They settled down to a friendly debate, setting the world to rights with all the sweet reasonableness of two modest, peaceful men and agreeing on one point – that humankind would never be free. Mont-Valérien continued to thunder on, relentlessly destroying French homes with its shells, ruining lives, crushing bodies and shattering dreams, expectations and hopes of happiness. It inflicted wounds that would never heal in the hearts of girls, wives and mothers in other lands as well.

‘That’s life,’ said Monsieur Sauvage.

‘That’s death, more like,’ Monsieur Morissot retorted with a laugh.

Suddenly, however, both gave a start of terror as they became aware of footsteps immediately behind them. Looking round they stared into the barrels of four guns aimed squarely at them by four large, bearded men dressed like liveried servants and wearing flat caps on their heads. The two lines slipped from their hands and floated downstream.

In a few seconds they were seized, bound, marched off and bundled into a boat in which they were ferried across to the island. Behind the house they had thought deserted, twenty or so German soldiers could now be seen. A hairy giant of a man, sitting astride a chair and smoking a large porcelain pipe, asked them in excellent French: ‘Well, gentlemen. And have you had a good day’s fishing?’

At this, one of the soldiers deposited at the officer’s feet the mesh bag full of fish which he had taken care to bring along with them. The Prussian smiled.

‘Ah! I see you weren’t doing too badly. But that’s neither here nor there. Listen to me and you’ll have nothing to worry about. I have to consider you as two spies sent to see what I’m up to. I capture you and shoot you. Fishing was your cover which I have just blown. That’s your bad luck. War is war. But since you’ve come through your own lines you must have a password to get back. You give me that and I’ll spare your lives.’

The two friends, ashen-faced and with slightly trembling hands, stood side by side and said nothing.

‘No one will ever know about it,’ the officer went on. ‘You will return home quietly and the secret remains with you. If you refuse, you die here and now. Your choice.’

They remained motionless, not saying a word. Still calmly, the Prussian pointed at the water.

‘Just think what it will be like in five minutes to be lying at the bottom of that river. In five minutes! I presume you’ve got relatives at home?’

Mont-Valérien thundered on.

The two fishermen stood there in silence. The German gave orders in his own language. Then he shifted his chair so as not to be too close to the prisoners. Twelve men came and took up their positions at twenty paces, rifles at the ready. The officer spoke again.