Night Train to Munich Page #3

- Even to exhibiting yourself in public as a singer.

Well, nature endowed me with a gift,

and I just accepted it. That's all.

It's a pity it didn't endow you with a voice.

Nothing that happened to me

in that concentration camp...

was quite as dreadful as

listening to you day after day...

singing those appalling songs.

With those few words, you've knocked

the bottom out of my entire existence.

A pity I only knocked it.

- Mr. Bomasch about?

- Yes, he is.

Admiral Baldwin sends his compliments.

He'd like Mr. Bomasch to have

dinner with him this evening.

- And his daughter.

- Hmm. I'll tell him.

Uh, just a minute. Didn't Admiral Baldwin

leave for the Mediterranean last Tuesday?

No. He's aboard the

flagship lying off Dartland.

- But I understood

that - -

Isn't he going too far out for Dartland?

Sorry to barge in. I say,

Charles, the wife's just phoned.

- I understand you're coming over to tea on Sunday.

- Yes, so I believe.

Well, she wants you to remind

Beryl to bring some recipe book-

pickling walnuts or something.

- Oh, yes. Will do.

- Right.

- Oh, hello, Randall. How are you?

- Hello. Hi.

We were just discussing the Bomasch affair.

Oh, yes, you slipped up

rather badly there, didn't you?

- Yes, I - - Well, it

wasn't exactly his fault.

We ought to have known about Karl Marsen.

The War Office has been stinking about him.

They take the view that this

armor plating of Bomasch's...

will make all the difference in the next war.

Probably nothing of the sort,

but, well, there you are.

And by tonight, Bomasch will be in Berlin...

where they won't lose any time before

putting the screws on the poor devil.

Tomorrow night?

That means he won't be at the admiralty until, let's see

- Saturday morning.

That's about it. Why?

Twenty-four, maybe 48 hours.

Why? What are you driving at?

Well, they got him out of England.

Why shouldn't I get him back?

But that's quite impossible.

Why? I know my way about.

I was three years in Berlin.

- Drinking lager.

- Mmm. Vodka now, isn't it?

What about the Polish situation?

Germany may march at any

moment. You know what that means.

I shall be back before then. Well, sir?

Well, you know perfectly well I

can't give you permission to do it.

And the fact that you make the request

at all shows you're not yourself.

- Don't you think so,

Gaskin? - Oh, well, I -

I quite agree with you.

Now, I suggest you take

a week's sick leave...

to enable you to get a

complete change of air, hmm?

Thank you, sir. I understand. I think

it might be very good for both of us.

Mm-hmm. Now, I expect you'd like

to have a little chat about it.

Yes, I would, sir.

Oh, well, uh, Charles, you won't

forget about that recipe, will you?

No, no. I'll remember.

Now look here. I don't

know what your plans are...

but I expect you'll want a

few letters of introduction.

Mm-hmm.

Reichssender Knigs

Wusterhausen calling.

Early this morning, the

Polish hoards attacked Germany.

The fhrer immediately gave orders to

our glorious army to invade Roland...

and to destroy these

intolerable aggressors...

of peace-loving Germany.

Naval High Command, Herr Major.

- How can I reach you?

- I'll ring you tonight.

I'll be waiting. Good luck.

All identity cards.

All identity cards.

All identity cards to be shown.

All identity cards.

All identity cards to be shown.

Identity card? Come on, come on, come on.

I've worked here for 10 years. You

Gestapo fellows must want a job.

- All right, all right.

- This is a fine country to live in.

- Hey. What's that?

- Nothing.

- Name. Department.

- Schwab. Records. Intelligence.

- Report that man.

- Excellent, Officer.

While we have men like you at home,

we have nothing to fear. Nothing.

Oh, I have an appointment

with Commander Kampfeldt.

- Where can I find him?

- Second floor, sir.

Thank you.

This is a very grave matter, very grave.

It has just been reported to me that

you've been heard expressing sentiments...

hostile to the fatherland.

- What, me, sir?

- What is it?

Major Herzoff to see you.

He asked me to give you this.

Can't you see I'm engaged?

I warn you, Schwab, such treasonable conduct

will lead you to a concentration camp.

But, sir, what did I say?

You were distinctly heard to remark,

"This is a fine country to live in. "

Oh, no, sir. There's some mistake.

No, what I said was, "This

is a fine country to live in. "

Huh?

- You sure?

- Yes, sir.

Hmm. I see.

Well, in future, don't make

remarks that can be taken two ways.

- Much wiser not to talk politics at all.

- Yes, sir.

- You may go.

- Heil Hitler.

Heil Hitler.

This is a fine country to live in.

This is a fine country to live in.

This is a bloody awful country to live in.

Shall I show Major Herzoff in, sir?

- Uh, yes, yes.

- Yes, sir.

Please.

Major Herzoff.

- Heil Hitler.

- Heil Hitler.

- Sit down, Major.

- Thank you.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

"This is to introduce to

you Major Ulrich Herzoff...

"of the Corps of Engineers.

"Major Herzoff is in Berlin on

an important technical mission...

"for which he requires admiralty assistance.

"I am sure, my dear Kampfeldt, that

you will give him your best cooperation.

Heil Hitler. " Et cetera,

et cetera, et cetera.

I wish these War Office fellows

would learn to write properly.

Signature might be anything.

Whose is it?

Well, I have no idea.

As usual, I was taken

from one office to another.

- I suppose it couldn't be Sardvitz.

- Sardvitz?

Or did he go in the purge?

- I can't remember.

- I believe he did.

Hmm. Whoever he was, he

spoke very highly of you.

He did?

Might be Meidvidtz.

Not very likely though.

However, the important thing

is, what can I do for you?

I want to refer to certain

technical evidence...

given before the Naval Heavy

Armaments 1935 Committee.

If you will let me have a

report of the copy, Commander.

Certainly. It will take only a moment.

I have my own filing system here.

A copy of the Naval Heavy

Armaments 1935 Committee's report.

- Have you been in Berlin long, Major?

- No.

I only left the Siegfried line last Tuesday.

Really? How is it there?

Things are pretty hectic, I expect.

Pumping night and day.

I was there in a consultative capacity.

Steel fortifications.

You possibly have heard.

Oh, yes, yes. Major Herzoff, of course.

Looks rather like Stuckner.

But I believe he is doing

diplomatic work in the Balkans.

And who is not?

I'm afraid we haven't a

copy of the 1935 report, sir.

- What's that?

- We have one of'34, but not '35.

Are you sure there was a '35 committee?

I sat in it myself as army liaison officer.

I beg your pardon. Very well, very well.

It's these fellows at the top.

They forget to send copies on.

Perhaps the construction

department might be able to help.

The very thing. They might have

one. I'll ring them at once.

- Oh, I'm sorry- -

No trouble at all.

Commander Prada.

I have with me Major Ulrich

Herzoff of the Corps of Engineers.

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