Upton Sinclair - Dragons’s teeth

She started violently, then glanced at him; one glance, and she turned her face to the front and walked steadily on. "I am sorry, mein Herr. You are making a mistake."

"But Trudi!" he exclaimed. "I am Lanny Budd." "My name is not Trudi and I do not know you, sir." If Lanny had had any doubt as to her face, he would have been sure of her voice. It had rather deep tones, and gave an impression of intense feelings which the calm features seemed trying to repress. Of course it was Trudi Schultz. But she didn’t want to know him, or be known.

It was the first time Lanny had met a Socialist since he set out to save the Robin family. He had kept away from them on purpose; Rick had warned him what he might be doing to his own reputation, and now here he saw it! He walked by this devoted comrade’s side, and spoke quickly—for she might come to her destination and slam a door in his face, or turn away and forbid him to follow her. "Trudi, please hear what I have to say. I came to Germany to try to save the Robins. First I got Johannes out of jail, and I took him and his wife with Rahel and the baby, out to France. Now I have come back to try to find Freddi and get him free."

"You are mistaken, sir," repeated the young woman. "I am not the person you think."

"You must understand that I have had to deal with people in authority here, and I couldn’t do it unless I took an attitude acceptable to them. I have no right to speak of that, but I know I can trust you, and you ought to trust me, because I may need your help—I am a long way from succeeding with poor Freddi. I have tried my best to find some of his old friends, but I can’t get a contact anywhere. Surely you must realize that I wouldn’t be dropping my own affairs and coming here unless I was loyal to him and to his cause. I have to trust somebody, and I put you on your honor not to mention what I am telling you. I have just learned that Freddi is in Dachau—"

She stopped in her tracks and gasped: "In Dachau!"

"He has been there for several months."

"How do you know it?"

"I am not free to say. But I am fairly certain."

She started to walk again, but he thought she was unsteady on her feet. "It means so much to me," she said, "because Ludi and Freddi were arrested together."

"I didn’t know that Ludi had been arrested. What has happened to him?"

"I have heard nothing from him or concerning him since the Nazis came and dragged them both away from our home."

"What was Freddi doing there?"

"He came because he had been taken ill, and had to have some place to lie down. I knew it was dangerous for him, but I couldn’t send him away."

"The Nazis were looking for Ludi?"

"We had gone into hiding and were doing illegal work. I happened to be away from home at the time and a neighbor warned me. The Nazis tore everything in the place to pieces, as if they were maniacs. Why do you suppose they took Freddi to Dachau?"

"It’s a long story. Freddi is a special case, on account of being a Jew, and a rich man’s son."

It seemed to Lanny that the young woman was weak, perhaps from this shock, perhaps from worry and fear, and not getting enough to eat. He couldn’t suggest that they sit on some step, because it would make them conspicuous. He said: "Let me carry that bundle."

"No, no," she replied. "It’s all right."

But he knew that it wasn’t, and in the land of his forefathers men did not let women carry the loads. He said: "I insist," and thought that he was being polite when he took it out of her arms.

Then right away he saw why she hadn’t wanted him to have it. It was wrapped like a bundle of clothing, and was soft like such a bundle, but its weight was beyond that of any clothing ever made. He tried to guess: did the bundle contain arms of some sort, or was it what the comrades called "literature"? The latter was more in accord with Trudi’s nature, but Irma had pointed out that one couldn’t count upon that. A small quantity of weapons might weigh the same as a larger quantity of printed matter. Both would be equally dangerous in these times; and here was Lanny with an armful of either or both!

They must keep on walking and keep on talking. He asked: "How far do you have to go?"

"Many blocks."

"I have a car, and I could get it and drive you."

"A car must not stop there, nor can I let you go to the place."

"But we ought to have a talk. Will you let Irma and me meet you somewhere and take you for a drive? That way we can talk safely."

She walked for a space without speaking. Then she said: "Your wife is not sympathetic to our ideas, Genosse Budd."

"She does not agree with us altogether," he admitted; "but she is loyal to me and to the Robins."

"Nobody will be loyal in a time like this except those who believe in the class struggle." They walked again in silence; then the young artist continued: "It is hard for me to say, but it is not only my life that is at stake, but that of others to whom I am pledged. I would be bound to tell them the situation, and I know they would not consent for me to meet your wife, or to let her know about our affairs.'' He was a bit shocked to discover what the comrades had been thinking about his marriage; but he couldn’t deny Trudi’s right to decide this matter. "All right," he said. "I won’t mention you, and don’t you mention me. There might be a spy among your group, I suppose."

"It’s not very likely, because our enemies don’t wait long when they get information. They are efficient, and take no chances. It is dangerous for you to be walking with me.'"

"I doubt if it could make serious trouble for an American; but it might cost me my chance to save Freddi if it became known that I was in touch with Socialists."

"It is certainly unwise for us to meet."

"It depends upon what may happen. How can we find each other in case of need?"

"It would not do for you to come where I am. If I need to see you, I’ll send you an unsigned note. I read in the papers that you were staying at the Adlon."

"Yes, but I’m leaving tomorrow or the next day for Munich, where I’ll be at the Vier Jahreszeiten. Letters will be forwarded, however."

"Tell me, Genosse Lanny," she exclaimed, in a tense voice; "do you suppose there could be any chance for you to find if Ludi is in Dachau?"

"I can’t think of any way now; but something might turn up. I must have some way to get word to you."

"Notice this corner ahead of us; remember it, and if you have any news for me, walk by here on Sunday, exactly at noon. I’ll be watching for you, and I’ll follow you to your car. But don’t come unless you have something urgent."

"You mean that you will come to this corner every Sunday?"

"So long as there’s any chance of your coming. When you leave Germany, I can write you to Juan-les-Pins."

"All right," he said; and then, as a sudden thought came to him: "Do you need money?"

"I’m getting along all right."

But he knew that propagandists can always use money. He didn’t take out his billfold, that being a conspicuous action; he reached under his coat, and worked several bills into a roll, and slipped them into the pocket of that well-worn brown coat. He was becoming expert in the art of distributing illicit funds. What he gave her would be a fortune for Social-Democrats, underground or above. He would leave it for her to explain how she had got it.

When he returned to the hotel, Irma said: "Well! You must have found some paintings that interested you!"

He answered: "A couple of Menzels that I think are worth Zoltan’s looking at. But the works by the Maris brothers were rather a disappointment."

The period of the Detaze show in Berlin corresponded with an election campaign throughout the German Reich; assuredly the strangest election campaign since that contrivance had been born of the human brain. Hitler had wiped out all other political parties, and all the legislative bodies of the twenty-two German states; by his methods of murder and imprisonment he had destroyed democracy and representative government, religious toleration and all civil rights; but being still the victim of a "legality complex," he insisted upon having the German people endorse what he had done. A vote to say that votes had no meaning! A Reichstag to declare that a Reichstag was without power! A completely democratic repudiation of democracy! Lanny thought: "Has there ever been such a madman since the world began? Has it ever before happened that a whole nation has gone mad?"