Mortal Mischief

man like Herr Schelling.

Freud offered Liebermann another cigar.

Liebermann hesitated.

'Go on,' said Freud. 'These are far too good to pass over.'

As Liebermann took a cigar from the box, Freud asked: 'Do you know Stekel?'

'Wilhelm Stekel?'

'Yes.'

'Not personally.'

'He's a general practitioner, but he's extremely interested in my work. He wrote a very enthusiastic review of my dream book for the

Neues Wiener Tagblatt.'

'Yes, I remember reading it.'

'Well, we met in The Imperial a few days ago, and he made a splendid suggestion. He proposed that we should hold a meeting – about once a week – to discuss cases and ideas. Perhaps we could start in the autumn. There are a few other people interested: Kahane, Reitler, and you must know Adler. How would Wednesday evenings suit you?'

'Wednesday . . .' Although Liebermann greatly respected Freud, the younger man was not sure whether he was ready to become a fully fledged disciple.

'Is there a problem?'

'I currently have a fencing lesson on Wednesdays – with Signor Barbasetti – but . . .' Liebermann decided that it would be ungraceful not to accept Freud's invitation. 'I'm sure I can change that.'

'Good,' said Freud. 'I'll keep you informed.'

The two men lit their cigars, and wreaths of blue smoke thickened the already dense atmosphere.

'How is your book on jokes progressing, Herr Professor?' asked Liebermann – struggling to get an even burn on his cigar's tip.

Freud sat back in his chair, taking Liebermann's enquiry as an opportunity to perform: 'The matchmaker goes to discuss the bride, and he's brought his assistant to support his suit. She's built like a fir tree, says the matchmaker.

Like a fir tree, the assistant repeats. And what eyes she has – you've got to see them!

Oh and what eyes, says the assistant. Beautiful.

And as for education, there's no one like her. No one like her! comes the echo. But there is one thing, the matchmaker concedes: she does have a hump. But such a hump!'

Against his better judgement, Liebermann found himself laughing.

Part Four

The Last Seance

53

'SO, WHAT DO YOU think Uberhorst meant?' asked Rheinhardt.

A street-cleaning wagon with a man on top swinging a hose indiscriminately came towards the two men. They both had to step back to avoid the splashes.

'He meant to inform the police that Fraulein Lowenstein was pregnant,' Liebermann replied.

'Yes – that's what I thought, too. Fraulein von Rath had a very different opinion, of course.'

'Oh?'

'She believed that Uberhorst was aiding Fraulein Lowenstein in her ambition to enslave a demonic power – and that he had wanted to know whether he should seek guidance from a cabal of black magicians.'

Liebermann shook his head: 'You are still quite certain that Uberhorst could not have been Charlotte Lowenstein's lover?'

'Absolutely.'

'In which case Fraulein Lowenstein simply confided in him – I wonder why?'

'Well, given her predicament, she could hardly expect sympathy from Braun.'

A lacquered black carriage, its curtains drawn, sped past.

'The pregnancy has still not been reported in the newspapers.'

'No – and as far as we know Braun hasn't spoken to any journalists.'

'So, none of the others are aware that she was pregnant.'

'That's correct. Only Braun.'

Two Ursuline nuns, with heads bowed, crossed their path.

'Did you notice the odd collection of equipment in Uberhorst's workshop?' said Liebermann. 'The syringe, the magnets . . . I strongly suspect that he was trying to work out how the illusion of the locked door was accomplished. He was an obsessional and I imagine that he would have succeeded, given time. Who else, apart from Zaborszky, had visited Uberhorst's shop?'

'Herr Holderlin had been there to collect a book on Friday afternoon.'

'What kind of book?'

'Something by Madame Blavatsky. Frau Holderlin had lent it to the locksmith a month or so earlier.'

'So both Holderlin and Zaborszky might have reached a similar conclusion. What about Braun?'

'He says that he's never been to Uberhorst's shop.'

'Where was he on Friday night?'

'He says he was alone in his room – having drunk too much.'

Three cavalry officers turned along the road ahead of them. Their spurs jangled like the strumming of a distant guitar.

'How can you be sure that Braun will be there this evening?' asked Liebermann.

'Haussmann has been with him all day,' said Rheinhardt, 'and will escort Herr Braun to Madame de Rougemont's should he demur.'

'That was a very sensible precaution, Oskar.'

'Indeed. He didn't want to come tonight. He didn't want to see any of them again. Not because he was feeling any remorse but because he thought we might have told them about his trickery – he was worried about them confronting him and asking him for their money back.'

'Did you tell Cosima von Rath that they'd all been duped?' asked Liebermann.

'No.'

'What does she know about Braun's suspicious disappearance?'

'I told Fraulein von Rath that he had been called to Salzburg in order to attend an ailing aunt. Braun knows what to say, should anyone ask any difficult questions. I dare say they'll learn the truth in due course.'

The two men followed the fenestrated cliff face of the Hoffburg Palace towards Josefplatz. As the light failed, a lamplighter went about his business on the other side of the road.

'You know, Max, I was quite surprised that you agreed to accompany me this evening.'

'Why?'

'Because you think seances are ridiculous.'

'They are.'

'Then why were you so eager to attend this one?'

'Isn't it obvious?'

'Not really.'

'This will probably be the last time Fraulein Lowenstein's circle meet. I'll never get another opportunity like