The first day moved uneventfully. Stromel was obviously dragging out the negotiations on the authentic Franz Ketterer cuckoo clock dated 1739. It was one of only three known clocks that had survived the centuries and wars that plagued the European continent. This clock was one of the first perfected models Ketterer had made where the cuckoo actually popped out of a little door. He had been the one to pioneer this feature that was now a common one in cuckoo clocks. The clock still worked perfectly, a fact that Stromel had made certain of, and had been rumored to once belong to Hitler himself. As the Riddler, Edward had stolen it from an estate auction from a recently deceased German man who had once served as an SS officer during World War II.

Throughout the meeting, Benny and Trigger stood against the wall behind their boss and Dee. Dee casually leaned on the back of Eddie's high-backed chair with a "big deal" look on her face. She was determined to show as little interest in the pompous German as possible. Tangram lay under the chair, paws curled around Edward's ankle, and head resting on his foot. Dee was quite aware of Stromel's presence in the room, and the fact that he stared at her through the meeting. In response, she ignored him, acting aloof and unaware of his stare.

"Herr Nigma, I would be more than willing to pay the price you ask, under one condition," Stromel said.

"And what would this condition be, Graf Stromel?" Edward asked, his voice icy and cool.

"Allow me to take over employ of Query."

"I am not for sale," she hissed.

"I believe I was speaking to Herr Nigma," Stromel said pinning her with an icy glare.

"My employees speak for themselves, Graf. If they wish to leave my employ, they may. If Query does not wish to enter your employ, I can not force her," replied Edward.

Stromel chuckled, the vile sound making a cold tingle run up the spine of all those present. "Benny, Trigger, I wish to employ you. Whatever Herr Nigma is paying you I will triple that. Will you accept?"

The men straightened and looked to Edward for help. He kept his chair turned away from them, fingers steepled and his eyes locked with Graf Stromel's. When it was obvious to the two men that they were on their own, they looked at each other. Trigger spoke for both.

"We're sorry, Graf Stromel. We like working for Mr. Nigma. As nice as the extra money would be, what would we do with it in Germany? We don't speak German, and we don't know no one here. Our families are all back in the USA." He shrugged his massive shoulders and fidgeted with his jacket cuffs. "We appreciate the offer, but we're not for sale either."

"You have them well trained," Stromel said arching an eyebrow at Edward.

"They aren't trained, just loyal." He paused and leaned forward folding his hands on the table in front of him. "Shall we get back to business, then?"

Irritated at the other man's cool attitude and the outcome of the discussion, Stromel said that he would have to think about the price. He excused himself, saying they would meet back in an hour, and left the room, his guards following with the same goose steps the Nazis had used.

~ ~ ~

Strolling through the gloomy gardens that surrounded the castle, Edward questioned his men. "Did you really mean what you said in there?"

"Of course, Mr. Nigma. We get treated fairly and the pay is good. Work isn't too hard. Stromel might be offering more money, but we know he wouldn't treat us very well," Benny said.

"What about you, Q?"

She shrugged as if indifferent. "I got a tiger out of this deal. I'm good. Besides, I think Stromel would rather see Tangram as a rug," she added with a growl.

Edward sniffed and looked down at the tiger trotting along side Dee. "That he would." He'd love to see both of you in chains. "As long as we're all in agreement."

At dinner that night Stromel continued to offer Dee a place in his employ. As politely as she could, she batted aside the offers. The other guests at the table, especially the other female guests, wondered just what it was that Graf saw in this American girl that he would fuss over her so. When dinner drew to a close, he once more asked her to stay after. Once more, she refused, excusing herself with her group to take Tangram for a final walk.

Out in the garden, Eddie felt safe enough to dismiss Benny and Trigger for the night. The men were grateful for the respite and headed up to their room to get in a few hours of cards before bed.

"Tired of the guys already?" she teased as she watched Tangram run off into the garden.

"They need rest more than I need the extra guard. How are you holding up?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Bored out of my skull, but I'll be fine. Any idea how much longer we'll have to stay here?"

"I don't plan on staying past lunch tomorrow. The Monroe's are expecting us in England."

Nodding, she leaned down to put Tangram's leash back on as he came trotting back. A slight noise caused a shiver to run through her body. "I suppose you're right, Mr. Nigma. You need to be getting to bed so you can be rested for the negotiations tomorrow," she said shifting her eyes to the shadows on the right and winking at him.

The gesture was understood, and he took Tangram's leash from her as she held the door for him. "Yes, I should."

Dropping into a crouch, as if she had lost something, Dee palmed a good-sized rock. In one smooth motion, as she stood, she hurled the rock into the shadows. The muffled grunt and German curse satisfied her. Closing the door, she took Tangram's leash back, nearly skipping along the hall as she headed up to bed with Eddie.

"How did you know?"

The impish grin she gave in return made him want to burst into genuine laughter for the first time since arriving at Stromel's castle. "Heavy breather."
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