Göring had a posse of art dealers to haggle with. It was : ..
by the time Ramcke strutted into the lavishly appointed, sixty-
foot-long library lined with priceless furniture and precious
books. “Lieutenant General Ramcke,” he announced, saluting.
“Commander of the Second Paratroop Division, reporting fit
and at your service.” (He had broken an arm.) His steel front
teeth glinted in the pink light.
Göring was sitting in a finely-crafted armchair reading a
red-leather-bound book with gold lettering. He rose to his feet,
the sleeves of his gold-brocaded robe of green silk plush uncoil-
ing down his arms. Ramcke took note of the silk plush it
looked familiar and of the lacquered slippers, the golden belt,
hem, and tassels, and noticed the well-permed hair and well-
oiled rosy features. (“A cloud of the finest Oriental aromas
wafted from his outsize cheekbones toward me,” chuckled Ram-
cke afterward, relating the episode to fellow generals.) “Well,
Ramcke,” said Göring, nonchalantly laying aside the book. “How
have you been getting on?”
The emeralds in his gold and platinum rings matched the
silk robe, noticed Ramcke. As he began chiding Göring for never
visiting one of his paratroop units let alone seeing the men
jump Edda came gamboling in. “Papa, Papa! My pearl neck-
lace broke all over the floor, and look, Papa, I found them all!”
The Reichsmarschall gathered the child up in his arms.
“Oh, your lovely necklace!”
He began threading it for her. A kiss was planted on her.
“And now one for Papa!”
Ramcke, tiring of the display of domesticity, realized where
he had seen the robe’s green silk plush before on a new
lampshade in his own home. Down in Italy Bruno Loerzer’s
headquarters had been at Taormina, and the locals had pro-
duced textile goods as tourist souvenirs. Ramcke had bought a