Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen

Victor Henry's wife fell in love while he was in America; something that had not happened in twenty-five years, even if her husband had been abroad for a longer period of time.When the war broke out, she felt a sense of liberation.She was forty-five years old, and suddenly felt that the rules of life she had followed for a long time were a bit outdated.The whole world was breaking free from old shackles, so why didn't she just relax, just a little bit?Rhoda Henry didn't talk about this inner struggle.But she felt it clearly, so she followed suit. She had been beautiful before, and had always maintained her beauty, so that she always attracted the attention of men, and there was no shortage of opportunities for trouble.But she had been as true to him as Pug Henry had been to her.She likes to go to church, she sings hymns and prays very devoutly, she believes in God, and regards Jesus Christ as her savior, but she has never been in deep, she believes that a married woman should be sincere and have a good heart character.Naval officers' wives, in their gossip, scolded those who were unfaithful and of bad character, and Rhoda scolded them the most.

Aside from some mediocre kissing, there was only one incident in the hazy past that somewhat marred her otherwise perfect record.Once, in Manila, when Pug was out on a fleet maneuver and Rhoda drank more champagne at the officers' club dance, Kip Tolliver sent her home and tried to undress her.Madeleine was still in her infancy at the time, just woke up from a nightmare and cried, which was regarded as saving her.After she coaxed Madeleine to stop crying, she also began to wake up.After waking up, she didn't show the slightest reproach to Kip, put on a decent long nightgown, and consciously drove him out of the house.That's how it ended.No doubt Kip was as grateful to Madeline the next morning as she was.In the Navy, Victor Henry was actually the last person he dared to offend.

Since then, Rhoda has always been a little evasive when meeting Tolliver.She often wondered what would happen if Madeleine didn't wake up.Could she really be wrong?How would she feel then?But she'd never know; she wasn't going to trouble herself; the drink was to blame.Still, she had a pleasant feeling at the thought that it was not old Pug who was undressing her but another man.Rhoda kept this in his memory and buried it deeply in his heart. Dr. Bamu Kirby was shy, serious, and ugly, in his mid-fifties.Rhoda threw a dinner just for him, and after the dinner she commented on the guests with Sally Forrest, she concluded that Kirby belonged to the "terribly minded" type of person.It was in vain that she teased him at the party with her usual flirtatious remarks merely out of social politeness. "Dr. Kirby, since your friend, my husband, is away, I'll let you sit on my right, and let's not miss the opportunity." That was pretty much the end of the matter.Rhoda hated this kind of reserved person the most.But, at dinner, he happened to mention that the next day he was going to a factory in Brandenburg.Rhoda offered to drive him there. On the one hand, she had long wanted to visit this medieval city, and on the other hand, in a sense, Kirby was also her husband's guest.

On the way, they ate a dull, civilized lunch at the hotel.After a few glasses of Moselle, Kirby perked up and began talking about himself and his work.Living with Pug, Rhoda had learned to understand technical conversation, so when she asked Bamu Kirby a delicate question, Kirby suddenly smiled.She never seemed to have seen him smile before.The mouth is full of big teeth, and the gums are exposed when he smiles.He smiled wildly, like a man with a lot of knowledge and a good appetite, not annoying at all, but for a rigid engineer like him, such a smile is surprising. "Do you really care, Mrs. Henry?" said Dr. Kirby. "I'd love to tell you everything, but I'm afraid I'll bore a pretty woman by doing so."

His smile, his words, and the tone of his voice showed that he was not completely indifferent to her coquettishness, but on the contrary, he liked her very much.She was a little flustered, and touched her hair with her hands, curling the waves next to her little white ears. "To tell you the truth, I think it's all too interesting. Try to make it as simple as possible." "Okay, you're asking for trouble." He carefully explained to her the magnetic amplifier, which he called the "magnetic umbrella", which was designed for accurate control of voltage and current when the power was very high.Rhoda asked several very expert questions one after another, and quickly figured out some basic information about Kirby.He wrote his senior thesis on electromagnetism at Caltech.At the age of forty, he gave up opportunities to work as an engineer at General Electric or Westin and decided to invest in making magnetic amplifiers himself.He has long struggled to raise funds and has only just paid off his debts.The war industry needs a lot of magnetic amplifiers, and he is the leader in this regard.He came to Germany because Germany surpassed the United States in the quality of certain components.He had come to learn their technique and to buy their nickel alloy wire.

She also learns that he is widowed and has become a grandfather.He talks about his dead wife, and then the two talk heart-to-heart about the strengths and weaknesses of their children.Once Kirby got over his shyness, like most men, he loved talking about himself.He charmed her so much with his account of the difficulties his money had caused him, and of the great success he had achieved at last, that she forgot her timidity, and talked with good spirit and tact.In fact, Rhoda is very attractive without any effort at all.When some women meet a man for the first time, they show all aspects of themselves without any force or pretense, making the other party dazzled. Rhoda is this type of woman.Victor Henry discovered this early on.He didn't complain, but once he felt that she must have reservations.Bamu Kirby was also struck by the extremely strong impression of this first meeting.He ordered another bottle of Moselle.When they reached Brandenburg, they were almost an hour late.He went about his business, and Rhoda, guidebook in hand, wandered about the picturesque old city; but for some reason she kept thinking about the misbehavior with Kip Tolliver a long time ago. little things.This time she drank a few more sips of wine, slightly drunk, and it took a long time to dispel the feeling of alcohol.

When they returned to Berlin in the evening, Kirby invited her to dinner and went to the opera.Accepting this invitation seemed a natural thing to do.Rhoda rushed home and tossed through her clothes and shoes, combed her hair back and forth, annoyed that there was no time for a haircut, and hesitated to use any perfume.By the time Kirby came to pick her up, she wasn't done yet.She kept him waiting an hour.As a girl, she always made the boys wait.Pug had completely cured her of that problem, for the Navy's social life was all about keeping time, and he wouldn't allow Rhoda to get him into trouble.The fact that Bamu Kirby waited for her to make herself up was a wonderful little act of nostalgia in itself, like nibbling on a banana peel, a lovely, childish indulgence.It almost made Rhoda feel nineteen again.

But the mirror told a different story, but even the mirror seemed to be particularly kind to her that evening, showing her shining eyes, her pretty face, her very slender figure that had never changed, her arms. They are so round and tight from bottom to top, unlike many women who tend to be loose above the elbows.She strutted into the living room in a pink suit with gold buttons she had bought to please Hitler.Kirby was sitting with one of Pug's technical magazines.He took off his black wide-rimmed glasses, stood up and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, you are so beautiful!" "I'm too bad," she said, taking Kirby's arm. "It's been so long, but you asked for it. You've been tired all day and you still have to ask an old lady out."

The opera performance ①, they found that the two had already liked the play, and they were very happy.Later, he suggested to see the famous Berlin nightlife.He said he had never been there himself, but since Berlin nightlife was the center of the world's talk, if Mrs. Henry didn't mind, he might as well go and see it a little. ①The opera of the Italian opera composer Verdi (1813-1901), the plot is taken from the novels of the French writer Alexandre Dumas in the 19th century. When Rhoda heard this suggestion, he giggled. "It's like a nightmare, don't you think? Thank you very much for such an unseemly suggestion, which I gladly accept. I hope it doesn't get to my friends."

Therefore, when a long-distance call from New York via the "Marblehead" in Lisbon reached Henry's house at two o'clock in the morning, there was no answer.Rhoda was sipping champagne, watching a buxom German blonde with bare breasts bouncing around in the dark blue smoke, and Rhoda glanced at Dr. Bam Kirby every now and then.Kirby wore a pair of wide-rimmed glasses on his long serious face, and he was smoking a long pipe, looking at the sweaty dancing girl with some disgust.Rhoda was thrilled and especially shocked because she had never seen a dancer naked except in fine art.

After this time, until her husband came back, she and Kirby spent a lot of time together.They go to less frequented restaurants.In her own words, she never "did anything" wrong.As soon as Pug came back, this little harmless love affair stopped. It had been Rhoda's idea to have a farewell party for Bam Kirby at Wannsee, but she had Sally Forrest come forward to treat her, saying that she had treated the non-military guest well herself.She didn't say anything, but Sally Forrest might have sensed something.Despite Warsaw's staunch resistance, the end of the Polish war was imminent, and the military attaches felt that they could use the noon hour for entertainment.Berlin is peaceful, and rumor has it that even food rations are on the verge of being cancelled.Byron took them to the tourist area in the embassy car.On an open sandy beach by the Havel River, some people are walking in the sun, some are sitting under colorful parasols, and athletes in tights are exercising against the autumn breeze. At lunch, the Forresters ordered, and the rations weren't too obvious.The margarine pastries tasted as usual, creamy, and they had very tasty halibut and a very good shank of lamb.In the middle of lunch, the loudspeaker suddenly clicked and buzzed, and then a very decisive and clear German broadcast came out: "The most important news will be broadcast to the whole country in a few minutes, please pay attention to it!" The same content is broadcast everywhere in the riverside resort.The walkers stopped and listened.The small figures of athletes who were running or somersaulting on the sand in the distance also suddenly stopped moving.The elegant Huangge Hotel suddenly set off a buzz of excitement. "What do you think it would be?" Sally Forrest said as the music started again, a thin, soft Schubert for strings. "Warsaw, I guess," said her husband. "It must be over." Dr. Kirby said: "A truce, you suppose? I've heard all kinds of rumors about a truce this week." "Oh, that would be great," said Rhoda, "and stop this stupid war before it really gets going!" Byron said: "The war is already underway." "Oh, of course," Rhoda said, smiling guiltily. "They always have to deal with the terrible Polish incident." "There won't be a truce," Pug said. The chatter in the crowded terrace outside the restaurant and in the lobby grew louder.The Germans were bright-eyed, dancing, arguing with each other, laughing, pounding the table, and shouting for champagne from all directions.Before the important news was broadcast, a few verses of Liszt's music were played on the loudspeaker, and the noise gradually died down. "Sondermeldung! (Special news!)" Once announced, except for the occasional sound of tableware clashing, the entire restaurant was silent.There was a sudden click of the loudspeaker, and a solemn baritone spoke two short sentences. "The supreme command of the head of state issued a message: capture Warsaw." The whole restaurant applauded and cheered.The women stood up and danced.men interact Shake hands, hug, kiss.The loudspeakers are desperately playing brass music, first deutschland uber alles①; then horst wessel lied②.All the diners in the restaurant of the Imperial Pavilion, except for these few Americans, stood up.At a glance, all the Germans walking on the beach stopped, and most of them stretched out their arms in the Nazi salute.More than half of the people in the dining room saluted and sang, and there was a cacophony of vulgar, drunken National Socialist anthems.Victor Henry looked around, not feeling creepy, he immediately realized that the Germans were going to fight under the command of Adolf Hitler.Then he discovered something he hadn't seen in years.His son sat motionless, with a very grim face, his lips tightly shut, and his white, well-knuckle hands clasped on the table.Byron has never shed tears since he was five years old, but now he is crying. ①German, title of the song, "Song of Horst Wessel". ②German, title of the song, "Germany First". Everyone in the restaurant was standing, only these few Americans were still sitting there, and everyone looked at them with hostile eyes. "Are they telling us to stand up?" Sally Forrest said. "I don't stand up," Rhoda said. Their waiter, a stout man in black, with long unkempt flaxen hair, who had been kind and attentive to them until then, stood there with his arms outstretched. Shouting, obviously mocking these Americans. Byron saw no one.He only saw dead horses bubbling in ditches, yellow plywood boards nailed to rows of bombed-out buildings, stone geese full of red flowers blooming around the campus, and a little girl in lilac-colored clothes. The girl took a pen from him, and the orange flares that flickered over the church steeple at night. The singing is over.The Germans clapped and cheered again, and then toasted each other.The stringed music played a drinking song, and the whole restaurant sang cheerfully and desperately: You, you are in my heart, You, you are in my soul... Byron dreaded hearing the song, dreading the recollection that he had sung it with the German soldiers just six hours after he escaped the flames of Warsaw, in order to fill his belly and ask for a glass of beer. yes, yes, yes, yes! You don't know, I have deep love for you. The waiter began to remove the glasses and plates from the American table, causing the glasses and plates to jingle, and the wine and soup splashed everywhere.The waiter also elbowed them. "Please be careful," said Colonel Forrest. The waiter was still unceremoniously tidying up.When he touched Sally Forrester's head with the plate, she gave a small cry.Pug said to him, "Gee. Go get your boss." "Boss? I'm the foreman. I'm your boss." The waiter laughed and walked away.The dirty dishes were still on the table, and there were red and yellow wet spots on the tablecloth."Better go," said Forrest to Henry. "Oh, the sooner the better," said Sally Forrest. "Pay it, Peel, and we'll go when we're done." She picked up her wallet. "Our refreshments haven't come yet!" said Pug Henry. "The waiter should be spanked," said Dr. Kirby with a distorted face. "I'll go," Byron said, getting up. "Don't do that, boy!" said Colonel Forrest, taking him by the back. "He's expecting trouble, and we can't afford trouble." The waiter walked past them and made his way to another table.Henry shouted, "I beg you to call your chief." "Aren't you in a hurry, my lord?" said the waiter mockingly. "Then you'd better go. We are very busy in the restaurant." He turned around decisively, turned his back on Henry, and walked away. "Stop! Come back." Pug didn't shout or growl.He just suppressed the noise in the restaurant with a cold, sharp command tone.The waiter stopped and turned around, "Go and call your boss. Go right away." He stared straight into the waiter's eyes with a serious and serious expression.The waiter's expression changed, and he walked in the other direction.The diners nearby stared at them and whispered. "I think we'd better go," said Sally Forrest. "It's not worth asking for trouble." The waiter came quickly, followed by a tall, bald, long-faced man in a frock coat, who said in a hurried and unfriendly manner, "What's the matter? What's your opinion?" "We're Americans, military attaches," said Pug gravely. "You sang the national anthem, we didn't stand up. We are from a neutral country. This waiter wanted to provoke." He pointed at the table, "He messed up on purpose and made it dirty. He spoke very rudely and bumped into these ladies. He Despicable behavior. Tell him to behave himself, and better get us a clean tablecloth for our refreshments." When Victor Henry said these words suddenly, his face turned red and white for a while.Under Henry's gaze, he hesitated, looked around at the diners, and then immediately became furious at the waiter, waving his arms in the air, his face flushed.He lost his temper a few times, then turned around and bowed deeply to Pug Henry, and said coldly, "I will treat you well. I apologize to you." After speaking, he hurried away. Then a very strange thing happened.The waiter had completely returned to his old manner, which was not bad at all, without the slightest trace of anger, complaint or chagrin.The incident was later forgotten, and nothing like it happened again.He quickly put away the dishes and put on a clean tablecloth.He smiled, bowed, made a few small jokes, and tried not to rattle the cups and plates.If it hadn't been for his flushed face, he would have been exactly the same as the pleasant, genial German waiter who had served them.When they ordered dessert, he nodded grinningly, made wisecracks about calories, enthusiastically recommended various liqueurs and spirits, bowed with a smile, and hurried away to disappear. "I'm not staying here," said Colonel Forrest. "But we haven't had our dessert yet," said Pug. "Great job," Kirby said to Pug Henry, giving Rhoda a special look. "A job well done." "Well, Pug has his way," said Rhoda with a hearty smile. "That's right, Dad," Byron said.Victor Henry took a quick look at him, showing a look of satisfaction with him. Americans scrambled unnaturally for pastries, except for Victor Henry, who ate his flan and was casual over coffee.He opened a cigar, and the waiter hurried over to light it for him. "I see, we can go," he said, puffing on the cigarette. "Time wasted, the colonel and I are deceiving the American government." That evening, after a late supper, they drank coffee on the grass.Rhoda said, "I see you're bringing home a lot of work. I thought we'd be able to see the new Emile Jennings movie. But I could take a girl." "Go ahead. I'm not a fan of Emile Jennings." Rhoda finished his coffee, leaving the father and son to sit in the dark night. "How's the report going, Braney? How's it going?" "Report? Ah, yes, report." Byron sat in the chair, bent forward, legs apart, elbows on lap, hands clasped. "Father, I want to ask you something. How would you like me to join the British Navy or the Royal Air Force?" Victor Henry blinked his heels and pondered for a moment before answering. "You meant to hit the Germans, I suppose?" "I had a great time in Warsaw. I found it useful." "That's a big change for you. But I think being a professional soldier is out of date now." "Not as a profession." Pug sat bent forward in his chair, smoking and looking at his hands.Byron, who used to stretch his legs and lean back in his chair, imitated his father.Their poses look exactly the same. "Brani, I don't think the Allies will make a secret compromise with Hitler, but what if they do? It will definitely be a peaceful offensive. If you join the British army, you may lose your citizenship because of it, which will Give you a series of difficulties, and what will you do when the war is over? Then you will have to deal with empty papers all day. Why not wait and wait and see?" "I think so too," sighed Byron, leaning back in his chair. Pug said, "I don't want to dampen your admirable impulse. No. But for the time being it would be best to take an active role in our navy and..." "No, thank you Bo." "You hear me out. You've been commissioned as an officer. If there was a war, those reservists who are now at sea will get the best positions. You'll be promoted ninety-nine per cent. Wartime You're treated the same as someone who graduates from military school." "In that case I'd have to stay in there for years, but what about after the war?" "You have nothing else to do anyway." "I wrote a letter to Dr. Jastrow in Siena. I'm waiting to hear back." Father said no more about it. Rhoda went to see a movie starring Emile Jennings, but she had other things to do first.She picked up Dr. Bamu Kirby from his hotel in the car and drove him to Tempelhof Airport.In fact, it is completely unnecessary, because Berlin taxis are very convenient.But she offered to give it away, and Kirby accepted.Perhaps she had told her husband that, as a matter of courtesy, it was all right for her to show such concern one last time to the guest, but she did not tell him. In the car, the two barely spoke.She parked the car, went to the cafe lounge by herself, and asked him to check in.If she came across an acquaintance, she would have to explain the incident and make up a story about her husband.But she wasn't worried, just a bittersweet excitement.She doesn't feel guilty at all for what she has done.She has no bad intentions.She likes Bam Kirby.It had been a long, long time since a man had been so attracted to her.He likes her too.In fact, it was a veritable little romance of the war years.The two parties are ridiculously polite to each other; it's a spark of depression that flashes out of nowhere like a magic trick and is gone forever.This is nothing like the mistake she made with Kip Tolliver when she lost her temper after drinking and it didn't become a reality. "Here it is, I think," Kirby said, taking the chair across from her.He has gray hair and deep wrinkles engraved on his face. Every time he always sits in the chair so nervously, she always feels that this action looks very childish.They looked at each other until the drinks were served. "Happiness to you," he said. "Oh, well. I've had happiness. But that's all in the past," she said, sipping a daiquiris. "Your intermodal ticket to Lisbon, did they handle it for you?" ①A drink containing rum, lemon juice, and sugar. "Yes, but the Pan Am express is crowded. I may have to stop in Lisbon for a few days." "I hope to have the opportunity to go once. I heard that Lisbon is becoming the most prosperous city in Europe." "bring it on." "Oh, Bam, don't make fun of me. Why, I should call you Fred, shouldn't I? But I keep thinking you're Bam. Fred, there are too many people called Fred. You don't It wasn't Fred that got my attention." "That's weird," he said, taking a sip of his whiskey and soda. "how?" "Annie calls me Bamu. She never wants to call me by any other name." Rhoda turned the stem of his wine glass. "If only I knew your wife." "You're bound to be good friends." "Bam, what do you think of Pug?" "Well. He's a tough guy." The engineer pursed his lips in chagrin. "My first impression of him was that it seemed a bit out of place to have him here, and frankly he was a rather narrow-minded old sailor. But I didn't know him. He had a sharp mind. He was at the banquet I was taken aback. He said to the waiter So one hand is not easy.He was indeed an odd man who was difficult to comprehend. " Rhoda smiled. "You're so right. After all these years, I don't know him very well myself. But I think Pug is a little too simple, even pedantic, Bamu. He's a patriot. He's not very easy to get along with." people. Too simple-minded." "Is he a patriot or a professional naval officer? Those are two different things." Rhoda tilted his head and laughed. "Then I'm not sure." "The more I know about him, the more I respect him." Kirby frowned as he looked at his big hands holding the cup tightly. "Listen, Rhoda, above all, I'm a decent person. Let me put it this way. You're a wonderful woman. I've been depressed since Anne died, and you've brought me back to life. Get up, I appreciate you. You won't be angry, will you?" "Stop talking nonsense. I'm happy too, and you know I'm happy too." Rhoda took out a handkerchief from his purse. "I'll be sad for a day or two though. Damn." "Why? I thought you would be very satisfied." "Oh, stop it, Bamu. Thanks for buying me a drink. You'd better get on the plane." "Okay, don't be sad." She smiled at him, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm fine, dear. Write me a letter after a while. Just a few words, just so I know you're alive and well. I hope you do." "Of course I will. I'll write to you as soon as I get home." "Really? That would be wonderful." She wiped her eyes with her handkerchief and stood up. "Goodbye." He also stood up and said, "They haven't reported my plane yet." "No? But my task as a driver has been completed, let's break up here now." They walked out of the lounge and said goodbye in the quiet airport.The war shut down the airport and the lights in many departments went dark.Rhoda shook Dr. Kirby's hand tightly, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips.To stand on tiptoe to kiss a man was always, somehow, a very strange thing.She opens her mouth.Anyway, it was a farewell after all. "Goodbye. I wish you a pleasant journey." She left in a hurry, not even looking back at the corner.She had seen a lot of Emile Jennings movies, so it was easy to talk to Pug about her movies.At last Byron began to write the report on his adventures in Poland.Victor Henry saw that the five pages he had written were boring, so he could only suppress his anger and spent an afternoon remembering everything Byron had said to him, dictating each sentence to his clerk.The next day my son read the 17-page result and was very surprised. "Oh, Dad, you have a wonderful memory." "You take it and finish it to your liking. Get the facts right, add your own, and give it back to me on Friday." Victor Henry delivered the revised report to Naval Intelligence, but forgot to send a copy to the President.It was a bleak autumn day, and Berlin was almost peaceful.Byron lived an idle life in the Greenwood, biting the bullet and nibbling book after book from Leslie Sloter's catalogue.He plays tennis with his father three or four times a week.He was a good tennis player, but Pug was hard and tenacious and beat Byron at first.Byron ate well, exercised more, had plenty of sunshine, became stronger, less sallow, and won the ball, for which both Pug and he were happy. One morning, when he came to his father's office in the embassy, ​​he saw on the floor a large, carefully bundled travel bag with a label written in his own hand. It contained the clothes, shoes and shirts he had left in Warsaw. .This small incident is enough to show that the work efficiency of the German side is quite amazing.However, he was very happy to get these clothes, because American clothes are admired in Germany.He has become quite fashionable.Whenever this tall, thin young man came down the hall, no matter what kind of clothes he was wearing, the German girls in the embassy always stared at him.His dark brown hair glowed red, his face was thin, and his large blue eyes widened when he smiled thoughtfully.Byron ignored the girls' self-indulgent glances.Every morning he waited for a letter, but there was no letter from Siena. In early October, when the Führer was about to deliver a speech to the Reichstag with a peace proposal to Britain and France, the Ministry of Propaganda set aside a large seat for foreign diplomats at the Clore Opera House, and Pug brought his son along.Byron lived through the siege of Warsaw, read it later, and in his mind Adolf Hitler was a historical giant like Caligula, Genghis Khan, Ivan the Terrible, etc., waiting for Hitler himself to stand on the podium , he was taken aback.Hitler was a stocky man of medium build, wearing an ordinary gray jacket, black trousers, and carrying a red briefcase.Byron felt like a second-rate actor who played great and terrible people who made history, but played them poorly. ① Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584), the first tsar of Russia. ② Kairigula (12-41), Roman emperor. Hitler spoke this time in a very common, reasonable tone, quite like an elderly statesman.The German leader, in such a state of sobriety, was full of lies, which were ridiculous and ridiculous.Byron kept looking around for any interesting reaction.However, the Germans were all sitting there with serious faces.Even the clerks moved their lips only occasionally, perhaps in mockery. The slim man in the gray jacket said that the mighty Poland had attacked Germany and was trying to wipe it out.The brave German soldiers were not defeated by the sudden attack, and they had given due punishment for this barbaric act of aggression.A war that was strictly controlled to attack only military targets has won a lightning-like complete victory.Polish civilians outside of Warsaw obeyed his personal orders without interference, loss or injury.Still following his orders, the German commander asked the Polish authorities to evacuate their citizens and issue them passports.The Poles insisted on leaving defenseless women and children in the cities with criminal purposes. Byron thought his brazen lies were clearly a deception.With regard to the evacuation of women and children from Warsaw, diplomats from all neutral countries tried their best to negotiate for several weeks.The Germans never even responded.Byron thinks he is full of big lies. He knows that Germany has been following this crazy lie for many years, but at this moment, Hitler’s lies are trivial, mainly because the people in neutral countries have learned the truth, and newspapers all over the world have provided them with information. Hitler's lies lost their meaning.So why on earth did Hitler speak such self-defeating nonsense?He probably spoke specifically to the Germans this time.But if so, why was Hitler so soft-spoken when he spoke of "reaching out a hand of peace" to Britain and France in his speeches, and why were so many seats reserved for diplomats? "Indeed, if forty-six million Britons claim to rule over forty million square kilometers, then," Hitler said in a very gentle, conciliatory tone, raising his hands, palms out. "There is nothing wrong with the 42 million Germans who want to peacefully cultivate the 800,000 square kilometers of land that has historically belonged to them." He was referring to the new order he established in central Europe and the expanded Third Reich.他说，英法如果同意维持现状，就可以谋求和平，他还暗示如果能将德国过去的老殖民地归还德国，那就更好。元首在结束演说时，又故态复萌，咆啸，嘲讽，挥动着双拳，攥着拳头伸出一个指头指着天空。当他描绘大规模战争的恐怖时，他用双手拍着屁股，说他害怕这场战争，并且说任何人都不可能真正赢得战争的胜利。当天夜里，帕格•亨利在他的汇报中写道： 希特勒气色很好。他显然具有一级恢复能力。也许战胜波兰使他的身体强壮了些。总之，他不再显得憔悴，气色好极了，背不驼，声音很清楚，也不沙哑，而且，至少他这次演讲时，声音非常愉快，步履轻快，有弹力。如望此人健康状况恶化，将是可悲的错误。 演说讲到谁改动了波兰战争，以及德国人对和平居民所采取的有效措施等等，没有新鲜货色，而且，身为元首，居然撒下弥天大谎。他这些谎言大概是讲给国内的人听的。他的德国听众看起来很相信他的话，但很难捉摸他们的真实，想法。 今晚电台围绕“伸出和平之手”的倡议大做文章。显然，我们将不断听列“伸手”这个词，可能直到战争结束，尽管这种说法他早在十年前就已经提过了。他这一倡议是可信的。如果盟国一旦接受这项建议，德国将获得半个波兰，作为这场闪击战轻易称胜的代价，同时，毫无疑问，德国还将收回世界大战前原属于它的殖民地，用以奖励其武装力量所具有的完美的骑士精神。希特勒对提出最荒唐的建议向来不觉得丢脸，而且这些建议都被采纳了。那么，再作一次尝试又有何妨呢？ 至少，他如果获得了他所建议的停战与和谈，毫无疑问，英法舆论将会缓和，放松。德国人可以利用这一喘息时机整顿萧条的工业力量，以便最后摊牌。总之，这是一篇很聪明的演说，这位领袖摆出高姿态，而且似乎具有一种魔力。我能找到的唯一缺点是，讲话显得枯燥、杂乱，但即使这一点也可能是有意的。希特勒今天已经不是当年的一个疯狂的纵火犯，而是一位欧洲颇有见地的政治家了。他除了具有其他才能之外，还是一位天才的杂耍演员。 帕格让拜伦也写下他对这次演讲的看法。拜伦给他半页打字纸，上面写道： 我最突出的印象是，希特勒仍旧贯彻他在写时的那些思想。他在这本书里谈到战争宣传的一章中说，群众象“女人”一样，凭感情、意气用事，你要对他们讲话，就比如对一个最愚昧无知的人，这样才能收到广大听众心悦诚服的效果。他的演说通篇都是连十岁的半无知的德国孩子都骗不过的谎言，他的和平建议也是德国总掠夺计划的组成部分。大概希特勒把其他国家也看成跟他自己的国家一样，否则，我实在无法理解他这篇演说。我到今天才理解希特勒多么瞧不起他的人民。他认为他们极端天真而又愚蠢。他们追随他，爱他。我有什么资格指责他不正确呢？ 他父亲觉得这段话写得不坏，就在引号里注明“这是一个年轻美国观察家的评语”。 以后的几天里德国电台及报纸大肆宣传。意大利和日本也把元首吹捧成空前伟大的和平使者。一股强大的和平浪潮席卷了整个西方和美国。但是，“丘吉尔一类的”战争贩子却企图扑灭各国人民对元首伸出和平之手的热烈反响。如果他们一旦得逞，随之而来的将是空前残酷的大屠杀，他们将成为历史的罪人。帕格从中立国驻柏林情报机构获悉，法国有人想从中斡旋，以便终止战争，但也并不是因为他们当真相信希特勒的讲话。关键还是承认事实，或继续打下去。 正当各种传说纷纭的时候，突然传来一个闪电式的惊人消息。一艘德国潜艇居然潜入苏格兰北部斯卡帕海湾英国船只停泊区内，击沉“皇橡号”战列舰，并安全返航！ 新闻影片里出现的是严肃的、脸胖胖的元首和一个神经质的，板着面孔、头发向后梳的年轻人、海军少校普伦握手的镜头。英国海军部的报告中非常遗憾地称赞了普伦的技术和勇敢，这一报告使纳粹宣传部忘乎所以，写这一报告的正是丘吉尔本人。戈培尔的广播电台宣称，“皇橡号”沉没对和 平是一大贡献，因为这么一来，将会更加认真考虑元首的“伸手”倡议。 为中立国家武官与普伦会见安排了一次小型招待会。维克多•亨利把儿子的名字也列入名单，军衔是美国海军少尉，拜伦因此收到一份请柬。父子俩在出席招待会之前，先到格罗克中校的寓所便饭。格罗克住在一幢窗户凸出在墙外的老式房子的四层楼上，一套房间又黑又小，没有电梯。房间里笨重的家具摆得乱七八糟，简直连走路的地方都没有。吃饭时，有咸鱼和土豆，但烧得很好，拜伦觉得很可口。他本来以为格罗克一家都很讨厌，但发现他们很家常。话题转到拜伦在波兰的那段经历时，主妇倾听着，露出一副不愉快的、慈祥的表情。“简直叫人不能相信。谢天谢地，总算过去了。但愿只有和平，真正的和平，我们不要战争。第一次世界大战毁了德国。再来一次战争我们这个国家就会彻底毁灭了。” 罗达说：“战争太可怕了。世界上没有一个人想要战争，可是我们在这里却偏偏碰上这种麻烦。” 格罗克问维克多•亨利：“你看怎么样？盟国会考虑元首非常合理的建议吗？” “你是要我讲漂亮话，还是真想知道些情况？” “不要讲漂亮话，维克多。跟我不要讲漂亮话。” “那好。德国只有摆脱希特勒和他的统治，才能获得和平。 你们甚至还能保持你们既得的一切。但是他那一伙必须下台。 " 格罗克和他妻子在烛光下彼此交换了眼色。“那是没有希望的，”他摆弄着空酒杯说。“如果你的人民不愿了解德国，那只好打出个结果来。你不了解一九二○年我们国家是个什么样子。如果那种制度再延续几年，那就不可能有海军，不可能进行经济建设，什么也不可能有。德国就完蛋了。亏得他站出来，使德国恢复了它在地图上的位置。你们有一位罗斯福，我们有他。维克多，你知道，我在纽约一家游艺俱乐部，听见有人把罗斯福称作发了疯的瘸腿社会主义者。有千千万万人恨他。对吧？我不是个纳粹，我从来不认为希特勒是百分之一千的正确。可是，该死，他偏偏是胜利者。他跟罗斯福一样，把事情都对付得很好。你想让我们把他摆脱掉？首先，这根本不可能。你知道什么是政体。即使可能，我们也决不那么做。但和平还是有可能的。那就要靠一个人，这个人不是我们的希特勒。” "Who is that?" “你们的总统。英法眼看就要垮了。要不然他们会在九月份发动进攻。他们几时才会重新遇上这种机会呢？他们之所以能够坚持的唯一理由，就是他们感到有美国作他们的后盾。只要你们的总统明天对他们说一句话：'我不支持你们反对德国，'那世界大战在没有开始之前就已经结束了，我们将会有百年的繁荣昌盛。我还要告诉你一件事。你们的总统也只能采取这种办法，来保证日本不敢从背后猛扑过来。” 维克多•亨利已经不止一次想到这种情况：他和格罗克在“不莱梅号”上的会晤绝非偶然。“我看，咱们该去出席招待会了吧，”他说。 海军少校普伦正在一一迎候衣冠楚楚的武官们。轮到拜伦时，普伦露出吃惊、好奇的神色。“你很年轻，”他仔细打量着拜伦的脸和他那身剪裁很合身的黑礼服，一面和他握手，一面用德语说。“你是在潜艇上吗？” “不是。也许，我应该是。” 普伦非常迷人地一笑，而且突然特别热情地说：“啊，这对你最合适不过了。只是你还得再结实些。” 穿蓝制服的水兵把椅子排好准备讲话。潜艇艇长讲话非常坦率，这使帕格•亨利大吃一惊。毫无疑问，普伦是在没有月色的黑夜，趁平潮浮出水面潜入港口的。这是料想得到的。但是，普伦根本无权把德国空军在空中拍摄的港口入口情况的照片给大家看，并对港口障碍进行分析。这等于把他们搜集情报的具体办法，向英国人和盘托出。它同时也泄露了德国侦察摄影的技术情报，这当然是一项可怕的消息。它将是下次写汇报的一个重要内容。拜伦跟他父亲一样，仔细倾听着。生动的细节吸引着他。普伦德语讲得很慢，很清楚。拜伦能听懂他讲的每一个字。他仿佛看见黑夜里微弱的北极光映出潜艇的轮廓，湿漉漉的前甲板上反射出红色和绿色的光点；把艇长急得半死。他甚至看到岸上的汽车前灯在黑暗中突然一闪，正好射到舰长室，拜伦也感到眼花缭乱。他看见前面有两艘深灰色的军舰，潜艇减低速度，准备发射四枚鱼雷，拜伦听见斯卡帕湾冰冷、乌黑的海水冲击着船身。当鱼雷仅仅命中一艘军舰时，他甚至跟德国人一样感到失望。 这之后才是故事最惊心动魄的部分。普伦不但没有立刻逃跑，反而在皇家海军停泊区内的海面上，缓缓地兜了一个大圈，以便重新装鱼雷。英国并没有因为遭受鱼雷袭击而发出海下警报，因为他们根本没有料到斯卡帕湾内会出现德国潜艇；而“皇橡号”战列舰把受到鱼雷袭击一事误认为军舰内部发生爆炸。因此，普伦才有可能冒险发射第二炮的四枚鱼雷，并获得成功。 “这次我们命中了三颗，”普伦说。“以后的事你们都清楚了。我们击中了火药库，'皇橡号'几乎立刻就沉没了。” 他并不感到高兴，但也不为九百名英国水兵丧生而感到遗憾。他是在拿自己的生命作冒险。而且他在执行这次夜间任务时死去的可能性比那些英国水兵更大。他很可能落入陷阱、触礁或被水雷炸得粉碎。拜伦也这么想。普伦出海去，完成了任务，回到家里，他在这里非常认真、内行，绘声绘色地讲述他的故事。这里不是华沙，也没有公路上被炸死的马和孩子。 帕格和儿子在灯火管制的一片蓝色灯光下，沿着荒凉的街道缓缓地驱车回家。他们没有谈话。当汽车拐到他们那条街上的时候，拜伦说：“爸爸，你曾经想到过上潜艇吗？” 父亲摇摇头。“他们那些人都是怪人。等你一上潜艇，你就会发现这工作可不简单。这位普伦很象我们自己的海军潜艇员。有时我简直忘记他讲的是德国话。” “如果我应召入伍的话，”拜伦说。“我想，我会选择当潜艇员。” 汽车在房前停下。帕格•亨利一只臂肘倚着方向盘，在仪器板微弱的反光下，望着他儿子，露出一丝苦笑。“你不可能每天击沉一艘战列舰。” 拜伦板起脸来，非常严厉地说：“你认为我是为了这个吗？” “要知道，”帕格说，“作潜艇员对身体要求可特别严格，他们会让你在学校受严格的锻炼。不过，要是你真感兴趣的话……” “不，谢谢，爸爸。”父亲说服他的时候，他笑了，并且耐着性子摇了摇头。 维克多•亨利常常想再谈谈潜艇员这个话题，但怎么也引不起儿子的兴趣了。他花了整整一个星期时间跟拜伦一起参观船坞和工厂。德国驻美国武官曾提出参观要求，出于礼貌，自然也要回请一番。帕格•亨利觉得跟儿子一道放行很愉快，遇到不方便的地方，拜伦可以将就；恼火的时候，他开玩笑；遇到紧急情况，比如飞机票订满了，误了火车，行李找不到了，或是旅馆的预订单丢失了，他都能随机应变。帕格自以为很有办法，拜伦却比他父亲更胜一筹，他能用一种从容的态度化险为夷，把失物找回来，说服工作人员或售票员想办法。在跟工厂主、企业主和船坞主吃饭的时候，拜伦能一坐就是两个小时，面带笑容，一言不发，只有跟他讲话时，他才简单而又得体地回答一两句。 “你好象对这很感兴趣，”他们那天作了一次长途旅行，参观了埃森市的克虏伯工厂，在雨夜非常疲倦地驱车返回旅馆时，帕格对拜伦说。 “这确实很有意思。比大教堂、宫殿和民间的风土人情都有意思的多。”拜伦说。“这才是令人担忧的德国。” Pug nodded. “不错。德国的工业设备正是希特勒指向世界的一支枪。有必要进行研究。” “而且是一支相当有分量的枪，”拜伦说。 “太叫人放心不下了。” “爸爸，跟盟国相比怎么样？跟我们自己相比呢？” 尽管克虏伯工厂派出送他们的轿车里有一块玻璃挡板，把他们与司机隔开，但帕格还是感到司机正聚精会神地侧耳倾听。 “问题就在这里。毫无疑问，我们的工业设备是世界上最大的，但希特勒目前并不把我们放在眼里，因为我国并没有把工业作为武器的愿望。如果没有人阻止，德国可以凭他的工业力量控制世界。他既有手段，也具备这种愿望。亚历山大征服世界时，马其顿并不算大。巴西可能相当于德国的四倍，潜力是德国的十倍，但是真正算数的是目前所具备的能力和愿望。从理论上讲，我始终认为英法两国联合起来，还是能够战胜他们的。从理论上讲普里摩•卡纳拉应该击败乔•路易斯①。希特勒准备干一下，因为他认为能战胜他们。这是较量双方工业能力的根本办法，不过总有些危险性。” ①两人都是拳击家，卡纳拉是一九三二年世界冠军，后为美国路易斯所击败。 “那么，也许现在到处都是战争，原因就在这里，”拜伦说。“是工业生产能力的较量。” “那也不尽然，不过这是主要的。” “我确实受益不浅。” 帕格笑了。拜伦每天晚上都在旅馆里勤奋攻读黑格尔的著作，常常不合书本，睡上一两个小时。 “黑格尔的著作你读得怎么样了？” “刚刚开始懂得一点。我简直不能相信，不过他好象比希特勒还疯狂。在哥伦比亚大学读书时，教员说他是一位大哲学家。” “也许他的著作对你说来，太深奥了。” “也许，不过问题是我觉得我了解他。” 到达旅馆时，脸色阴沉而傲慢的司机给他们打开车门，狠狠地瞪了拜伦一眼。拜伦回忆了一下自己说过的话，决定今后小心，不能随便说希特勒是疯子。他估计司机不可能是大逆不道的黑格尔派。 英法宣布拒绝元首伸出的手，从而激怒了德国电台。几天之后，突然从外地到了一批航空邮件，其中有一封是埃伦•杰斯特罗寄来的。寄给使馆的邮件，按规定是不经检查的，但谁也不相信这一点。信件每隔一两个星期就突然来一大包。红绿相间的一只意大利航空信封上，胡乱地盖着紫红色、黑色和红色的邮戳。杰斯特罗博士还是用旧打字带打字，说不定还是原来那根打字带。拜伦觉得他太心不在焉，而且办事也太笨手笨脚，如果没有人替他换打字带，他会一直用旧的，用到最后打到纸上完全等于空打了。拜伦不得不把信拿到很强的灯光底下，才勉强辨认出来。 亲爱的拜伦： 娜塔丽不在这里。我收到她从伦敦写来的一封信。她将设法回到锡耶纳来，或者至少作短期逗留。从私心出发，我为此感到高兴，因为她不在，我实在感到束手束脚。 现在谈谈你的事。我不愿鼓动你回来。我不阻拦娜塔丽，因为，老实说，我需要她。在她那方面，她也感到她对不中用的叔叔有责任，这是血统的联系，使人有一种非常甜蜜、安适的感觉。你却没有这种义务。 如果你来了，而我又突然决定离去，或被迫离开（这种可能性是随时存在的），想到你费力破财，徒劳往返，我会多么不安！我当然非常希望你来这里，但是我又必须节省开支，不能负担你从柏林到这里的旅费。当然，如果你有机会到意大利（我总觉得这种可能性不大），我很希望和你面叙。 同时，我应该对你的关心表示感谢，尽管你的关心很可能和想了解娜塔丽的行止有微妙的联系，但我还是应该感谢你。而且，为你着想，我还要劝你忘掉锡耶纳、君士坦丁，忘掉杰斯特罗一家吧。 感谢你为我的侄女所作的一切。我从她信中知悉，你救她脱险，甚至救她一命，你给我的短简却那样谦虚，竟只字未提。我多么庆幸你与她同行！ 请向你的双亲致以最热切的问候。我曾经和你父亲在电话中作过简短的交谈。我觉得他是个非常好的人。 你忠实的 埃伦•杰斯特罗 October 5 当天晚上他回到家里，父亲正坐在门厅面对花园的一张躺椅里。他朝父亲看了一眼，就走开了。帕格双手捧着一杯威士忌苏打水，朝前俯着身子，低着头。拜伦回到自己房间埋头啃黑格尔的著作和他那难于理解的“精神世界”，一直啃到晚饭时分。 维克多•亨利皱着眉头，沉默不语，罗达始终忍耐着，一直到上冷食，她才戳着冰淇淋说：“好了，帕格，到底怎么回事？”帕格阴郁地朝她看了一眼。“你没有看那封信吗？”拜伦觉得母亲的反应很特别。她直起腰，目瞪口呆。 “信，什么信？谁写来的？”帕格对拜伦说：“你把我梳妆台上那封信拿来给你母亲。” “我的天，”罗达看见拜伦拿着一个粉红色的信封下楼时，急切地说，“原来是梅德琳写来的。” “你以为是谁写来的？” “我的天，我怎么会知道？看你的神气，我还以为是德国秘密警察或是什么人写来的呢。真是这样，帕格。”她仔细把信看了一遍。“怎么？这里边有什么不是呢？加得相当多呀，二十美元一周。” “你看看最后一页。” “我看了。啊！我明白你指的什么了。” “十九岁的年纪，”帕格说。“就居然在纽约有她自己的住宅了！我当初让她离开学校，真是庸人自扰。” “帕格，你到这里时我就对你说过不行了。她不能再注册了。” “那她也该尽量试一试。” “不过，梅德琳没关系。她是个好孩子。她跟你一样严谨。” “可是现在一打仗，”帕格说。“整个世界都要四分五裂了。一个女孩子干什么能挣五十五美元一周？这相当于一个有十年军龄的少尉的收入。这太荒唐。” 罗达说：“你总是把梅德琳当孩子。我想，她大概是跟你开玩笑，惹你生气了。” “我真希望我能回到她那里去，在她四周好好看看。” 罗达用双手的手指敲着桌子说：“你要我回去跟她在一起吗？” “那需要一大笔花费。要是有政府许可，那又是一回事，可是，”帕格转向拜伦说：“你打算回去，是吧？也许你能在纽约找到一个工作。” “说实在的，我正要跟您谈这件事。我也收到一封信。杰斯特罗寄来的。我准备去锡耶纳。” "yes?" "yes." "Really?" “真的。”沉默。罗达说：“咱们还是再商量一下，好不好，勃拉尼？” “那个女孩子在那里吗？”帕格说。 "Not here." “她回美国了？” “没有。她准备想办法从伦敦去锡耶纳。” “你打算怎么走？” “坐火车。到米兰和佛罗伦萨有定期的火车。” “费用怎么办呢？” “我有足够的路费。我把挣的钱差不多全部攒下来了。” “你准备去做什么呢？在战火纷飞的时候，去对一个意大利的山城进行调查研究吗？” “如果征我服兵役，我就走。” “你真是胆大包天，要是发现你不去，海军部非抓你回来，关你几年禁闭不可。我为你感到荣幸，勃拉尼，随你的便吧。”维克多•亨利咳嗽了一声，卷起餐布，离开饭桌走了。拜伦朝前俯着身子，低着头，脸色苍白，下巴的肌肉直抽动。 罗达知道跟她儿子谈也无用。她到楼上自己的化妆室，从贴身衬衣下边的口袋里掏出一封信，重新看了一遍，然后把它撕得粉碎。