Boss had probably just asked him about it.
"I'll think about it," Michael promised. "But if you're really serious about this new beginning, I'm happy to be available for the position of Finance Minister."
This was the challenge he had been waiting for. His fast food chain had been built up across the country and expansion abroad was not yet in the cards. But as finance minister, he could do something good together with the new government. And that would have a positive effect on him. Perhaps this task could give him the fulfillment he was longing for.
"I knew I could count on you," Boss said, shaking his hand. A smile spread across his face.
"Please excuse me. I have to have further discussions today," said the President, leaving Michael alone with his thoughts.

Dora walked across the marble-slab terrace, in the middle of which a small fountain was splashing merrily. Dora's eyes wandered over the panorama. She saw guests in elegant clothing sitting at the various tables and chatting happily. From here you could also see across to the park, where the ordinary citizens, of which Dora was one, were milling around. The reason she was here was rooted in the mission that her job brought with it and not in a high social position.
Dora noticed a young woman, about twenty years old, who was standing a little apart from the others and looking at what was going on in amazement. What was striking about her was that her red ball gown was beautiful, but not in the upper class price category. Somehow she didn't belong here. But she was extremely good-looking, Dora had to admit that without envy. Slim, long blonde hair and a light complexion. Dora wondered why no man had spoken to her yet.
The reporter plucked up her courage and walked over to her. "Hello. I'm Dora Winter," she introduced herself.
“I am Susanne Wiesenhof,” the person addressed said quietly.
“We could call each other by our first names,” Dora suggested.
When Susi didn’t object, her counterpart asked curiously: “Is this your first time at the summer festival?”
“Yes,” Susi answered hesitantly, but pleased that someone was talking to her.
"I feel the same way," said Dora. "My sister Dina and I are journalists and we are supposed to write an article about this evening for the front page of the "Königsstadt Allgemeine Zeitung". Since this is our first big assignment, this is also our first time here.
Dora noticed that Susanne had not said much and asked: “And how did you get here?”
"I was invited by Oswald's nephew," Susi answered. And that wasn't a lie. Hopefully Dora didn't know Uli's age.
“But I come from a simple family and was currently working at the Hotel Excelsior.”
"I feel the same way," Dora said. "But my parents moved to the USA, while Dina and I stayed here and first lived with relatives and now in our own apartment in Siebenbusch."
Susi really wanted to talk to Dora, but she was afraid that the fact would come out that she had not been invited and that the host's underage nephew had brought her along.
Dora looked at her watch and realized it was time to find her sister if they wanted to be ready for the President's speech.
"Excuse me," said Dora. "I have to prepare for President Boss's speech. But maybe we'll see each other this evening."
"That would be good. Then we can talk in more detail," said Susi, feeling inwardly glad that she had not aroused suspicion.

President Boss stood upright as he entered the stage and let his eyes wander over the rich and the middle class who were now standing together on a lawn next to the terrace and looking at him expectantly.
"Citizens," Boss shouted into the microphone. "We are about to make a new start. So far, a lot of things have gone wrong. There was plenty of corruption, money laundering and injustice, and I was not entirely innocent of that. But now everything will be different. With the new government, we will put an end to that. We will do everything we can to govern this country fairly in the last two months that we have left, and ideally beyond that, if we are re-elected. Whether rich or poor, everyone should have a share of the country's wealth!"
Cheers erupted in the crowd. But when the boss introduced Oswald Bauer and Michael Steinberg as the new members of the government, the applause erupted and the people's joy knew no bounds.
“He won this battle,” Dina said to her sister.
“Yes, thanks to Michael Steinberg, whom he won over to his cause,” speculated Dora
Dina admired Michael, whom she had recognized in the handsome young man from earlier. But she definitely didn't want to admit that to her sister.
The applause slowly died down.
The stage was remodeled for the rock and pop groups that were now scheduled to play.
Dora and Dina would have liked to stay, but the article had to be written. After Dina had interviewed the president and Dora had taken the appropriate photos, they said goodbye to Harry Hans and left the magnificent villa through the entrance portal.
Now they were standing on the street in front of Gut Waldstein while the sun was setting on the horizon. The street lamps had been illuminating the parking lot for some time, but there was no sign of the buses that were supposed to run between Gut Waldstein and Königsstadt. The two reporters looked at each other in confusion, walked over to the bus stop sign and looked at the timetable.
"The buses have stopped running for an hour," said Dina disappointedly. "How do we get to our office now?"
“We could call a taxi,” said Dora.
"Better not. Lately, tourists have been robbed more often by taxi drivers," Dina replied loudly.
“Then we’ll walk to Waldheim and ask Daniel to take us to Königsstadt.”
The two sisters had grown up in Waldheim, a small village near the estate, and knew all the paths in the area. But the only way to get to Waldheim was via a forest path, and this was only partially accessible due to the risk of forest fires.
“This scary path? Never!” replied Dina. “It’s far too dangerous!”
"It's a full moon and there are two of us!" Dora argued angrily because Dina still refused. "Besides, the forest is safer than ever before, thanks to the many police officers in front of and on the estate."
This argument finally convinced Dina. So they strolled along the old beech tree avenue in front of the estate. On their left were grain fields and on their right was the Schönwald forest. The tarred road ended after a few meters in a bend. The only option was the earthen forest path to their right. The two sisters turned onto this path in silence. Old giant trees stood at the side of the path and cast threatening shadows. Although it was a full moon, as Dora had said, the thick canopy of the trees let in very little light. Dina already regretted having given in. She admired her sister's courage, but this time she had gone too far.
The atmosphere of the forest seemed threatening, eerie and ghostly. Some branches of the trees along the path seemed to want to reach out to them.
Dora didn't mind the eerie atmosphere, because it wasn't the first time they had walked along here. The Schönwald just seemed threatening sometimes.
Dina, however, had never been able to get used to it and had avoided this path as a child whenever she could. And then there was the argument between Dora and Dina.
"Sorry if I pushed you to come with me," said Dora, looking her sister in the eyes. "I should have known you wouldn't like this passage."
“It’s okay,” Dina lamented and suddenly stopped.
To their left they could see a new path that they had never seen before. The trees had been felled and the undergrowth removed. Someone had made a breach through the forest here. But who could it have been? Dora bent down. On the soft forest floor she saw the profiles of various tire tracks that most likely came from large trucks. Motorized vehicles were now prohibited in the forest and because of the risk of forest fires, not even forestry vehicles were allowed to drive along here. And the tracks were not yet old.
"We have to take a look at this," said Dora. Her journalistic instincts kicked in. "Because one thing is clear: whoever drove along here acted illegally."
"But the head forester has forbidden us to go deeper into the forest. You know, because of the risk of forest fires," Dina replied indignantly.
"I know that," Dora replied angrily. "But someone has violated an order here. So I have to get to the bottom of this!"
Dina sighed, because how could she make her sister see reason?
“Then I’ll go on alone,” she said and set off for Waldheim.
Dora, on the other hand, stepped resolutely onto the path. She lifted her dress as she stepped over some scattered branches. She quickly followed the path that led about a hundred meters through the forest. At the end of it was a large clearing. Dora was surprised to see some barracks on the opposite side. Had a logging camp or even a hostel for asylum seekers been built here? That was highly unlikely if the forest was closed off due to the risk of forest fires. As a precaution, Dora took out her camera and set it to night vision. Then she photographed the camp from various positions.
As she turned around and started to walk back down the path, a man suddenly stepped out of the bushes and grabbed her arm. He shone his flashlight in her face so that she couldn't see him.
"Well, snail," he said lasciviously. "Do you want to sweeten my hours here? Let's go into the bushes together. I want to show you what I can do!"
Deathly pale, Dora looked alternately at the man and at the rifle that he had slung over his shoulder.
When he lowered the flashlight for a moment, Dora saw that the man was wearing a blue military uniform. It was not the uniform of a Royal Land soldier, of which there were only 1,000 anyway, nor of the neighboring countries of Bergenreich and Küstenland. However, he spoke with the thick accent of a Küstenlander.
"Leave me alone!" Dora screamed in a shrill voice. "Or do you have nothing better to do than harass helpless women in the forest?"
The soldier increased the pressure on her arm, causing Dora to scream in horror.
"I have nothing better to do at the moment. And how do you want to threaten me?" the soldier asked casually. "So do you want to do it voluntarily or do you need to be forced?"
His tone became more threatening.
At that moment Dina called out to her. Why had she followed her, Dora asked herself helplessly. Hopefully she didn't come any closer.
“Dina, run away,” Dora screamed.
Dora took advantage of her opponent's moment of shock and broke free. When he tried to attack her in anger, she threw herself to the side in a flash and brought him down with a well-placed kick. Her enemy fell and hit his head hard on a boulder, where he lay unconscious. Dora stared in disbelief at the man who had tried to rape her and who now lay there motionless.
It was good that she had taken the general self-defense course.
Dora prayed briefly within herself: “Thank you, God, for protecting me.”
Now she had to leave as quickly as possible because the lights in the barracks were on. They seemed to have heard the screams from outside.
Dora knew that the soldiers would search the path first and hoped that Dina was hiding. So she ran into the forest and threw her high heels behind the first row of trees. Although she was faster now, thorns and sharp stones tore her feet bloody.
Behind her, she heard frightened cries as the soldiers found their unconscious comrade. After a short time, they split up into groups and systematically searched the area.
Suddenly Dora's skirt got caught on some thorn bushes.
“God help me,” she moaned, tearing herself away with the strength of her desperation.
Hopefully the soldiers didn't have any dogs with them, otherwise the hunt would have ended quickly. And who would believe that she had only acted in self-defense? Dora hurried on when suddenly a warning shot rang out.
“Stop!” a man’s voice shouted from far away.
Dora changed direction and ran away from the path. Her lungs seemed ready to burst from the exertion. Dora had never been a good runner. Dina had always been the faster and more athletic of the two.
That's why Dora knew she couldn't keep running much longer.
Suddenly a bullet whistled past her and hit a tree trunk. Bark sprayed up and hit her in the face. They probably hadn't meant to hit her and the shot was probably just another warning shot. But if she kept running, it wouldn't stay that way.
But Dora wanted to escape, pulled herself together and kept running, while five armed men were already chasing her. Suddenly Dina tripped over a large tree root and fell into a small hollow. She was at the end of her rope. Now it was all over, she thought.
Her dress was torn, scratches covered her whole body. And she had given up hope of escaping.
The pursuers were getting closer, but maybe she could still warn Dina. So she pulled out her cell phone, which she had kept in her bag. But here in the forest there was no reception and the glow of flashlights became visible.
Trembling like a leaf, Dora prayed a quick prayer: "Jesus, please don't let them find Dina. It's my fault and I've put them in this situation. Make them be content with me."
Suddenly she heard footsteps stopping in front of the large root she had tripped over. She saw the area illuminated and expected to be discovered at any moment.
But then she heard a loud voice: “There is no one here and we won’t find anyone in the dark anyway.”
“Yes, let us hope that the shock was enough to keep our camp secret,” said a second voice.
Breathlessly, Dora heard the footsteps slowly moving away.
“Thank you, Lord, that they did not find me,” she prayed and waited a while longer.
Then she stood up and stretched her aching limbs. Her lungs still hurt and she felt pain all over her body. But where was her camera? Had she lost it?
Dora felt around on the ground and soon found it. She must have dropped it. Whether it was still working didn't seem to matter anymore. But she had to find her sister now. Dora didn't even know where she was anymore and just walked in the direction where she thought the forest path to Waldheim was. Luckily she found it again and looked around. Was Dina still here, had she been caught or was she completely safe? Dora didn't want to call out loudly because she didn't know whether there were still soldiers nearby.
Suddenly a shadow appeared from the bushes. Dora looked around in shock and was relieved to see Dina coming out. Crying, the two embraced each other.
“You escaped too?” they both asked at the same time as they hurried out of the forest.
Dora told her story.
Then Dina reported: "At first I was angry with you and kept walking. But then I got very worried and followed you. When I saw you with the man I shouted as loudly as I could, which fortunately, as you said, unsettled him. When you ran away I followed you, but had to change direction because of the soldiers. Then I was followed by another group who almost caught me had they not followed a startled deer until they were called back."
Finally, the lights of Waldheim's houses and street lamps became visible as the sisters emerged from the forest. The forester's house appeared on the right and the premises of a shipping company on the left.
“Thank God,” said Dina, and she meant it very seriously.

At the Waldstein estate, the barrier between the rich and the middle class had been put up again. While the second event had now ended, things were just getting started in the villa. Although some of them thought they had heard gunshots, it didn't bother anyone. Perhaps hunters were out hunting in the Schönwald forest. Nobody was interested in the fact that hunting was not allowed in the Schönwald forest at the time and that it was too dark for it anyway.
In the large dance hall, soft pop singer Marc Delano was singing and on the dance floor, several couples were dancing to the soft, rhythmic sounds. Uli, who had been hiding the whole time, carefully crept into the room. His uncle Oswald was friends with Michael and he was like a big brother to him. Sometimes, although not very often, Michael helped him with his homework. Uli knew that Michael did not yet have a dance partner and therefore could not be found in the dance hall. And he knew that Susi was standing at the edge of the dance hall, also without a dance partner. Uli wanted to bring the two together. He knew Sibilla Weissendorn, Michael's ex-girlfriend, as an arrogant woman. But Susi was completely different. She had willingly talked to him, the little boy, even though she had not known that he was Oswald's nephew.
Uli waited for the moment when his uncle left the hall through the opposite door. Then he ran off and looked for Michael in the various salons. The boy found him in the yellow salon talking to a guest.
“You have to come with me,” Uli shouted and took Michael’s hand.
“Don’t disturb me now. I’m deep in conversation,” Michael replied angrily.
“Uncle Oswald called you,” Uli lied.
“Okay,” said Michael, apologized to his conversation partner and followed the boy.
Uli led him to the dance hall.
"He's in the left corner."
When Michael entered, he was immediately surrounded by many people. Uli saw this from his new hiding place behind a pillar.
Michael went purposefully to the indicated corner and didn't seem to find Oswald. Uli saw him looking around, searching. Michael was only a meter away from Susi. Uli groaned. Why didn't he notice her?
But suddenly Michael spoke to the young woman. They talked for a while.
Uli rejoiced inside. He had done it.

A good-looking young man who had been looking around the dance hall for a while turned to Susi. And it was the same man that President Boss had introduced as Michael Steinberg during his speech.
Her heart beat faster. What did he want from her?
“Have you seen Oswald Bauer recently?” the man asked.
"Well, unfortunately not," replied Susi. Of course, she left out the fact that she had never seen Oswald.
The person opposite her seemed annoyed about something. Then he asked suddenly: “You don’t have a dance partner yet either?”
“Yes, but you can call me by my first name,” Susi replied.
“You probably already know me, but what’s your name?” Michael asked curiously.
“Susanne Wiesenhof, but my friends call me Susi,” she replied.
“May I take you to the dance?” he asked.
“Gladly,” said Susi. “Marc Delano is my favorite singer!”
“I like some of his songs too,” said Michael.
Michael looked at Susi. He really liked her because she seemed extremely attractive to him. But why didn't he know her yet and why had no one asked her to dance?
Michael and Susi stepped onto the parquet floor as Marc Delano began to sing a new song. Susi barely noticed the splendor of the hall. The marble columns, the magnificent stucco ceiling and the gold-plated chandelier were like being in another reality. She was at a party for the rich and dancing with a handsome man to her favorite song "When love comes in my heart" by Marc Delano. What could be better? Yes, she had fallen in love with him. Love at first sight, you could say.
Michael was fascinated by Susi's dreamy eyes as they moved to the beat of the music. He liked her immediately, but he didn't know if he wanted to get closer to her. His last relationship had been not long ago and had ended painfully for him.
Michael also noticed Oswald, President Boss and General Weissendorn, who had just entered the ballroom together.
He also saw how the nanny finally found Uli and led him away, despite his protests. The little rascal had obviously arranged everything here.
After Marc Delano had finished, old waltzes were played. Michael taught Susi the dances and they danced endlessly as the clock passed midnight. When the last notes of the orchestra had faded away, the magic of the evening seemed to be over. But it still echoed endlessly in Susi's heart.
Most of the guests then made their way home. Oswald and President Boss were waiting at the exit and said goodbye to the guests personally. Michael accompanied Susi on the way out.
Susi shyly let Oswald offer her hand. "Who is this young lady?" he asked Michael curiously, but by no means negatively.
“This is Susanne Wiesenhof,” he answered and Susi smiled at him.
Fortunately, the landowner then turned to the next guests. But then it was the president's turn. As he said goodbye, he said to Michael: "Why don't you bring your charming companion to the press ball in three weeks!"
He winked at Susi.
Michael and Susi stepped out into the night. Susi knew that she had to tell him that she was not a celebrity and had only come to the party by chance. But she didn't dare tell him.
Michael was surprised that Susi didn't stop at the car park on the estate, but maybe she had taken a taxi. He actually wanted to accompany her, but Susi refused.
“I can manage on my own,” she said.
The two said goodbye with a warm handshake. Susi disappeared from Michael's sight into the darkness of the night.
As Michael walked back, he was painfully aware that he hadn't even asked her for her address. Yes, deep down he longed for a partner for life. And if Susi was the right one for him, then he would have let her go without a second thought. Sighing, Michael climbed the steps to the manor house.

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