He now felt certain that Schaub was right and that even on his signature the Gestapo Chief at the Cherche-Midi would never release a prisoner to an ordinary civilian who could produce no special credentials; yet how in thunder could he persuade or force a Gestapo man to co-operate with him? It occurred to him that if he could find one walking unaccompanied in a quiet part of the city he might attack him without warning in the blackout, stun and strip him of his uniform; but he threw out that idea almost as soon as he thought of it. His French had always been good, and now after the months he had spent in Paris it was extremely fluent; but his German was so limited that he knew no more than a score of expressions and stock phrases. To present himself at the Cherche-Midi in a German uniform when he was unable to speak the language, or understand it, would have been sheer madness. His next thought was that he might attack a French gendarme or agent de ville; but it seemed highly doubtful if the Gestapo would trust an ordinary French policeman with one of their prisoners, and he might search the streets of Paris all night without coming across a French police officer of lieutenant’s or captain’s rank.
