‘I give you one minute. Not a second more.’

He got up suddenly, approached the two Frenchmen and, taking Morissot by the arm, drew him aside, whispering: ‘Quick! Give me that password. Your friend won’t know … I’ll pretend I’ve relented.’ Morissot made no reply. The officer then drew Monsieur Sauvage to one side and put the same proposition to him. Monsieur Sauvage said nothing. They found themselves together again side by side. The officer began issuing orders. The soldiers raised their rifles. Just then Morissot’s glance happened to fall on the bag full of gudgeon which was lying on the grass a few feet away. A ray of sunlight glistened on the catch of fish which were still wriggling. He suddenly weakened and despite his best efforts his eyes filled with tears.

‘Goodbye Monsieur Sauvage,’ he stammered.

‘Goodbye Monsieur Morissot,’ Monsieur Sauvage replied.

Trembling uncontrollably from head to foot they shook hands.

‘Fire!’ the officer shouted.

The twelve shots rang out as one.

Monsieur Sauvage fell forward like a log. Morissot, being taller, swayed, swivelled round and fell across his friend. He remained with his face to the sky while blood gushed out from the holes in the chest of his tunic. The German issued fresh orders. His men dispersed and returned with rope and stones which they tied to the feet of the two dead men. Then they carried them to the river bank. Mont-Valérien growled on, covered now with a mountain of its own smoke.

Two soldiers took Morissot by the head and feet. Two others picked up Monsieur Sauvage the same way. The bodies were swung energetically backwards and forwards, then flung as far away as possible. They described a curve and then, weighted by the stones, plummeted feet first into the river.

The water splashed, bubbled and eddied, then became calm once more as a few tiny wavelets reached the banks on either side. A little blood floated to the surface. Unperturbed, the officer commented to himself that it was now the fishes’ turn. And he set off back to the house. Suddenly he noticed the net full of gudgeon lying in the grass. He picked it up, looked at it, smiled and cried: ‘Wilhelm!’

A soldier in a white apron came out and ran up to him. The Prussian tossed him the catch of the two executed men and ordered: ‘Fry these little creatures up for me while they’re still alive, will you? They’ll be delicious.’

And with that he relit his pipe.

AWAKENING