Xavier March

Xavier is the main character and protagonist of the story. Xavier is a detective in the German Kriminalpolizei (Kripo) in Berlin in 1964. Xavier's official dossier describes him as "Born, Hamburg, 1922; father died of wounds, 1929; mother killed in a British air raid, 1942; joined the navy, 1939; transferred to the U-boat service, 1940; decorated for bravery and promoted, 1943; given command of own boat, 1946—one of the youngest U-boat commanders in the Reich. A glittering career. And then it all starts going wrong. No police promotions for ten years. Divorced, 1957. And then the reports start. Blockwart: persistent refusal to contribute to Winter Relief. Party officials at Werdeerscher-Markt: persistent refusal to join the NSDAP. Overheard in the canteen making disparaging comments about Himmler. Overheard in bars, overheard in restaurants, overheard in corridors..." Thursday, April 16, Chapter 2, p. 131. Xavier has wearied of the political dogma of the Third Reich and resists almost everything related...