The Catcher Was a Spy Page #4

---

[clears throat]

[speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language]

[chuckles]

[speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language]

They don't have it,

they're still building

carbon molding frames

instead of shaped housings.

He's writing about heavy water

absorption rates.

This letter,

he asks Amaldi for help

with casement tolerances.

Here, he says

he's doing

large-structure analysis.

Everything points to a reactor

instead of a bomb.

How do we know

these documents aren't decoys?

Plants?

Uh, they're letters.

Personal letters.

These men are friends.

The physics is, uh,

intertwined with the intimacy.

Hmm, we have to be sure.

Then have the British review it.

They are physicists.

They will confirm what I say.

Alright.

We'll have

the Brits weigh in.

Donovan will be here soon.

I'm kicking this upstairs.

[revving]

[instrumental music]

- Mr. Berg.

- Hello, sir.

- How's it been going?

- Going well. Yes, sir.

[indistinct chatter]

And the industrial complex

at Hechingen

has only a containment vessel

and a cycle stack

both signs of a nascent

reactor facility.

And the uranium

separation facility?

Consensus in London is

that's just a carbon separator

of some sort.

An attempt at shale

extraction.

- Coal?

- Apparently so.

I concur.

So, where does this leave us?

London is certain.

No German bomb.

Degree of certainty?

There's no such thing

as a degree of certainty.

I mean, something is

either certain or it is not.

Hmm.

Thank you, gentlemen.

- Good day, sir.

- Good day.

[door opens]

So, what are the alternatives?

Bombing Hechingen

is unlikely to be effective.

If they are developing a bomb

the work, the materials

will be spread out

at facilities

and other factories.

So our British allies

tell us 100% no German bomb.

My people tell me

a 20% possibility.

More likely ten or

five percent.

- Perhaps less.

- But not zero.

It's Probability 101.

You multiply the likelihood of

the event by the consequence.

Five percent chance you're

going to stub your toe in the

dark

you take the chance,

walk to the bathroom

without turning on the lights

and waking your wife.

A five percent chance of losingthe

war to a weapon like this

you do what has to be done.

Which is?

We kill Heisenberg.

What if he's on our side?

Why is it that the Germans

haven't developed a bomb?

Heisenberg has a team of

at least

a dozen capable physicists.

What have they been doing?

What are you saying?

He's dragging his feet?

Intentionally slowing

the program?

I do not think

that Werner Heisenberg

would want to be remembered

as a traitor.

The man who lost the war

for Germany?

We are not absolutely

sure of that

nor do we have

any actual evidence

that he's secretly

working for us.

There are millions of lives

at stake.

I'm sorry.

[indistinct chatter]

Werner Heisenberg..

Pioneer in the study

of subatomic particles.

Winner of the 1932

Nobel Prize in physics

for the creation

of quantum mechanics.

Equation 56 is known

as Heisenberg's principle

of uncertainty.

The principle shows

that one can never observe

both the position

and velocity of a particle

at the same time.

One cannot be certain

where something is

and where it is going.

And thus, Heisenberg proves

that no one knows anything.

We live in eternal

uncertainty.

A man after my own heart.

You like libraries.

Why?

Here is a belongingness

I find in few other places.

On a ball field?

There too.

That's gone now.

I have to ask you

a question

and I need a real answer.

If it comes down to it

are you going to be able

to kill him?

Yes.

[indistinct chatter]

There you go.

You wanna play?

Huh, good.

You, uh, got a choice?

- Catcher?

- It's all yours.

[instrumental music]

[indistinct chatter]

Oh, sh*t.

- The guy's a pro.

- Yeah.

[gunshot]

I know who that is.

That's Moe Berg.

[gunshot]

Home plate, home plate!

[indistinct chatter]

- Yes!

- Alright.

[gunshot]

Uh-oh. Move back, move back.

Don't worry,

245 lifetime.

Yeah, yeah, just don't hit it

down my throat, okay?

Oh!

[applauding]

That's a hit!

[indistinct chatter]

Jesus Christ!

Moe Berg, thanks.

Oh, no. Don't thank me.

Thank you.

Hey, do you mind,

uh, signing the ball?

- Yeah, sure.

- Thanks a lot, Moe.

You know, I saw you

a dozen times at Fenway.

- You were great.

- Me? Great? When?

Uh, well, I saw you.

- Yeah.

- Thanks.

[indistinct chatter]

[gunshot]

Zurich. It's a short train

journey from Hechingen.

A break from the grim

atmosphere of Germany.

He will be tempted.

And I know someone in Zurich.

Paul Scherrer.

He and Heisenberg

are good friends.

- They play chess by mail.

- He's anti-Nazi.

Exactly, but he and Heisenberg

are still close.

And he gonna help us

lure Heisenberg to Zurich?

Such a word, "Lure."

Heisenberg has been there

twice since the war started.

We simply have Scherrer invite

him to deliver a lecture.

Can Scherrer be persuaded

to work with us?

Yes. Scherrer will arrange it.

And so the madness

becomes real.

We have to kill

Werner Heisenberg

and I am to be a part of it.

No one wants

to kill Heisenberg.

Yeah? Then kidnap him.

Send in spies to Germany

and kidnap him.

You've read too many

spy novels.

I've never read a spy novel.

It's not that easy

to kidnap somebody.

Ah.

Yeah,

you mean killing is easier.

My God.

[engine revving]

You'll have about 30 miles

on foot to the Swiss border.

I'd hold on to your gun.

I have some reservations

about your guides.

Reservations?

Like what?

Reservations like

they might kill you.

You might have cared

to add that to the report.

There's your guides.

[sighs]

Wish me luck.

I don't wanna hear you

depending on luck.

Figure of speech.

Thank you, Sam.

Thank you, Moe.

[dramatic music]

[engine revving]

[instrumental music]

[panting]

[grunts]

[panting]

Now we rest.

[groans]

Riposo.

No.

[speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language]

[footsteps]

[speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language]

- Hi, are you okay?

- Yeah.

Who came up

with that sheep nonsense?

- I don't know.

- I felt like an idiot.

So did I.

Switzerland?

Yes.

Let's go.

[brakes squeaking]

[instrumental music]

That's Heisenberg.

It's good to see you..

And that's Professor Scherrer.

Scherrer looks way to nervous.

I guess this isn't his thing.

What?

Treachery.

[indistinct chatter]

[knock on door]

- Professor Scherrer.

- Mr. Aziz, please come in.

Thank you.

My name's Berg.

Oh, so who is Mr. Aziz?

A cover name.

I prefer you and I

tell each other the truth.

I'm Morris Berg.

Oh.

Sam Goudsmit

sends his regards.

Ah, well.

I was hoping

he would come here personally.

Please, please sit down.

Well, he, uh..

He sent you something.

Heavy water.

Nordstemmen impurity.

Oh, thank you so much.

No, you don't know

how much I appreciate this.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote