We are happily tinkering with our bakelite plugs. There is a clatter at the door and warden Schäfer looks patronisingly through the hatch.

He seems a little sheepish as he hands me a letter with some stupid remark:

From Dr. jur. h. c. Wolfgang Vogel, attorney and notary – “also admitted to the courts in West Berlin”.

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He had accepted the mandate and registered with the public prosecutor as my defence lawyer.

Due to the distance, a lawyer from Stralsund will represent him in Greifswald. More information will be provided in due course.

I feel quite dizzy. Tears of joy well up in my eyes. In my mind's eye, I see myself in a spectacular prisoner exchange on the Glienicke Bridge.

Which, of course, is complete nonsense. Until I will be ransomed free, if that ever happens, I will have to assemble a hell of a lot more bakelite plugs or who knows what.

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