When men die it's in grim earnest—I should have liked to follow these young folk and shake them by the shoulders and say to them
"It is so, isn't it? This is just a charade of death, and you mere facetious amateurs acting at dying?
You'll get up again after and bow, won't you ?
People just don't die this way, from a bit of fever and noisy breathing—it takes bullets and wounds, I know that."
"Are you sick too?" I asked Antonio.
"Of course," said he smiling.
"Perfectly delicious coffee," rattled the cannon ball alongside. "Nothing like that with us, I tell you.
An absolute lotus land I"
Koster came back from the weather bureau.
"I must go, Bob," said he. "The glass has dropped and there'll be snow to-night probably.
Then to-morrow I wouldn't get through.
To-night I'll just make it."
"Right.
Is there time for supper together?"
"Yes.
I'll pack quickly now."
"I'll come over."
We packed Koster's things and brought them down to the garage.
Then we went back to get Pat.
"Give us a call if anything happens, Bob," said Otto.
I nodded.
"The money will be here in a few days.
Enough for a while.
Do whatever's necessary."
"Yes, Otto." I hesitated. "We've got some phials of morphia back home.
Can you send them?"
He looked at me.
"What do you want them for?"
"I don't know how it will be here—it may not be necessary.
I still have hope of a sort, in spite of everything— always, when I see her—but I wouldn't like her to suffer, Otto.
That she should lie around and nothing be there of her but just pain.
Perhaps they'd give her some here themselves in that case—but it would be a comfort to me to know I can help her."
"Only that, Bob?" asked Koster.
"Only that, Otto.
Truly.
I wouldn't ask you otherwise."
He nodded.
"We are only two now," said he, slowly.
"Yes."
"All right, Bob."
We went into the hall and I fetched Pat down.
Then we ate quickly, for it was growing steadily more overcast.
Koster drove Karl from the garage up to the door.
"Good luck, Bob," said he.
"Same to you, Otto."
"Au revoir, Pat." He shook hands and looked at her. "I'll come and fetch you in the spring."
"Good-bye, Koster." She held his hand fast. "I'm so very glad to have seen you again.
Give my greetings to Gottfried Lenz too."
"Yes," said Koster.
She still held his hand.