She spoke in quick German. ‘Now drive carefully, Herr Sable, for the Reichsmarschall may not be in a forgiving mood should you damage his beloved Buick motor car. But more importantly, take care of dear little Klara and my lovely friend Sunny.’

Sunny translated into slow French, even though he had already understood the German.

‘And be sure to return the car before the end of the week. We will then get you to the railway station at Eberswalde so that you can return to Potsdam.’

‘Danke sehr, Frau Göring,’ he said, touching his cap, and was rewarded with a warm smile.

Klara stroked the lion cub as though it were a kitten, then hugged Emmy Göring and climbed into the back of the Buick.

*

The car was large and square, a hard-top with whitewall tyres and a swanky running board; a car fit for a movie star – or a vainglorious Reichsmarschall. Wilde drove steadily with Sunny at his side and Klara bouncing about in the roomy rear seat.

They passed through two Carinhall guard posts, including the main gatehouses, and were waved through with straight-arm salutes; their exit had been cleared in advance and they had been given official headed papers, signed by the Luftwaffe major, authorising the use of the vehicle. Once out on the open road, on a lakeside route in the depths of the Schorfheide, Sunny delved into her bag and, out of sight of Klara, handed Wilde a pistol.

‘A Walther. You know how to use it?’

‘Oh yes.’ He grinned.

‘Just in case. At Carinhall we were protected. Now we are at the mercy of our enemies.’

‘What is Frau Göring’s role in all this?’

‘I told you, she’s my friend. It’s in her nature to help people.’

‘And her husband, the big man himself? He’s one of the first and worst Nazis. The whole world knows that.’

‘This is war, Tom. We can’t pick and choose. Just as Churchill now cosies up to Stalin, a man with whom he has nothing in common but a common enemy.’

‘But Göring—’

‘Forget about him. You ask too many questions. All you need to know is one thing – I have the best interests of Klara at heart. Now, just drive. Keep it steady, there’s only one road out for the moment.’

Wilde was glad to see the back of Carinhall. Whatever Sunny said, it had never felt safe to him – more like a pit of vipers.

‘You won’t have heard the news,’ Sunny said. ‘Japan has attacked the American Fleet in Hawaii.’

‘Are you serious?’

‘I guess it now really will be a world war.’

He gripped the steering wheel tightly. ‘Hell.’