The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon

Author:Joseph Kanon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scribner
Published: 2022-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

Klaus Fuchs was waiting on the platform, reading Neues Deutschland. Martin’s first impulse was to duck, but Klaus had looked up and seen him, so there was no avoiding a meeting. A gray day, overcast, with the promise of drizzle, a morning alone to think, not field more questions on the train.

“Back to Berlin?” Klaus said. “A short visit.”

“Really just to see the place. Stefan wanted me to meet some of the others. Don’t let me interrupt. You probably have work,” he said, nodding to the briefcase at Klaus’s feet.

“Yes, but later. Right now I’m reading you, in fact.” His watery eyes lively behind his glasses, making a joke.

“Ah, the interview. They ran it. Well, don’t believe everything you read.”

The eyes clouding now, not a joke. “But it’s Neues Deutschland.”

“How do I sound?”

“An idealist. And a good socialist. It’s true, no?”

“It must be, if it’s there.” Still trying to be light.

Klaus looked at him, not sure how to take this. “It’s what’s been agreed. It’s important for Party discipline, for everyone to follow what’s agreed.”

“Could I have a look?”

Fuchs handed him the paper.

“I suppose it could be worse,” Martin said, giving it a quick scan. “Newspapers. You never sound like yourself. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t know. I don’t give interviews.”

“Not even when you arrived? You must have. It was news.”

“The Party requested it, yes.” He paused, hesitating. “You don’t mind a criticism? It’s true what you say here, the general outline. But also a little misleading. When you were—passing information, they already had it. I gave them everything. You were a confirmation. So there’s no reason for these feelings, any guilt. They already had everything. If you had never done it, it would have been the same.”

Martin looked at him, another scarecrow pose, rigid with conviction.

“I didn’t know that. Why did they want me to do it, then?” A capital crime.

“To make sure maybe. That it was accurate. But they already had it.” He took a step back. “You had a pleasant visit?” Awkward, not used to small talk.

“Very. They put me up at the Dresdner. Quite a pile. I had no idea.”

“What?” Fuchs said, genuinely puzzled.

“That there were such places here.”

“Oh, places of luxury, you mean. Not so many. But ours are for the people, not businessmen and Nazis.”

Martin looked at him. Did he really believe this? A man of faith. First Luther, then the Party.

“Here comes the train,” Martin said, relieved. Or would they have to sit together all the way to Berlin? “Are you waiting for someone?”

“No. Why?”

“That man over there keeps looking at you. I thought maybe—”

Fuchs swiveled around, then turned back, embarrassed. “It’s for my protection,” he said.

“Is that why he’s so obvious? So everybody will know?”

“We all have one at Rossendorf. For our protection. You don’t mind if I do my work on the train?” He held up the briefcase. “It’s not polite, but I need to prepare—”

“Of course. I’ll finish this, if you don’t mind.” He nodded to the paper. “See what the Party line is today.

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