Henri Tod is a German Jew who during World War II is sent to England to prevent his conscription into the army.

Henri Tod carries a burden of guilt because while in England he told someone of his sister who was still hiding on a farm in Germany.

His sister is rescued from Auschwitz at the last minute by the Soviet armies, but after the war becomes a pawn in an East Block effort to secure Tod's capture.

Thrown into this mix of lively characters is a curious East German couple that play crucial roles in the tableau.

Of historical interest is their secret meeting place, a relic German railcar, that once belonged to Adolf Hitler.