The village was still about two kilometres away when Steiner heard the firing. "Faster," he told Klugl, who was driving. "Something's wrong. And be ready to use that machine-gun," he added to Werner Briegel. He tried to reach the others with the field telephone. There was no reply.From the top of the hill, through field-glasses, Steiner saw the whole situation: the mill with Mallory's men nearby; Americans behind the Post Office (where Altmann, Dinter and Berg were); and Ritter by the bridge, trapped by the machine-gun in Shafto's two remaining jeeps.
He tried to telephone again. This time, in the mill, Riedl heard him. "It's the colonel," he cried to Brandt, "come to save us." He opened the door above the water-wheel and looked out.
There was a heavy burst of firing from outside. Still holding the field-phone, Riedl fell head first onto the turning water-wheel. When it came round again, Riedl had gone.
Steiner did not see Riedl die: he had swung his field-glasses round to Hawks Wood. There he could just see Sergeant Hustler and his men still trying to reach the church.
"It seems we're about to fight, boys," Steiner said. He took off his jump jacket and put on his German Airforce cap. Werner and Klugl did the same. Then Steiner said, "Right, boys. Straight through that wood, across the footbridge to those jeeps, then on to Lieutenant Neumann. You can make it, Klugl, if you go fast enough. And don't stop firing, Werner, not for anything."
They raced down to Hawks Wood, rounded a bend, and there were Hustler and his men. Werner started to fire. One wheel bounced over a body and then they were through, leaving Sergeant Hustler and seven of his men dead or dying.
Klugl kept on going straight across the narrow footbridge and shot up the bank on to the road. The two gunners in the jeep behind Joanna Grey's wall swung their machine-gun, too late. Werner fired a burst that killed them both.
But the men in the second jeepp were already firing as Klugl turned back towards the bridge. He gave a sudden cry and fell forward. The jeep went out of control, smashed into the end of the bridge, then slowly turned on to its side.
Werner bent over Klugl. "He's dead, Colonel."
He started to stand. Steiner held him down.
"Pull yourself together, boy. Get a machine-gun set up and keep them busy down there."
As Werner busied himself with the gun, Ritter Neumann came out from behind the bridge. "All right, Lieutenant," Steiner asked. "What did you have in mind?"
"It'll be dark in an hour," Ritter said. "If we can hold on that long, then slip away in two or threes, we could still get to the boat if Koenig arrives as arranged. It gives us some chance."
"The only one," Steiner said. "But not here. We must regroup. You get Altmann and his boys from the Post Office and I'll try to contact Brandt in the mill." But Brandt was cut off: the field-phone had fallen with Riedl into the water.
When Neumann came back from the Post Office with Altmann, Dinter and Berg, Steiner said, "I want you to run for the church. You're in charge, Ritter. I'll keep the Americans busy with the machine-gun, then I'll follow. Now get going, all of you."
As Steiner started to fire, Ritter ran across the bridge, followed by the others. There was one very short stretch of road to cross. Ritter said, "The safest way is to go all together. When I say the word, run."
A moment later they rushed across the road, jumped the fence and dropped to safety the other side. Only one American saw them - too late, but he fired at the fence anyway.
On the other side, Berg fell and Dinter turned to help him. They stood up to die together as bullets hammered into them over the fence. Werner turned with a cry. Altmann seized him and pushed him after Ritter towards the church.
Sheltering in Joanna Grey's garden, Shafto was horrified by the news from Hustler's section. In half an hour he had lost twenty-one men.
He glanced up just as Joanna Grey looked out from behind a bedroom curtain. She drew back instantly, but Shafto had seen her. "My God, Krukowski," he said, "that woman's still inside. Come on!" And he ran towards the front door.
Joanna Grey ran back up to the secret room, locked herself in and tried to reach Radl on the radio. Downstairs she heard Shafto searching the house. He was very close now. "She's got to be here somewhere," she heard him say.
Another voice called, "Colonel, this dog was locked in the cellar. He's racing up to you now."
Her gun ready in her hand, Joanna Grey continued to radio. Below, Patch ran past Shafto into the study. Shafto followed the dog and saw him scratching at a corner. He quickly found the tiny keyhole. "She's here, Krukowski!" he called joyfully, wildly. "I've got her!"
As his head rose above floor level, Joanna Grey shot him between the eyes. He fell back down into the study. Krukowski aimed his gun round the corner and let off a continuous burst of fifteen shots. The dog cried, there was the sound of a body falling, then silence.
Devlin raced down to the village, stopping at the bridge, where Steiner was still firing the machine-gun. Silently, Steiner stood up, fired a last burst and jumped on to the motor cycle. Devlin crossed the bridge and went straight up the hill as Kane came round the corner in the White Scout Car.
In the mill all was quiet. "I don't like it," said Brandt. "What's that?" he added as they heard the White Scout Car racing towards them.
Seconds later Garvey turned and smashed straight through the mill doors. Kane stood in the back, already firing an anti-aircraft machine-gun up through the wooden floor above. The huge bullets tore the floorboards to pieces. Kane heard cries of pain, but kept on firing.
A bloodstained hand showed at a hole in the floor. It was very quiet. Garvey took a gun and went upstairs. He came down almost immediately. "That's it, Major."
Harry Kane was pale but completely calm as he said, "Now for the church."
Molly came in sight of the church in time to see a jeep drive slowly up showing a white handkerchief. As Kane and Garvey got out. the church door opened and Steiner came out with Vereker and Devlin.
"Kane, where's Pamela?" demanded Vereker. "Is she all right?"
"She's fine, Father," Kane said. "She's resting at Meltham House."
Vereker turned to Steiner. "She fixed you beautifully, didn't she? Without her you might have succeeded."
Steiner said calmly, "I thought we failed because Sergeant Sturm died to save two children." He turned to Kane. "What can I do for you?"
"Surrender. There's no point in further useless bloodshed. The men you left in the mill are all dead. So is Mrs Grey. The Prime Minister is safe at Meltham House. It's all over."
Steiner thought of his companions, dead and alive, and nodded, his face pale. "Honorable terms?"
"No terms!" Vereker shouted. "These men came here in British uniform. The only punishment for that is death."
"Well, Father," Steiner said, "your God is an angry God indeed." He saw the look Kane's face and smiled. "Don't worry, Major, it's not your fault. Just the rules of the game. You'd better take the villagers if there's to be more fighting."
"You'll let the villagers go?" Kane asked.
Steiner looked amused. "Why, did you think we'd murder the entire village? The brutal Germans?" He turned. "Send them out, Altmann."
The villagers came out, Betty Wilde last. Ritter Neumann supported her husband.
"He'll be all right, Mrs Wilde," Ritter said.
"I'm sorry about what happened in there."
"It's all right," she said. "It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry I said what I did." She turned to Steiner. "And thank you for Graham and Susan."
"Graham's a brave boy," Steiner said. "He jumped straight in. That takes courage, and courage is something that never goes out of fashion."
As the villagers, including Vereker, hurried down the hill, the white Scout Car appeared, its anti-aircraft gun aimed at the church door.
Steiner nodded. "So, Major, the final act. Let battle begin." He and Devlin went back inside.
Watching from the hill above the church, Molly saw a dozen Americans slip into the church-yard from the back and work their way round to the front. Garvey, their leader, carried a rope. He threw this over a stone sticking out from the lower roof, and climbed up. The others followed. They positioned themselves by the upper windows. Filled with a sudden determination, Molly jumped on to her horse and headed for the priest's house.
It was cold and half dark inside the church. There were seven left now: Devlin and Steiner, Neumann, Werner Briegel, Becker and Altmann, and Preston. There was also, unknown to any of them, Arthur Seymour. Forgotten in the villagers' rush to get out, he still lay beside sturm, feet and hands tied. Now he was trying to sit up. His mad eyes were fixed on Preston.
The organ sounded. From high above, Hans Altmann called, "A work by Bach, suited to our situation: For the Dying." His voice echoed through the church as the music swelled: Ah how cheating, how deceiving, are our days soon ended.....
One of the upper windows smashed. A shot knocked Altmann to the floor of the church. Werner fired and an American fell headfirst throuth the window. At the same moment more windows crashed in and heavy firing poured down into the church. Werner fell without a cry.
Devlin crossed the church to join Steiner. "It's a bloodbath. Ritter's been his in the legs, too. We don't stand a chance."
They crept back to where Ritter lay bandaging his leg. "Are you all right?" steiner asked.
"I'll be fine, Colonel," Ritter smiled. But he was clearly in great pain.
The Americans were fill firing from above. Steiner nodded towards the door that Pamela Vereker had locked. "Try to shoot through that door," he said to Becker. Becker fired at the lock, then kicked at the door. It swung open.
All firing stopped and Garvey called from high above, "Had enough yet, Colonel?"
Preston ran out into the open. "I have."
Becker ran out after him and brought his gun crashing down on Preston's head. As Preston fell, a single shot rang out and Becker fell dead.
"Let's get into that side-room," Steiner said to Devlin. "It'll give us some shelter."
There was a slight sound. Straining his eyes through the darkness, Devlin saw Molly standing by the broken door. He crept across to her and was back in a moment. "Come on!" he said to Steiner.
"The little darling's got a way out for us."
They slipped through the shadows, supporting Ritter between them. Molly waited by the secret entrance. Once inside, she closed it and led the way through the tunnel to Vereker's house.
"Now what?" Devlin said. "We'll not get far with Ritter like this."
"Father Vereker's car is in the yard," Molly said. "The keys are in it and we can push it till we're out of hearing."
They were fifty metres away when the shooting began again. Only then did Steiner start the engine and drive away towards the coast.
As the secret door closed, Arthur Seymour stood up, hands and feet free. He walked noiselessly through the church, holding the rope with which Preston had tied his feet.
It was very dark now, the only light coming from a few candles. Seymour checked that Preston was still breathing, picked him up and threw him over one shoulder. Then he turned and walked straight up to the front of the church.
On the roof Garvey was worried by the silence. He couldn't see a thing inside the church. He took a chance and shone his torch down - and gave a cry of horror. "I don't know what's happening," he told Kane over the field-phone, "but you'd better get in there."
A moment later, a burst from a machine-gun smashed the lock on the main door. Kane and a dozen soldiers moved in fast, ready for action. But there was no Steiner, no Devlin. Only Arthur Seymour, kneeling in the candle-light, staring up into the horribly swollen face of Harvey Preston, hanging by his neck from the central arch.
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