The Night of the Generals Page #8

he'll live through the night.

This is terrible.

How did it happen?

Normally. That is to say,

his car was strafed

by Allied aircraft.

In that case, this is the end.

I don't agree.

Are you mad?

There are other generals.

Yes, of course.

It isn't the end,

not by any means.

But a definite setback,

you must admit that.

Madam, I can't stay.

You must forgive me.

Ulrike, welcome to Paris.

It's always good to see

the good general.

Good night, general.

This thing can't work.

You don't have Rommel.

You do have Tanz returning

to duty tomorrow.

Only a miracle can help you now.

Then help with the miracle.

Keep Tanz away from

headquarters tomorrow.

I shall do my best, of course.

But remember, if things

do go wrong, you will all

need a friend.

Someone who is uncontaminated.

That's why I think it best

for everybody

if I appear neutral

and bide my time.

Don't force me to break my neck

by jumping the fence,

when I can stay usefully alive

by sitting on it.

You see what I mean?

Yes, I see what you mean.

An adequate restaurant.

Very clean.

Shall I drive you back

to your hotel, sir?

Why?

I thought you might be tired.

Yes.

Tell me, corporal, are the sights

of Paris confined

to those which stimulate

the intellect and stomach?

By no means, sir.

Then we must be thorough.

You will report to me here

in precisely 30 minutes.

Oh, and, corporal.

Yes, sir.

You will wear civilian clothes.

You will get them

from the hall porter.

I am thirsty.

When a man is silent,

it's because he's shy

or because he has suffered.

You are too good-looking

to need to be shy.

If you have suffered...

I can help you forget

your suffering.

Evidently, you have not

suffered enough.

At 7:
30, you are to wake me.

Bath water, 31 degrees.

Breakfast to consist of four raw eggs,

two slices of toast,

coffee, one ounce of brandy.

Yes, sir.

Good night, corporal.

Hello, could I speak to Fraulein...?

Kurt.

Remember me?

Yes, the queen of Poland.

Mm-hm. Back from exile.

I thought of this so often.

Is it how you thought

it would be?

Hello?

But, sir, I...

Yes, sir. Right away, sir.

Damn!

General Tanz?

Colonel Sandauer. He wants me

to sleep downstairs in Tanz's suite.

Don't.

No, I won't.

You're the same.

Am I?

Mm.

Except I'm not really the same.

Why? What's different?

I don't know exactly.

You tell me, all right?

I think you're the only one

who can.

Yes, I'll tell you.

You have to go?

Mm. Or be shot.

Don't be shot, ever.

You mustn't worry.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Who knows where we'll be

tomorrow.

I'm sorry. Where do we meet?

Look, go to this place at 7:00.

If I'm not there, ask for Raymonde.

It's quite safe.

Can you wait until 7:00?

No.

Neither can I.

Go quickly.

Kurt.

We don't have very good luck,

do we?

That's why it's got to get better.

Good night.

Good night.

Who is it?

Corporal Hartmann, sir.

What?

Colonel Sandauer phoned, sir.

He said I was to sleep here.

Yes.

Who is it?

It's me, sir.

Yes?

With your breakfast, sir.

My coffee black, two thirds

of a cup, no sugar.

Yes, sir.

The bath water was 32 degrees,

one degree too hot.

I'm sorry, sir.

I've put out your uniform, sir.

Corporal.

Yes, sir?

Anything to tell me?

No, sir. Nothing, sir.

All is well, then?

Yes, sir.

I insist on absolute frankness,

corporal.

Yes, sir.

Well?

Well, I hope the general

had a good time last night.

After all, we're in Paris,

and the general is on leave.

That has nothing to do with you!

No, sir.

Your job is to carry out orders,

nothing else matters.

Yes, sir.

What was your profession?

Music. I studied piano, sir.

There are some booklets over there.

I don't know how they came here.

Probably the hall porter

brought them up for me.

I should like to see

those paintings today.

I want you to arrange it

for me, Hartmann.

But, sir, I...

Yes?

Forgive me, sir, but you did say you

were returning to duty this morning.

I shall take another day of rest.

Yes, sir.

The whole business disgusts me,

but even I must relax once in a while.

It's like the natural functions.

Revolting but inevitable.

Whatever you say, sir.

You'll be happy to know

General Tanz is not returning

to duty until tomorrow.

Oh, really?

Miracles do happen from time to time.

Come in.

Excuse me, general, sir.

Yes.

The office of the military governor

just rang, sir. They want you to report

to headquarters immediately.

Thank you.

What is that about?

Can't you guess?

What's in there?

The modern paintings.

You remember, sir.

The ones you wanted to see.

Decadent art?

Well, yes, sir.

Toulouse-Lautrec, Le Divan.

Renoir, Nude, painted in 1910.

Gauguin...

Colonel Grau?

Yes.

[SPEAKS FRENCH]

Colonel Grau.

A private room?

It's been a long time

since I've seen indecent luxury

in the middle of the day.

Nothing is too good

for us, colonel.

[SPEAKS IN FRENCH]

We must give the red wine

a chance to breathe.

[SPEAKS IN FRENCH]

Don't worry about the maitre d'hotel.

He's one of my men.

I think the wine waiter's

one of ours.

Let's hope the cook's neutral.

A little white wine?

Thank you.

All we need is two ballet girls

to complete the decor.

Sex and great cuisine do not mix.

Either one or the other.

Today, it is the other.

Tomorrow...

I'll find you the girls.

Now, what have you found

for me?

Something extraordinary.

What?

There will be another murder,

and it involves one of your generals.

Which one?

Kahlenberge.

Go on.

I shouldn't tell you this.

Why not?

Because as a Frenchman,

I approve, in a way,

of what he's doing.

You approve?

Of murder?

Of this murder.

He is part of a plot

to kill Hitler.

My dear friend, there have been

a dozen plots to kill Hitler

since the war began.

Not on this scale.

Half the generals

in Paris are involved.

I know.

You know? How?

The same way that I know

your code name

in the French Resistance

is "Abelard."

More wine?

Please.

[SPEAKS FRENCH]

Mm, admirable. If the plot succeeds,

I should be able to confess

that I've always preferred

Burgundy to Rhine wine.

[SPEAKS IN FRENCH]

Did you find anything else,

you know, of a private nature?

Amazing.

I tell you about a plot to...

[SPEAKS IN FRENCH]

I tell you about a plot,

and you show no interest.

But if I can help you solve

the murder of a whore,

you are delighted.

I've no sense of proportion.

It's been pointed out to me before.

Colonel Grau, if...

Excuse me.

If the generals kill Hitler,

the war will end.

You have more faith in them

than I do.

When things were going well,

the generals enjoyed the war

quite as much as Hitler.

Now that we're losing,

they want to save their own skins.

That's natural, but...

Inspector, I'm interested in just

one general who killed a girl

and thought, because he was

a general, he could play God

in bed as well as in battle.

Well, I'm going to demonstrate

to him that he is not God.

And that you are?

My madness is on a smaller,

more secular scale.

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