The Broken Penny Read online

  She seemed to expect him to know the name. Kapelik, Kapelik? Garden shook his head. ‘He was dark, thick hair, a low forehead, very young. He talked fast, always enthusiastic. He had great enthusiasm,’ she said sadly. ‘He worshipped Uncle Jacob, and sometimes spoke of you.’

  Kapelik, a dark young man with thick hair and a low forehead, very enthusiastic, how many such had there been? He said apologetically, ‘It was so long ago.’

  ‘Yes.’ It was almost dark in the room now. Her fingers moved over the surfaces of the cards. When Arbitzer and Garden left the country and the others took power, Jan Kapelik was distressed, but he never thought of getting out himself, never dreamed that a loyal supporter of the revolution could be in danger. When he found out his error it was too late. ‘My son was fair like me,’ she said suddenly. ‘He would be a big boy now. We have not been lucky, my mother and father and Jan and I and my little boy. The Germans kill one, the British another, the Communists kill others. Does it matter who has the power, since they all use it in the same way?’ With her fingers moving over the grain of the cards on the table she said, ‘But you see I am lucky at cards.’

  Does it matter, Garden asked himself, and tried to answer the question honestly. But it was far too late, he knew, for him to make such reconsiderations and revisions, and he found himself saying the words that he had used so many times before about the hard fate of the individual in our day. Did he believe the words any more? It was too late, also, to ask himself that question, but he felt some sympathy with her when she asked fiercely if he thought that what he said was any consolation.

  The door opened, and Milo said, ‘All in the dark.’ Granz pulled the curtain across the window. There was the flick of a switch and they were blinking at each other in the yellow light. Then they were all staring at him, a little nut-brown man with a face as wrinkled as a walnut. For a moment he relished their dependence on him, and then he spoke. ‘It is all arranged. At exactly seven-thirty there will be a boat under the bridge. You go out through the trapdoor, over the roofs, down the fire escape of the Government Land Revision offices–’

  ‘Saw it today,’ Granz said.

  ‘Good. The offices are shut today for the holiday. The boatman will take you to the steamer People’s Pride which lies half a mile up the river. The captain will expect you. He has a cargo of hides for the tannery at Dravina. It is all arranged.’ He paused. ‘Except for the money.’

  ‘We pay him,’ Granz said bluntly. ‘We do not pay you.’

  ‘You do not trust me, eh?’ Milo’s smile broadened. ‘That I expected. I arranged that you pay the captain. He does not help for love, you understand, but for money. He is not interested in our currency. He asks four hundred American dollars. You have dollars?’

  They looked at each other. ‘No,’ said Garden.

  ‘A pity. Then he wants two hundred English pounds. You have that?’

  Garden remembered the advance given him by Colonel Hunt. ‘Forty.’ Granz shook his head. ‘I have only our money.’ Milo suddenly looked very serious. Then Arbitzer said, ‘I have the money.’

  He got off the bed and fumbled in the lining of his coat. ‘We always kept money in the house, Katerina said we might have urgent need of it one day. She distrusted banks. Right in that as in so many other things. She sewed it in before we left the house, though what use I said to her, what use do you think English money will be when we get back to our own country.’ There was a tearing sound. Arbitzer took out three neat bundles and put them on the table. ‘One hundred in each. Take them.’

  ‘But you heard Milo. We don’t pay until we are on board.’

  ‘Take them, take them. They are of no use to me any more.’

  Garden stuffed the three packets carefully into an inside pocket. ‘One more thing,’ he said to Milo. ‘How do we know that this Captain – what’s his name?’

  ‘Kaffel.’

  ‘This Captain Kaffel won’t simply take our money and hand us over?’

  ‘That is a risk you must take. I do not think it is great. He will not wish to explain how you got on to his boat.’ Milo seemed about to say something more, but he did not.

  ‘Are we all satisfied?’ Arbitzer and the girl said nothing. Granz had been frowning. Now he thumped his fist on the table.

  ‘No. Where is Sophie?’

  ‘I told you before, she is out. She has not yet returned.’

  ‘I believe she’s down there. I’m going down to see her.’

  In a moment Milo was at the door. ‘Believe me, it is better that you should not go down.’

  ‘Then she’s here. I knew it.’ Granz brushed Milo out of the way with the gesture of a man brushing off a cobweb, and opened the door. Garden ran after him, closed the door of the little room and the cupboard, and followed him down the stairs. Granz was standing at the door of the bedroom, with an expression on his face that was quite unreadable. Garden came up by his side.

  Sophie lay on the bed in a pink dressing-gown. Her mouth was slightly open. She was snoring. On the table by her side was a half-empty bottle of whisky with a ‘Johnny Walker’ label on it.

  ‘Sophie.’ Granz went over and shook her shoulder. ‘Sophie, wake up.’ The shaking became more violent. Reluctantly she opened her eyes. She stared up at Granz’s face that bent darkly over her. Then her gaze moved slowly to Garden, who still stood by the door.

  ‘Ah, the Englishman,’ she croaked. She sat up for a moment, and fell back with a shudder. ‘Give me a drink, Theo.’

  ‘You’ve had enough.’

  ‘Don’t be a fool.’ Her hand groped for the bottle and found it, while she still stared at the two men. She put the bottle to her lips, drank and sank back again on to the pillows. There were heavy shadows under her eyes and her face, without make-up, looked tired and old. ‘What do you want?’

  ‘Milo told us you were out. I came to see for myself. You are here – and in what a state.’ Granz’s voice was full of disgust. ‘Is this the way you help us?’

  Milo was standing beside Garden in the doorway, his brown face calm but, for once, not smiling. ‘Can I be of any help?’

  ‘What. No, no, Milo, I don’t want you. Go downstairs.’ She spoke in the tone some women use to an over-affectionate dog. As silently as he had come there, Milo disappeared. With a slight effort she turned her attention to Granz and Garden. ‘Get away, eh? I said I’d help you get away. Well, I’m not saying I won’t even though the Englishman is a saboteur.’

  ‘I don’t understand you,’ Granz said stiffly.

  ‘You don’t. Perhaps the Englishman will understand me. Come over here, Englishman. I want to tell you a story.’ She patted the bed. ‘Sit down. It’s a very sad story. What do you think of me? Tart with a heart of gold who turned into a good old madame out for herself and no one else, eh? Think I’m attractive? Give me that whisky?’ She took another drink. A smell of whisky clung to her as if she had bathed in it. She stretched out a hand for the looking glass. Garden handed it to her and looked dispassionately at the pasty face, the red hair with its dark roots, the sagging neckline. Sophie looked at them too, and shuddered.

  ‘I look terrible. And you know why? Ask him.’ She pointed to Granz. ‘If he’d been a man, any kind of ordinary man, we’d have been married, had kids. Little curly-haired kids growing up, going to school, calling me mother.’ She began to weep alcoholic tears. Granz made a movement of dissent and impatience. ‘Shut up, it’s the Englishman I’m talking to, he’s interested, isn’t that so?’

  ‘Very interested.’ Garden began playing with one of the red tassels at the foot of the bed.

  ‘You’re interested, all right. Now this is what I’m telling you, Englishman, that there was a time when I was a girl. You can understand that at some time or another we were all girls and boys. And girls and boys grow up to be tarts and politicians, you can understand that too. And I was beautiful, do you believe that? Put me besides that little bitch upstairs and it would have been an arc lamp by a night light. Do you
believe that? Never mind, what does it matter. He believed it. Shall I tell you something. Englishman, shall I tell you a good joke? He is my husband.’

  One look at Granz’s face was enough to tell Garden that this was true. The woman on the bed squealed with laughter. ‘Sophie Granz, that’s the name, but I never use it. Sophie Petulik I call myself. If people knew I was married to him, it would hurt the cause.’ She took another drink. ‘Seriously now, Englishman, tell me what you think of this specimen. He makes love to a beautiful young girl, marries her, they live happily. He had nothing to complain of, believe me. I cooked and mended and scrubbed for him, and I was never too tired to make love. And how we made love! The undying love he swore to me, the things he promised. It would make you laugh if I were to tell you. Then there was the war and we were parted, but not for long. The army was finished, he came back, and where were the fine things he had said, that we should be together always and the rest? Now he told me something else. He was to go into the mountains, I was to stay behind and give information. There was no danger – and if there was some danger I should be pleased to run a risk for my country. I was prepared, of course I was prepared, not for my country but for him. Nine months I worked in the administration, passing on information whenever I could, like dozens of others. Nine months before the Germans caught me. And when they did I was still lucky. The German commandant of this area, Colonel Welstein, dealt with my case himself instead of sending me to one of the establishments for the entertainment of the lower ranks. The Colonel had some unusual tastes, but what did that matter? For two years I lived with this man and – will you believe it, Englishman? – I heard nothing from my loving husband.’

  Granz made a weary gesture with his hand. ‘I have told you so often, Sophie, that it was impossible then to send messages. We were fighting for our lives.’

  ‘You put it so clearly, Theo. Their lives, you see, were important, mine was, what shall I say, not so important. Perhaps one day I might be useful again, until then they didn’t worry. But shall I tell you something extraordinary, Englishman? I became convinced that my life was important too. When Colonel Welstein was replaced by Colonel von Hopper and when von Hopper was killed in an ambush and replaced by Major General Stuttwitz I found that the one who looked after my skin best was the one who lived in it. Does that seem very strange? It did not seem strange to the Germans. Stuttwitz was delighted that I was able to satisfy his passion for very young girls, the girls themselves did not object. It occurred to him that it would be a fine idea if I ran for the benefit of high-ranking German officers a genteel and discreet establishment. Will you believe it, I discovered a great talent for the work? And I found out that houses of my kind are necessary always, whether men call themselves Fascists or Democrats or Communists. When the war was over and the heroes came down from the mountains – why, by that time I had my position in society well established. I offered to make Theo a partner, but he refused. So we parted, but on good terms I assure you, Englishman. I have helped him sometimes, and now he needs help again. Isn’t it natural that he should come to his wife, who knows so well the value of patriotism?’

  Granz had been walking up and down the room. ‘Come to the point, Sophie. What do you mean?’

  She sat upright in bed now, and her voice rose to a scream. ‘I mean that you’re not going to make a fool of me again, Theo. This time I shall help you on my terms.’

  Garden said, ‘What terms?’

  She leaned forward and tapped him on the chest. Her eyes were no longer hazy. ‘This is a matter of business. Your business is to make a revolution, mine to run this house without trouble. I manage my business better than you do yours. Theo comes here and asks me to take you all in. I am a fool, I do it. But Theo doesn’t tell me that one of my guests is that sneaking old man, the traitor who has never caused anything but harm to his country. He knows that if he had told me I should have shut the door. Now was that honest, eh, Englishman? Was that a nice way for a husband to behave to his wife?’

  ‘Perhaps not honest, certainly not nice. But I should be inclined to call it inevitable.’

  She mimicked the precision with which he spoke. ‘Perhaps not honest, certainly not nice. And if it was inevitable I will tell you something else that is inevitable too. I am going to give him up.’

  Garden had been prepared for this, but Granz looked utterly startled. He began to say something, but stopped when she lay back on the pillow and laughed at him.

  ‘This time you will do what I say, Theo Granz. Listen to me. I was wrong when I said they would not search this house, I do not realise that this was an affair involving the Republic’s greatest enemy. Baltnik tells me that they are searching this street late this evening. With the way they search they will find the little room. If they do that I am finished. But Baltnik also said this to me. He heard it from a man who is higher up among the black boys. It is Arbitzer they want. They want him badly and he must be alive and fit to stand trial. They want the Englishman too, but he is less important. About you, Theo, and the girl they are not very much worried. Now I must give them Arbitzer and I must give him to them before they begin to search. After that it will be his word against mine, and I can pull strings to make sure that mine is believed.’ She stared hard at Garden. ‘I should give them you too, Englishman, but I always was a fool for men. And to be frank, you are not so important.’

  Granz unclenched his great fists and moved away from her.

  ‘What makes you think that we shall give you Arbitzer?’

  Her smile was not pleasant. ‘You are not very bright, Theo. The Englishman has already understood that you have no choice. How are you going to get away without my help? Of course, if you all wish to stay that is your business. That would be truly heroic.’

  Casually Garden said, ‘What about this escape? Is it arranged?’

  ‘Milo is arranging it. There is somebody he knows – he is very secretive about such things. But he has told me that it is fixed for eight o’clock.’

  ‘Eight o’clock!’

  ‘That will be in time.’ She looked from one of them to the other.

  Granz said slowly, ‘You are right, there is nothing we can do but give him up. The movement is more important than any one of us.’

  ‘Sensible.’ She yawned, looking somehow disappointed. ‘I shall speak to Baltnik again, tell him I may have news for him through an agent of mine at half past eight. At eight o’clock you go, ten minutes before that you bring the old man down here. Milo and I will look after him. Agreed? Very good. You can go.’

  She stared up at the mirror in the ceiling.

  As they went upstairs again Granz said. ‘He told her eight, he told us half-past seven. What’s the trick?’

  ‘I don’t know. But if he keeps to the time he gave us we have no need to worry. If he doesn’t, we go out over the roof on our own. That is why you agreed?’

  ‘Of course.’

  Garden looked at his watch. The time was a quarter-past seven.

  They entered the little room again, and several things seemed to happen at once. The girl came toward them saying something about the street. They heard voices shouting orders, a scream quickly stifled, feet racing up the stairs. Then the door opened and a figure came in wearing police uniform. It was Milo. ‘Out of the trapdoor,’ he said. ‘They are here.’

  Granz put the chair into place and pushed at the trapdoor. It would not open.

  ‘What are you doing in that uniform?’ Garden asked.

  ‘I have friends, didn’t I say so? Be quick.’

  Garden got the rifle from under the bed and gave it to Granz. who pushed vigorously upward. The door gave suddenly. They saw the night sky. Granz jumped up. Milo followed, swinging himself up like a monkey. Garden made a gesture to Ilona, who stood on the chair. Granz stretched down from above and took her hands, her heels rested for a moment on Garden’s shoulders, then she was up. ‘You now,’ Garden said to Arbitzer, who had got up stiffly from the bed.

  The
old man smiled. ‘No, no. After you.’

  ‘Come on now, I can give you a hand. ‘

  ‘You first.’ Arbitzer smiled again. It was ridiculous.

  Granz’s head pushed through the opening. ‘What are you waiting for? They’re coming in.’

  ‘After you, please,’ Arbitzer said.

  ‘All right.’ Garden stood on the chair, jumped to catch the edges of the trapdoor and was out on the roof. He looked into the room again and gave a cry. Arbitzer stood by the door. He waved his hand to Garden. The door closed. Garden understood.

  ‘Theo, Theo, Jacob’s gone to give himself up.’

  Granz had begun to move over the roof. He turned now, rifle in hand. They stood behind a chimney stack. The night was dark, but part of the scene below showed clearly in the light of two street lamps and a floodlight trained on the house. They could see the men round the doorway, the scurrying backward and forward of little black figures reporting to two men standing by a car. One of them was easily recognisable by the bandage round his head, the other was one of the army officers who had been with Peplov that afternoon. They stood motionless while the figures moved backward and forward like bees carrying honey, individualised for a moment as they came into the floodlit area, anonymous again as they hurried out of it. Then suddenly all the movement was checked, the two figures by the car stiffened. Even at this distance above the street they could feel tension. Granz breathed out deeply. Ahhhh. From behind them a voice called something.