Top Secret briefly flashed across the screen, followed by a blur of mathematical calculations and various complicated diagrams. He stopped at one and adjusted the focus. He squinted at it.
‘What is this?’
Graf bent to look. ‘That’s a vacuum reservoir … compensator … fixed diffuser … Laval nozzle … honeycomb …’
‘Yes, but what is it?’
‘I can’t tell you that – it’s classified.’
Biwack hit him in the face. Graf stumbled backwards. His head was ringing. He put his hand to his nose and felt blood.
‘That was for impertinence. The next will be for refusing to cooperate. So I ask you again: what is this?’
Graf inspected his fingers. His nose was hurting more than he thought possible. And that was only the beginning. ‘I am not authorised to share classified material with anyone without security clearance.’
Biwack drew back his fist. Graf closed his eyes and braced himself. When nothing happened, he opened them again. Biwack’s fist was still raised, but his head was turned away, distracted. Through the buzzing in his ears, Graf could vaguely make out an argument going on outside the door. It was abruptly flung open and an SS officer strode in. On his collar were the four silver squares of a Sturmbannführer. Biwack and the two Gestapo men came instantly to attention.
‘Heil Hitler!’
Von Braun returned their salute. ‘What is going on here?’ He glanced at the screen. ‘Turn that off immediately!’ Biwack hastily pressed a switch and the screen went dark. ‘I shall need the names of every man in this room.’
Biwack said, ‘If I might explain the situation, Professor von Braun. Dr Graf has been arrested for sabotage. In his room we discovered one hundred and seven reels of microfilm. I was asking him for an explanation.’
‘Asking him? My God! Is this what you call asking?’ Von Braun pulled a clean white handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to Graf. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I think so.’ He dabbed at his nose. It felt loose, spongy, painful to touch.
Von Braun turned back to Biwack. ‘How dare you mistreat one of my senior staff in this manner? Has this arrest been authorised by Gruppenführer Kammler?’
Biwack looked uncomfortable. ‘No. I tried to contact him, but he was already back on the road to Hellendoorn.’
‘So,’ said von Braun, ‘unauthorised.’ He transferred his gaze to the two Gestapo men. He was magnificent in his authority. ‘This is what is going to happen, Sturmscharführer.’ He didn’t even deign to look at him. ‘You are going to take that microfilm off the machine – without switching on the screen, unless you wish to be prosecuted – and return it to me, along with all the other rolls I had entrusted to Dr Graf for safe keeping. He is then going to accompany me back to Peenemünde, where he will be available for questioning if you wish to pursue this absurd allegation of sabotage any further. Is that clear?’
‘With respect, I have the authority of the National Socialist Leadership Office—’
Von Braun ignored him and spoke to the other two. ‘Is that clear?’
The Gestapo men looked at one another, nodded.
Outside, von Braun handed the suitcase to his driver. Graf crouched down on the gravel to lace up his shoes. ‘Do that in the car,’ said von Braun. ‘Let’s not push our luck.’
Graf climbed into the back seat beside him. The Mercedes pulled out of the gate into the road and swung left. The driver looked in the mirror. ‘Where to, Professor?’
‘Peenemünde. We can stop for fuel in Bremen.’
The big car gathered speed.
Graf had his head tilted back, the handkerchief pressed to his nose. ‘I don’t want to go back to Peenemünde.’
‘Don’t be absurd. You can’t stay here.’
‘Even so. It’s all finished for me.’
Von Braun sighed. He leaned forward. ‘Get clear of the town,’ he said to the driver, ‘and then find a place to pull over.’
It was dark, beginning to rain. The windscreen wipers scudded back and forth. Graf had no idea where they were. They drove for another five minutes. Just beyond a crossroads, they left the road and bounced up onto a flat stretch of grass. The driver switched on the interior light.
‘Come on,’ said von Braun.
They walked away from the car. The rain was soft and soothing. Graf tilted his face towards it. He dabbed at his nose. He could hear the sea in the distance, the roll of the waves hitting the shore. They found shelter under a tree. Von Braun lit a cigarette and gave it to Graf, then took