Another Monster

<h3>Chapter 14 – Karel Ranke (July 2001; Prague)</h3>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true">Weber, through Detective Jan Suk's efforts, has secured an interview to this mysterious man. Although harmless as he was, Weber was blind-folded against his will so that he can meet Captain Ranke, which made Weber think that the man was still an important person in the underground society. 
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">Weber described Ranke to be a large and stately man, but with deep-set eyes. Upon arrival, Ranke explained to Weber that his blind-folding was necessary for his own safety and that Ranke's current situation calls for caution on his part. Ranke also mentioned <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Wolfgang%20Grimmer%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Wolfgang%20Grimmer%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BWolfgang%20Grimmer%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" href="/wiki/Wolfgang_Grimmer" title="Wolfgang Grimmer">Wolfgang Grimmer</a> visiting him for an interview, and that he and Dr. Tenma persuaded him not to sell Johan's cassette tape to some German buyers (possibly connected to <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Petr%20%5Cu010capek%27s%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Petr%20%5Cu010capek%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BPetr%20%5Cu010capek%7CPetr%20%5Cu010capek%27s%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" href="/wiki/Petr_%C4%8Capek" title="Petr Čapek" class="mw-redirect">Petr Čapek's</a> organization).
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">When Weber started the interview, these facts came to light:
</p>
<ul><li>The police murders around Prague started after a German source requested Ranke some of <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Mikhail%20Petrov%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Mikhail%20Petrov%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BMikhail%20Petrov%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" href="/wiki/Mikhail_Petrov" title="Mikhail Petrov">Mikhail Petrov</a> (Reinhart Biermann) research materials, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22external%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Johan%27s%20audio%20recording%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22http%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fobluda.wikia.com%5C%2Fwiki%5C%2FKinderheim_511%23Johan.27s_audio_recording%22%2C%22linktype%22%3A%22text%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5Bhttp%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fobluda.wikia.com%5C%2Fwiki%5C%2FKinderheim_511%23Johan.27s_audio_recording%20Johan%27s%20audio%20recording%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109"  class="text" href="https://obluda.fandom.com/wiki/Kinderheim_511#Johan.27s_audio_recording">Johan's audio recording</a> being one of them, for a large amount of cash.  This went wrong when Johan tried to prevent him from distributing his interview under hypnosis. Ranke declined to say who asked for the materials.
</li><li>Ranke is a communist and a patriot.  Even after predicting that capitalism and liberalism would win at the end, he still held on to his ideals and protected the system.
</li><li>When asked about whether Bonaparta was a patriot, Ranke states that, Bonaparta's only goal was to control people.  Bonaparta had the upper hand on the Czechoslovakian government, who gave him disposable cash to perform all his experiments in the Czechoslovakia.  When Bonaparta moved to East Germany, it was evident that the East German government made his personality re-programming experiments a priority. 
</li><li>The Red Rose Mansion <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22external%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22reading%20seminars%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22http%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fobluda.wikia.com%5C%2Fwiki%5C%2FThe_Red_Rose_Mansion%23The_Reading_Seminars%22%2C%22linktype%22%3A%22text%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5Bhttp%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fobluda.wikia.com%5C%2Fwiki%5C%2FThe_Red_Rose_Mansion%23The_Reading_Seminars%20reading%20seminars%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109"  class="text" href="https://obluda.fandom.com/wiki/The_Red_Rose_Mansion#The_Reading_Seminars">reading seminars</a> and the experiments at <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Kinderheim%20511%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Kinderheim%20511%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BKinderheim%20511%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" href="/wiki/Kinderheim_511" title="Kinderheim 511">Kinderheim 511</a> were grounded on the same theory. 
</li><li>Bonaparta had the favour of both governments because of his promising results offered by Bonaparta's personality changing experiments--at tool to stop the liberalists from taking control of both governments.
</li><li>Ranke's research on Bonaparta was quite futile, because what he only learned was that Bonaparta loves sweet bean cakes and black tea.  He looks as if he is from a fine upbringing and has a good taste on clothes.  Already apparent, he also learned that Bonaparta was a storybook writer working under multiple pen names.  He is also a psychiatrist, a brain surgeon and apsychologist.
</li><li>His research brought him to the conclusion that Klaus Poppe was Bonaparta's real name, because the surname 'Poppe' is a well-known anti-Nazi, anti-Facisi and Communist, all thanks to Terner Poppe--Bonaparta's father.
</li><li>Terner Poppe was, as rumors had it, killed by his son and was brainwashed by him to the point that the elder Poppe did not know who he was.  He might have also been a communist hero, but his name was erased in the Czech history.
</li><li>The Secret Police had nothing to do with <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22The%20Eugenics%20Experiment%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22The%20Eugenics%20Experiment%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BThe%20Eugenics%20Experiment%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" href="/wiki/The_Eugenics_Experiment" title="The Eugenics Experiment">The Eugenics Experiment</a>.
</li></ul>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true">The interview was concluded, Ranke said to Weber:
</p>
<dl><dd><dl><dd>"<i><span data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3ESo%20long%20as%20I%20have%20power%2C%20I%20will%20not%20be%20a%20public%20figure.%20If%20I%20lost%20my%20power%2C%20I%20could%20appear...%20but%20I%20would%20die%2C%5C%22%20he%20said.%20%5C%22However%2C%20I%20only%20did%20what%20I%20thought%20was%20to%20the%20benefit%20of%20my%20country.%20I%20only%20did%20my%20job.%20When%20it%20came%20to%20controlling%20the%20fates%20of%20other%20men%2C%20I%20was%20not%20like%20Bonaparta.%20I%20never%20once%20enjoyed%20the%20act.%20I%20don%27t%20know%20how%20long%20I%20will%20continue%20to%20live%20like%20this...%20to%20be%20honest%2C%20I%20am%20weary%20of%20it.%20When%20will%20society%20forgive%20me...%3F%20There%20was%20a%20time%20when%20I%20truly%20thought%20that%20if%20the%20Czech%20Republic%20joined%20the%20EU%2C%20the%20hatred%20toward%20the%20old%20system%20would%20wane.The%20Eastern%20system%20set%20up%20a%20fence%20around%20the%20entire%20East.%20As%20a%20result%2C%20our%20way%20of%20life%20and%5Cu00a0%27%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">So long as I have power, I will not be a public figure. If I lost my power, I could appear... but I would die," he said. "However, I only did what I thought was to the benefit of my country. I only did my job. When it came to controlling the fates of other men, I was not like Bonaparta. I never once enjoyed the act. I don't know how long I will continue to live like this... to be honest, I am weary of it. When will society forgive me...? There was a time when I truly thought that if the Czech Republic joined the EU, the hatred toward the old system would wane.The Eastern system set up a fence around the entire East. As a result, our way of life and '&#x200b;</span><b><span data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3Evalue%20systems%20differed%20quite%20a%20lot%20from%20Western%20capitalism.%20And%20what%20would%20happen%20if%20a%5Cu00a0%27%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">value systems differed quite a lot from Western capitalism. And what would happen if a '&#x200b;</span></b><span data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3Egenius%20with%20peculiar%20and%20obscure%20ambitions%20existed%20in%20that%20narrow%20space%20surrounded%20by%5Cu00a0%27%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">genius with peculiar and obscure ambitions existed in that narrow space surrounded by '&#x200b;</span><b><span data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3Efences%3F%20We%20officers%20with%20no%20power%20of%20imagination%20would%20rely%20on%20his%20talent%2C%20without%5Cu00a0%27%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">fences? We officers with no power of imagination would rely on his talent, without '&#x200b;</span></b><span data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3Econsidering%20right%20or%20wrong%20or%20common%20sense.%20No%20matter%20what%20unsightly%20result%20waited%20for%20us%5Cu00a0%27%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">considering right or wrong or common sense. No matter what unsightly result waited for us '&#x200b;</span><b>at the end of that choice...</b></i><span data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%5C%2F%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">&#x200b;</span><b><span data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%5C%2F%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">&#x200b;</span></b>"<b><span data-rte-instance="633396-6780942925dede0c8d2109" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%5C%2F%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">&#x200b;</span></b>
</dd></dl>
</dd></dl>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true">Weber was again blind-folded and taken away from the former Captain.
</p><p />
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