holding a meeting
on his agents' latest failures
in Sweden and Liberia
and the treason of two agents
whom he had deemed quite reliable.
Schellenberg took those
failures very hard
and was holding
endless meetings.
At each of those meetings
he delivered long irritable speeches.
Today he gathered the staff
of the European department
and grilled them one after another.
Stirlitz knew Schellenberg too well,
and he had calculated everything.
But he never expected that the Runge
case would surface in a light
that he needed exactly today,
following that meeting.
Stirlitz, please stay.
Well, Stirlitz...
Bring us coffee, please.
I want to tell you something, Stirlitz...
It seems...
it's the technological progress that
will determine the future history.
Especially now that
the scientists are about to uncover
the secrets of the atom's nucleus.
I think scientists in the West and in
the East have already realized that,
but the politicians, unfortunately,
are lagging behind.
You and I will be witnessing
the degradation of a politician's
profession
in the sense
we've been used to
in the course of history's last
19 centuries.
To get a basic understanding...
of the motives...
of the people who came out to
the forefront boundaries of science,
to understand what inspires them,
is the task not so much of
the nearest future, as...
a long-term, serious
and prospective task.
Incidentally, what's the name
of that physicist?
Stirlitz realized it was a test.
Schellenberg wanted to ascertain
whether that sly Stirlitz understood
where this monologue had originated,
who had once put forward that idea.
Runge.
- Runge?
- Runge.
In connection with that Runge, I have
several interesting assignments for you.
That's how he got the Runge case.
That's how he did
all he could
to undermine the Germans'
real opportunity
to get down to developing
the atomic bomb as early as 1944.
However, later, after
the many days spent with Runge,
he got convinced that fate prevented
Germany from getting the new weapon.
After the Stalingrad
battle, Hitler
refused to finance fundamental
research in the defense field
unless the scientists promised
him the real, practical results
in 3, at most 6, months.
That was a squabble of petty ambitions.
The German physics
geniuses were thus left outside
the range of vision of the leadership.
The more so that none
of Germany's fuhrers
even had any
college education,
except for Speer and Schacht.
All this had been reported
by Stirlitz to Moscow.
Plus, he added his mite
to stirring up animosity
between the supporters
and the opponents of Runge.
Everything that harmed the enemy,
automatically worked
in favor of his country.
Now he had to win
the next stage of the battle.
He had to prove
he was right in this matter.
He had thought out his position well.
He had a strong position.
My friend, please report
my apologies to your chief.
I promised to be here at 9,
but I got back only at 9:12.
Will he receive me right now
or may I sleep for half an hour?
I'll go and find out.
He leaves it to your discretion.
The chief is ready to receive you,
but you can postpone
the meeting until this evening.
He wants to know where I shall
go, thought Stirlitz.
I shouldn't delay it, anyway the game
will be decided in an hour or two.
I'll do
as you advise me.
I'm afraid he'll go to see
the command in the evening
and I'll have to wait for him
till dawn.
- Does it seem logical?
- Quite logical.
- Now, then.
- Please.
- Hail Hitler!
- Good morning.
Frankly, I didn't
expect you so early.
And I was afraid of getting
a dressing-down for being late.
You all are afraid of getting
dressing-downs from old Mueller.
Have I ever in my life
dressed down anyone?
I'm a kindly old man
about whom they spread rumors.
Your handsome chief is a hundred
times more malicious than I.
It's just that he learned
in his universities
how to smile and speak