An embassy employee, at his elbow, saying, “Sir, can I give you assistance?”
Mr. Tagomi bowed, “I am recovered.”
The other’s face, calm, considerate. No derision. They are all laughing at me, possibly? Mr. Tagomi thought. Down underneath?
There is evil! It’s actual like cement.
I can’t believe it. I can’t stand it. Evil is not a view. He wandered about the lobby, hearing the traffic on Sutter Street, the Foreign Office spokesman addressing the meeting. All our religion is wrong. What’ll I do? he asked himself. He went to the front door of the embassy; an employee opened it, and Mr. Tagomi walked down the steps to the path. The parked cars. His own. Chauffeurs standing.
It’s an ingredient in us. In the world. Poured over us, filtering into our bodies, minds, hearts, into the pavement itself.
Why?
We’re blind moles. Creeping through the soil, feeling with our snouts. We know nothing. I perceived this . . . now I don’t know where to go. Screech with fear, only. Run away.
Pitiful.
Laugh at me, he thought as he saw the chauffeurs regarding him as he walked to his car. Forgot my briefcase. Left it back there, by my chair. All eyes on him as he nodded to his chauffeur. Door held open; he crept into his car.
Take me to the hospital, he thought. No, take me back to the office. “Nippon Times Building.” he said aloud. “Drive slowly.” He watched the city, the cars, stores, tall buildings, now, very modern. People. All the men and women, going on their separate businesses.
When he reached his office he instructed Mr. Ramsey to contact one of the other Trade Missions, the Non-Ferrous Ores Mission, and to request that their representative to the Foreign Office meeting contact him on his return.
Shortly before noon, the call came through.
“Possibly you noticed my distress at meeting,” Mr. Tagomi said into the phone. “It was no doubt palpable to all, especially my hasty flight.”.
“I saw nothing,” the Non-Ferrous man said. “But after the meeting I did not see you and wondered what had become of you.”
“You are tactful,” Mr. Tagomi said bleakly.
“Not at all. I am sure everyone was too wrapped up in the Foreign Office lecture to pay heed to any other consideration. As to what occurred after your departure—did you stay through the rundown of aspirants in the power struggle? That comes first.”
“I heard to the part about Doctor Seyss-Inquart.”
“Following that, the speaker dilated on the economic situation over there. The Home Islands take the view that Germany’s scheme to reduce the populations of Europe and Northern Asia to the status of slaves—plus murdering all intellectuals, bourgeois elements, patriotic youth and what not—has been an economic catastrophe. Only the formidable technological achievements of German science and industry have saved them. Miracle weapons, so to speak.”
“Yes,” Mr. Tagomi said. Seated at his desk, holding the phone with one hand, he poured himself a cup of hot tea. “As did their miracle weapons V-one and V-two and their jet fighters in the war.”
“It is a sleight-of-hand business,” the Non-Ferrous Ores man said. “Mainly, their uses of atomic energy have kept things together. And the diversion of their circus-like rocket travel to-Mars and Venus. He pointed out that for all their thrilling import, such traffic have yielded nothing of economic worth.”
“But they are dramatic,” Mr. Tagomi said.
“His prognosis was gloomy. He feels that most highplaced Nazis are refusing to face facts vis-à-vis their economic plight. By doing so, they accelerate the tendency toward greater tour de force adventures, less predictability, less stability in general. The cycle of manic enthusiasm, then fear, then Partei solutions of a desperate type—well, the point he got across was that all this tends to bring the most irresponsible and reckless aspirants to the top.”
Mr. Tagomi nodded.
“So we must presume that the worst, rather than the best, choice will be made, The sober and responsible elements will be defeated in the present clash.”
“Who did he say was the worst?” Mr. Tagomi said.
“R. Heydrich. Doctor Seyss-Inquart. H. Goring. In the Imperial Government’s opinion.”
“And the best?”
“Possibly B. von Schirach and Doctor Goebbels. But on that he was less explicit.”
“Anything more?”
“He told us that we must have faith in the Emperor and the Cabinet at this time more than ever. That we can look toward the Palace with confidence.”
“Was there a moment of respectful silence?”
“Yes.”
Mr. Tagomi thanked the Non-Ferrous Ores man and rang off.
As he sat drinking his tea, the intercom buzzed. Miss Ephreikian’s voice came: “Sir, you had wanted to send a message to the German consul.” A pause. “Did you wish to dictate it to me at this time?”
That is so, Mr. Tagomi realized. I had forgotten. “Come into the office,” he said.
Presently she entered, smiling at him hopefully. “You are feeling better, sir?”
“Yes. An injection of vitamins has helped.” He considered. “Recall to me. What is the German consul’s name?”
“I have that, sir. Freiherr Hugo Reiss.”
“Mein Herr,” Mr. Tagomi began. “Shocking news has arrived that your leader, Herr Martin Bormann, has succumbed. Tears rise to my eyes as I write these words. When I recall the bold deeds perpetrated by Herr Bormann in securing the salvation of the German people from her enemies both at home and abroad, as well as the soul-shaking measures of sternness meted out to the shirkers and traitors who would betray all mankind’s vision of the cosmos, into which now the blond-haired blue-eyed Nordic races have after aeons plunged in their—“ He stopped. There was no way to finish. Miss Ephreikian stopped her tape recorder, waiting.
“These are great times,” he said.
“Should I record that, sir? Is that the message?” Uncertainly she started up her machine.
“I was addressing you,” Mr. Tagomi said.
She smiled.
“Play my utterances back,” Mr. Tagomi said.
The tape transport spun. Then he heard his voice, tiny and metallic, issuing from the two-inch speaker. “. . . perpetrated by Herr Bormann in securing the salvation. . .” He listened to the insectlike squeak as it rambled on. Cortical flappings and scrapings, he thought.
“I have the conclusion,” he said, when the transport ceased turning. “Determination to exhalt and immolate themselves and so obtain a niche in history from which no life form can cast them, no matter what may transpire.” He paused. “We are all insects,” he said to Miss Ephreikian. “Groping toward something terrible or divine. Do you not agree?” He bowed. Miss Ephreikian, seated with her tape recorder, made a slight bow back.
“Send that,” he told her. “Sign it, et cetera. Work the sentences, if you wish, so that they will mean something.” As she started from the office he added, “Or so that they mean nothing. Whichever you prefer.”
As she opened the office dour she glanced at him curiously.
After she had left he began work on routine matters of the day. But almost at once Mr. Ramsey was on the intercom. “Sir, Mr. Baynes is calling.”
Good, Mr. Tagomi thought. Now we can begin important discussion. “Put him on,” he said, picking up the phone.
“Mr. Tagomi,” Mr. Baynes’ voice came.
“Good afternoon. Due to news of Chancellor Bormann’s death I was unexpectedly out of my office this morning. However—“
“Did Mr. Yatabe get in touch with you?”
“Not yet,” Mr. Tagomi said.
“Did you tell your staff to keep an eye open for him?” Mr. Baynes said. He sounded agitated.
“Yes,” Mr. Tagomi said. “They will usher him in directly he arrives.” He made a mental note to tell Mr. Ramsey; as yet he had not gotten around to it. Are we not to begin discussions, then, until the old gentleman puts in his appearance? He felt dismay. “Sir,” he began. “I am anxious to begin. Are you about to present your injection molds to us? Although we have been in confusion today—“
“There has been a change,” Mr. Baynes said. “We’ll wait for Mr. Yatabe. You’re sure he hasn’t arrived? I want you to give me your word that you’ll notify me as soon as he calls you. Please exert yourself, Mr. Tagomi.” Mr. Baynes’ voice sounded strained, jerky.
“I give you my word.” Now he, too, felt agitation. The Bormann death; that had caused the change. “Meanwhile,” he said rapidly, “I would enjoy your company, perhaps at lunch today. I not having had opportunity to have my lunch, yet.” Improvising, he continued. “Although we will wait on specifics, perhaps we could ruminate on general world conditions, in particular—“
“No,” Mr. Baynes said.
No? Mr. Tagomi thought. “Sir,” he said, “I am not well today. I had a grievous incident; it was my hope to confide it to you.”
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Baynes said. “I’llring youbacklater.” The phone clicked. He had abruptly hung up.
I offended him, Mr. Tagomi thought. He must have gathered correctly that I tardily failed to inform my staff about the old gentleman. But it is a trifle; he pressed the intercom button and said, “Mr. Ramsey, please come into my office.” I can correct that immediately. More is involved, he decided. The Bormann death has shaken him.