Dragon's Teeth I by Sinclair Upton

Author:Sinclair, Upton [Sinclair, Upton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical, Classics, War
ISBN: 9781931313032
Amazon: 1931313032
Goodreads: 54844
Publisher: Simon Publications
Published: 1942-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

III

Freddi said: “I had only a little money when I was going on board the yacht, and I had to pay my fare back here.”

Lanny took out his billfold and wanted to give him a large sum, but he said no, it might be stolen, or, if he was arrested, the Nazis would get it; better a little bit at a time. He started to say that Papa would make it all good, but Lanny told him not to be silly; whatever he needed was his.

“Where are you going to stay?” asked Irma, and he said he would join the crowd in die Palme, a refuge for the shelterless; it would be pretty bad, but it wouldn’t hurt him, and no one would pay any attention to him there, no one would call him a Jew-pig. He hoped the wait wouldn’t be too long.

Lanny had to tell him it might be quite a while. His activities would be in the higher circles, and things did not move rapidly there; you had to apply the social arts. Freddi said: “I hope poor Papa can stand it.”

“He will be sure that we are doing our best,” replied Lanny; “so at least he will have hope.”

The American didn’t go into detail concerning his plans, because he feared that Freddi might be tempted to impart some of it to his wife or his mother; then, too, there was the fearful possibility that the Nazis might drag something out of him by torture—and he surely wouldn’t tell what he didn’t know. Lanny said: “You can always write or call me at the hotel and make an appointment to show me some art.”

They contrived a private code. Pictures by Bouguereau would mean that everything was all right, whereas Goya would mean danger. Lanny said: “Think of something to say about a painting that will convey whatever you have in mind.” He didn’t ask the addresses of the other members of the family, knowing that in case of need they, too, could write him or phone him about paintings. Freddi advised that they should meet as seldom as possible, because an expensive automobile driven by foreigners was a conspicuous object, and persons who got into it or out of it might be watched.

They stopped for a while on a quiet residence street and talked. Freddi’s mind was absorbed by the subject of concentration camps; he had heard so many horrible stories, some of which he couldn’t repeat in Irma’s presence. He said: “Oh, suppose they are doing such things to Papa!” Later he said: “Have you thought what you would do if you had to stand such things?”

Lanny had to answer no, he hadn’t thought much about it. “I suppose one stands what one has to.”

Freddi persisted: “I can’t help thinking about it all the time. No Jew can help it now. They mean it to break your spirit; to wreck you for the rest of your life. And you have to set your spirit against theirs. You have to refuse to be broken.

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