The owner wanted to bring charges against them for damaging his trade, but there’s really no point. Schabbelt has a screw loose, his wife is on the sauce, the fellow who writes it, Stuff, has his wobbles from time to time . . . And as for the rest of them . . .’

‘My God. Who reads the Chronicle anyway? I’m a News reader myself.’

‘I wonder what the man will find to write about the auction. Doesn’t seem to be eliciting much interest from anyone.’

They look in the direction of the pub windows. It looks to them as if the place may have somewhat emptied, even though there are still plenty of farmers sitting there.

‘Will you go over to the doorway and call out that we’re about to begin. And then ask the landlord to see me again, if you will.’

Thiel gets up and goes over to the door. Kalübbe hears him shout something. Someone else shouts something back. There is laughter, and then a harsh voice calls for quiet. Thiel comes back.

‘What just happened?’ Kalübbe asks with equanimity.

‘The landlord’s on his way.—Oh yes, some joker told me to go home, my mummy wants to wash behind my ears. And then a tall fellow told him to shut up.’

The landlord steps up to the table. ‘Yes, gentlemen?’

‘Were there any cattle-dealers here this morning?’

‘Yes, there were some. Cattle-dealers.’

‘Who?’

The landlord hesitates. ‘I’m not sure. I don’t know their names.’

‘Of course you don’t. And they’ve left?’

‘Yes, they’ve left.’

‘Thanks. That was all.’ The landlord goes away, and Kalübbe says to Thiel: ‘I’ll give the butcher Storm a shout. I buy meat from him myself. Maybe he’ll be brave and buy the animals for a nominal price. I’ll give him a good deal.’

‘And if he doesn’t?’

‘My God, then I’ll call the office. Berg can decide what to do next.’

Thiel sits and looks at the sunny village street. A couple of hens are pecking for grain in horse-apples, a cat with tail erect is stalking across the nearest farmyard. It could be so lovely here, he thinks. There’s everything here, but there’s a bad feeling in the air. The man from the Chronicle seems to have accepted that the auction won’t happen.