Thinking about Biggles, as one does

[sholio]

Or more specifically about Fritz Lowenhardt.



I reread some of Buries a Hatchet last night before bed, and as much as I tend to get sidetracked with rereading just the first chapters and the last half of the book, there's a lot of interesting stuff in the middle too! Like Fritz and Ginger at Miskoff's house. I had forgotten that Fritz is the one who suggests talking to the Miskoffs in the first place, let alone that he basically runs that entire show, taking over from the older and more experienced Ginger:

Ginger looked doubtful.

‘Let me talk to them,’ persisted Fritz. ‘I would promise them some food. They look as though they could do with some — particularly that poor child. The man must know something about the prison. Naturally, I wouldn’t say how many there were of us, or how we got here, although he may find that out for himself if he uses the track beside the water, as I expect he does.'

Ginger agreed, not without some reluctance. It was Fritz’s argument that the man might discover them that decided him.

‘All right,’ he said. ‘What shall I do?’

‘You stay here and watch what happens. Don’t let him see you. If he kills me run away.’

‘Very well, if you’re prepared to take a chance on that.’

‘I go,’ said Fritz, and strode briskly towards the door.

IF HE KILLS ME RUN AWAY. He's only 17!

I love how much of Fritz's personality is a VERY young von Stalhein - much more open, trusting, and friendly than we ever saw Erich, but he's still extremely brave, daring, resourceful (this is the kid who was going to find a boat and paddle to Sakhalin if no one would take him!) and also coolly unsentimental about the reality of living under Soviet occupation in Germany. And yet, he *is* still very young, and you do see him needing to be reined in occasionally during his and Biggles's infiltration at the mine. (Though it is interesting to me that Fritz is the one Biggles trusts to take with him for that. It's true that there are various reasons for this - because Erich is his uncle, and because he speaks Russian - but also it's clear that Biggles trusts him to stay level-headed and pull off a very critical part of the plan.)

... Honestly this makes me think that I would love to see Fritz involved in some kind of spy op. Erich would probably do everything in his power to keep Fritz as far away from danger as possible, but it would be really interesting to see him get to deploy his resourcefulness and coolness under pressure in a different context. Maybe Erich is out of commission somehow and they need Fritz as an interpreter again?

My other sort of vague "what if" involving Fritz is what if Biggles met him as a kid. Actually, okay, what I really want is Biggles seeing Fritz with von Stalhein before their later thaw - seeing firsthand the side of him that clearly led to Fritz trusting and idolizing his uncle. Maybe there's some kind of threat to Erich's sister's family and he needs Biggles's help? I think even postwar/pre-Hatchet EvS would trust Biggles with kid!Fritz, whether he wants to admit it or not.

Imagine EvS showing up at the Mount Street flat with an 8-year-old in tow and dropping him off for Biggles to protect while he goes and rescues his sister or something, because Biggles might be The Enemy but when it comes to trusting someone enough to look after his only family in the world, he literally can't think of anyone else ...

Comments

[philomytha]

OMG I want ALL of this immediately! And yes, I totally agree about Fritz, he is amazing. The bit where he explains that yes, he'd just make his way across Russia on his own and then get a boat and paddle across to Sakhalin and see what he could do to rescue his beloved uncle... oh FRITZ.

I still maintain that EvS and Fritz would make a fantastic team smuggling people and intelligence over the Berlin Wall in a few years.

As for Biggles meeting kid!Fritz and seeing how he is with his uncle and all of that... the most amazing thing ever *_*

[sholio]

I still maintain that EvS and Fritz would make a fantastic team smuggling people and intelligence over the Berlin Wall in a few years.

Oh yessss, that's so perfect. I could really see both of them doing something like that.

As for the rest of it, I may have unmercifully plotbunnied myself with this, so let's see if anything comes of it ...

[philomytha]

A prickly, angry, resentful EvS showing up to entrust his family to Biggles because who else is he going to trust, sounds incredible.

Also please tell me Biggles will take kid!Fritz's mind off his troubles by taking him up for a ride in an airplane :-D

[passingbuzzards]

I definitely thought the core reason for bringing Fritz along for the infiltration was simply because von Stalhein could not possibly protest being rescued by Biggles if Fritz were there… :-D Agree, though, he is very determined and resourceful (and bold)! Working on a thing that includes him so have also been thinking about this.

Imagine EvS showing up at the Mount Street flat with an 8-year-old in tow and dropping him off for Biggles to protect while he goes and rescues his sister or something, because Biggles might be The Enemy but when it comes to trusting someone enough to look after his only family in the world, he literally can't think of anyone else …

This thought is AMAZING, 10/10. The level of desperation required! The ironclad trust!

[sheron]

Yeah I also think that the primary reason Biggles does bring Fritz is that he's determined to get EvS off that island. He keeps saying that EvS has a choice, and then adding "think of Fritz".

‘If you don’t like our company the forest is all yours,’ broke in Biggles. ‘We’ve got you out. That’s what I came to do. Having done it I’m off home. You do what you like, but don’t forget you have Fritz to consider.’
Von Stalhein bowed. ‘As you wish.’

Biggles primary line of thinking this entire time seems to be that Erich must really hate him enough to not want to go with him, but he won't jeopardize Fritz' safety... (To be fair, given how often Biggles has offered and been rejected, I'm completely not surprised that he's thinking this way.)

[osprey_archer]

Imagine EvS showing up at the Mount Street flat with an 8-year-old in tow and dropping him off for Biggles to protect while he goes and rescues his sister or something, because Biggles might be The Enemy but when it comes to trusting someone enough to look after his only family in the world, he literally can't think of anyone else ...

This is amazing and I hope you do something with it, if only a snippet. Also imagine Algy's reaction to all this: EvS has a nephew, and he actually seems to be a pretty decent uncle??

[rosanicus]

I love Fritz so much! Eric's influence on him is so clear and yet he is also so clearly his own person with his own deeply held convictions. Also stubbornness is definitely a von Stalhein family trait.

Re: the plot bunny at the end - YES PLEASE, Biggles with children is always hilarious in my imagination (I imagine him as the kind of adult who children love but who doesn't really understand why - it's because he talks to them like they're short adults instead of babies) so him and small!Fritz is excellent. Imagining EvS dropping him off and as soon as he's out the door Fritz turns to Biggles and says "Is it true you [insert highly classified information]? Uncle Erich said you did!"

[sheron]

OMG yes I want this!

Biggles in general seems completely oblivious to the effect he has on other humans (they love him), which is adorable.

[aella_irene]

I wonder what Erich's sister could have done to need rescuing, and I wonder if it is, perhaps, a very Biggles sort of thing, involving heroics and principles.