‘Enough. I make a point of never knowing more than I have to.’
‘And how much is that?’
Wohl sipped his whisky sour. ‘You and Anna are out to get some dirt on the America-Britannic Consortium. I have a contact in the GDR who may be able to help you. I don’t know the details, because I haven’t asked.’
‘Let me get something absolutely straight, Doktor Wohl. You may talk about leaving politics to the politicians. But you come from a highly political part of the world and, from what I gathered from Pol, you have a practically unique position there. If we’re to accompany you into what you call the German Democratic Republic, we want to know just where we stand.’
The East German lawyer spread his hands on the table, showing two inches of cuff. ‘I am offering no guarantees. I can arrange for you both to be issued with temporary visas for the GDR at the city limits. I will also introduce you to the man you have come to meet. Whether he co-operates with you or not is entirely his affair.’
‘That doesn’t entirely answer my question. In your sort of work you must live in and out of the pockets of the East German Government. That includes their Security Police. And I’m not dumb enough to think that those boys make a move without consulting their bosses in Moscow. What you might call, “running a tight ship”.’
Wohl raised his arm and called for another round of drinks. ‘Hell, Tom, I’ll say this for you. You’re certainly direct! That’s what comes of dealing with a journalist. But I prefer the more diplomatic approach.’
‘I prefer facts. Tell me straight. Does East German Security have a line on us both? If so, how much do they know?’
Wohl’s face was working hard at being open and frank. He tried his smile, and Hawn could see the web of white wrinkles round his eyes that showed up against his false tan. He placed his hand on Hawn’s arm. ‘Tom, our Security will know about you if and when I tell them. They trust me. That’s why you gotta trust me.’ He took out a bronze-coloured packet of cigarettes which he offered to them both, and which they declined; then he tapped out an oval shaped cigarette with a gold tip, produced a gold lighter as if by sleight of hand, and went through a smooth, elaborate ritual of lighting up, inhaling, resting his head back and letting the smoke curl out through his nostrils.
‘I shall arrange for you to meet and talk with Doktor Reiss. This meeting will be entirely private. But it is possible that Doktor Reiss would prefer to communicate what he has told you to Security. He will do this more as a polite formality than as a duty. After that you will, of course, be free to leave the GDR.’
‘With no questions asked? Come on, Wohl! Supposing Reiss tells your Security something they don’t like?’
Wohl drew on his cigarette. ‘Tom, you don’t think that a man in Reiss’s position — which is pretty high — would be fool enough to tell you something that would upset our authorities? Hell, your Government may have to stand to attention and salute every time the America-Britannic Consortium farts, but we don’t have those problems. We don’t owe ABCO a pfennig — and even if we did, we wouldn’t pay them.
‘Now, I’ve got to make a short telephone call. It’ll give you enough time to talk things over.’ He finished his drink, slid out from behind the table and disappeared into the back of the bar.
‘God, what an awful man,’ Anna said. ‘I’m not a nationalist, or even much of a patriot, but I don’t like my country being run down by foreigners — particularly when I’ve only just met them.’
‘Just a line in Communist small talk. He also wanted to get some idea of where we stood politically, if at all. Otherwise, you’ve got to hand it to the man. He’s a hypocrite in the Olympic gold medal class, an ideologist gymnast, and a slick double-faced A-1 shit — and he’s intelligent enough to know it.’
‘He’s ghastly.’
‘He’s got good dentures.’
‘And he powders his nose — did you notice that?’
‘Angel, he’s going to finish that phone call in a minute. He left us to make up our minds. Which means whether to trust him, or to refuse to be led into East Germany — and out again, perhaps.’
‘I don’t trust him. How can you trust a man who plays for both sides so openly?’
‘That’s maybe the very reason why we should trust him. Wohl’s racket is practically unique. He may sound and look like a conman, but he certainly can’t afford to be one.’
‘You trust him because you want to trust him. Because you’re frightened of backing out.’
‘Lesser of two evils, my love. We’ve got ABCO behind us, the Communists in front. Which would you choose?’
‘I’m going to have another Schnapps.’
‘You’ve had enough.’
‘I’m having another.’
At that moment Wohl returned. He stepped jauntily up to the table, rubbing his hands. ‘All set! No problem, the car’s outside. D’ you have any baggage?’
‘We weren’t told to bring any.’
‘That’s OK. You got your passports? Fine! You need anything, you ask for it.’ He began putting on his camel-hair coat, left some money on the table, and without waiting for the change led the way into the street where a beige Mercedes stood parked on the pavement, its colour exactly matching that of his coat. It had a five-digit registration number, which was not from West Berlin, or West Germany. Wohl motioned Anna into the passenger seat beside him, Hawn into the back. Wohl was driving.
He drove with the confident arrogance of a man who likes cars, giving way to nobody, shooting red lights with a
