‘The difficulty has, I assume, given rise to a large underground network of illegal activity,’ his Controller continued impassively, steepling his fingers. ‘Forgery rings, where passports and visas are concerned. Smuggling activity, when a family’s wealth can’t be got out of the country any other way.’

Again, it wasn’t a question, merely a statement.

‘Yes,’ Max agreed, not betraying by a flicker how fast his heart had begun to beat. ‘Some forgery and smuggling activity is very likely.’

He smiled disingenuously, furiously wondering for how long MI6 had known of Hugo’s, Hester’s and his mother’s activities, fearful that if MI6 knew about it, the Gestapo might very well know about it too.

‘I shouldn’t think either activity is likely to have a long life span,’ his Controller said, pushing his leather-padded swivel chair away from his desk, his usual signal that an interview was at an end. ‘And in Nazi Germany there can be only one outcome for those involved.’ Graphically, he ran a finger across his throat. ‘If you know of anyone who needs such a warning I’d pass it on to them, Remer, if I were you.’

‘Put the wireless on, sweetheart,’ Vicky said to Emily Elise as she rubbed flour and butter into fine crumbs at the kitchen table. ‘I want to hear the news.’

Emily Elise, who had been reading the latest William book, William the Pirate, at the same time as mixing sugar into a bowl of elderberries she and Heini had picked earlier that morning, did as she was bid.

‘This is the one o’clock news,’ a plummy voice said sonorously. ‘In Czechoslovakia, Sudeten Germans are holding mass rallies to call for union with Germany. In his closing speech at the Nuremberg Party Rally, Herr Hitler has demanded the Czech government give justice to the Sudeten Germans and has declared that if the Czech government does not do so, Germany will intervene and will see to it that justice is given. In France, all army leave has been cancelled as tension grows over Czechoslovakia. In London, the Prime Minister, Mr Chamberlain, has announced his intention of meeting with Herr Hitler at Berchtesgaden in order to discuss a possible peaceful solution to the crisis. In Spain, General Franco has launched a heavy drive along the River Ebro in Catalonia. At the close of play yesterday, Australia suffered their first defeat outside Test matches for seventeen years when they were defeated by an invitation eleven at Scarborough, and at Edgbaston…’

‘You can turn it off now,’ Vicky said, not remotely interested in cricket scores.

‘We are still going to Berlin next week, aren’t we, Mummy?’ Emily Elise asked, returning her attention to the bowl of elderberries. ‘I am still going to be a bridesmaid to cousin Ilse, aren’t I?’

Vicky added a little water to her flour and butter mix. ‘Ye–es,’ she said cautiously, forming the mixture into a ball. ‘As long as the present situation continues, with Mr Chamberlain still seeking a peaceful solution to things, we will be going to Berlin.’