H. Adler - The Wall

“It looks like you had some luck there.”

I deliberately ignored this nastiness and asked to be let into the law pavilion, which the Professor had already reminded me of somewhat impatiently. After Mrs. Mackintosh, the stingy Dr. Blecha was the first from the conference to refuse me free entry. I wanted to pay, but, as was the fixed custom, Kratzenstein insisted that I let him take care of it. This Dr. Blecha refused him with pointed politeness; it was only right that each should pay his own way, that being what was right in and of itself, not just for one person or another, and so it was that one should pay. Thus the Professor could let his pittance cover himself alone. I rifled through my pockets to look for change, but then I realized that when I changed at home I had left my wallet and all my loose change in the other suit. I had nothing on me but the precious check from Herr Singule and his award letter. The lawyer, meanwhile, broke into a coughing fit. I was startled, but there was no need to be, for the coughs were only covering up uncontrollable laughter over my naïveté—yes, “naïveté” was the word the lawyer used. Good faith is naïveté, he insisted absolutely. Here only cash is accepted, whereas a check, even for such a high amount, is useless to him, for the old jurist wasn’t willing to just accept a scrap of paper on faith. The Professor then just wanted to give me some money, but the lawyer wouldn’t allow this. Then Kratzenstein said very carefully that he only wished to lend me the amount needed, but Dr. Blecha stubbornly shook his head, saying that lending money was not allowed at the conference. At Kratzenstein’s insistence, he finally acknowledged that as an honorary member of the society I should not miss the benefit of seeing the law pavilion, which was why Dr. Blecha then decided to make an exception and accept my coconut instead of the usual fee. I sighed deeply, for I wanted to give the coconut to my son, who had long wished for one. Then the lawyer had the shamelessness to say, Good then, not the coconut, it was up to me if I wanted to spoil the rascal, but he would take my pocket watch, if I preferred.

“Then I won’t know the time!” I complained.

“Time is wasting away!” Blecha said emphatically.

“None of us has time,” the Professor assured. “But that’s not the issue. Just give the man the coconut! It will shut him up. As for your son, we’ll ask Guido Lever for another one. He feels that he is in your debt and will be happy to give you one.”

This talk didn’t please me, and I was angry at Kratzenstein, but I gave up the coconut, which Dr. Blecha immediately began to play with. He plucked greedily at the matted tufts. But we were allowed through the cheap heavy curtain to which the greasy dirt clung. Inside, we were set upon by Hannah Haarburger.

“Jolan! Jolan!” she yelled. “The gentlemen are finally here!”

As fast as his paunch would let him, Dr. Haarburger came running up and bowed deeply.

“Here, Dr. Landau, you can marvel at the past. We have gathered all the horrors together. Nothing more can happen to you. All that is over. Pure beneficence has won a clear victory over all the dreck of the earth. The score is one to nothing. If we keep at it and don’t take our hand off the wheel, we can get rid of the world’s sorrow forever. We in this pavilion, however, are witness to harrowing examples of it.”

Dr. Haarburger pushed a button and a bright light lit up a display booth. I saw a crane with a noose attached to it that moved back and forth above a pack of wretched little dolls in its attempt to snatch one by the throat and lift it high.

“Isn’t that something, Dr. Landau? If you turn this lever here, then theoretically you should be able to grab hold of a doll and strangle it. Then it must be taken out of the game, because it’s been killed. If you succeed at that, you then get the doll and a certificate. But I have to tell you, you won’t be able to do it, for no one is able. It’s humanity that prevents you. Just try and test your own humaneness! There’s the lever, just make sure and move it slowly!”

Against my wishes the lever was already in my hand as I pushed it tentatively right and left, at which the crane roamed about, the noose rising and sinking and swirling about the dolls strewn across the bottom of the booth in a frightening array. From a loudspeaker a high-pitched voice sounded: “Adam, where are you?” Another voice answered in an even more piteous squeal: “I’m not Adam. The one next to me is Adam.”

When I heard that, I felt a strong motion in my hand, the lever out of control in my hands, and so I let it go. Dr. Haarburger let go of the button, the display booth went dark, and the phantom disappeared.

“Isn’t that marvelous, Dr. Landau?”

I had to agree and say that I had been beaten.

“You see, humanity won. Didn’t I say it would?”

Dr. Haarburger offered to press other buttons, which would supposedly lead to other astounding things, but I waved him off. He understood why.

“What can be seen here is only what you know better than any other. But now you can see for yourself!”

“You should come see us soon!” Frau Hannah offered. “You and Johanna, with your son.”

“I also have a little daughter, Eva.”

“That’s nice. Then bring both children. You can also visit if you need money. My husband has a lot now.”

“Dr. Landau doesn’t need any money,” said Kratzenstein. “Everything has been taken care of for him.”

“I’m so glad to hear it. Does that mean the Saubermanns? That’s just what I thought. Frau Saubermann has a heart of gold.”

“What are you thinking? Me and Singule! We don’t need the Saubermanns, Frau Hannah. Right now everyone wants to help give Dr. Landau the resources he needs.”

Dr. Haarburger stressed how pleased he was by my good fortune, though he asked me not to forget whom I had turned to when I really needed money. He would have been happy to jump into the breach. I thanked him for all his kindness and suggested that I really should be on my way in order not to disturb their work in the law pavilion any further. The Haarburgers offered to show me some more horrors, but I really wasn’t curious to see them.

“Jolan, then tell our friend quickly what you did for him!”

“Humility forbids it, but truth is what we try to serve, and it’s only just that we do. I picked you up at the train station because I knew who I was dealing with. Along with Hannah, I was the first there for you. I took you in like a son, recommending you and taking you around. The fact that you know the Professor is because of me. I don’t mean to say that without me nothing would have come of you, but it certainly would have taken until much, much later. I say this in all humility. Isn’t that true, Professor?”

“It’s true,” said Kratzenstein, looking as if he had just bitten into a sour apple. “All of us made him. Now he is who he is.”

“Yes, he is, he is. But it all started with me.”

This Dr. Haarburger said with grandeur, Frau Hannah nodding vigorously a number of times. We said goodbye to the lawyerly couple, who accompanied us as far as the greasy curtain. Outside, I threw a long side glance toward Dr. Blecha, who in the meantime had forgotten about me and continued playing with his coconut. He had already pulled off all its tufts, the fibers lying about the ticket counter in front of him, some of them clinging to his coat. We nonetheless moved on, walking only a few steps before we reached a booth where a parrot picked printed pieces of paper from a holder and gave one to any conference participant who wanted it. The parrot also wanted to give me one. However, I declined when the Professor informed me that it was only an advertisement for the International Society of Sociologists. Nonetheless, we entered, for I recognized Herr Buxinger, who was in charge of this exhibit. He was happy to shake my hand and welcome me. He being as tolerant as he is, it didn’t bother him that I waved away the parrot’s offer, which he warmly offered up to me, saying that I was no fan of propaganda and ads.