Brandt Thank you. I think I can see a way of doing it that would enable me to offer you the Foreign Ministry.

Schmidt Offer me the . . . ?

Brandt Foreign Ministry. Isn't that what you want? When I reshuffle? Keep Genscher out of it, at any rate. I'm going to make a completely fresh start. Get rid of Grabert. Bring in someone else to run the Chancellor's office.

Schmidt I see. You're not . . . ?

Brandt Not what?

Schmidt I thought . . . Herbert thought . . .

Wehner I think even Number One thought.

Brandt Thought, yes. Thought and thought. Decided even. But what voice will speak when you open your mouth you never know for certain until it does.

Schmidt So . . . Well . . . Of course . . .

Brandt Not even you.

Schmidt No . . . Only . . . Well . . .

Brandt Will you fight or will you run? Who knows until the moment comes? And since I have your support. Your unswerving support . . .

Bauhaus (with Nollau) One other possibility I should mention. Guillaume may also have had well . . . photos.

Nollau More photos?

Bauhaus He was a professional photographer.

Nollau So?

Bauhaus When we were on the train he had the compartment adjoining the Chief's . . .

Wilke (with Wehner and Schmidt) No more than one might expect from the gutter press, of course. I thought you'd better see it, though.

Wehner 'Did Brandt Spy Take Sex Photos?'

Schmidt Where did this one come from?

Wehner No idea.

Wilke Have you seen him today? He looks just about at the end of his tether.

Wehner Been up all night, I gather. Drinking. Wavering. Muttering about pistols and high cliffs . . .

Brandt joins them. Wilke gives him the newspaper.

Wilke I'm sorry to be the messenger . . .

Brandt So many people eager to lend a helping hand.

Schmidt But where did they get the story?

Guillaume - Not from me, Chief. No story — no photographs! You know that!

Brandt (to Wehner) I never asked how your meeting went. With your friends in East Berlin on Friday.

Wehner Fruitful, I think.

Brandt Prisoners and families?

Wehner Not this time.

Brandt No?

Wehner Economic co-operation. Long-planned. As you know.

Brandt So much support . . . You open your mouth to surrender, and you hear a voice saying: Tm damned if I will!' You open it again, and this time it's another voice altogether. Saying: 'Done for. Finished. Sunk.' Well . . . Various people I shall have to inform first, of course. My family. The party. Our coalition partners. My official letter of resignation Grabert can take to the President this evening. (To Schmidt.) I know that Herbert will give you exactly the same kind of support as he has always given me.

Schmidt Willy, stop. Stop, stop, stop. Let's all just pause and think for a moment. Let's not get ourselves rushed into a decision we might all regret. Willy . . .!

Wehner (with Schmidt and Wilke) I shouldn't get too excited. He'll change his mind a few more times yet.

Schmidt One of us must go after him, stop him, reason with him!