H. Adler - The Wall

The biologist then excused himself, and in saying goodbye asked that I dedicate myself to doing a study of people and how they suffered from vermin. I nodded as if I thought it a good idea. I already had all I wanted from Singule; now I could confidently ignore his time-worn suggestions. A guest who next popped up and wanted a gun revealed himself, on closer inspection, to be the good Herr Geschlieder from the museum. What a surprise it was to find someone from back there standing here. He was very happy to see me and shared with me that a large delegation from back there had gathered at Shepherd’s Field. Instead of shooting, he held the rifle loosely and somewhat dangerously in front of him, such that he almost would have hit Frau Singule on the shoulder with the barrel except that the lady, as she saw that Geschlieder was talking to me, didn’t admonish him, which no one would have minded, but instead kindly said that I should also try my hand at shooting, she’d be happy to provide me with six free bullets. I thanked her but said I was no kind of shooter and offered the bullets to Kratzenstein, who also had no idea how to shoot. Then I invited Peter to have a try, but Frau Singule didn’t feel that was right, the free offer having been good only for me personally, and while she could go along with overstepping my bounds by passing it on to the Professor, it wasn’t right to offer my bullets to a stranger, no matter how respectable he might be.

Then Kratzenstein got involved in matters, saying the man was no stranger but, rather, the future business manager and head of advertising of the International Society of Sociologists. Well, that’s entirely different, the lady firmly assured him; with pleasure the man could use my six bullets. Peter happily stepped up and eagerly commenced shooting, while I carefully tucked away Singule’s check and letter in my coat pocket and left the registration stand with a polite goodbye. Calling after me, Klara Singule asked that I give her the pleasure of coming to tea with my wife sometime soon, and would I be so kind as to send Johanna over to the shooting booth for a little chat with her. Peter kept on shooting, and I was glad to be free of him. I would have liked to get rid of Professor Kratzenstein as well, but he watched me like a hawk in order to stick close to me. So I had to spend more time in his company. After a while we approached the mouse circus, where I was happy to come across Eva, who was with Anna. I exchanged a couple of words with Anna about Peter, whom she had already seen. My daughter then energetically interrupted us to say that she remembered seeing a little white bunny in the mouse circus. We didn’t let the child ask for too long before deciding that we would visit the mouse circus together. Anna and I vied to be the first to pay the entrance fee, then the Professor again insisted on providing the money for us all, but this time the attendant wasn’t named Mrs. Mackintosh but rather Inge Bergmann, who didn’t want any of our money.

“It’s very nice, Landau, that you want to have a look at my mice. Such sweet little creatures, I tell you, and so clever!”

“I love the little mouse-bunny. I love her so much, Papa!”

“Is this your little one, Landau? How sweet! No wonder, coming from you.”

“Yes, this is my Eva, Fräulein Bergmann. But tell me, how did you end up at the mouse circus?”

“So you really want to know, huh? But I’m not telling. Oh, don’t give me that look! Because it’s you, I’ll tell you anyway. Mice are much better than people. And I also want to write animal stories for little sprites like Eva. Therefore I need to brush up and study a bit of animal sociology.”

Inge Bergmann handed us tickets on which “Gratis” was printed. We moved toward the entrance, which was guarded by a friendly smiling trainman. I knew the face, but I didn’t really know where I remembered it from. The man indeed assisted us, recalling me from the gate where I paused with my ticket before him. He was pleased that I was no longer afraid of him, which he allowed me to say, and that I had reached my destination safe and sound. This time there were no ticket puncher or punching of the ticket, for I walked freely through this barrier and into the circus, where Eva’s cheering was even stronger than the last time we had visited, there being no way to draw her away from the stinking glass houses. I didn’t wish to spend any more time here, but Eva begged and pleaded, so we separated from Anna, who sweetly stayed on with the children in front of the mice. Outside, the trainman saluted, at which Inge spied us, and though I would have been pleased to hurry off, she called out to us, asking if I could, if I would please wait before just disappearing.

“Well, you’re a great friend to animals, aren’t you, Landau? Are you going to just take to your heels after seeing the little mice? A scandal, a scandal that you aren’t at all ashamed to do so!”

“I have a lot to do, Fräulein Bergmann. You’ll have to indeed forgive me. My little one is still inside marveling at the little mice.”

“Such a sweet child, such a sprite, and with a lot more heart in her than her father. An angel, that dear little Eva! But give me your word that you’ll return! Otherwise I’ll be angry with you.”

“If it’s at all possible, it will be my pleasure. I promise you.”

“At all possible … Don’t be so stuffy. You’re horrible, Landau, horrible. You deserved what you got!”

“Don’t insult my friend,” interrupted Kratzenstein. “He doesn’t deserve it.”

“Doesn’t deserve it!” Inge said mockingly, but then got hold of herself. “I hope you’ll recommend us to others. Please honor me with a visit sometime again!”

Then Fräulein Bergmann had to turn to new customers. We walked on and came to the tower for the slide, one of Michael’s favorite spots. Yet I saw neither him nor any other children, but instead only people of an older age, most of whom were idly standing around rather than holding a mat under their arms while climbing the steps on the inside of the tower, after which, in a tight snaking motion against the outer wall of the small chamber, they would pleasantly slide, the mat underneath them as they lay on their backs. The men who were in charge of what today appeared a lame undertaking looked very familiar to me, even if I didn’t know their names. The director of the enterprise was the nice official from the border police who had once interrogated Johanna and me. His assistants, who for the most part shifted from one foot to the other and chatted with one another, were policemen, border officials, and probably other employees of the railroad as well.

“What do these people have to do with sociology?”

“My dear Landau, not so loud!” the Professor admonished. “The gentlemen have many merits, but they are very sensitive and mustn’t hear you. That is the Institute for Esoteric Science, one of the most important academic institutions that is here today for the Sociology Conference.”

Esoteric science. I had to smile, for I didn’t have much interest in that. It made me feel queasy, but I didn’t want to let the Professor see that. Kratzenstein, however, was full of praise for the scholars and their subtle field of study.

“We couldn’t do without them. They work in the applied sciences, which is what underlies any study in general. Where would we be without these brave men! Everything is weighed and considered. All of it neatly plotted out, marked, and sorted, while connecting doors are placed in the erected walls. Security and stability. Just climb up, Landau, and just try sliding down!”

I didn’t want to hear anything about that, for the idea of sliding made me feel dizzy, which I even admitted to Kratzenstein.

“Don’t you want to climb up and try sliding down, Herr Professor? I’ll wait until you’re down again.”