‘Who is it we’re going to attack?’ said Lena.

‘It’s for self-defence,’ said Rudolf. ‘In case they come after us.’

‘They will,’ said Niklas. ‘Have no doubt. The government will send in what’s left of the infantry to clear us out.’

The woman whose apartment they were in gave Lena some pea soup and said she could share her bed with three others. ‘I’ve asked the men to let us have this room to ourselves. There’s not many of us.’

Lena pulled out all the warm clothes she had brought in her bag and put them on. She used the water closet while the door was guarded by her new friend, then lay down with the other women.

It was impossible to sleep in the cold, in the noise. Lena closed her eyes and thought of the night she had spent with Carina in Stefan’s warm bed in Trieste, while he had taken the couch. She thought of her maid’s room in Vienna and of Anton holding her, and whispering in her ear. Somehow, it was enough to take her away from the world in which she found herself, and she slept, on and off.

In the morning, she went stiffly to wash and to search for Rudolf. She found him eventually, outside, where he had gone to look for a telephone.

‘I’ve spoken to a friend in town,’ he said. ‘They’ve sent troops to attack the Schlingerhof. They’ll be coming here, too. If you want to leave, Lena, you should go now.’

Before she could answer, Niklas ran towards them. ‘Come upstairs,’ he said. ‘It’s not safe down here.’

The mood in the crowded corridor was not as jubilant as the night before. Few people had slept. There was not enough coffee to revive them and even cigarettes were running short. Towards the end of the morning, a panic went through the building. Men were running in from the main road outside, shouting and waving their arms. Lena pressed her face to the window. She could hear a low rumbling, coming closer. Then she saw the long barrel of a gun on a mounted carriage being pulled by a motor lorry. It was like something she’d seen only in newspaper reports of war – a gun that would knock down buildings.

She felt Niklas push her to one side. He swore in her ear.

On the main road, more lorries and gun carriages were appearing.

In the corridor behind her Niklas was shouting. ‘Artillery. They’ve sent the artillery.’

As word went round the building, there was a crush of people trying to escape.

She heard Rudolf’s voice. ‘It’ll take them time to set up. We mustn’t panic. Stay where you are!’

There were other voices shouting in the confusion.

‘We can bargain with them. Make a deal.’

‘They said the infantry would take too long.’

‘They won’t just open fire!’

‘Move to the back of the building. Everybody to the back!’

Lena did as she was told and went into the women’s room where she had spent the night. For perhaps an hour, they waited, hearing the rumble of heavy traffic from the front.