“There are going to be as many as ten thousand people on that ship, Gunther,” said Hennig. “Civilians. Women and children. Wounded German soldiers. The Russians might not care for them. But they would never attack if they thought by doing so they’d be destroying the famous Amber Room.”

“Is it them you’re worried about?” I asked. “Or these priceless bits of tree resin?”

“That’s a little unfair,” said Hennig. “This is, by any definition of the word, a great historical treasure.”

“Then it beats me why you don’t just give an order to our Marine War Office commanders in Kiel and have them put out a signal.”

“For the simple reason that they’re in Kiel,” said Koch, “and more than seven hundred and fifty kilometers away from my authority.”

“Besides,” added Hennig, “if the Russians were to intercept an unencrypted naval communication from Kiel they’d assume it was some kind of trap. On the other hand if it comes from a small and, let’s face it, unimportant naval station here in Königsberg, they’ll conclude it’s not been authorized by the Marine War Office and then be inclined to take it more seriously. That the person sending the message is someone desperate to prevent the loss of thousands of lives.”

“And what happens if this cultural blackmail of yours doesn’t work? What if the Russians aren’t as keen on amber as you are, sir? What if they’re not interested in preserving a national treasure? Let’s face it, they haven’t shown a great deal of care for anything else in this damn war. Haven’t you heard of Stalin’s math? If there are ten Russians and one German left alive at the end of this war he will consider it to have been won. They now own the international patent on scorched earth.”

“Nonsense,” said Koch. “Of course they don’t want to lose the Amber Room. It was the fucking Ivans who disassembled it for transport to some Siberian shithole in the first place. They must think it’s valuable. Our men got there only just in time to prevent that and shipped it back here to Königsberg instead.”

I shook my head. “I’m sorry gentlemen. But I won’t do it.”

“What the fuck do you mean, you won’t do it?” said Captain Hennig.

“I won’t. It’s a monstrous thing to ask of a girl like that.”

“Says who? You? Fuck you, Gunther. This isn’t just any beer cellar Fritz who’s asking you for a favor, this is the governor of East Prussia.”

“She’s only twenty-three years old, for Christ’s sake. You can’t ask a girl like that to disobey strict orders and take a risk not just with her own life but with the lives of thousands of people.”