Page 41

"Would you help me, please?" she said.

"I made a gulyas, and if you would help serve it, I'll heat some water to 'pickle' Eric's feet."

The sting of the warm salt water on his feet was not as painful as Eric Fulmar had expected, and he wondered if this was because he was partially anesthetized by the Countess's brandy, or whether his feet were beyond hurting.

The gulyas was delicious, and he decided that was because it was delicious and not because of the cognac--or because they'd had little to eat save lard and dark bread sandwiches since leaving Marburg an der Lahn.

Von Heurten-Mitnitz waited until they were finished and Fulmar was pouring a little brandy to improve his small, strong cup of coffee, and then he said:

"I think it would be best if I knew precisely what has happened since you entered Germany, Eric."

"A synopsis would be that everything that could go wrong, did," Fulmar said.

"What about the Gestapo agent? Did you have to kill him?"

"I killed him when he opened the luggage that had been left on the train for me," Fulmar said matter-of-factly, "and found the Obersturmfuhrer's uniform.

And then the boots didn't fit."

Von Heurten-Mitnitz nodded.

"And in Marburg, was what happened there necessary?"

"Yes, of course it was," Fulmar said impatiently.

"I don't like scrambling people's brains."

"You could learn some delicacy," the Countess said.

"We are not in a delicate business, Cousin," Fulmar said.

"But that's it? There's nothing else I don't know about?" von HeurtenMitnitz asked.

Fulmar's hesitation was obvious.

"What else?" von Heurten-Mitnitz persisted.

"I was recognized on the train," he said.

"Before I got to Frankfurt. On the way to Marburg."

"By whom?"

There was another perceptible hesitation.

"Christ, I really hate to tell you," he said.

"I don't want you playing games with her."

"I think I have to know," von Heurten-Mitnitz said.

"Fuck you," Fulmar said.

"You have to know what I goddamn well decide to tell you."

Von Heurten-Mitnitz stiffened. He was not used to being talked to like that.

But he kept control of himself.