BARONESS KARIN GEZA

Baroness Karin Geza is an agent with Allied Intelligence.

The actions of this impressive woman who decided to use her station in life along with her natural gifts and talents to fight the forces of oppression. Initially these enemies were those of the Axis, largely Germany, but later in her long career (albeit short in number of recorded adventures) she would turn her eye towards the increasing threat of communism.

The tales we have of her exploits have previously been classified, as we are told before each one: "This story is ... Top Secret" and depicts an adventure of Geza "in transcribed dramas of international intrigue and espionage, before and during World War Two." With the change of opponent mentioned before, the introduction changed to state they came from "transcribed top secret stories of present day intrigue and espionage. They are stories of a beautiful woman fighting in her own way with her own weapons for the cause of dignity, freedom, and peace."

In her own words, Geza explains how she came to be an operative by stating simply, "A long time ago, a man, a very wonderful brave man, offered me a job and I took it. 'Baroness, he said, 'remember this. In espionage you will receive no credit in success, no protection in danger, no recognition even in death. if you have to steal, steal, but if you are caught you will go to jail as a thief. If you have to kill, kill, but if you are caught you will hang. And always remember, Baroness, your first mistake will be your last.'"

She goes on to tell us that "I accepted the conditions. I became an international agent, a spy. I forgot I was a Baroness. I forgot my whole bringing-up. I forgot everything except the fight against these ... animals."

She initially got as a manicurist working at an elegant hotel where it proved amazing the sort of things she could 'pick up in a beauty parlor and I do not mean tips.'

Geza has no naivety where it comes to the consequences of her getting caught. In the first episode, the danger she faces is shown immediately when she is found out as a spy and taken prisoner, her captor gleefully predicting, "when we get off the train you will be given to the Gestapo. They will break you. ... Your fingernails, your knuckles, your beautiful white teeth, that golden hair. I promise you your hair will be gray as ashes before the treatment is over."

Back as a very young man living on a farm in central South Dakota where television was almost non-existent, listening to radio adventures was common for me and I have always loved the concept. Now, though, after 50 years of watching movies and television shows, the ability to sit in a chair and just listen to a story is way alien.

Except when traveling in a car! There audio books are terrific ways of alleviating monotony and stress and actually enjoying long trips, especially through terrain you've been through over and over and over, like commutes to and from work.

I say all this because listening to these tales sitting in an easy chair in the living room did not endear them to me because I was so used to 'watching' something. But putting them on a device and then driving in the car somewhere - wham! These stories were not bad at all!