The Night of the Generals Page #9

I simply want to see justice done.

Now, what have you found for me

about the other generals?

You are astonishing.

Do you really think so? I always

thought we were rather alike.

Yes, only I am cautious.

There is not much to go on.

Tanz seems to have

no human interests.

Takes to the bottle from time to time.

Bit of a voyeur, I should say.

Gabler is something

of a sexual athlete.

He picks up girls

in the Bois de Boulogne,

but as far as we know,

he hasn't tried to kill one.

Kahlenberge has been too busy

with the plot, as I said.

All relevant details are here.

Not much to go on.

But here, the release

of your three Frenchmen.

Thank you.

Colonel, if I can ever

help you in any way...

Information?

Of course, but I meant...

Well, the Allies

will be here soon.

Paris will be French again.

You may need help.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Oh, come in, general.

General.

Is there any news?

Nothing yet.

We are expecting some

at any moment.

The military governor

of France.

I am sorry to call you here

at such short notice.

Some of you are strangers

to one another.

However, consider

yourselves introduced.

We are all in this together,

and we must proceed quickly.

First, then.

Tomorrow, at approximately

1300 hours, if all goes well,

we shall receive from Berlin

the code word "Valkyrie."

That one word, Valkyrie,

will mean

that Hitler is dead and that

there is a new government.

We shall then proceed

to the arrest

of every SS and Gestapo officer

in the greater Paris area.

You, general, will be responsible

for the arrest of all SS officers.

Yes, sir.

What are the orders, sir,

in case of resistance?

In case of resistance,

shoot to kill.

You will also see

to the Gestapo.

Colonel.

Sir?

You will take charge of all

telephone communications.

Major.

You will see to the military radio.

All news programs

will be monitored by us.

General Kahlenberge,

you will arrange for the disarming

of the Nibelungen Division at Cormet

and for the arrest

of General Tanz.

Corporal!

Yes, sir?

Would you care for a cognac?

But I'm on duty, sir.

You may still sit.

Thank you, sir.

My bill. Anything you want?

I'll take a Vichy water, sir.

Vichy!

You've been a satisfactory

orderly and companion.

Thank you, sir.

Except for the bath water this morning.

I'm sorry, sir.

Have you telephoned

Colonel Sandauer yet?

No, sir, I haven't.

Any conclusions you may have

drawn from my behavior

are false and dangerous.

Define the term "decadent art."

Well, sir, it's a matter

of interpretation.

Technically speaking,

to be decadent is to be

weak, diminished

in energy, sterile.

I don't personally think

the paintings we saw

are decadent.

But then, I don't really

know what decadence is,

not officially anyway.

I do think that, as art,

those paintings go deep.

They tell us things we don't

know about ourselves.

They act as a mirror,

I suppose,

to things we don't

normally see reflected.

Do you have a girl?

Yes, sir.

Sit down.

Do you have a picture of her?

No, sir.

This is my first leave

for years, Hartmann.

And I was ordered to take it.

Ordered. What do you think of that?

It must have been

an agreeable order, sir.

Not altogether, Hartmann,

but orders are to be obeyed.

That goes for generals

as well as lance corporals.

Yes, sir.

Tell me,

when it comes to the final choice,

who is more important,

you or I?

A general is more important

than a corporal, sir.

Of course. Never forget that,

no matter what happens.

Give me your wallet, corporal.

I shall take a short walk.

You have good taste.

Pay the bill

and leave an adequate tip.

When I return, I may wish to study

further details of Parisian nightlife.

Yes, sir.

[SPEAKS IN FRENCH]

And a large cognac.

Mademoiselle?

Is Raymonde...?

[SPEAKING IN FRENCH]

Excuse me, I'm looking

for Monsieur Raymonde.

Raymonde is a girl's name.

To be precise, it's mine.

I'm sorry, Corporal Hartmann

didn't have time to explain.

Oh, you must be Ulrike.

Yes.

He told me about you. Come.

Sit down.

Here, that's his table in the corner.

[SPEAKS IN FRENCH]

I think I should warn you,

Germans don't come here very often.

Not welcome?

What do you think?

Yes, not welcome. I'm sorry.

But Hartmann comes.

He's different.

One day, I shall probably be shot

by the resistance for liking him.

But people are people.

Well, you must know him quite well.

I would have known him well

if he hadn't met you first.

Don't worry, I don't anymore.

Well, you've come back, huh?

Changed your mind, probably?

Anything you say.

[SINGS IN FRENCH]

[MEN SPEAK IN FRENCH IN ALARM]

Papers, please.

Quick! Come on!

That's all we need.

Stay where you are! All of you!

Quick! Over there! Get them!

All exits to be blocked!

Halt! Halt!

Everybody is under arrest.

Get them all out of here.

This place is to be closed

until further order.

Yes, sir.

Come on.

Come on, let's go.

Corporal.

Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.

There is a girl inside

at the bar, a blond,

speaking to the barman.

You will ask her

to come with you.

Yes, sir.

Excuse me.

Yes?

It's been a long time since I've met

someone with a chauffeur.

Well, finally.

Tell him where you live.

Rue Leandre, near Sacre Coeur.

You know where it is?

Yes.

Later.

Take your time.

Whenever you want.

Over there, the house on

the corner, on your left.

Park on the other side

of the street.

On which floor do you live?

Second, in the front.

You know, he's awfully sweet.

Can't he come too?

Three's company,

as they say.

No, I suppose not.

Well, I'll go ahead.

Keep your eye on the window.

I may need you.

Yes, sir.

All right, Fraulein Gabler,

go ahead.

Corporal.

Come up here.

Yes, sir?

Come in.

Look in there.

Here.

Drink.

You are a sensitive

young man.

You're mad.

On the contrary, I'm in

full command of my reason.

Relaxed, alert, ready for duty.

Ready to be arrested

for murder!

Are you going to kill me too?

I hope I shan't have to.

Today, I asked you

who was more important,

a general or a corporal,

and you answered, "general."

Of course, I agreed with you.

But when the general should be

hanged for a filthy, bloody murder...

Then the corporal

must hang in his place.

But I can prove...

What?

What can you prove, corporal?

That you picked her up

in a nightclub?

Because I didn't.

Why should anyone think

I did it?

That your fingerprints

are on a brandy glass.

Because mine aren't.

That your identity disk

was found in her room.

Because mine won't be.

You must have planned all this

from the beginning.

You're not going

to prove anything, corporal.

You're going to disappear.

I shall say nothing

till tomorrow morning,

when you fail

to report for duty,

and are listed as a deserter.

What if I refuse?

I shall kill you.

Then I shall tell the police

that you stole the car,

that I followed you,

you came here and killed the girl.

Do you think anyone's

gonna believe you?

Naturally. I'm a general.

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