The Third Man (1)

8/11/2019 The Third Man (1)

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Graham Greene

The Third Man

First published in 1949

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ONE NEVER knows when the blow may fall. When I saw Rollo Martins first I made this note on

him for my security police files !In normal circumstances a cheerful fool. "rinks too much and

may cause a little trouble. Whene#er a woman passes raises his eyes and makes some comment$

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but I %et the impression that really he&d rather not be bothered. 'as ne#er really %rown up and

perhaps that accounts for the way he worshipped (ime.! I wrote there that phrase !in normal

circumstances! because I met him first at 'arry (ime&s funeral. It was )ebruary$ and the %ra#e*

di%%ers had been forced to use electric drills to open the fro+en %round in Vienna&s central

cemetery. It was as if e#en nature were doin% its best to re,ect (ime$ but we %ot him in at last andlaid the earth back on him like bricks. 'e was #aulted in$ and Rollo Martins walked -uickly away

as thou%h his lon% %an%ly le%s wanted to break into a run$ and the tears of a boy ran down his

thirty*fi#e*year*old cheeks. Rollo Martins belie#ed in friendship$ and that was why what happened

later was a worse shock to him than it would ha#e been to you or me you because you would ha#e

put it down to an illusion and me because at once a rational e/planation**howe#er wron%ly**would

ha#e come to my mind0. If only he had come to tell me then$ what a lot of trouble would ha#e been

sa#ed.

If you are to understand this stran%e rather sad story you must ha#e an impression at least of

the back%round**the smashed dreary city of Vienna di#ided up in +ones amon% the four powersthe Russian$ the 2ritish$ the 3merican$ the )rench +ones$ re%ions marked only by a notice board$

and in the centre of the city$ surrounded by the Rin% with its hea#y public buildin%s and its

prancin% statuary$ the Inner 4tadt under the control of all four powers. In this once fashionable

Inner 4tadt each power in turn$ for a month at a time$ takes$ as we call it$ !the chair$! and becomes

responsible for security at ni%ht$ if you were fool enou%h to waste your 3ustrian schillin%s on a

ni%ht club$ you would be fairly certain to see the International 5atrol at work**four military police$

one from each power$ communicatin% with each other if they communicated at all in the common

lan%ua%e of their enemy. I ne#er knew Vienna between the wars$ and I am too youn% to remember

the old Vienna with its 4trauss music and its bo%us easy charm to me it is simply a city of

undi%nified ruins which turned that )ebruary into %reat %laciers of snow and ice.6he "anube was a %rey flat muddy ri#er a lon% way off across the second be+irk$ the Russian

+one where the 5rater lay smashed and desolate and full of weeds$ only the 7reat Wheel re#ol#in%

slowly o#er the foundations of merry*%o*rounds like abandoned millstones$ the rustin% iron of

smashed tanks which nobody had cleared away$ the frost*nipped weeds where the snow was thin. I

ha#en&t enou%h ima%ination to picture it as it had once been$ any more than I can picture 4acher&s

'otel as other than a transit hotel for En%lish officers or see the 8artnerstrasse as a fashionable

shoppin% street instead of a street which only e/ists$ most of it$ at eye le#el$ repaired up to the first

storey. 3 Russian soldier in a fur cap %oes by with a rifle o#er his shoulder$ and men in o#ercoats

sip ersat+ coffee in the windows of Old Vienna. 6his was rou%hly the Vienna to which Rollo

Martins came on )ebruary 9 last year. I ha#e reconstructed the affair as best I can from my own

files and from what Martins told me. It is as accurate as I can make it**I ha#en&t in#ented a line of

dialo%ue thou%h I can&t #ouch for Martins& memory an u%ly story if you lea#e out the %irl %rim

and sad and unrelie#ed if it were not for that absurd episode of the 2ritish :ultural Relations

4ociety lecturer.

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softly that the %reat drifts amon% the ruined buildin%s had an air of permanence$ as thou%h they

were not the result of this mea%re fall$ but lay$ fore#er$ abo#e the line of perpetual snow.

6here was no (ime to meet him at the 'otel 3storia where the bus landed him$ and no

messa%e**only a cryptic one for Mr. "e/ter from someone he had ne#er heard of called :rabbin.

!We e/pected you on tomorrow&s plane. 5lease stay where you are. On the way round. 'otel roombooked$! but Rollo Martins wasn&t the kind of man who stayed around. If you stayed around in a

hotel loun%e sooner or later incidents occurred one mi/ed one&s drinks. I can hear Rollo Martins

sayin% to me now$ !Ie done with incidents. No more incidents$! before he plun%ed head first into

the most serious incident of all. 6here was always a conflict in Rollo Martins**between the absurd

:hristian name and the sturdy "utch four %enerations back0 surname. Rollo looked at e#ery

woman that passed$ and Martins renounced them fore#er. I don&t know which of them wrote the

Westerns. Martins had been %i#en (ime&s address and he felt no curiosity about the man called

:rabbin it was too ob#ious that a mistake had been made$ thou%h he didn&t yet connect it with the

con#ersation at )rankfurt. (ime had written that he could put Martins up in his own flat$ a lar%eapartment on the ed%e of Vienna that had been re-uisitioned from a Na+i owner. (ime could pay

for the ta/i when he arri#ed$ so Martins dro#e strai%ht away to the buildin% lyin% in the third

2ritish0 +one. 'e kept the ta/i waitin% while he mounted to the third floor.

'ow -uickly one becomes aware of silence e#en in so silent a city as Vienna with the snow

steadily settlin%. Martins hadn&t reached the second floor before he was con#inced that he would

not find (ime there$ but the silence was deeper than ,ust absence**it was as if he would not find

'arry (ime anywhere in Vienna$ and as he reached the third floor and saw the bi% black bow o#er

the door handle$ anywhere in the world at all. Of course it mi%ht ha#e been a cook who had died$ a

housekeeper$ anybody but 'arry (ime$ but he knew**he felt he had known twenty stairs down**

that (ime$ the (ime he had hero*worshipped now for twenty years$ since the first meetin% in a%rim school corridor with a cracked bell rin%in% for prayers$ was %one. Martins wasn&t wron%$ not

entirely wron%. 3fter he had run% the bell half a do+en times a small man with a sullen e/pression

put his head out from another flat and told him in a tone of #e/ation$ !It&s no use rin%in% like that.

6here&s nobody there. 'e&s dead.!

!'err (ime?!

!'err (ime of course.!

Martins said to me later$ !3t first it didn&t mean a thin%. It was ,ust a bit of information$ like

those para%raphs in 6he 6imes they call News in 2rief. I said to him When did it happen? 'ow?&!

!'e was run o#er by a car$! the man said. !(ast 6hursday.! 'e added sullenly$ as if really this

were none of his business. !6hey are buryin% him this afternoon. >oue only ,ust missed them.!

!6hem?!

!Oh$ a couple of friends and the coffin.!

!Wasn&t he in hospital?!

!6here was no sense in takin% him to hospital. 'e was killed here on his own doorstep**

instantaneously. 6he ri%ht*hand mud%uard struck him on his shoulder and bowled him o#er in front

like a rabbit.!

It was only then$ Martins told me$ when the man used the word rabbit that the dead 'arry

(ime came ali#e$ became the boy with the %un which he had shown Martins a boy startin% up

amon% the lon% sandy barrows of 2rickworth :ommon sayin%$ !4hoot$ you fool$ shoot. 6here$!

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and the rabbit limped to co#er$ wounded by Martins& shot. !Where are they buryin% him?! he asked

the stran%er on the landin%.

!In the :entral :emetery. 6hey&ll ha#e a hard time of it in this frost.!

'e had no idea how to pay for his ta/i$ or indeed where in Vienna he could find a room in

which he could li#e for fi#e En%lish pounds$ but that problem had to be postponed until he hadseen the last of 'arry (ime. 'e dro#e strai%ht out of town into the suburb 2ritish +one0 where the

:entral :emetery lay. One passed throu%h the Russian +one to reach it$ and a short cut throu%h the

3merican +one$ which you couldn&t mistake because of the ice*cream parlours in e#ery street. 6he

trams ran alon% the hi%h wall of the :entral :emetery$ and for a mile on the other side of the rails

stretched the monumental masons and the market %ardeners**an apparently endless chain of

%ra#estones waitin% for owners and wreaths waitin% for mourners.

Martins had not realised the si+e of this hu%e snowbound park where he was makin% his last

rende+#ous with (ime. It was as if 'arry had left a messa%e to him$ !Meet me in 'yde 5ark$!

without specifyin% a spot between the 3chilles statue and (ancaster 7ate the a#enue of %ra#es$each a#enue numbered and lettered$ stretched out like the spokes of an enormous wheel they

dro#e for a half mile towards the west$ then turned and dro#e a half mile north$ turned south. A 6he

snow %a#e the %reat pompous family headstones an air of %rotes-ue comedy a toupee of snow

slipped sideways o#er an an%elic face$ a saint wore a hea#y white moustache$ and a shako of snow

tipped at a drunken an%le o#er the bust of a superior ci#il ser#ant called Wolf%an% 7ottman. E#en

this cemetery was +oned between the powers the Russian +one was marked by hu%e statues of

armed men$ the )rench by rows of anonymous wooden crosses and a torn tired tricolour fla%. 6hen

Martins remembered that (ime was a :atholic and was unlikely to be buried in the 2ritish +one for

which they had been #ainly searchin%. 4o back they dro#e throu%h the heart of a forest where the

%ra#es lay like wol#es under the trees$ winkin% white eyes under the %loom of the e#er%reens.Once from under the trees emer%ed a %roup of three men in stran%e ei%hteenth century black and

sil#er uniforms with three*cornered hats$ pushin% a kind of barrow they crossed a rise in the forest

of %ra#es and disappeared a%ain.

It was ,ust chance that they found the funeral in time**one patch in the enormous park where

the snow had been sho#elled aside and a tiny %roup were %athered$ apparently bent on some #ery

pri#ate business. 3 priest had finished speakin%$ his words comin% secreti#ely throu%h the thin

patient snow$ and a coffin was on the point of bein% lowered into the %round. 6wo men in loun%e

suits stood at the %ra#eside one carried a wreath that he ob#iously had for%otten to drop on to the

coffin$ for his companion nud%ed his elbow so that he came to with a start and dropped the

flowers. 3 %irl stood a little way away with her hands o#er her face$ and I stood twenty yards away

by another %ra#e watchin% with relief the last of (ime and noticin% carefully who was there**,ust a

man in a mackintosh I was to Martins. 'e came up to me and said$ !:ould you tell me who they

are buryin%?!

!3 fellow called (ime$! I said$ and was astonished to see the tears start to this stran%er&s eyes

he didn&t look like a man who wept$ nor was (ime the kind of man whom I thou%ht likely to ha#e

mourners**%enuine mourners with %enuine tears. 6here was the %irl of course$ but one e/cepts

women from all such %eneralisations.

Martins stood there$ till the end$ close beside me. 'e said to me later that as an old friend he

didn&t want to intrude on these newer ones**(ime&s death belon%ed to them$ let them ha#e it. 'e

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was under the sentimental illusion that (ime&s life**twenty years of it anyway**belon%ed to him. 3s

soon as the affair was o#er**I am not a reli%ious man and always feel a little impatient with the fuss

that surrounds death**Martins strode away on his lon% %an%ly le%s that always seemed likely to %et

entan%led to%ether$ back to his ta/i he made no attempt to speak to anyone$ and the tears now

were really runnin%$ at any rate the few mea%re drops that any of us can s-uee+e out at our a%e.One&s file$ you know$ is ne#er -uite complete a case is ne#er really closed$ e#en after a

century when all the participants are dead. 4o I followed Martins I knew the other three I wanted

to know the stran%er. I cau%ht him up by his ta/i and said$ !I ha#en&t any transport. Would you %i#e

me a lift into town?!

!Of course$! he said. I knew the dri#er of my ,eep would spot me as we came out and follow

us unobtrusi#ely. 3s we dro#e away I noticed he ne#er looked behind**it&s nearly always the fake

mourners and the fake lo#ers who take that last look$ who wait wa#in% on platforms$ instead of

clearin% -uickly out$ not lookin% back. Is it perhaps that they lo#e themsel#es so much and want to

keep themsel#es in the si%ht of others$ e#en of the dead?I said$ !My name&s :alloway.!

!Martins$! he said.

!>ou were a friend of (ime?!

!>es.! Most people in the last week would ha#e hesitated before they admitted -uite so much.

!2een here lon%?!

!I only came this afternoon from En%land. 'arry had asked me to stay with him. I hadn&t

heard.!

!2it of a shock?!

!(ook here$! he said$ !I badly want a drink$ but I ha#en&t any cash**e/cept fi#e pounds

sterlin%. I&d be awfully %rateful if you&d stand me one.!It was my turn to say !Of course.! I thou%ht for a moment and told the dri#er the name of a

small bar in the 8artnerstrasse. I didn&t think he&d want to be seen for a while in a busy 2ritish bar

full of transit officers and their wi#es. 6his bar**perhaps because it was e/orbitant in its prices**

seldom had more than one self*occupied couple in it at a time. 6he trouble was too that it really

only had one drink**a sweet chocolate li-ueur that the waiter impro#ed at a price with co%nac$ but

I %ot the impression that Martins had no ob,ection to any drink so lon% as it cast a #eil o#er the

present$ and the past. On the door was the usual notice sayin% the bar opened at < till 1B$ but one

,ust pushed the door and walked throu%h the front rooms. We had a whole small room to oursel#es

the only couple were ne/t door$ and the waiter who knew me left us alone with some ca#iar

sandwiches. It was lucky that we both knew that I had an e/pense account.

Martins said o#er his second -uick drink$ !I&m sorry$ but he was the best friend I e#er had.!

I couldn&t resist sayin%$ knowin% what I knew$ and because I was an/ious to #e/ him**one

learns a lot that way$ !6hat sounds like a cheap no#elette.!

'e said -uickly$ !I write cheap no#elettes.!

I had learnt somethin% anyway. Cntil he had had a third drink$ I was under the impression that

he wasn&t an easy talker but I felt fairly certain that he was one of those who turn unpleasant after

their fourth %lass.

I said$ !6ell me about yourself**and (ime.!

!(ook here$! he said$ !I badly need another drink$ but I can&t keep on scroun%in% on a stran%er.

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:ould you chan%e me a pound or two into 3ustrian money?!

!"on&t bother about that$! I said and called the waiter. !>ou can treat me when I come to

(ondon on lea#e. >ou were %oin% to tell me how you met (ime?!

6he %lass of chocolate li-ueur mi%ht ha#e been a crystal the way he looked at it and turned it

this way and that. 'e said$ !It was a lon% time a%o. I don&t suppose anyone knows 'arry the way Ido$! and I thou%ht of the thick file of a%ents& reports in my office$ each claimin% the same thin%. I

belie#e in my a%ents Ie sifted them all #ery thorou%hly.

!'ow lon%?!

!6wenty years**or a bit more. I met him my first term at school. I can see the place. I can see

the notice*board and what was on it. I can hear the bell rin%in%. 'e was a year older and knew the

ropes. 'e put me wise to a lot of thin%s.! 'e took a -uick dab at his drink and then turned the

crystal a%ain as if to see more clearly what there was to see. 'e said$ !It&s funny. I can&t remember

meetin% any woman -uite as well.!

!Was he cle#er at school?!!Not the way they wanted him to be. 2ut what thin%s he did think up. 'e was a wonderful

planner. I was far better at sub,ects (ike 'istory and En%lish than 'arry$ but I was a hopeless mu%

when it came to carryin% out his plans.! 'e lau%hed he was already be%innin%$ with the help of

drink and talk$ to throw off the shock of the death. 'e said$ !I was always the one who %ot cau%ht.!

!6hat was con#enient for (ime.!

!What the hell do you mean?! he asked. 3lcoholic irritation was settin% in.

!Well$ wasn&t it?!

!6hat was my fault$ not his. 'e could ha#e found someone cle#erer if he&d chosen$ but he liked

me. 'e was endlessly patient with me.! :ertainly$ I thou%ht$ the child is father to the man$ for I too

had found him patient.!When did you see him last?!

!Oh$ he was o#er in (ondon si/ months a%o for a medical con%ress. >ou know he -ualified as

a doctor$ thou%h he ne#er practised. 6hat was typical of 'arry. 'e ,ust wanted to see if he could do

a thin% and then he lost interest. 2ut he used to say that it often came in handy.! 3nd that too was

true. It was odd how like the (ime he knew was to the (ime I knew it was only that he looked at

(ime&s ima%e from a different an%le or in a different li%ht. 'e said$ !One of the thin%s I liked about

'arry was his humour.! 'e %a#e a %rin which took fi#e years off his a%e. !I&m a buffoon. I like

playin% the silly fool$ but 'arry had real wit. >ou know$ he could ha#e been a first class li%ht

composer if he had worked at it.!

'e whistled a tune**it was oddly familiar to me. !I always remember that. I saw 'arry write it.

@ust in a couple of minutes on the back of an en#elope. 6hat was what he always whistled when he

had somethin% on his mind. It was his si%nature tune.! 'e whistled the tune a second time$ and I

knew then who had written it**of course it wasn&t 'arry. I nearly told him so$ but what was the

point? 6he tune wa#ered and went out. 'e stared down into his %lass$ drained what was left and

said$ !It&s a damned shame to think of him dyin% the way he did.!

!It was the best thin% that e#er happened to him$! I said.

'e didn&t take in my meanin% at once he was a little ha+y with the drinks. !6he best thin%?!

!>es.!

!>ou mean there wasn&t any pain?!

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!'e was lucky in that way$ too.!

It was my tone of #oice and not my words that cau%ht Martins& attention. 'e asked %ently and

dan%erously**I could see his ri%ht hand ti%hten$ !3re you hintin% at somethin%?!

6here is no point at all in showin% physical coura%e in all situations I eased my chair far

enou%h back to be out of reach of his fist. I said$ !I mean that I had his case completed at policehead-uarters. 'e would ha#e ser#ed a lon% spell**a #ery lon% spell**if it hadn&t been for the

accident.!

!What for?!

!'e was about the worst racketeer who e#er made a dirty li#in% in this city.!

I could see him measurin% the distance between us and decidin% that he couldn&t reach me

from where he sat. Rollo wanted to hit out but Martins was steady$ careful. Martins$ I be%an to

realise$ was dan%erous. I wondered whether after all I had made a complete mistake I couldn&t see

Martins bein% -uite the mu% that Rollo had made out. !>ou&re a policeman?! he asked.

!>es.!!Ie always hated policemen. 6hey are always either crooked or stupid.!

!Is that the kind of books you write?!

I could see him ed%in% his chair round to block my way out. I cau%ht the waiter&s eye and he

knew what I meant**there&s an ad#anta%e in always usin% the same bar for inter#iews.

Martins said %ently and brou%ht out a surface smile !I ha#e to call them sheriffs.!

!2een in 3merica?! It was a silly con#ersation.

!No. Is this an interro%ation?!

!@ust interest.!

!2ecause if 'arry was that kind of racketeer$ I must be one too. We always worked to%ether.!

!I daresay he meant to cut you in**somewhere in the or%anisation. I wouldn&t be surprised if hehad meant to %i#e you the baby to hold. 6hat was his method at school**you told me$ didn&t you?

3nd$ you see$ the headmaster was %ettin% to know a thin% or two.!

!>ou are runnin% true to form$ aren&t you? I suppose there was some petty racket %oin% on with

petrol and you couldn&t pin it on anyone$ so youe picked a dead man. 6hat&s ,ust like a policeman.

>ou&re a real policeman$ I suppose?!

!>es$ 4cotland >ard$ but theye put me into a :olonel&s uniform when I&m on duty.!

'e was between me and the door now. I couldn&t %et away from the table without comin% into

ran%e$ I&m no fi%hter$ and he had si/ inches of ad#anta%e anyway. I said$ !It wasn&t petrol.!

!6yres$ saccharin... why don&t you policemen catch a few murderers for a chan%e?!

!Well$ you could say that murder was part of his racket.!

'e pushed the table o#er with one hand and made a di#e at me with the other the drink

confused his calculations. 2efore he could try a%ain my dri#er had his arms round him. I said$

!"on&t treat him rou%hly. 'e&s only a writer with too much drink in him.!

!2e -uiet$ can&t you$ sir$! my dri#er said. 'e had an e/a%%erated sense of officer*class. 'e

would probably ha#e called (ime !sir.!

!(isten$ :alla%han$ or whate#er your bloody name is...!

!? alloway. I&m En%lish$ not Irish.!

!I&m %oin% to make you look the bi%%est bloody fool in Vienna. 6here&s one dead man you

aren&t %oin% to pin your unsol#ed crimes on.!

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made that clear$ he said$ !7ood e#enin%$ sir$! and left. 'e was probably a bit embarrassed by

Martins& bleedin% lip.

!'ad you already %ot a reser#ation$ sir?! the porter asked.

!No. No$ I don&t think so$! Martins said in a muffled #oice holdin% his handkerchief to his

mouth.!I thou%ht perhaps you mi%ht be Mr. "e/ter. We had a room reser#ed for a week for Mr.

"e/ter.!

Martins said$ !Oh$ I am Mr. "e/ter.! 'e told me later that it occurred to him that (ime mi%ht

ha#e en%a%ed him a room in that name because perhaps it was 2uck "e/ter and not Rollo Martins

who was to be used for propa%anda purposes. 3 #oice said at his elbow$ !I&m so sorry you were not

met at the plane$ Mr. "e/ter. My name&s :rabbin.!

6he speaker was a stout middle*a%ed youn% man with a natural tonsure and one of the thickest

pairs of horn*rimmed %lasses that Martins had e#er seen.

'e went apolo%etically on$ !One of our chaps happened to rin% up )rankfurt and heard youwere on the plane. '. . made one of their usual foolish mistakes and wired you were not comin%.

4omethin% about 4weden but the cable was badly mutilated. "irectly I heard from )rankfurt I tried

to meet the plane$ but I ,ust missed you. >ou %ot my note?!

Martins held his handkerchief to his mouth and said obscurely$ !>es. >es?!

!May I say at once$ Mr. "e/ter$ how e/cited I am to meet you?!

!7ood of you.!

!E#er since I was a boy$ Ie thou%ht you the %reatest no#elist of our century.!

Martins wincedF It was painful openin% his mouth to protest. 'e took an an%ry look instead at

Mr. :rabbin$ but it was impossible to suspect that youn% man of a practical ,oke.

!>ou ha#e a bi% 3ustrian public$ Mr. "e/ter$ both for your ori%inals and your translations.Especially for 6he :ur#ed 5row$ that&s my own fa#ourite.!

Martins was thinkin% hard. !"id you say**room for a week?!

!>es.!

!Very kind of you.!

!Mr. 4chmidt here will %i#e you tickets e#ery day$ to co#er all meals. 2ut I e/pect you&ll need

a little pocket money. We&ll fi/ that. 6omorrow we thou%ht you&d like a -uiet day**to look about.!

!>es.!

!Of course any of us are at your ser#ice if you need a %uide. 6hen the day after tomorrow in

the e#enin% there&s a little -uiet discussion at the Institute**on the contemporary no#el. We thou%ht

perhaps you&d say a few words ,ust to set the ball rollin%$ and then answer -uestions.!

Martins at that moment was prepared to a%ree to anythin%$ to %et rid of Mr. :rabbin and also

to secure a week&s free board and lod%in%$ and Rollo$ of course$ as I was to disco#er later$ had

always been prepared to accept any su%%estion**for a drink$ for a %irl$ for a ,oke$ for a new

e/citement. 'e said now$ !Of course$ of course$! into his handkerchief.

!E/cuse me$ Mr. "e/ter$ ha#e you %ot a toothache? I know a #ery %ood dentist.!

!No. 4omebody hit me$ that&s all.!

!7ood 7od. Were they tryin% to rob you?!

!No$ it was a soldier. I was tryin% to punch his bloody colonel in the eye.! 'e remo#ed the

handkerchief and %a#e :rabbin a #iew of his cut mouth. 'e told me that :rabbin was at a complete

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loss for words Martins couldn&t understand why because he had ne#er read the work of his %reat

contemporary$ 2en,amin "e/ter he hadn&t e#en heard of him. I am a %reat admirer of "e/ter$ so

that I could understand :rabbin&s bewilderment. "e/ter has been ranked as a stylist with 'enry

@ames$ but he has a wider feminine streak than his master**indeed his enemies ha#e sometimes

described his subtle comple/ wa#erin% style as old maidish. )or a man still ,ust on the ri%ht side offifty his passionate interest in embroidery and his habit of calmin% a not #ery tumultuous mind

with tattin%**a trait belo#ed by his disciples**certainly to others seems a little affected.

!'a#e you e#er read a book called 6he (one Rider to 4anta )??!

!No$ don&t think so.!

Martins said$ !6his lone rider had his best friend shot by the sheriff of a town called (ost

:laim 7ulch. 6he story is how he hunted that sheriff down**-uite le%ally**until his re#en%e was

completed.!

!I ne#er ima%ined you readin% Westerns$ Mr. "e/ter$! :rabbin said$ and it needed all Martins&

resolution to stop Rollo sayin% !2ut I write them.!!Well$ I&m %unnin% ,ust the same way for :olonel :alla%han.!

!Ne#er heard of him.!

!'eard of 'arry (ime?!

!>es$! :rabbin said cautiously$ !but I didn&t really know him.!

!I did. 'e was my best friend.!

!I shouldn&t ha#e thou%ht he was a #ery**literary character.!

!None of my friends are.!

:rabbin blinked ner#ously behind the horn*rims. 'e said with an air of appeasement$ !'e was

interested in the theatre thou%h. 3 friend of his**an actress$ you know**is learnin% En%lish at the

Institute. 'e called once or twice to fetch her.!!>oun% or old?!

!Oh$ youn%$ #ery youn%. Not a %ood actress in my opinion.!

Martins remembered the %irl by the %ra#e with her hands o#er her face. 'e said$ !I&d like to

meet any friend of 'arry&s.!

!4he&ll probably be at your lecture.!

!3ustrian?!&

!4he claims to be 3ustrian$ but I suspect she&s 'un%arian. 4he works at the @osefstadt. I

wouldn&t be surprised if (ime had not helped her with her papers. 4he calls herself 4chmidt. 3nna

4chmidt. >ou can&t ima%ine a youn% En%lish actress callin% herself 4mith$ can you? 3nd a pretty

one$ too. It always struck me as a bit too anonymous to be true.!

Martins felt he had %ot all he could from :rabbin$ so he pleaded tiredness$ a lon% day$

promised to rin% up in the mornin%$ accepted ten pounds& worth of 2afs for immediate e/penses$

and went to his room. It seemed to him that he was earnin% money rapidly**twel#e pounds in less

than an hour.

'e was tired he realised that when he stretched himself out on his bed in his boots. Within a

minute he had left Vienna far behind him and was walkin% throu%h a dense wood$ ankle deep in

snow. 3n owl hooted$ and he felt suddenly lonely and scared. 'e had an appointment to meet

'arry under a particular tree$ but in a wood so dense as this how could he reco%nise any one tree

from the rest? 6hen he saw a fi%ure and ran towards it it whistled a familiar tune and his heart

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lifted with the relief and ,oy at not after all bein% alone. 6hen the fi%ure turned and it was not

'arry at all**,ust a stran%er who %rinned at him in a little circle of wet slushy melted snow$ while

the owl hooted a%ain and a%ain. 'e woke suddenly to hear the telephone rin%in% by his bed.

3 #oice with a trace of forei%n accent**only a trace said$ !Is that Mr. Rollo Martins?!

!>es.! It was a chan%e to be himself and not "e/ter.!>ou wouldn&t know me$! the #oice said unnecessarily$ !but I was a friend of 'arry (ime.!

It was a chan%e too to hear anyone claim to be a friend of 'arry&s Martins& heart warmed

towards the stran%er. 'e said$ !I&d be %lad to meet you.!

!I&m ,ust round the corner at the Old Vienna.!

!Wouldn&t you make it tomorrow? Ie had a pretty awful day with one thin% and another.!

!'arry asked me to see that you were all ri%ht. I was with him when he died.!

!I thou%ht...! Rollo Martins said and stopped. 'e was %oin% to say$ !I thou%ht he died

instantaneously$! but somethin% su%%ested caution. 'e said instead$ !>ou ha#en&t told me your

name.!!8urt+$! the #oice said. !I&d offer to come round to you$ only you know$ 3ustrians aren&t

allowed in 4acher&s.!

!5erhaps we could meet at the Old Vienna in the mornin%.!

!:ertainly$! the #oice said$ !if you are -uite sure that you are all ri%ht till then.!

!'ow do you mean?!

!'arry had it on his mind that you&d be penniless.! Rollo Martins lay back on his bed with the

recei#er to his ear and thou%ht :ome to Vienna to make money. 6his was the third stran%er to

stake him in less than fi#e hours. 'e said cautiously$ !Oh$ I can carry on till I see you.! 6here

seemed no point in turnin% down a %ood offer till he knew what the offer was.

!4hall we say ele#en then at Old Vienna in the 8artnerstrasse? I&ll be in a brown suit and I&llcarry one of your books.!

!6hat&s fine. 'ow did you %et hold of one?!

!'arry %a#e it to me.! 6he #oice had enormous charm and reasonableness$ but when Martins

had said %ood*ni%ht and run% off$ he couldn&t help wonderin% how it was that if 'arry had been so

conscious before he died he had not had a cable sent to stop him. 'adn&t :alla%han too said that

(ime had died instantaneously**or without pain$ was it? or had he himself put the words into

:alla%han&s mouth? It was then that the idea first lod%ed firmly in Martins& mind that there was

somethin% wron% about (ime&s death$ somethin% the police had been too stupid to disco#er. 'e

tried to disco#er it himself with the help of two ci%arettes$ but he fell asleep without his dinner and

with the mystery still unsol#ed. It had been a lon% day$ but not -uite lon% enou%h for that.

G

W'36 I "I4(I8E" about him at first si%ht$! Martins told me$ !was his toupee. It was one of

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those ob#ious toupees**flat and yellow$ with the hair cut strai%ht at the back and not fittin% close.

6here must be somethin% phony about a man who won&t accept baldness %racefully. 'e had one of

those faces too where the lines ha#e been put in carefully$ like a make*up$ in the ri%ht places**to

e/press charm$ whimsicality$ lines at the corners of the eyes. 'e was made*up to appeal to

romantic school%irls.!6his con#ersation took place some days later**he brou%ht out his whole story when the trail

was nearly cold. When he made that remark about the romantic school%irls I saw his rather hunted

eyes focus suddenly. It was a %irl**,ust like any other %irl$ I thou%ht**hurryin% by outside my office

in the dri#in% snow.

!4omethin% pretty?!

'e brou%ht his %a+e back and said$ !I&m off that for e#er. >ou know$? alloway$ a time comes in

a man&s life when he. %i#es up all that sort of thin%...!

!I see. I thou%ht you were lookin% at a %irl.!

!I was. 2ut only because she reminded me for a moment of 3nna**3nna 4chmidt.!!Who&s she? Isn&t she a %irl?!

!Oh$ yes$ in a way.!

!What do you mean$ in a way?!

!4he was 'arry&s %irl.!

!3re you takin% her o#er?!

!4he&s not that kind$ :alloway. "idn&t you see her at his funeral? I&m not mi/in% my drinks any

more. Ie %ot a han%o#er to last me a life*time.!

!>ou were tellin% me about 8urt+$! I said.

It appeared that 8urt+ was sittin% there$ makin% a %reat show of readin% 6he (one Rider from

4anta )?. When Martins sat down at his table he said with indescribably false enthusiasm$ !It&swonderful how you keep the tension.!

!6ension?!

!4uspense. >ou&re a master at it. 3t the end of e#ery chapter one&s left %uessin%...!

!4o you were a friend of 'arry&s$! Martins said.

!I think his best$! but 8urt+ added with the smallest pause in which his brain must ha#e

re%istered the error$ !e/cept you of course.!

!6ell me how he died.!

!I was with him. We came out to%ether from the door of his flat and 'arry saw a friend he

knew across the road**an 3merican called :ooler. 'e wa#ed to :ooler and started across the road

to him when a ,eep came tearin% round the corner and bowled him o#er. It was 'arry&s fault

really**not the dri#er&s.!

!4omebody told me he died instantaneously.!

!I wish he had. 'e died before the ambulance could reach us thou%h.!

!'e could speak then?!

!>es. E#en in his pain he worried about you.!

!What did he say?!

!I can&t remember the e/act words$ Rollo**I may call you Rollo$ mayn&t I? he always called

you that to us. 'e was an/ious that I should look after you when you arri#ed. 4ee that you were

looked after. 7et your return ticket for you.! In tellin% me Martins said$ !>ou see I was collectin%

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return tickets as well as cash.!

!2ut why didn&t you cable to stop me?!

!We did$ but the cable must ha#e missed you. What with censorship and the +ones$ cables can

take anythin% up to fi#e days.!

!6here was an in-uest?!!Of course.!

!"id you know that the police ha#e a cra+y notion that 'arry was mi/ed up in some racket?!

!No. 2ut e#eryone in Vienna is. We all sell ci%arettes and e/chan%e schillin%s for 2afs and that

kind of thin%.!

!6he police meant somethin% worse than that.!

!6hey %et rather absurd ideas sometimes$! the man with the toupee said cautiously.

!I&m %oin% to stay here till I pro#e them wron%.!

8urt+ turned his head sharply and the toupee shifted #ery #ery sli%htly. 'e said$ !What&s the

%ood? Nothin% can brin% 'arry back.!!I&m %oin% to ha#e that police officer run out of Vienna.!

!I don&t see what you can do.!

!I&m %oin% to start workin% back from his death. >ou were there and this man :ooler and the

chauffeur. >ou can %i#e me their addresses.!

!I don&t know the chauffeur&s.!

!I can %et it from the coroner&s records. 3nd then there&s 'arry&s %irl...!

8urt+ said$ !It will be painful for her.!

!I&m not concerned about her. I&m concerned about 'arry.!

!"o you know what it is that the police suspect?!

!No. I lost my temper too soon.!!'as it occurred to you$! 8urt+ said %ently$ !that you mi%ht di% up somethin%**well$

discreditable to 'arry?!

!I&ll risk that.!

!It will take a bit of time**and money.!

!Ie %ot time and you were %oin% to lend me some money$ weren&t you?!

!I&m not a rich man$! 8urt+ said. !I promised 'arry to see you were all ri%ht and that you %ot

your plane back...!

!>ou needn&t worry about the money**or the plane$! Martins said. !2ut I&ll make a bet with

you**in pounds sterlin%**fi#e pounds a%ainst two hundred schillin%s**that there&s somethin% -ueer

about 'arry&s death.!

It was a shot in the dark$ but already he had this firm instincti#e sense that there was

somethin% wron%$ thou%h he hadn&t yet attached the word !murder! to the instinct. 8urt+ had a cup

of coffee halfway to his lips and Martins watched him. 6he shot apparently went wide an

unaffected hand held the cup to the mouth and 8urt+ drank$ a little noisily$ in lon% sips. 6hen he

put down the cup and said$ !'ow do you mean**-ueer?!

!It was con#enient for the police to ha#e a corpse$ but wouldn&t it ha#e been e-ually

con#enient perhaps for the real racketeers?! When he had spoken he realised that after all 8urt+

had not been unaffected by his wild statement hadn&t he been fro+en into caution and calm? 6he

hands of the %uilty don&t necessarily tremble only in stories does a dropped %lass betray a%itation.

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6ension is more often shown in the studied action. 8urt+ had finished his coffee as thou%h nothin%

had been said.

!Well$! he took another sip$ !of course I wish you luck$ thou%h I don&t belie#e there&s anythin%

to find. @ust ask me for any help you want.!

!I want :ooler&s address.!!:ertainly. I&ll write it down for you. 'ere it is. In the 3merican +one.!

!3nd yours?!

!Ie already put it**underneath**in the Russian +one.!

'e rose$ %i#in% one of his studied Viennese smiles$ the charm carefully painted in with a fine

brush in the little lines about the mouth and eyes. !8eep in touch$! he said$ !and if you need help...

but I still think you are #ery unwise.! 'e picked up 6he (one Rider. !I&m so proud to ha#e met

you. 3 master of suspense$! and one hand smoothed the toupee$ while another passin% softly o#er

the mouth brushed out the smile$ as thou%h it had ne#er been.

=

M3R6IN4 436 on a hard chair ,ust inside the sta%e door of the @osefstadt 6heatre. 'e had sent up

his card to 3nna 4chmidt after the matinee$ markin% it !a friend of 'arry&s.! 3n arcade of little

windows$ with lace curtains and the li%hts %oin% out one after another showed where the artistswere packin% up for home$ for the cup of coffee without su%ar$ the roll without butter to sustain

them for the e#enin% performance. It was like a little street built indoors for a film set$ but e#en

indoors it was cold$ e#en cold to a man in a hea#y o#ercoat$ so that Martins rose and walked up

and down$ underneath the little windows. 'e felt$ he said$ a little like a Romeo who wasn&t sure of

@uliet&s balcony.

'e had had time to think he was calm now$ Martins not Rollo was in the ascendant. When a

li%ht went out in one of the windows and an actress descended into the passa%e where he walked$

he didn&t e#en turn to take a look. 'e was done with all that. 'e thou%ht 8urt+ is ri%ht. 6hey are

all ri%ht. I&m beha#in% like a romantic fool I&ll ,ust ha#e a word with 3nna 4chmidt$ a word of

commiseration$ and then I&ll pack and %o. 'e had -uite for%otten$ he told me$ the complication of

Mr. :rabbin.

3 #oice o#er his head called !Mr. Martins$! and he looked up at the face that watched him

from between the curtains a few feet abo#e his head. It wasn&t beautiful$ he firmly e/plained to me$

when I accused him of once a%ain mi/in% his drinks. @ust an honest face with dark hair and eyes

which in that li%ht looked brown a wide forehead$ a lar%e mouth which didn&t try to charm. No

dan%er anywhere$ it seemed to Rollo Martins$ of that sudden reckless moment when the scent of

hair or a hand a%ainst the side alters life. 4he said$ !Will you come up$ please? 6he second door on

the ri%ht.!

6here are some people$ he e/plained to me carefully$ whom one reco%nises instantaneously as

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friends. >ou can be at ease with them because you know that ne#er$ ne#er will you be in dan%er.

!6hat was 3nna$! he said$ and I wasn&t sure whether the past tense was deliberate or not.

Cnlike most actress&s rooms this one was almost bare no wardrobe packed with clothes$ no

clutter of cosmetics and %rease paints a dressin% %own on the door$ one sweater he reco%nised

from 3ct II on the only easy chair$ a tin of half used paints and %rease. 3 kettle hummed softly on a%as rin%. 4he said$ !Would you like a cup of tea? 4omeone sent me a packet last week**sometimes

the 3mericans do$ instead of flowers$ you know$ on the first ni%ht.!

!I&d like a cup$! he said$ but if there was one thin% he hated it was tea. 'e watched her while

she made it$ made it$ of course$ all wron% the water not on the boil$ the teapot unheated$ too few

lea#es. 4he said$ !I ne#er -uite understand why En%lish people like tea so.!

'e drank his cupful -uickly like a medicine and watched her %in%erly and delicately sip at

hers. 'e said$ !I wanted #ery much to see you. 3bout 'arry.!

It was the dreadful moment he would see her mouth stiffen to meet it.

!>es?!!I had known him twenty years. I was his friend. We were at school to%ether$ you know$ and

after that**there weren&t many months runnin% when we didn&t meet...!

4he said$ !When I %ot your card$ I couldn&t say no. 2ut there&s nothin% really for us to talk

about$ is there?**nothin%.!

!I wanted to hear...!

!'e&s dead. 6hat&s the end. E#erythin%&s o#er$ finished. What&s the %ood of talkin%?!

!We both lo#ed him.!

!I don&t know. >ou can&t know a thin% like that**afterwards. I don&t know anythin% any more

e/cept**!

!E/cept?!!6hat I want to be dead too.!

Martins told me$ !6hen I nearly went away. What was the %ood of tormentin% her because of

this wild idea of mine? 2ut instead I asked her one -uestion. &"o you know a man called :ooler?&!

!3n 3merican?! she asked. !I think that was the man who brou%ht me some money when

'arry died. I didn&t want to take it$ but he said 'arry had been an/ious**at the last moment.!

!4o he didn&t die instantaneously?!

!Oh$ no.!

Martins said to me$ !I be%an to wonder why I had %ot that idea so firmly into my head$ and

then I thou%ht it was only the man in the flat who told me so... no one else. I said to her$ &'e must

ha#e been #ery clear in his head at the end**because he remembered about me too. 6hat seems to

show that there wasn&t really any pain.&!

!6hat&s what I tell myself all the time.!

!"id you see the doctor?!

!Once. 'arry sent me to him. 'e was 'arry&s own doctor. 'e li#ed nearby$ you see.!

Martins suddenly saw in that odd chamber of the mind that constructs such pictures$

instantaneously$ irrationally$ a desert place$ a body on the %round$ a %roup of birds %athered.

5erhaps it was a scene from one of his own books$ not yet written$ formin% at the %ate of

consciousness. Immediately it faded$ he thou%ht how odd that they were all there$ ,ust at that

moment$ all 'arry&s friends**8urt+$ the doctor$ this man :ooler only the two people who lo#ed

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him seemed to ha#e been missin%. 'e said$ !3nd the dri#er? "id you hear his e#idence?!

!'e was upset$ scared. 2ut :ooler&s e#idence e/onerated him$ and 8urt+&s. No$ it wasn&t his

fault$ poor man. Ie often heard 'arry say what a careful dri#er he was.!

!'e knew 'arry too?! 3nother bird flapped down and ,oined the others round the silent fi%ure

on the sand who lay face down. Now he could tell that it was 'arry$ by the clothes$ by the attitudelike that of a boy asleep in the %rass at a playin% field&s ed%e$ on a hot summer afternoon.

4omebody called outside the window$ !)r? ulein 4chmidt.!

4he said$ !6hey don&t like one to stay too lon%. It uses up their electricity.!

'e had %i#en up the idea of sparin% her anythin%. 'e told her$ !6he police say they were %oin%

to arrest 'arry. 6hey&d pinned some racket on him.!

4he took the news in much the same way as 8urt+. !E#erybody&s in a racket.!

!I don&t belie#e he was in anythin% serious.!

!No.!!2ut he may ha#e been framed. "o you know a man called 8urt+?!

!I don&t think so.!

!'e wears a toupee.!

!Oh.! 'e could tell that that struck home. 'e said$ !"on&t you think it was odd they were all

there**at the death? E#erybody knew 'arry. E#en the dri#er$ the doctor...!

4he said with hopeless calm$ !Ie thou%ht that too$ thou%h I didn&t know about 8urt+. I

wondered whether they&d murdered him$ but what&s the use of wonderin%?!

!I&m %oin% to %et those bastards$! Rollo Martins said.

!It won&t do any %ood. 5erhaps the police are ri%ht. 5erhaps poor 'arry %ot mi/ed up...!

!)raulein 4chmidt$! the #oice called a%ain.!I must %o.!

!I&ll walk with you a bit of the way.!

6he dark was almost down the snow had ceased for a while to fall and the %reat statues of the

Rin%$ the prancin% horses$ the chariots and the ea%les$ were %unshot %rey with the end of e#enin%

li%ht. !It&s better to %i#e up and for%et$! 3nna said. 6he moony snow lay ankle deep on the unswept

pa#ements.

!Will you %i#e me the doctor&s address?!

6hey stood in the shelter of a wall while she wrote it down for him.

!3nd yours too?!

!Why do you want that?!

!I mi%ht ha#e news for you.!

!6here isn&t any news that would do any %ood now.! 'e watched her from a distance board her

tram$ bowin% her head a%ainst the wind$ a little dark -uestion mark on the snow.

oue %ot an interestin% collection here.!>es.

!6hese saints& bones...!

!6he bones of chickens and rabbits.! "r. Winkler took a lar%e white handkerchief out of his

slee#e rather as thou%h he were a con,urer producin% his country&s fla%$ and blew his nose neatly

and thorou%hly twice$ closin% each nostril in turn. >ou e/pected him to throw away the

handkerchief after one use. !Would you mind$ Mr. Martins$ tellin% me the purpose of your #isit? I

ha#e a patient waitin%.!

!We were both friends of 'arry (ime.!

!I was his medical ad#iser$! "r. Winkler corrected him and waited obstinately between the

crucifi/es.

!I arri#ed too late for the in-uest. 'arry had in#ited me out here to help him in somethin%. I

don&t -uite know what. I didn&t hear of his death till I arri#ed.!

!Very sad$! "r. Winkler said.

!Naturally$ under the circumstances$ I want to hear all I can.!

!6here is nothin% I can tell you that you don&t know. 'e was knocked o#er by a car. 'e was

dead when I arri#ed.!

!Would he ha#e been conscious at all?!

!I understand he was for a short time$ while they carried him into the house.!

!In %reat pain?!

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!Not necessarily.!

!>ou are -uite certain that it was an accident?!

"r. Winkler put out a hand and strai%htened a crucifi/. !I was not there. My opinion is limited

to the cause of death. 'a#e you any reason to be dissatisfied?!

6he amateur has another ad#anta%e o#er the professional he can be reckless. 'e can tellunnecessary truths and propound wild theories. Martins said$ !6he police had implicated 'arry in a

#ery serious racket. It seemed to me that he mi%ht ha#e been murdered**or e#en killed himself.!

!I am not competent to pass an opinion$! "r. Winkler said.

!"o you know a man called :ooler?!

!I don&t think so.!

!'e was there when 'arry was killed.!

!6hen of course I ha#e met him. 'e wears a toupee.!

!6hat was 8urt+.!

"r. Winkler was not only the cleanest$ he was also the most cautious doctor that Martins hade#er met. 'is statements were so limited that you could not for a moment doubt their #eracity. 'e

said$ !6here was a second man there.! If he had to dia%nose a case of scarlet fe#er he would$ you

felt$ ha#e confined himself to a statement that a rash was #isible$ that the temperature was so and

so. 'e would ne#er find himself in error at an in-uest.

!'ad you been 'arry&s doctor for lon%?! 'e seemed an odd man for 'arry to choose**'arry

who liked men with a certain recklessness$ men capable of makin% mistakes.

!)or about a year.!

!Well$ it&s %ood of you to ha#e seen me.! "r. Winkler bowed. When he bowed there was a #ery

sli%ht creak as thou%h his shirt were made of celluloid. !I mustn&t keep you from your patients any

lon%er.! 6urnin% away from "r. Winkler he confronted yet another crucifi/$ the fi%ure han%in%with arms abo#e the head a face of elon%ated El 7reco a%ony. !6hat&s a stran%e crucifi/$! he said.

!@ansenist$! "r. Winkler commented and closed his mouth sharply as thou%h he had been

%uilty of %i#in% away too much information.

!Ne#er heard the word. Why are the arms abo#e the head?!

"r. Winkler said reluctantly$ !2ecause he died$ in their #iew$ only for the elect.!

9

34 I 4EE I6$ turnin% o#er my files$ the notes of con#ersations$ the statements of #arious

characters$ it would ha#e been still possible$ at this moment$ for Rollo Martins to ha#e left Vienna

safely. 'e had shown an unhealthy curiosity$ but the disease had been checked at e#ery point.

Nobody had %i#en anythin% away. 6he smooth wall of deception had as yet shown no real crack to

his roamin% fin%ers. When Rollo Martins left "r. Winkler&s he was in no dan%er. 'e could ha#e

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%one home to bed at 4acher&s and slept with a -uiet mind. 'e could e#en ha#e #isited :ooler at this

sta%e without trouble. No one was seriously disturbed. Cnfortunately for him**and there would

always be periods of his life when he bitterly re%retted it**he chose to %o back to 'arry&s flat. 'e

wanted to talk to the little #e/ed man who said he had seen the accident**or had he really not said

as much? 6here was a moment in the dark fro+en street$ when he was inclined to %o strai%ht to:ooler$ to complete his picture of those sinister birds who sat around 'arry&s body$ but Rollo$

bein% Rollo$ decided to toss a coin and the coin fell for the other action$ and the deaths of two men.

5erhaps the little man**who bore the name of 8och**had drunk a %lass too much of wine$

perhaps he had simply spent a %ood day at the office$ but this time$ when Rollo Martins ran% his

bell$ he was friendly and -uite ready to talk. 'e had ,ust finished dinner and had crumbs on his

moustache. !3h$ I remember you. >ou are 'err (ime&s friend.!

'e welcomed Martins in with %reat cordiality and introduced him to a mountainous wife

whom he ob#iously kept under #ery strict control. !3h$ in the old days I would ha#e offered you a

cup of coffee$ but now**!Martins passed round his ci%arette case and the atmosphere of cordiality deepened. !When you

ran% yesterday I was a little abrupt$! 'err 8och said$ !but I had a touch of mi%raine and my wife

was out$ so I had to answer the door myself.!

!"id you tell me that you had actually seen the accident?!

'err 8och e/chan%ed %lances with his wife. !6he in-uest is o#er$ Cse. 6here is no harm. >ou

can trust my ,ud%ment. 6he %entleman is a friend. >es$ I saw the accident$ but you are the only one

who knows. When I say that I saw it$ perhaps I should say that I heard it. I heard the brakes put on

and the sound of the skid$ and I %ot to the window in time to see them carry the body to the house.!

!2ut didn&t you %i#e e#idence?!

!It is better not to be mi/ed up in such thin%s. My office cannot spare me. We are short ofstaff$ and of course I did not actually see...!

!2ut you told me yesterday how it happened.!

!6hat was how they described it in the papers.!

!Was he in %reat pain?!

!'e was dead. I looked ri%ht down from my window here and I saw his face. I know when a

man is dead. >ou see$ it is$ in a way$ my business. I am the head clerk at the mortuary.!

!2ut the others say that he did not die at once.!

!5erhaps they don&t know death as well as I do.!

!'e was dead$ of course$ when the doctor arri#ed. 'e told me that.!

!'e was dead at once. >ou can take the word of a man who knows.!

!I think$ 'err 8och$ that you should ha#e %i#en e#idence.!

!One must look after oneself$ 'err Martins. I was not the only one who should ha#e been

there.!

!'ow do you mean?!

!6here were three people who helped to carry your friend to the house.!

!I know**two men and the dri#er.!

!6he dri#er stayed where he was. 'e was #ery much shaken$ poor man.!

!6hree men...! It was as thou%h suddenly fin%erin% that bare wall his fin%ers had encountered

not so much a crack perhaps but at least a rou%hness that had not been smoothed away by the

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careful builders.

!:an you describe the men?!

2ut 'err 8och was not trained to obser#e the li#in% only the man with the toupee had

attracted his eyes**the other two were ,ust men$ neither tall nor short$ thick nor thin. 'e had seen

them from far abo#e foreshortened$ bent o#er their burden they had not looked up$ and he had-uickly looked away and closed the window$ realisin% at once the wisdom of not bein% seen

himself.

!6here was no e#idence I could really %i#e$ 'err Martins.!

No e#idence$ Martins thou%ht$ no e#idenceF 'e no lon%er doubted that murder had been done.

Why else had they lied about the moment of death? 6hey wanted to -uieten with their %ifts of

money and their plane ticket the only two friends 'arry had in Vienna. 3nd the third man? Who

was he?

'e said$ !"id you see 'err (ime %o out?!

!No.!!"id you hear a scream?!

!Only the brakes$ 'err Martins.!

It occurred to Martins that there was nothin%**e/cept the word of 8urt+ and :ooler and the

dri#er**to pro#e that in fact 'arry had been killed at that precise moment. 6here was the medical

e#idence$ but that could not pro#e more than that he had died say within a half hour$ and in any

case the medical e#idence was only as stron% as "r. Winkler&s word that clean controlled man

creakin% amon% his crucifi/es.

!'err Martins$ it ,ust occurs to me**you are stayin% in Vienna?!

!>es.!

!If you need accommodation and spoke to the authorities -uickly$ you mi%ht secure 'err(ime&s flat. It is a re-uisitioned property.!

!Who has the keys?!

!I ha#e them.!

!:ould I see the flat?!

!Ilse$ the keys.!

'err 8och led the way into the flat that had been 'arry&s. In the little dark hall there was still

the smell of ci%arette smoke**the 6urkish ci%arettes that 'arry always smoked. It seemed odd that

a man&s smell should clin% in the folds of curtains so lon% after the man himself had become dead

matter$ a %as$ a decay. One li%ht$ in a hea#ily beaded shade$ left them in semi*darkness$ fumblin%

for door handles.

6he li#in% room was completely bare**it seemed to Martins too bare. 6he chairs had been

pushed up a%ainst the walls the desk at which 'arry must ha#e written was free from dust or any

papers. 6he par-uet reflected the li%ht like a mirror. 'err 8och opened a door and showed the

bedroom the bed neatly made with clean sheets. In the bathroom not e#en a used ra+or blade

indicated that a few days a%o a li#in% man had occupied it. Only the dark hall and the ci%arette

smell %a#e a sense of occupation.

!>ou see$! 'err 8och said$ !it is -uite ready for a newcomer. Cse has cleaned up.!

6hat$ she certainly had done. 3fter a death there should ha#e been more litter left than this. 3

man can&t %o suddenly and une/pectedly on his lon%est ,ourney without for%ettin% this or that$

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without lea#in% a bill unpaid$ an official form unanswered$ the photo%raph of a %irl. !Were there no

papers$ 'err 8och?!

!'err (ime was always a #ery tidy man. 'is waste*paper basket was full and his brief case$

but his friend fetched that away.!

!'is friend?!!6he %entleman with the toupee.!

It was possible$ of course$ that (ime had not taken the ,ourney so une/pectedly$ and it

occurred to Martins that (ime had perhaps hoped he would arri#e in time to help. 'e said to 'err

8och$ !I belie#e my friend was murdered.!

!Murdered?! 'err 8och&s cordiality was snuffed out by the word. 'e said$ !I would not ha#e

asked you in here if I had thou%ht you would talk such nonsense.!

!3ll the same your e#idence may be #ery #aluable.!

!I ha#e no e#idence. I saw nothin%. I am not concerned. >ou must lea#e here at once please.

>ou ha#e been #ery inconsiderate.! 'e hustled Martins back throu%h the hall already the smell ofthe smoke was fadin% a little more. 'err 8och&s last word before he slammed his own door to was

!It&s no concern of mine.! 5oor 'err 8ochF We do not choose our concerns. (ater when I was

-uestionin% Martins closely I said to him$ !"id you see anybody at all on the stairs$ or in the street

outside?!

!Nobody.! 'e had e#erythin% to %ain by rememberin% some chance passer*by$ and I belie#ed

him. 'e said$ !I noticed myself how -uiet and dead the whole street looked. 5art of it had been

bombed$ you know$ and the moon was shinin% on the snow slopes. It was so #ery silent. I could

hear my own feet creakin% in the snow.!

!Of course it pro#es nothin%. 6here is a basement where anybody who had followed you could

ha#e hidden.!!>es.!

!Or your whole story may be phony.!

!>es.!

!6he trouble is I can see no moti#e for you to ha#e done it. It&s true you are already %uilty of

%ettin% money on false pretences. >ou came out here to ,oin (ime$ perhaps to help him...!

Martins said to me$ !What was this precious racket you keep on hintin% at?!

!I&d ha#e told you all the facts when I first saw you if you hadn&t lost your temper so damned

-uickly. Now I don&t think I shall be actin% wisely to tell you. It would be disclosin% official

information$ and your contacts$ you know$ don&t inspire confidence. 3 %irl with phony papers

supplied by (ime$ this man 8urt+...!

!"r. Winkler...!

!Ie %ot nothin% a%ainst "r. Winkler. No$ if you are phony$ you don&t need the information$

but it mi%ht help you to learn e/actly what we know. >ou see our facts are not complete.!

!I bet they aren&t. I could in#ent a better detecti#e than you in my bath.!

!>our literary style does not do your namesake ,ustice.! Whene#er he was reminded of Mr.

:rabbin$ that poor harassed representati#e of the 2ritish :ultural Relations 4ociety$ Rollo Martins

turned pink with annoyance$ embarrassment$ shame. 6hat too inclined me to trust him.

'e had certainly %i#en :rabbin some uncomfortable hours. On returnin% to 4acher&s 'otel

after his inter#iew with 'err 8och he had found a desperate note waitin% for him from the

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representati#e.

!I ha#e been tryin% to locate you all day$! :rabbin wrote. !It is essential that we should %et

to%ether and work out a proper pro%ramme for you. 6his mornin% by telephone I ha#e arran%ed

lectures at Innsbruck and 4al+bur% for ne/t week$ but I must ha#e your consent to the sub,ects$ so

that proper pro%rammes can be printed. I would su%%est two lectures !6he :risis of )aith in theWestern World& you are #ery respected here as a :hristian writer$ but this lecture should be -uite

unpolitical0 and &6he 6echni-ue of the :ontemporary No#el.& 6he same lectures would be %i#en in

Vienna. 3part from this there are a %reat many people here who would like to meet you$ and I want

to arran%e a cocktail party for early ne/t week. 2ut for all this I must ha#e a few words with you.!

6he letter ended on a note of acute an/iety. !>ou will be at the discussion tomorrow ni%ht$ won&t

you? We all e/pect you at HDB and$ needless to say$ look forward to your comin%. I will send

transport to the hotel at H1= sharp.!

Rollo Martins read the letter and without botherin% any further about Mr. :rabbin went to bed.

H

3)6ER 6WO "RIN84 Rollo Martins& mind would always turn towards women**in a #a%ue$

sentimental$ romantic way$ as a 4e/$ in %eneral. 3fter three drinks$ like a pilot who di#es to find

direction$ he would be%in to focus on one a#ailable %irl. If he had not been offered a third drink by:ooler$ he would probably ha#e not %one -uite so soon to 3nna 4chmidt&s house$ and if... but there

are too many !ifs! in my style of writin%$ for it is my profession to balance possibilities$ human

possibilities$ and the dri#e of destiny can ne#er find a place in my files.

Martins had spent his lunchtime readin% up the reports of the in-uest$ thus a%ain

demonstratin% the superiority of the amateur to the professional$ and makin% him more #ulnerable

to :ooler&s li-uor which the professional in duty bound would ha#e refused0. It was nearly fi#e

o&clock when he reached :ooler&s flat which was o#er an ice*cream parlour in the 3merican +one

the bar below was full of 7. I.&s with their %irls$ and the clatter of the lon% spoons and the curious

free uniformed lau%hter followed him up the stairs.

6he En%lishman who ob,ects to 3mericans in %eneral usually carried in his mind&s eye ,ust

such an e/ception as :ooler a man with tousled %rey hair and a worried kindly face and lon%*

si%hted eyes$ the kind of humanitarian who turns up in a typhus epidemic or a world war or a

:hinese famine lon% before his countrymen ha#e disco#ered the place in an atlas. 3%ain the card

marked !'arry&s friend! was like an entrance ticket. 'is warm frank handclasp was the most

friendly act that Martins had encountered in Vienna.

!3ny friend of 'arry is all ri%ht with me$! :ooler said. !Ie heard of you$ of course.!

!)rom 'arry?!

!I&m a %reat reader of Westerns$! :ooler said$ and Martins belie#ed him as he did not belie#e

8urt+.

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!I wondered**you were there$ weren&t you?**if you&d tell me about 'arry&s death.!

!It was a terrible thin%$! :ooler said. !I was ,ust crossin% the road to %o to 'arry. 'e and Mr.

8urt+ were on the sidewalk. Maybe if I hadn&t started across the road$ he&d ha#e stayed where he

was. 2ut he saw me and stepped strai%ht off to meet me and this ,eep**it was terrible$ terrible. 6he

dri#er braked$ but he didn&t stand a chance. 'a#e a 4cotch$ Mr. Martins. It&s silly of me$ but I %etshaken up when I think of it.! 'e said as he splashed in the soda$ !I&d ne#er seen a man killed

before.!

!Was the other man in the car?!

:ooler took a lon% pull and then measured what was left with his tired kindly eyes. !What

man would you be referrin% to$ Mr. Martins?!

!I was told there was another man there.!

!I don&t know how you %ot that idea. >ou&ll find all about it in the in-uest reports.! 'e poured

out two more %enerous drinks. !6here were ,ust the three of us**me and Mr. 8urt+ and the dri#er.

6he doctor$ of course. I e/pect you were thinkin% of the doctor.!!6his man I was talkin% to happened to look out of a window**he has the ne/t flat to 'arry&s**

and he said he saw three men and the dri#er. 6hat&s before the doctor arri#ed.!

!'e didn&t say that in court.!

!'e didn&t want to %et in#ol#ed.!

!>ou&ll ne#er teach these Europeans to be %ood citi+ens. It was his duty.! :ooler brooded sadly

o#er his %lass. !It&s an odd thin%$ Mr. Martins$ with accidents. >ou&ll ne#er %et two reports that

coincide. Why$ e#en I and Mr. 8urt+ disa%reed about details. 6he thin% happens so suddenly$ you

aren&t concerned to notice thin%s$ until ban% crash$ and then you ha#e to reconstruct$ remember. I

e/pect he %ot too tan%led up tryin% to sort out what happened before and what after$ to distin%uish

the four of us.!!6he four?!

!I was countin% 'arry. What else did he see$ Mr. Martins?!

!Nothin% of interest**e/cept he says 'arry was dead when he was carried to the house.!

!Well$ he was dyin%**not much difference there. 'a#e another drink$ Mr. Martins?!

!No$ I don&t think I will.!

!Well$ I&d like another spot. I was #ery fond of your friend$ Mr. Martins$ and I don&t like

talkin% about it.!

!5erhaps one more**to keep you company.!

!"o you know 3nna 4chmidt?! Martins asked$ while the whisky still tin%led on his ton%ue.

!'arry&s %irl? I met her once$ that&s all. 3s a matter of fact$ I helped 'arry fi/ her papers. Not

the sort of thin% I should confess to a stran%er$ I suppose$ but you ha#e to break the rules

sometimes. 'umanity&s a duty too.!

!What was wron%?!

!4he was 'un%arian and her father had been a Na+i so they said. 4he was scared the Russians

would pick her up.!

!Why should they want to?!

!Well$ her papers weren&t in order.!

!>ou took her some money from 'arry$ didn&t you?!

!>es$ but I wouldn&t ha#e mentioned that. "id she tell you?!

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6he telephone went and :ooler drained his %lass. !'ullo$! he said. !Why$ yes. 6his is :ooler.!

6hen he sat with the recei#er at his ear and an e/pression of sad patience$ while some #oice a lon%

way off drained into the room. !>es$! he said once. !>es.! 'is eyes dwelt on Martins& face$ but

they seemed to be lookin% a lon% way beyond him flat and tired and kind$ they mi%ht ha#e been

%a+in% out o#er across the sea. 'e said$ !>ou did -uite ri%ht$! in a tone of commendation$ and then$with a touch of asperity$ !Of course they will be deli#ered. I %a#e my word. 7oodbye.! 'e put the

recei#er down and passed a hand across his forehead wearily. It was as thou%h he were tryin% to

remember somethin% he had to do. Martins said$ !'ad you heard anythin% of this racket the police

talk about?!

!I&m sorry. What&s that?!

!6hey say 'arry was mi/ed up in some racket.!

!Oh$ no$! :ooler said. !No. 6hat&s -uite impossible. 'e had a %reat sense of duty.!

!8urt+ seemed to think it was possible.!

!8urt+ doesn&t understand how an 3n%lo*4a/on feels$! :ooler replied.

I6 W34 NE3R(> dark when Martins made his way alon% the banks of the canal across the water

lay the half destroyed "iana baths and in the distance the %reat black circle of the 5rater Wheel$stationary abo#e the ruined houses. O#er there across the %rey water was the second be+irk in

Russian ownership. 4t. 4tefanskirche shot its enormous wounded spire into the sky abo#e the Inner

:ity$ and comin% up the 8artnerstrasse Martins passed the lit door of the Military 5olice station.

6he four men of the International 5atrol were climbin% into their ,eep the Russian M. 5. sat beside

the dri#er for the Russians had that day taken o#er the chair for the ne/t four weeks0 and the

En%lishman$ the )renchman and the 3merican mounted behind. 6he third stiff whisky fumed into

Martins& brain$ and he remembered the %irl in 3msterdam$ the %irl in 5aris loneliness mo#ed alon%

the crowded pa#ement at his side. 'e passed the corner of the street where 4acher&s lay and went

on. Rollo was in control and mo#ed towards the only %irl he knew in Vienna.

I asked him how he knew where she li#ed. Oh$ he said$ he&d looked up the address she had

%i#en him the ni%ht before$ in bed$ studyin% a map. 'e wanted to know his way about$ and he was

%ood with maps.

'e could memorise turnin%s and street names easily because he always went one way on foot.

!One way?!

!I mean when I&m callin% on a %irl**or someone.!

'e hadn&t$ of course$ known that she would be in$ that her play was not on that ni%ht in the

@osefstadt$ or perhaps he had memorised that too from the posters. In at any rate she was$ if you

could really call it bein% in$ sittin% alone in an unheated room$ with the bed dis%uised as di#an$ and

the typewritten part lyin% open at the first pa%e on the inade-uate too fancy topply table because

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her thou%hts were so far from bein% !in.! 'e said awkwardly and nobody could ha#e said$ not

e#en Rollo$ how much his awkwardness was part of his techni-ue0 !I thou%ht I&d ,ust look in and

look you up. >ou see$ I was passin%...!

!5assin%? Where to?! It had been a %ood half an hour&s walk from the Inner :ity to the rim of

the En%lish +one$ but he always had a reply. !I had too much whisky with :ooler. I needed a walkand I ,ust happened to find myself this way.!

!I can&t %i#e you a drink here. E/cept tea. 6here&s some of that packet left.!

!No$ no thank you.! 'e said$ !>ou are busy$! lookin% at the script.

!I didn&t %et beyond the first line.!

'e picked if up and read !Enter (ouise. (ouise I heard a child cryin%.!

!:an I stay a little?! he asked with a %entleness that was more Martins than Rollo.

!I wish you would.! 'e slumped down on the di#an$ and he told me a lon% time later for

lo#ers talk and reconstruct the smallest details if they can find a listener0 that there it was he took

his second real look at her. 4he stood there as awkward as himself in a pair of old flannel trouserswhich had been patched badly in the seat she stood with her le%s firmly straddled as thou%h she

were opposin% someone and was determined to hold her %round**a small rather stocky fi%ure with

any %race she had folded and put away for use professionally.

!One of those bad days?! he asked.

!It&s always bad about this time.! 4he e/plained !'e used to look in$ and when I heard your

rin%$ ,ust for a moment$ I thou%ht...! 4he sat down on a hard chair opposite him and said$ !5lease

talk. >ou knew him. @ust tell me anythin%.!

3nd so he talked. 6he sky blackened outside the window while he talked. 'e noticed after a

while that their hands had met. 'e said to me$ !I ne#er meant to fall in lo#e$ not with 'arry&s %irl.!

!When did it happen?! I asked him.!It was #ery cold and I %ot up to close the window curtains. I only noticed my hand was on

hers when I took it away. 3s I stood up I looked down at her face and she was lookin% up. It wasn&t

a beautiful face**that was the trouble. It was a face to li#e with$ day in$ day out. 3 face for wear. I

felt as thou%h I&d come into a new country where I couldn&t speak the lan%ua%e. I had always

thou%ht it was beauty one lo#ed in a woman. I stood there at the curtains$ waitin% to pull them$

lookin% out. I couldn&t see anythin% but my own face$ lookin% back into the room$ lookin% for her.

4he said$ &3nd what did 'arry do that time?& and I wanted to say$ &"amn 'arry. 'e&s dead. We both

lo#ed him$ but he&s dead. 6he dead are made to be for%otten.& Instead of course all I said was$ What

do you think? 'e ,ust whistled his old tune as if nothin% was the matter$& and I whistled it to her as

well as I could. I heard her catch her breath$ and I looked round and before I could think is this the

ri%ht way$ the ri%ht card$ the ri%ht %ambit?**I&d already said$ &'e&s dead. >ou can&t %o on

rememberin% him for e#er.&!

4he said$ !I know$ but perhaps somethin% will happen first.!

!What do you mean**somethin% happen?!

!Oh$ I mean$ perhaps there&ll be another way$ or I&ll die$ or somethin%.!

!>ou&ll for%et him in time. >ou&ll fall in lo#e a%ain.!

!I know$ but I don&t want to. "on&t you see I don&t want to.!

4o Rollo Martins came back from the window and sat down on the di#an a%ain. When he had

risen half a minute before he had been the friend of 'arry comfortin% 'arry&s %irl now he was a

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man in lo#e with 3nna 4chmidt who had been in lo#e with a man they had both once known called

'arry (ime. 'e didn&t speak a%ain that e#enin% about the past. Instead he be%an to tell her of the

people he had seen. !I can belie#e anythin% of Winkler$! he told her$ !but :ooler**I liked :ooler.

'e was the only one of his friends who stood up for 'arry. 6he trouble is$ if :ooler&s ri%ht$ then

8och is wron%$ and I really thou%ht I had somethin% there.!!Who&s 8och?!

'e e/plained how he had returned to 'arry&s flat and he described his inter#iew with 8och$

the story of the third man.

!If it&s true$! she said$ !it&s #ery important.!

!It doesn&t pro#e anythin%. 3fter all$ 8och backed out of the in-uest$ so mi%ht this stran%er.!

!6hat&s not the point$! she said. !It means that they lied. 8urt+ and :ooler.!

!6hey mi%ht ha#e lied so as not to incon#enience this fellow**if he was a friend.!

!>et another friend**on the spot. 3nd where&s your :ooler&s honesty then?!

!What do we do? 'e clamped down like an oyster and turned me out of his flat.!!'e won&t turn me out$! she said$ !or his Ilse won&t.!

6hey walked up the lon% road to the flat to%ether the snow clo%%ed on their shoes and made

them mo#e slowly like con#icts wei%hed down by irons. 3nna 4chmidt said$ !Is it far?!

!Not #ery far now. "o you see that knot of people up the road? It&s somewhere about there.!

6he %roup of people up the road was like a splash of ink on the whiteness that flowed$ chan%ed

shape$ spread out. When they came a little nearer Martins said$ !I think that is his block. What do

you suppose this is$ a political demonstration?!

3nna 4chmidt stopped she said$ !Who else ha#e you told about 8och?!

!Only you and :ooler. Why?!

!I&m fri%htened. It reminds me...! 4he had her eyes fi/ed on the crowd and he ne#er knewwhat memory out of her confused past had risen to warn her. !(et&s %o away$! she implored him.

!>ou&re cra+y. We&re on to somethin% here$ somethin% bi%...!

!I&ll wait for you.!

!2ut you&re %oin% to talk to him.!

!)ind out first what all those people...! 4he said stran%ely for one who worked behind the

footli%hts$ !I hate crowds.!

'e walked slowly on alone$ the snow cakin% on his heels. It wasn&t a political meetin% for no

one was makin% a speech. 'e had the impression of heads turnin% to watch him come$ as thou%h

he were somebody who was e/pected. When he reached the frin%e of the little crowd$ he knew for

certain that it was the house. 3 man looked hard at him and said$ !3re you another of them?!

!What do you mean?!

!6he police.!

!No. What are they doin%?!

!6heye been in and out all day.!

!What&s e#erybody waitin% for?!

!6hey want to see him brou%ht out.!

!Who?!

!'err 8och.! It occurred #a%uely to Martins that somebody besides himself had disco#ered

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'err 8och&s failure to %i#e e#idence$ thou%h that was hardly a police matter. 'e said$ !What&s he

done?!

!Nobody knows that yet. 6hey can&t make their minds up in there**it mi%ht be suicide$ you see$

and it mi%ht be murder.!

!'err 8och?!!Of course.!

3 small child came up to his informant and pulled at his hand$ !5apa$ 5apa.! 'e wore a wool

cap on his head like a %nome$ and his face was pinched and blue with cold.

!>es$ my dear$ what is it?!

!I heard them talkin% throu%h the %ratin%$ 5apa.!

!Oh$ you cunnin% little one. 6ell us what you heard$ '? nsel?!

!I heard )rau 8och cryin%$ 5apa.!

!Was that all$ '? nsel?!

!No. I heard the bi% man talkin%$ 5apa.!!3h$ you cunnin% little '? nsel. 6ell 5apa what he said.!

!'e said$ &:an you tell me$ )rau 8och$ what the forei%ner looked like?&!

!'a$ ha$ you see they think it&s murder. 3nd who&s to say they are wron%. Why should 'err

8och cut his own throat in the basement?!

!5apa$ 5apa.!

!>es$ little '? nsel?!

!When I looked throu%h the %ratin%$ I could see some blood on the coke.!

!What a child you are. 'ow could you tell it was blood? 6he snow leaks e#erywhere.! 6he

man turned to Martins and said$ !6he child has such an ima%ination. Maybe he will be a writer

when he %rows up.!6he pinched face stared solemnly up at Martins. 6he child said$ !5apa.!

!>es$ '? nsel?!

!'e&s a forei%ner too.!

6he man %a#e a bi% lau%h that caused a do+en heads to turn. !(isten to him$ sir$ listen$! he said

proudly. !'e thinks you did it ,ust because you are a forei%ner. 3s thou%h there weren&t more

forei%ners here these days than Viennese.!

!5apa$ 5apa.!

!>es$ '? nsel?!

!6hey are comin% out.!

3 knot of police surrounded the co#ered stretcher which they lowered carefully down the steps

for fear of slidin% on the trodden snow. 6he man said$ !6hey can&t %et an ambulance into this street

because of the ruins. 6hey ha#e to carry it round the corner.! )rau 8och came out at the tail of the

procession she had a shawl o#er her head and an old sackcloth coat. 'er thick shape looked like a

snowman as she sank in a drift at the pa#ement ed%e. 4omeone %a#e her a hand and she looked

round with a lost hopeless %a+e at this crowd of stran%ers. If there were friends there she did not

reco%nise them lookin% from face to face. Martins bent as she passed$ fumblin% at his shoelace$ but

lookin% up from the %round he saw at his own eyes& le#el the scrutinisin% cold*blooded %nome

%a+e of little '? nsel.

Walkin% back down the street towards 3nna$ he looked back once. 6he child was pullin% at his

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father&s hand and he could see the lips formin% round those syllables like the refrain of a %rim

ballad$ !5apa$ 5apa.!

'e said to 3nna !8och has been murdered. :ome away from here.! 'e walked as rapidly as

the snow would let him$ turnin% this corner and that. 6he child&s suspicion and alertness seemed to

spread like a cloud o#er the city**they could not walk fast enou%h to e#ade its shadow. 'e paid noattention when 3nna said to him$ !6hen what 8och said was true. 6here was a third man$! nor a

little later when she said$ !It must ha#e been murder. >ou don&t kill a man to hide anythin% less.!

6he tram cars flashed like icicles at the end of the street they were back at the Rin%. Martins

said$ !>ou had better %o home alone. I&ll keep away from you awhile till thin%s ha#e sorted out.!

!2ut nobody can suspect you.!

!6hey are askin% about the forei%ner who called on 8och yesterday. 6here may be some

unpleasantness for a while.!

!Why don&t you %o to the police?!

!6hey are so stupid. I don&t trust them. 4ee what theye pinned on 'arry. 3nd then I tried tohit this man :alla%han. 6hey&ll ha#e it in for me. 6he least they&ll do is send me away from Vienna.

2ut if I stay -uiet... there&s only one person who can %i#e me away. :ooler.!

!3nd he won&t want to.!

!Not if he&s %uilty. 2ut then I can&t belie#e he&s %uilty.!

2efore she left him$ she said$ !2e careful. 8och knew so #ery little and they murdered him.

>ou know as much as 8och.!

6he warnin% stayed in his brain all the way to 4acher&s after nine o&clock the streets are #ery

empty$ and he would turn his head at e#ery paddin% step comin% up the street behind him$ as

thou%h that third man whom they had protected so ruthlessly was followin% him like an

e/ecutioner. 6he Russian sentry outside the 7rand 'otel looked ri%id with the cold$ but he washuman$ he had a face$ an honest peasant face with Mon%ol eyes. 6he third man had no face only

the top of a head seen from a window. 3t 4acher&s Mr. 4chmidt said$ !:olonel :alloway has been

in$ askin% after you$ sir. I think you&ll find him in the bar.!

!2ack in a moment$! Martins said and walked strai%ht out of the hotel a%ain he wanted time

to think. 2ut immediately he stepped outside a man came forward$ touched his cap and said firmly$

!5lease$ sir.! 'e flun% open the door of a khaki painted truck with a union ,ack on the windscreen

and firmly ur%ed Martins within. 'e surrendered without protest sooner or later he felt sure

in-uiries would be made he had only pretended optimism to 3nna 4chmidt.

6he dri#er dro#e too fast for safety on the fro+en road$ and Martins protested. 3ll he %ot in

reply was a sullen %runt and a muttered sentence containin% the word !orders.!

!7a#e you orders to kill me?! Martins said and %ot no reply at all. 'e cau%ht si%ht of the

6itans on the 'ofbur% balancin% %reat %lobes of snow abo#e their heads$ and then they plun%ed

into ill*lit streets beyond where he lost all sense of direction.

!Is it far?! 2ut the dri#er paid him no attention at all. 3t least$ Martins thou%ht$ I am not under

arrest they ha#e not sent a %uard I am bein% in#ited$ wasn&t that the word they used? to #isit the

station to make a statement.

6he car drew up and the dri#er led the way up two ni%hts of stairs he ran% the bell of a %reat

double door$ and Martins was aware beyond it of many #oices. 'e turned sharply to the dri#er and

said$ !Where the hell...? ! but the dri#er was already halfway down the stairs$ and already the door

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:rabbin interposed -uickly for the sake of the 3ustrians !6hat is a little ,oke of Mr. "e/ter&s.

'e meant the poet 7ray**a %entle$ mild subtle %enius**one can see the affinity.!

!3nd he is called Jane 7rey?!

!6hat was Mr. "e/ter&s ,oke. Jane 7rey wrote what we call Westerns**cheap popular

no#elettes about bandits and cowboys.!!'e is not a %reater writer?!

!No$ no. )ar from it$! Mr. :rabbin said. !In the strict sense I would not call him a writer at

all.! Martins told me that he felt the first stirrin%s of re#olt at that statement. 'e had ne#er re%arded

himself before as a writer$ but :rabbin&s self*confidence irritated him**e#en the way the li%ht

flashed back from :rabbin&s spectacles seemed an added cause of #e/ation. :rabbin said$ !'e was

,ust a popular entertainer.!

!Why the hell not?! Martins said fiercely.

!Oh well$ I merely meant...!

!What was 4hakespeare?!4omebody with %reat darin% said$ !3 poet.!

!'a#e you e#er read Jane 7rey?!

!No$ I can&t say...!

!6hen you don&t know what you are talkin% about.!

One of the youn% men tried to come to :rabbin&s rescue. !3nd @ames @oyce$ where would you

put @ames @oyce$ Mr. "e/ter?!

!What do you mean put? I don&t want to put anybody anywhere$! Martins said

The Third Man (1)

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Transcript of The Third Man (1)