decision of his life—he could think up a way to tell Lanny what he wished him to know, and
without the slightest chance of his enemies' guessing what he had said!
For fifteen years Lanny and his old friend had been watching the experiment in the Soviet
Union and arguing about it. Johannes, taking the negative, had delighted himself by collecting
ironical stories, to be repeated to the credulous Lanny, and over Lanny's shoulder to
Johannes's two misguided sons. One such story had to do with two German business men, one
of whom was going to make a trip into the proletarian paradise, and promised his friend to
write a full account of what he found there. "But," objected the friend, "you won't dare to write
the truth if it's unfavorable." The other replied: "We'll fix it this way. I'll write you everything is
fine, and if I write it in black ink it's true, and if in red ink the opposite is true." So he went,
and in- due course his friend received a letter in black ink, detailing the wonders of the
proletarian paradise. "Everybody is happy, everybody is free, the markets are full of food, the
shops well stocked with goods—in fact there is only one thing I cannot find, and that is red ink."
While Lanny and the Oberleutnant were driving to the hotel, the latter inquired: "What does
he want red ink for?"
Lanny, who wasn't slow-minded himself, explained: "He keeps a diary, and writes it in red
ink to keep it separate from his other papers."
The officer replied: "One cannot keep a diary in prison. They will surely take it away from
him."
X
It was the Oberleutnant's duty to report to his superior, and mean while Lanny had to wait.
He was deposited at his hotel a few minutes before two o'clock, and called his wife and told
her: "I have seen our friend and he is all right. I think matters can be arranged. Take your
time. "To his mother, his father, and Rick he sent telegrams. "Have seen our friend. Believe
matters arranged." He decided against using code names; if the Gestapo was interested, let
them know what he was saying, and to whom. He called Heinrich and reported: "I think that
matters are being arranged, and I am grateful for the help of yourself and your friends. I have
been asked to keep the matter confidential, so I cannot say any more." That was satisfactory to a
perfect young bureaucrat.
The afternoon papers contained the story of the arrest of Johannes Robin, made public by the
Prussian government. Eighty million Germans, minus the infants and a few malcontents,
would learn that a Jewish
country on his yacht. Eighty million Germans, minus the infants and malcontents, would
continue every day to believe statements issued on official authority, which statements would be
carefully contrived fiction. It was a new kind of world to be living in, and for the present Lanny
had but one desire, to get out of it.
Irma came home in the middle of the afternoon and he took her for a drive. He didn't feel in
any way bound by promises made to a bandit, so he told her the story, adding: "If you drop a
hint of it to anybody here it may cost Johannes and his family their lives." Irma listened in
wide-eyed horror. It was likе the things you read about the Borgias. He answered that there
was nothing in history to compare it to, because never before had barbarians commanded the
resources of modern science.
"Do you suppose Goring is taking that money for himself?" she asked.
"It's all the same thing," he told her. "Goring is Germany, and Germany will be Goring,
whether it wishes to or not. The Nazis will spend everything the Germans have."
"But the money abroad! What will he do about that?"
"They have a network of agents in other countries, and doubtless they will have more. Also, if
things should go wrong, and Goring has to take a plane some day, it will be nice to have a nest-
egg, and be able to spend a comfortable old age in Paris or Buenos Aires."
"What perfect agony it must be to Johannes to turn all that money loose! My father would
have died first!"
"Your father wouldn't have got into this position. Johannes was too trusting. He thought he
could handle matters by diplomacy; but these fellows have knocked over the conference table.
They have the advantage that nobody can realize how bad they are. If you and I were to go to
Paris or London tomorrow and tell this story, the Nazis would call us liars and nine people out
of ten would believe them."
XI
They went back to the hotel, expecting Freddi to call. But he didn't, and in the evening
Colonel Emil Meissner came to dinner. He had read about the Robin case, and it did not occur
to him to doubt his government's word. He said there had been a great deal of graft and
favoritism under the Republic, but now, apparently, the laws were going to be enforced against
rich as well as poor. This tall, severe-looking Prussian officer expressed polite regret that such
misfortune should have fallen upon a relative of Lanny's. The host contented himself with
