The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel Page #6

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in mind a thousand times more destructive.

But the crisis under discussion is now.

I've a dozen others, all of them capable

of turning the whole course of the war.

But what about now, sir?

What are we to do tomorrow morning?

While you've been deciding that all is lost,

we've been working, working miracles,

determining the course of history

for centuries to come!

In the workshops and laboratories,

we've made machines of destruction

such as the enemy has never dreamed of!

I have one in mind! I have a weapon in mind!

Now definitely committed to

the plot to assassinate his Fhrer,

Rommel was still trying

to whip fight into his crumbling front,

when, on June 17, on a road near a village

with the ominous name of Montgomery...

Aircraft.

Three days later, while Rommel still lay

unconscious in a hospital in France,

Adolf Hitler and his staff

gathered for their fateful conference

in a fortified barracks at

his headquarters in East Prussia.

The Fhrer, gentlemen.

He handles his panzers like a cavalry officer.

Thank you, gentlemen.

- My Fhrer.

- Yes?

- Stauffenberg, sir.

- Yes, yes.

- Stauffenberg. From General Fromm.

- Yes, sir.

- Good to see you again.

- Thank you, my Fhrer.

Gentlemen, your attention, please.

Excuse me, please.

I have a report from General Fromm.

- Where's Gring?

- On his way now, sir.

Well, when you are fat,

you don't move so fast, huh?

Colonel Count von Stauffenberg?

Telephone, sir.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

All right, suppose we start

with the Russian front.

Fhrer?

The Fhrer!

Are you all right, my Fhrer?

Yeah. I'm all right.

For that failure, 5000 suspects

paid with their lives

during the few days

that Hitler spent in hospital.

As for Rommel, recuperating

at Herrlingen from injuries

that would have destroyed

any but the toughest of men,

all public mention of his name

suddenly stopped,

and a complete and official silence

settled over the subject

of the nation's most celebrated soldier.

For three months he remained

in this sinister isolation

until the afternoon of October 13 in 1944.

- Keitel?

- How are you, Rommel?

- Getting along, thank you.

- Well enough yet to come up to Berlin?

I'm afraid not yet.

In another week or two, perhaps. Why?

I could send a special train for you.

That's very good of you,

but I really don't feel up to it yet.

Is there some particular urgency about it?

How soon will you be ready

for another command?

Another two weeks, I suppose.

Three at the most.

If we send someone there, would you

be able to discuss the situation with him?

- Of course.

- Very well. I'll send Burgdorf. You know him?

I've met him.

Suppose I have him drive down tomorrow

morning, would that be convenient?

- Perfectly.

- He'll have full information and instructions.

- Give my best regards to Frau Rommel.

- I will. And thank you very much.

- Goodbye, then.

- Goodbye.

Keitel. He's talking about

another command again.

- When?

- When I feel like it, I suppose.

Uh, he sends his best regards to you.

- We're here to see Field Marshal Rommel.

- I'll tell him, sir.

- Would you tell him...

- Come in, Burgdorf.

- Field Marshal.

- It's good to see you again. And you, General.

- I don't believe you've met my wife.

- No, sir.

May I present General Burgdorf

and General...?

- Maisel.

- General Maisel.

- My son Manfred and Captain Aldinger.

- I hope you're not too tired.

- Not at all, thank you.

- Have you time for luncheon first?

Thank you, but we're due back

as quickly as we can make it.

Very well, then.

If you'll excuse us, dear. This way.

- Our apologies.

- Of course, but I'm terribly disappointed.

- Another time, perhaps.

- I hope so.

I hope it's the Russian front, don't you?

Make yourselves comfortable.

Smoke, if you wish. I'm not like Montgomery -

smoke doesn't make me unhappy.

At your service, gentlemen.

- We come directly from the Fhrer.

- Yes.

And what we have to say to you

comes directly from his lips.

Yes?

Our instructions are to tell you, first,

of his deep appreciation of your

many heroic services to the state.

Go on.

And his regrets over

your unfortunate accident.

I was sure his silence meant only that there

were more important matters on his mind.

It's a pity that after such a record...

If you'll forgive me, may we skip your

reflections and get to the message you have?

Of course, sir.

You'll observe that the charges are supported

by an overwhelming body of testimony.

I can read, thank you.

You've been uncommonly fortunate,

I see, in deathbed confessions.

It's all perfectly legal, I assure you, sir.

You may inform the Fhrer that I look forward

to answering these charges in court.

You don't intend to deny them, do you?

I said you may inform the Fhrer that I look

forward to answering the charges in court.

The Fhrer is extremely hopeful

that this matter can be settled

without exposing it to

the inevitable publicity of a court trial.

Very well, then.

Let him withdraw the charges.

His view is that nothing but harm

for everyone could come from a trial.

My orders are to remind you,

in the strongest terms possible,

of the damage that testimony like this

could do to your name and reputation.

What does he expect me to do?

Plead guilty? To you?

Well, naturally not that, of course.

I know what he wants.

He wants me to keep my mouth shut.

He doesn't want me to speak out

where it can be heard.

Well, you may tell him for me that

that's very thoughtful of him,

which will be in a proper court of law.

But to what end, sir?

The verdict is already indicated.

He told you to tell me that, too?

The evidence is there.

What defence is possible?

Then... what does he suggest?

Before we go any further,

the field marshal should be warned

that this house is surrounded.

- My orders, sir. I'm sure you understand.

- And both of us are armed.

What does he want done?

His belief is that it would be

to the best interests of all

if you should see fit to relieve the situation

yourself, quietly and without delay.

Go on.

The advantages of a solution like that over an

exchange of recriminations in an open court

are, in his opinion, several and obvious.

Most important to him, of course, would be

the preservation of your name and fame.

And he would see to it that no suspicion

would be attached to the way of your going.

As far as the rest of the nation would know,

you succumbed finally to your war wounds.

That would be the official announcement.

And the state would then honour

your memory and your family as well,

with a generosity that would be historic.

That was his word - "historic".

Your name would live on

in the glory it once deserved,

while your wife and son would never want for

either safety or comfort as long as they live.

- I have a choice?

- In a sense, yes.

The choice to die now or later.

It amounts to that, I'm afraid.

How long have I to make this choice?

We're due back in Berlin

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