Brandt Dear God, I assumed all that was long forgotten. Not that I ever saw the slightest sign of any activity. Your people are very skilled, Herr Nollau.

Nollau Thank you, Herr Chancellor.

Brandt You have actually found some evidence?

Nollau We think so. We believe so. We feel we may have. On the other hand . . .

Genscher Yes or no?

Nollau Some difficulties and inconsistencies remain. One can imagine defence counsel making much of the second man, for example.

Genscher The second man? What second man?

Nollau In the original clandestine message on which the case would still largely depend. It referred, if you recall, to a second son.

Brandt A second son? Or a second man?

Nollau Let me see . . .

Genscher Oh, no! Oh, for heaven's sake!

Nollau 'Congratulations on the second man.'

Genscher The second man in the family is the son!

Nollau I see. Of course. So the first man is . . . ?

Brandt Resting from his labours.

Guillaume (with Kretschmann) I set off before dawn for the long drive south. I glance in my mirror as I turn out of the petrol station, and there, in the first grey light, is a car waiting on the hard shoulder about three hundred metres behind me. I move off. He moves off. I turn onto the autobahn. He turns onto the autobahn. I hit a steady 120. He stays sitting in my mirror. Across the frontier into Belgium and he's still there. On into France, and he holds 160 with me all the way to Paris. My own personal assistant! As faithful to me as I am to Willy. Then at Fontainebleau the French police take over . . .

Kretschmann They let you have your holiday?

Guillaume My last holiday. In the south. In the sun.

Kretschmann You thought of staying there? Of never coming back?

Guillaume Every sunlit hour of every sunlit day. The simple life. A glass of wine on a shaded terrace. The scent of rosemary and thyme. All thought jammed out by the cicadas . . .

Kretschmann Your life's work done.

Guillaume At peace with the world around me. My own simple self at last. Not even my own self. No one.

Kretschmann You could have gone home. Now you knew you were blown. You could have crossed back to the East.

Guillaume They gave me the chance. They followed me north as far as Fontainebleau. Then this afternoon nothing. All the way to the border - no one. Petrol in the tank. Money in my pocket.

Kretschmann Why didn't you? Pierre?

Guillaume Also Christel.

Kretschmann And your current lady-friend.

Guillaume You. Mischa.

Kretschmann Willy, of course.

Guillaume Such an ignominious exit. I don't want him to remember me like that.

Kretschmann Our last meeting, then?

Guillaume Looks like it.

Kretschmann Four years, though!

Guillaume Not bad.

Kretschmann One for the history books, Günter. In the chapter on Willy Brandt you'll always have your paragraph. Knocking. Darkness. Doorbell. A crack of light.

Voice Herr Günter Guillaume?

Guillaume Yes?