Der kleine Löwe und die Großen oder Die Patriarchen und die Diplomatie Page #2

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You have no idea of its history.

Of this suite, in particular.

What are you trying to say?

I didn't come through the lobby.

Nor through that door.

I know, very rude,

and not a habit of mine.

I needed to see you unseen.

Explain, Mr. Nordling!

I hate riddles.

In Paris, every hotel has its secrets.

The Crillon, Ritz, and the Meurice.

When you moved in,

you had 200 rooms to choose from.

You took the only one

with a false bottom.

A false bottom?

Have you ever heard of Elisabeth Aryet?

- Who?

- Elisabeth Aryet.

And Miss Howard?

Never mind.

They are one and the same person.

Miss Howard was her stage name.

It's an old story but still very juicy.

Around 1860, she took

numerous minor parts in plays,

and some evenings,

lovers to her bed.

One of her lovers

lived not very far from here,

over the road in the Tuileries Palace.

He was Napoleon III.

In France, power

and affairs of the heart don't mix,

especially involving an actress.

But he was fond of her,

so he moved her in here.

And to ensure greater discretion,

he issued orders

to build this staircase.

A bit steep, I grant you.

It leads not to the entrance

guarded by your men on Rue de Rivoli,

but Rue du Mont-Thabor.

The Emperor

merely had to cross the Tuileries,

walk up the stairs

and into the arms of...

Miss Howard.

France was none the worse for it.

Hans!

You two,

go down to Rue du Mont-Thabor.

- What number?

- There is no number.

Where is it?

Is this necessary?

I doubt Napoleon III will drop in.

Where is it?

The steel door

on the corner of Rue de Castiglione.

The corner of Rue de Castiglione.

You, follow me.

Check this staircase is secure.

There are 2-3,000 terrorists out there,

who'd happily spit on my corpse.

Did I not release

all political prisoners?

The last were freed yesterday.

So, what now?

I came to suggest

you put an end to all this.

Your so-called terrorists are patriots.

I respect enemy combatants,

but they are Bolshevik criminals,

and I will crush

every last one of them!

Kill one

and you create two more.

That depends

on the resources we deploy.

I was sent to Paris to restore order.

I shall do much more.

What will you do exactly?

Nothing special.

The stairs lead down to the street.

I was cut off.

It's urgent, take care of it.

- What's going on?

- No time.

Choltitz isn't finished yet.

If you saw him at Kharkov...

I was there.

You too?

To think that barely two weeks ago,

Paris was the dream posting

for a German soldier.

The most docile, disciplined territory

in the whole of Nazi Europe.

An officer posted here

knew he had left the war behind

and would want for nothing.

The only battles to be fought here

were to obtain the best table

in a restaurant.

The Parisians are cowards,

Mr. Nordling.

They skulked

in their homes for four years.

The enemy's Normandy landings

brought some out,

and now they start to attack us,

to defy us,

killing dozens of my men.

I shall make them pay.

With no distinction

between terrorists and the others.

I advise you to leave the city

forthwith. It's not your war.

Leave Paris no less?

And go where?

I have no idea.

Back home, I suppose.

Back home?

This is my home.

You can't say the same.

Pardon me?

We're foreigners.

I'm Swedish, you're German,

but I was born

and lived all my life in Paris.

You've been here barely two weeks.

So what?

I know these men and women.

They won't leave you in peace.

They've sacrificed their jobs,

comfort and families.

They'll die for their cause.

Same here, Mr. Nordling.

This is war, not a pleasure cruise.

Indeed. But you have 2,000 men.

And on the other side? 3 million.

One day very soon,

they'll make short work of you.

Who? The French?

Short work of us?

You claim to know them?

You're a diplomat, I'm a soldier.

Spare me your advice.

3 million civilians, what's that?

Nothing!

It's bluster!

I'll swat them aside like flies.

Governor, two armored divisions

strike for Paris, as we speak.

Two Allied divisions. We both know it.

You must face facts.

Two divisions, that's 30-40,000 soldiers

you cannot hope to beat,

who will enter the city shortly

to fight alongside its population.

What will you do then?

You think the enemy

is alone on the road to Paris?

Fear not, reinforcements are coming.

Four SS Panzer divisions

left Denmark six days ago.

You mean the 4 divisions

stuck since yesterday near Soissons?

Surely not.

You're expecting others.

My time is precious.

Come to the point.

As you wish.

My embassy was contacted last night

by the French general

whose divisions are headed your way.

He told me, or rather asked me,

to give you this letter.

A letter? From a French general?

Interesting.

You know this general, then.

I've heard of him. Everybody has.

- You've never met him?

- Not yet.

So, why your embassy?

I suppose he was told

that we'd met frequently

in the last few days,

that I'd been the go-between

for the political prisoners,

and that we are on good terms,

you and I.

On good terms?

We are, aren't we?

Perhaps he simply thought

that representing a neutral nation

would make my task easier.

That's why you're here?

To deliver that letter?

Who are you working for, Mr. Nordling?

I beg your pardon?

Who are you working for?

A general you hardly know

wakes you one night,

and you come running?

If I can help create a climate...

Naturally.

Well, give me the letter.

I am not in the habit

of corresponding with an enemy general

before hostilities have ended.

You can take that back.

That's exactly what I told him.

If I were you, I'd have read it first,

if only out of curiosity.

Pointless.

Tell this jester

I do not accept ultimatums.

It is exactly that. You're very sharp.

No, it's simply usual practice

in the circumstances.

It's usual practice? I'd no idea.

And your duty is to reject it?

That's usual practice?

No, I have my orders,

and I never question an order.

Of course.

Otherwise, you wouldn't be a general.

What if an order is absurd?

I have never received such an order.

Never?

Never.

You can't defend Paris with 2,000 men.

It's impossible, as you know.

General Leclerc guarantees

honorable surrender for you and Germany,

with only two conditions.

One, you surrender without a fight.

Two, you return Paris as you found it.

In other words, intact. That's all.

Think about it, General.

Have you finished, Consul?

I beg your pardon?

Hans!

Get me Bressensdorf.

I'd ask you to leave now.

Don't argue. Leave!

What do I tell General Leclerc?

Tell him he'll remember today.

Ensure Mr. Nordling

reaches his embassy safely.

Yes, sir.

Choltitz.

What is it, Lieutenant?

What?

Hold on.

I asked you to leave, Mr. Nordling.

Follow me.

That's Lt. Hegger, I suppose.

Pardon me?

I fear he doesn't have

good news for you.

Here, I'll leave you this, just in case.

It's a copy of the letter you ripped up.

Wait, Bressensdorf.

Yes, Lieutenant, go ahead.

The detonator mechanisms

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