‘In public? Of course not in public. I agree with you that it can’t be discussed with any Tom, Dick, or Harry! Nobody knows that better than I … In public — no! But to me, your friend and fellow writer, surely you need have nothing to hide from me … And good advice is not to be despised either! And who can give better, more discriminating advice than I? An expert is another matter entirely! If only we left it to the experts … Who said that? It’s slipped my mind for the moment. In any case, whoever said it knew what he was talking about …’

Gurdweill returned to his desk and sat down, facing Dr Kreindel. The aromatic cigar relaxed him and immunised him, as it were, to the latter’s sarcasms. He even derived a certain pleasure from his prattle, as if it were concerned with someone else entirely.

Dr Kreindel continued, ‘And that I am an expert on literature, my friend, you have surely realised by now … Especially with regard to your own writing precisely because it’s so deep; I’m not interested in superficialities. A good swimmer needs a deep river — as the proverb says.’

‘But what if I don’t need any advice?’ Gurdweill smiled.

‘So everything’s going smoothly, is it? Well, that’s a different matter, of course! Nevertheless, good advice from an expert can always come in handy!’

‘Perhaps we can change the subject? This one’s becoming boring.’

‘Change the subject? Oho, my friend, if only you knew! Changing the subject would be even more boring … boring and unpleasant. As Kleist says: There is always worse to come … Unfortunately, that’s the way of the world … Change the subject! If only I thought that it would be more agreeable, I would change it immediately, believe me. As you yourself know, my friend, the only subjects I enjoy discussing are noble, exalted ones — simple, mundane matters I like to get over as quickly as possible. Because they are invariably unpleasant, and a fastidious mind shrinks from dwelling on them. For example, if I were obliged to inform you that you were being dismissed from your post, let’s say, that you were being given one month’s notice as of today — would you find this “change of subject” less boring?’