Berlin Express

1

'On a warm June day

in the Rue St Martin in Paris

'there was a disturbance.

'Members of the French press

'were being barred

from a secret conference.

'Representatives

of the United Nations

'were hearing from the head

of a fact-finding commission -

'Dr Heinrich Bernhardt.

'Bernhardt had a proven record

'on international affairs.

'His report was sharp and concise -

facts and figures

'about turning the Allied zones

of Germany into a unified country.

'They were dealing with something

'that might add harmony

to this turbulent world.

'You can see why the reporters

were a bit put out.

'But was the young man impressed?

Definitely not.

'You can't blame the American.

'It was the first time he'd seen

Paris and he really took it in.

'From street cafes in Montmartre

'to the plaza

in front of Notre Dame.

'240 steps up the Gothic spires

it was even more attractive.

'She was just like

the picture postcards said,

'the most beautiful city

in the world.

'By turns stunning,

'exciting, peaceful.'

GUNSHO Oh, un pigeon!

'That's right.

The dove of peace was a pigeon.

'A dead pigeon.'

Viens l'enterrer.

Je fais un croix pour sa tombe.

Allons-y.

'All the same, the pigeon

was set for a hero's funeral,

'in the shadows of the Sacre Coeur,

'the church that sits majestically

on Montmartre hill.'

Pierrot! Andre!

'Two things were overlooked

in the funeral arrangements -

'Maman...

and the fact that on some tables,

'pigeons make a fair dish.'

Maman, s'il te plait. Rends-le nous.

Les enfants, soyez raisonnables.

On devait l'enterrer.

Qu'est-ce que c'est que ca?

Un message?

Faites voir.

C'est pas pour les gosses.

Monsieur l'agent,

voila ce que nous avons trouve

attache a l'aile d'un pigeon.

Vous avez tue un pigeon?

Non. Les enfants l'ont trouve.

Ca va. Ca va.

C'est grave?

C'est en allemand.

'Allemand - German.

The war was long over.

'Something like peace

was supposed to be here.

'It still sent fear

into these simple people's hearts.

'This was something

for higher authorities.

'They went to their Deuxieme Bureau.

'That's their version of

Scotland Yard or the American FBI.'

21 heures 45, Sulzbach.

'Vingt-et-une et quarante-cinq -

2145,

'the continental method

of saying 9.45pm our time.

'And that was about all

'they could get out of it.'

On aura du choix.

Alors, ne plaisante pas.

'That and...' Sulzbach.

'Plenty of Sulzbachs

to chose from in occupied Germany.

'Several in every zone.

'Better notify

the other headquarters.'

Passez-moi le service

des renseignements des ambassades.

De l'Angleterre.

'The British Embassy.'

Des Etats-Unis. 'The United States.'

Et de la Russie Sovietique.

'And the Soviet.

'But notify them of what?

'Of what happening

in what Sulzbach?

'9.45pm of what night?

'Six hours later

at Paris' Gare de l'Est station,

'where the railroad office for the

US Army maintained a special window,

'the following incident took place.'

TRAIN WHISTLES:

My name is Hans Schmidt.

You have a ticket for me.

Sorry, you don't seem

to be on the list.

But it was only 20 minutes ago

I was cleared.

I was assured that...

Paris to Frankfurt, eh?

And on to Berlin.

Sir, fella here named Schmidt.

HANS Schmidt.

Oh, yes, sir. Right, sir.

Seems to be OK, Mr Schmidt.

'Schmidt was on his way

to the Main Seiner,

'the United States army train -

'a travelling grand hotel

for soldiers on leave and on orders,

'for war department clerks

and wartime wives,

'displaced persons and diplomats.'

Right, sir. Third car down.

Your papers, mister.

Second car down.

Merci, sergeant.

Puis-je vous aider

avec vos valises?

Ya nye ponimayu. Quoi?

Ya nye ponimayu.

"Ya nye ponimayu"?

Ona ved' russkaya.

Do svidaniya.

Second car down.

Daytye, tovarisch. Ya tozhe russkiy.

Je ne comprends pas.

Permettez.

Here, let me give you a hand.

Nein, ich trage das lieber selber.

How's your German? It isn't.

I think I get the idea, though!

Das habe ich gerade noch gemacht.

We don't have any more

German enemies. No authorised ones.

'The American

'was in compartment A.

'His travel orders read:

Robert J Lindley -

'birthplace, Illinois. Occupation,

US government agricultural expert.

'Compartment B, Lucienne Mirbeau -

birthplace, Lyon, France.

'Occupation, secretary.

'Compartment C, Herr Otto Franzen -

birthplace, Frankfurt.

'Once a German industrialist,

now a dealer in scrap iron.

'Compartment D, unoccupied,

'but being held

for a person of importance.

'Compartment E,

James Sterling of Liverpool.

'Former occupation, soldier.

Present occupation, school teacher.

'Lt Maxim Kiroshilov -

birthplace, Moscow.

'Defender of Stalingrad. Military

aide, occupation authorities.

'Compartment F, Henri Perrot, Paris.

'Member of the French Underground.

Now a man of commerce.

'Compartment G, Hans Schmidt -

birthplace, Munich. Occupation...'

TRAIN'S WHISTLE BLOWS

Glad to have you with us, sir.

Bitte, geben Sie mir Feuer.

Danke shon.

'2145 is 9.45pm.

'The only thing missing

from the pattern was Sulzbach.'

I'm sorry, old man. This is taken.

You know, it's occupied.

You know.

Possession

is nine tenths of the law.

Wait a minute. Never let it be said

that an Englishman isn't fair,

at least on occasions.

Heads, it's mine. Tails, yours.

Right?

Heads... mine.

Upstairs.

I can't say that I'm sorry.

Up you go.

Pleasant dreams.

I hope you don't snore.

Ticket and papers, please.

Sterling, Lt Kiroshilov,

compartment E.

You can't take that on the train.

You'll get it back tomorrow.

Can I get a sandwich in the diner?

Lindley, compartment A.

The diner is closed.

The mess sergeant

will call you for breakfast.

My name's Lindley.

Sterling.

My kid brother fought

with a British outfit in Italy.

The turning point of the war.

According to American history.

What do you mean?

The actual turning point of the war

was El Alamein.

You're quoting English history now.

Verzeihen Sie, bitte.

I wonder how THEY'LL handle it.

Truthfully, I hope.

Otherwise I'm wasting valuable time.

I'm in re-education.

It seems hopeless sometimes.

Yet what is more important

than that?

Giving them something to eat.

Your field?

I do sleight of hand.

I have to make 1,500 calories

look like a huge meal.

And prevent things

like plague and starvation.

Do you happen to know

who that Russian girl is?

German, you mean?

With a Parisian accent.

French? What chance has a European

with an American around?

I'm afraid you overestimate us.

How can we compete

with your charm, your chocolates?

Your soap. Your cigarettes.

It's more blessed

to give than receive.

I thought the diner was closed.

Unless you happen to be important.

What's so important about a German?

What makes you think he is German?

Reason it for yourself.

Bodyguard holding the train?

I'll wager it's one of Ivan's lads.

Only a Russian

would arrive with a platoon.

And only a Britisher would object.

Oh, you speak English?

Comes and goes, tovarisch.

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