had a right to know everything about Lanny's German adventure, and they went off on the
river where nobody could hear them if they talked in low tones, and Lanny told the story from
beginning to end. It would be better that not even Nina should hear it, because there is a
strong temptation for one woman to talk to the next, and so things get passed on and
presently come to the ears of some journalist. After all, Johannes was a pretty important man,
and his plundering would make a rare tale if properly dressed up.
Rick was quite shocked when he learned how Lanny had permitted the Berlin newspapers to
publish that he was a sympathetic inquirer into National Socialism. He said that a thing like
that would spread and might blacken Lanny forever; there would be no way to live it down, or
to get himself trusted again. Lanny said he didn't mind, if he could save Freddi; but Rick
insisted that a man had no right to make such a sacrifice. It wasn't just a question of saving
one individual, but of a cause which was entitled to defense. Socialism had to be fought for
against the monstrosity which had stolen its name and was trying to usurp its place in history.
Lanny had thought of that, but not enough, apparently; he felt rather bad about it.
"Listen, Rick," he said; "there have to be spies in every war, don't there?"
"I suppose so."
"What if I were to go into Germany and become a friend of those higher-ups, and get all the
dope and send it out to you?"
"They would soon get onto it, Lanny."
"Mightn't it be possible to be as clever as they?"
"A darned disagreeable job, I should think."
"I know; but Kurt did it in Paris, and got away with it."
"You're a very different man from Kurt. For one thing, you'd have to fool him; and do you
think you could?"
"Beauty insists that I couldn't; but I believe that if I took enough time, and put my mind to
it, I could at least keep him uncertain. I'd have to let him argue with me and convince me. You
know I have a rare good excuse for going; I'm an art expert, and Germany has a lot to sell.
That makes it easy for me to meet all sorts of people. I could collect evidence as to Nazi
outrages, and you could make it into a book."
"That's already been done, you'll be glad to hear." Rick revealed that a group of liberal
Englishmen had been busy assembling the data, and a work called
hundred murders of prominent intellectuals and political opponents of the Nazi
Lanny said: "There'll be other things worth reporting. If I go back to Germany on account of
Freddi, I'll get what facts I can and it'll be up to you to figure out what use to make of them."
IX
Lanny didn't mention the name of his German agent, Hugo Behr, but he was free to tell about
the left-wing movement developing in side the Nazi party. He thought it was of great
importance. It was the class struggle in a new and strange form; the war between the haves
and the have-nots, which apparently couldn't be kept out of any part of modern society. A leader
might sell out a popular movement, but could he carry his followers along? Many people in
Germany thought that Hitler could take his party wherever he chose, but Lanny saw it
differently—he said that Hitler was extraordinarily sensitive to the pressure of his followers, and
agile in keeping the lead wherever they were determined to go. "He got money from the biggest
industrialists, and Johannes insists that he's their man; but I believe he may fool them and jump
some way they have no idea of."
"Isn't there a third power," ventured Rick—"the army? Can anybody in Germany do anything
without the consent of the Reichswehr?"
Lanny told of his talk with Emil and with Stubendorf, both of whom had agreed that they
would obey the government loyally. Rick said: "Emil, yes; he's a subordinate. But would
Stubendorf tell you his real thoughts? My guess is that he and his Junker crowd will serve Hitler
so long as Hitler serves them; that is, to bring about rearmament, and get the Corridor and the
lost provinces back into the Fatherland."
"Naturally," admitted Lanny, "Stubendorf thinks first about his own property. What he'd do
after that I don't know."
"All Germans put their army first," insisted Rick. "The Social-Democrats brought about the
revolution with the help of the common soldiers, but right away they became prisoners of the
officer caste and never made any real change in the army's control. The Finance Minister of
the Republic always had to be a man satisfactory to the Reichswehr, and no matter how much
the politicians talked about social reforms they never made any cuts in the military budget."
Rick listened to all that his friend had to tell, and asked many questions, but refused to
believe that Hitler could be pushed or dragged to the left. "No revolutionist who has become
conservative ever goes back," he said, and added with a wry smile: "He learns to know the left
