Chapter 29 Chapter Twenty Nine

It took Natalie five days to manage to fly from Lisbon to Rome.She finally got a plane ticket.But a few minutes before the plane took off, the ticket was voided—a loud, chattering and laughing crowd of apparently well-fed German officers passed through the gates one by one, leaving the twenty passengers outside looking at each other.This situation made her not want to fly again.But taking a train through a crumbling France is too risky.She ended up booking space on a Greek freighter bound for Naples, a week of ill-fated voyage.She shared a small, stuffy cabin infested with black cockroaches with a wrinkled Greek woman who smelled of plaster.She seldom left it, though it was very hard to be in the cabin, for she was disturbed by the staring eyes of the ship's officers and rough sailors on deck or in the passage.She can't eat.The pitching and pitching of the boat kept her awake at night.During the journey, she listened to the BBC broadcast on the portable radio: the French government evacuated Paris in dismay, Italy went to war, and Roosevelt's speech: "The hand with the dagger has stuck it in the neighbor's back." Memorized." Natalie was nervous and physically exhausted when she arrived in Italy.She felt strongly that it would be best to take Ellen from Siena at once, without everything but the manuscript—books, clothes, furniture, and so on.

But after being ashore, eating a decent meal or two, drinking some good wine, and sleeping a solid night's sleep in a big, soft hotel bed, she wondered how alarmed she was. up.Whether it is Naples or Rome, there is no sign that Italy has entered the war.Summer flowers—purple, red—bloomed on top of the plastered walls in bright sunlight.On the crowded streets, the Italians look as relaxed and cheerful as ever.On the trains in Italy, the cafes are always full of young soldiers with tanned faces and chatting happily.They are still at ease as usual. After a long journey, hot and dirty in the train, she finally arrived in Siena.As soon as she caught a glimpse from a distance of the ancient city rising among the vine-covered curves of the hills, she felt a suffocated, bored feeling, almost the same as the streets of Miami had given her. "God, I never thought I'd be back here again," she said to herself.The hills outside the city had already revealed the hazy green of midsummer, as if covered with a cloud of dust.Nothing has changed for Siena.A post-lunch silence hangs over the city.Not even a dog moved on the empty red street in the sun.It took her half an hour to find an open taxi.

Ellen, in his wide-brimmed white hat and yellow serge summer coat, was sitting in his usual place in the shade of the big elm, reading a book.Behind him, high above the valley, stood the black and white cathedral, looking down on the red-roofed town. "Natalie! You're here! Great," he said, leaning on a cane, walking stiffly toward her, with one foot in a metal cast. "I've been calling taxis, but none came when it was time for me to take my nap. I did have a nice nap just now.--Go inside, my dear, you must eat something. Just give it to Jusup." The interior was the same, except that the heavy lounge furniture was now covered with green calico covers.In the study, the pile of manuscripts, the pile of notes, and the large row of reference books are still in their original places.His writing board is placed on the table, with pages of yellow manuscript paper sandwiched on it. This is the manuscript he wrote that day, waiting to be revised tomorrow morning.

"What's the matter, Ellen, you haven't started packing yet!" "I'll talk to you later at tea," he said, smiling a little sheepishly. "I thought you'd like to wash it first?" "But, what is the situation, Uncle Ellen? No news from Rome? Has Washington's order come yet?" "Washington's instructions have come. Leslie is very nice." He sank into a chair. "My ankle can't stand for a few minutes. It was almost healed, but I fell again in a daze. I'm such a troublesome person! But anyway, my manuscript has written 967 pages today, And I think it's all right. You go wash it now. You look drunk, Natalie, and your face is covered in ashes."

The young consul in Florence received her amiably, rose from behind a heavy, carved black desk, and led her to a chair where she sat.He was smoking a rough-bent briar pipe, and the room was filled with the smell of rum-soaked tobacco.His hands were small, and he looked odd holding a Sherlock Holmes pipe.His face is black and red, his blue eyes are soft and bright, his mouth is like a child's, the lips are very thin, and the lower lip is retracted, as if he is always wronged, his blond hair is thick and short And straight, he is wearing a gray silk coat, a white collar, and a blue tie, looking chic and neat.The name plate on his desk reads: August van Veeneck II.His voice trembled a little as he spoke, coughing away his hoarse voice.

"You're the niece of the famous writer, aren't you? Nice to meet you. I'm so busy this morning that I couldn't see you. I'm sorry." "It's okay," Natalie said. He waved his little hand casually. "You know, people come home in batches, in a hurry, and leave everything to the consulate. Now there's a lot of business. I'm busy with paperwork. I'm pretty much a broker for a lot of American companies. Or a commercial agent—in vain, of course. This morning, I can't believe it, I was confused by a truckload of pesticides! Can you bear it? Of course, there are still Americans left in Florence. They The longer they stay, the weirder they become." He giggled, running his hands through the back of his head. "I've just been dealing with a nuisance. Two girls from California sharing the same room. What a nuisance! I can't name them, but one of them is from a rich oil family in Pasadena. Instead, she got engaged to a slick, hook-up kid, a Florentine guy who claimed to be an actor, but was really just a very tall grocery store boy. Unexpectedly, this slick liar and Her roommate fucked and got each other pregnant! The three of them argued all night yesterday, and the police came—look at the stuff. You can't get rich doing my job, but you're not lonely." He said. Take a tall carafe and pour water into a thick cut glass.He took a sip of water and said, "I'm sorry. Would you like some Evian water, too?"

"No, thank you." "I've got to drink a lot of mineral water. Something's wrong with my kidneys, and somehow it gets worse in the spring. I do find the weather in Italy very unsatisfactory, don't you? Now—" he said A polite, inquiring look that seemed to say, "What can I do for you?" Natalie informs Jastrow of the new problems that have arisen in his situation.On the day Italy entered the war, an Italian public security officer came to Jastrow and warned him that he was a Polish-born stateless expatriate, so he was not allowed to leave Siena without authorization, and what happened next was to be notified.She told Van Veeneck, as amiably as possible, that there was no doubt that the Italian secret police had learned about Ellen's nationality from examining his letters.

"Oh, my God, that's terrible," gasped the Consul. "That's what it is. You're quite right. I didn't think much of it when I wrote that letter. To be honest, Natalie--forgive me for calling you that--when I heard that you came to see me today, I felt Very surprised. I thought you were already in Italy and took your troublesome uncle home. You know, his business is very troublesome. Now it's terrible! I thought he was issued a visa , all problems will be solved, and the matter of Jastrow will be over from now on." "What do we do now?" Natalie said.

"God knows. There's nothing I can do about it now," said Van Veeneck, running his fingers through his hair from the nape of his neck up. "May I suggest a way?" Natalie said softly and lovingly. "It's very simple, just change his passport. Mr. Van Veenack. This will solve his statelessness problem. They can no longer restrict his freedom of movement." Van Veenack drank some mineral water water. "Gee, Natalie, that's easy to say, not that easy! People don't see the emergency directives we're getting to be careful not to overwhelm the system by issuing passports. People don't see the State Department bulletin about consuls being recalled Well, that's the end of these people's careers! Just because they're lax about these things. The Immigration Act is made by Congress, Natalie, not the Consulate. Our job is simply to enforce the rules."

"Mr. Van Veeneck, the Secretary of State himself means that he wants the Ellen problem to be resolved. You know that." "One thing must be clarified," Van Veeneck held out a straight finger, and his round blue eyes were very clear.He took a drag on his cigarette, waved his pipe at her, and said, "I didn't get instructions from the Secretary of State. I'm glad we were able to do this in person and not on paper, Natalie. It is an issue of equal treatment, and on such issues, it is impossible for the Secretary of State to publicly show favoritism." He blinked, showing a very strange look. "I can tell you privately, but not to the public. I did hear from Rome that the Secretary of State's office wants us to help get your uncle out of the country as soon as possible. To be honest, I have tried to accommodate him as much as possible in order to issue him a visa. Application There are hundreds of people with visas, but he was issued first." Van Veenack knocked the ash into a heavy copper ashtray, and continued in a chatty tone: "Actually, I see you Uncle's problem will be solved later. France has asked for a truce, and the British won't fight for long. They'd be crazy if they kept fighting. The Luftwaffe would blow them up in no time. No, I'm afraid the round was lost to the Germans. Of course, they'll do it again in twenty years, there's no doubt about it. I wished with all my heart that I'd returned home by then."

"But we can't pin our hopes on the end of the war," Natalie retorted bluntly. "However, I think you can count on that. I reckon the war will be over by the first of July, maybe sooner, Natalie. At that time, these rules about leaving the country in time of war will automatically expire, and your uncle can Pack your bags and go home. In fact, it gives him time to put his books in boxes. He seems to be very worried about his books." "I want to take Uncle Ellen back to China tomorrow, and leave the books and everything else behind. Please issue him a passport." "But the dates on your uncle's expired passport apparently contradict each other. It's hard to believe how people slipped past such situations before. But I've seen no less than a hundred of them. People used to really How careless! Now that this sort of thing has been found out and on file, I am so saddened that legally he is no more qualified than Hitler to claim his American citizenship, but I have to tell the law You, this is my responsibility." The man's speech annoyed Natalie.His use of Hitler's name disgusted her greatly. "I thought it was your duty to assist us, but in fact you did not." His eyes widened, he blinked, and took another drink of mineral water.Slowly he stuffed the tobacco into the pipe, and keeping his eyes on it, said: "I have an idea. We talk about it in private, but I believe it will work." "Speak quickly." He straightened his hair with his hands. "You go your way." Her eyes fixed on him. "Yes, you go, that's what I mean! He has a visa, and you have a passport. Get on a bus or a train, or hire a car, and go straight to Naples. As for not being allowed to leave Tin Jena's ban, ignore it. The Italians are very careless! As soon as there is a boat, leave. No one will stop you, no one is watching your uncle." "But don't they still have to check the exit permit?" "It's just an insignificant procedure. Just say, lose it! Then pretend to grope around, take out a few thousand lire, and put it on the table." He blinked humorously. "You know, that's what this country does." Natalie felt out of control.It turned out that this man wanted them to bribe officials and risk arrest and prison in a fascist country.Her voice became sharper. "I think I'd better go to Rome and tell the Consul General that you're not doing what the Secretary of State wants you to do." The consul straightened himself up, smoothed his hair back with both hands, then put his hands on the table, and said slowly and primly: "Of course it is your right. I am willing to bear the consequences of the situation you describe, not Willing to pay the consequences of breaking the law. Unfortunately, I'm very busy right now, and there are a few people waiting, so—” Natalie now understood how her uncle had contradicted this man.She quickly changed her attitude and said with a conciliatory smile, "I'm sorry. I've been running for two weeks and my father just died. I'm not in a good mood. My uncle broke his foot and can't walk. I'm sorry for him It's very worrying." The consul immediately changed his attitude accordingly. "I fully understand, Natalie. Well, I'll go through his file again. Maybe I can find something. Please believe me. I would very much like to see him leave the country, too." "Are you going to find a way to issue him a passport?" "Or to enable him to leave the country, that's all you want, isn't it?" "correct." "I'm going to give it some serious thought. That's my promise to you. Come back in a week."