You can discuss things between yourselves there, and we will here.”

Reluctantly, the dark-haired boy got up and bowed lightly to the lady. Reluctantly, she laid her hand on his arm, and the two pale figures headed, with a whole stream of others, to the dance floor. They danced earnestly, in silence, and he had the sense he was dancing with a corpse. He shuddered. The uniforms on all sides of them, the dangling swastikas, the blood-red banners on the walls with the repulsive emblem, the portrait of the Führer decked out with greenery, the pulsing beat of the swing music. “Don’t do it, Trudel,” he said. “He’s crazy to ask for something like that. Promise me…”

They were almost dancing in place in the ever thickening mass of bodies. Perhaps because there were continual collisions with other couples, she didn’t speak.

“Trudel!” he said again. “Please promise me! You can go to a different company, work there, stay away from them. Promise…”

He tried to force her to look at him, but she kept her eyes obstinately directed at a point behind his shoulder.

“You’re the best of us,” he said suddenly. “You’re humanity. He’s just dogma. You must go on living, don’t give in to him!”

She shook her head, whether it was yes or no was unclear. “I want to go back,” she said. “I don’t feel like dancing anymore.”

“Trudel,” said Karl Hergesell hastily as they made their way back through the dancing couples, “your Otto died yesterday, or at least yesterday you got news of his death. It’s too soon. But you know it anyway: I’ve always loved you. I’ve never expected anything from you, but now I expect at least that you stay alive. Not for my sake, nothing like that, but, please, just stay alive!”

Once again she moved her head slightly, and it was unclear what she thought of either his love or his wish that she at least remain alive. Then they were back at their table with the others. “Well?” asked Grigoleit with the receding hair. “What’s the feeling on the dance floor? A bit packed, eh?”

The girl hadn’t sat down. She said, “I’m going now. All the best. I would have liked to work with you…”

She turned to leave.

But now the plump, innocent-looking Babyface got up and took her by the wrist, and said, “One moment, please!” He said it with due politeness, but there was menace in his expression.

They returned to the table and sat down again. The Babyface asked, “Do I understand correctly what you meant by your good-bye just now?”

“You understood me,” she said, looking back at him with unyielding eyes.

“Then I would like permission to accompany you for the rest of the evening.”

She made a motion of appalled resistance.

He said very politely, “I don’t want to force myself upon you, but I would like you to consider that further mistakes can be made in the execution of such a plan.” He whispered threateningly, “I don’t want to have some idiot fishing you out of a canal, or have you coming round from an attempted overdose in hospital tomorrow morning. I want to be there!”

“That’s right!” said the balding one. “I agree. That’s our only insurance…”

The dark-haired boy said emphatically, “I will remain at her side today and tomorrow and every following day.