The Devil's General Page #8

good spanking from time to time.

Harras, I'm warning you!

I am not easily dissauded.

Perhaps I am young but I know what I want.

What does that mean?

Beware ladies hiding Jews in their basement...

...for humanitarian reasons or whatnot.

You may find it charming but I know and you do too...

...there are those who do not.

This is blackmail!

Why be so dramatic?

Those who will not hear must feel.

Out of here! Otherwise I cannot

answer for my actions!

- Schmidt-Lausitz?

- No, Captain Lttjohann. Could you please...?

An accident?

Yes, with one of the planes that Von Stetten sent.

- On the first flight.

- Horrible.

I thought to bring you the news personally.

The phone is like a leaky pipeline.

Everyone on Prinz-Albrecht

street already knows.

Schmidt-Lausitz say anything?

The Technical Department has

formally expressed its condolences.

Very moving.

He has not come here?

Not yet. If he does, tell him

I'm at the training center.

However, I'm going to the North field.

- You forgot your watch.

- Thank you.

- The next-of-kin informed?

- Yes, Stetten himself called...

with a proud, trembling voice.

I would have gladly kicked him.

We have to go immediately to your sister's house.

Friedrich Eilers is dead.

I'm so sorry. You know how much I loved him.

I still can not tell the children.

His life had a purpose.

His death had meaning.

It's beautiful fighting for an ideal...

...to the point of leaving this life for it.

Yes! And mourn the dead with pride and love.

Harras, can you stop those

empty phrases, these lies!

I know you have the best intentions

but I can no longer bear it.

I myself have lied too much.

All these years I spent at the side of Friedrich.

I never believed in these idols...in these false gods.

He did but I didn't.

But I could never tell him.

I loved him too much!

I always had hoped that later...

...after this damned war is over...

...I could talk to him, set him straight,...

...show him how it was wrong.

He never knew that you ...?

How could I shake his faith, disappoint him?

I wanted him to hold his head high.

He was a soldier and this is war.

He was so happy, fighting for a better world.

For us - the children and me.

I could not tell him that he was fighting

in the name of madmen.

And now he's dead...

for nothing.

A needless death.

You have nothing to worry about.

You are blameless for his death.

You were right to lie.

No, Harras! I should not have.

Today, I realize that.

We must not remain silent, lie, connive.

But what is a woman to do?

But you do nothing? You men!

You all know this! Better than me!

Why do you do nothing?

Klaus, Erika, go to your room.

There are some gentlemen

here from the General Staff.

Thank you for visiting and for listening to me.

I have no one else.

Thank you, Anne.

I wanted to help you and it was you who helped me.

Please come in, gentlemen.

VL41 just arrived.

- Hofrichter!

- Yes, sir General.

Do you have one of the same planes that Eilers had?

Yes, sir.

At the end.

- Dive tested?

- No, sir General.

- Warm up the engines.

- Yes, General.

Greater Germany in mourning for Commander Eilers.

- Korrianke, go to the barracks.

- No, I'd rather stay here.

I'll just sit quietly in a corner.

- I won't even blink.

- Anything else?

- You're not going to say "Shut up".

- Shut up.

What does it say about Eilers?

I was just reading his last letter to me.

Was it our fault, Karl?

Were we negligent?

I told them not to send these

aircraft to the front!

It's as though I killed him.

You? That's crazy talk!

I need to know what happened.

Whether it was coincidence or intentional.

Come on, Karl.

- You? What do you think?

- I'll get the plans.

What happened to the Schmidt-Lausitz?

He never showed up.

What? He was so insistent.

Yes, I left Lttjohann waiting for him.

I'll make coffee.

Have Strickmann send a bottle of wine.

And I want a good one!

What are they doing with that MO-168?

Who could be flying today?

Me.

You are not flying that plane!

We have to learn what happened!

Perhaps, but you won't live to tell anyone.

Don't be ridiculous.

I've done things like

this all my life.

In your condition!

After two weeks with the Gestapo!

Come on, go get the plans.

Strickmann should send a bottle of wine to the chief.

The Lieutenant here wants to talk with General Harras.

Not right now.

- About work?

- Actually, no.

The general knows me.

Allow me to introduce myself: Lieutenant Hartmann,

...of the Eilers squadron.

Do you know something about his crash?

No, I wasn't there.

Just a moment. I'll notify the General.

Just a moment.

Take these!

I will not let you fly this plane.

And how do you intend

to do that, Engineer?

Then I'm going with you.

No parachute? Are you crazy?

You knew that the trim compensator does not work.

- How long?

- From the beginning.

- Design error?

- Design error.

- And you did not report it?

- Correct.

- So it was you?

- Yup.

I'll be in my office, at your disposal.

You see the boss?

I going to his personal plane in hangar 35.

Why won't you say something?

Hangar 35! Tell him that!

You keep watch...and you leave.

By order of the Fhrer, the State Security Service...

...assumes responsibility for the investigation

of all aircraft accidents, effective immediately.

The Reichsfhrer has placed me in charge personally.

Very well. At least I know the reason...

...for you not showing up at my house at 14:30.

Our conversation became irrelevant.

The Fhrer assumes direct command

of all the Armed Forces.

This restructuring of the armed forces...

...will automatically improve efficiency.

I doubt it.

You have become superflous.

"To err is human," said the cock

and killed the duck.

With regard to our conversation,...

...we must reach an agreement quickly.

I'll give you two hours.

At 18:
00, bring me the culprit...

...no matter if sabotage or negligence...

...or sign this statement...

resigning from your department.

The reasons why are identified.

Which is practically a confession.

Exactly.

That will allow you to declare me guilty...

...and rid yourself of an inconvenient Luftwaffe witness.

You know I do not like much your sense of humor.

Anything else to say?

And if I present you the culprit now?

You have suspects?

What would happen then?

In that case? It would completely end the situation.

Really? End it?

Well, I have to ask one thing....

...how suddenly, when pressured,...

...you could produce in two hours...

...what you failed to do in two months.

Bravo! Exactly what I wanted to hear.

Pardon?

Thank you. I'm satisfied.

Right. Me too.

Tell me something, Schmidt-Lausitz.

You're not going to shoot me?

You are not an enemy.

Why would I dirty my hands?

I have everything I came for.

The car outside is waiting for me.

You have not had to give me anything.

Even so, if need be, I will do

anything to keep you from harm.

Same here.

But before I go, listen to me. I want tell you something.

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