‘Well the technology is at the heart of my very considerable reservations about all of this nonsense.’ Lord Swalcliffe waved a hand dismissively at the folder in front of him. ‘I simply cannot see how they are going to launch a one-ton warhead, let alone keep it in the sky. The missiles – both of them – simply aren’t big enough, and even if they were, the correct fuel systems for them don’t exist. They’d need solid fuels to carry those warheads and the rockets would have to be many times bigger than what we’re being told they are. And the idea that liquid fuels could be used… well I simply don’t accept it. And then there’s the question of where the damn things are being developed. If they actually existed, it would need a massive site, and we’d easily be able to identify it. My view,’ he was standing up now, as if making his closing speech, ‘and I’ve told Winston as much, is that this is all a hoax, and not a terribly sophisticated one at that. It’s designed to get us all excited, to devote an enormous range of resources to combating these so-called V-1 and V-2 rockets and in doing so take our eye off the ball. We’ll be so distracted by peering into the sky for rockets that are never going to appear that we’ll miss some other trick the Germans are preparing for us. This is both fanciful and madness.’

‘Surely not so fanciful?’ Pearson shifted in his chair. ‘After all, we know the Americans are currently developing a bomb that would be considerably more lethal than—’

‘That subject is most certainly NOT for this room, Pearson!’ Lord Swalcliffe looked furious, banging the table. ‘It has the highest possible classification and is not for discussion here. In any case, it is an altogether different system, as I know personally. I would ask that no reference is made to this in anyone’s notes.’

‘There is one concern I have,’ said Hamilton, ‘and I do think it needs to be addressed if what the Oberst says is to have any credibility. We need to establish what his motives are. Why would he come out with all this highly sensitive information at a dinner, passing it on to a Danish businessman? My wing commander here is right, of course, that we need further technical information, but we also need to be satisfied as to why this Kurt is passing on secrets to a stranger. Until we can be sure of that, a question mark hangs over whatever else he’s told us.’

The discussion continued for another half an hour. Just as Sir Roland Pearson was about to bring the meeting to some kind of conclusion, a hitherto unheard voice emerged from one end of the table. It was Long from the Ministry.