I must see it to an end.
It's like a wall—I can't go on until it's away."
"I'm not going home, Otto.
If that's the way of it, we're sticking together."
"Rubbish," said he impatiently. "I can't use you." He raised a hand as he saw me about to speak. "I'll take care.
I'll get him alone, without the others, entirely alone.
Don't worry."
He pushed me impatiently from the seat and immediately raced off.
I realised that nothing could stop him now.
I realised too why he had not taken me.
Because of Pat.
Gottfried he would have taken.
I went to Alfons'.
He was the only one I could talk to.
I wanted his advice—if we could do anything.
But Alfons was not there.
A sleepy girl told me he had gone to a meeting an hour before.
I sat at a table to wait.
The place was empty.
Only a small electric globe was burning over the bar.
The girl had sat down to sleep again.
I thought of Otto and Gottfried, I looked out the window at the street, becoming lighter from the full moon now rising over the roofs; I thought of the grave with the black wooden cross and the steel helmet on top; and suddenly I found I was crying.
I wiped the drops away.
After some time I heard swift, light footsteps in the house.
The door on to the courtyard opened and Alfons entered.
His face was shining with perspiration.
"It's me, Alfons," said I.
"Here, quick!"
I followed him into the room on the right behind the taproom.
Alfons went to a cupboard and took out two old Army first-aid packets.
"You might just bandage me," said he pulling off his trousers without a sound.
He had a gash on the thigh.
"Looks like a running shot," said I.
"It is, too," growled Alfons. "Get busy, bandage away."
"Alfons," said I as I straightened up, "where's Otto?"
"How should I know where Otto is?^ he muttered, squeezing out the wound. "Weren't you together?"
"No."
"You haven't seen him?"
"Not the faintest.
Open up the other packet and lay it on top.
It's only a scratch."
Muttering away he busied himself with his wound.
"Alfons," said I, "we saw the—you know, about Gottfried—we saw him to-night and Otto's gone after him."
"What?"
He was attention at once. "Where is he then?
There's no sense, any more.
He must clear out."
"He won't clear out."
Alfons threw aside the scissors.
"Drive there.