As he spoke he looked at Freddy out of the corner of his eye, to see how he reacted to this news. But Freddy went on smiling to himself, as if he were not even listening. After a moment or two he woke up.

‘So! The infant will be moving in with us. There’ll be fun and games …’

Gurdweill looked right at him. ‘What do you mean — fun and games?’ he demanded belligerently.

‘Just what I say — fun and games. There’s nothing these infants like better than screaming their lungs out — as if you wanted to hurt them … Ha-ha!’

Gurdweill felt a powerful urge to punch his brother-in-law in the jaw, and wipe the insolent, infuriating grin off his face. Every word he said seemed to have a secret, malevolent significance hiding behind its apparent innocence. Gurdweill began to feel uncomfortable, and he stood up. He wanted to run away from the man sitting opposite him, but instead of doing so he immediately sat down again. ‘I have to be on my guard against him,’ he thought.

‘And what do you do with yourself all day long, Freddy?’ he asked with affected indifference, looking straight into his eyes.

‘There’s nothing to do. And one sweats so in this heat. What can a person do without a job, without a penny in his pocket? Sometimes I go for a swim.’

Gurdweill looked down, and his eyes encountered his brother-in-law’s shoes, which were covered with a thick layer of dust, as if he had walked a long way. The sight of these dusty shoes for some reason restored Gurdweill’s equanimity. And only now did he become aware of the overpowering smell of iodine and carbolic acid in the air — the smell common to all hospitals, as if you were smelling their very souls — which always had an upsetting effect on him. He glanced around the long room and saw that some of the visitors standing between the white-painted iron beds were getting ready to leave. His watch said twenty to four. Gurdweill stood up; he wanted to peep at Martin again before he left. Thea was still sitting on the bed with her feet in the grey hospital slippers on the floor. He suggested that she lie down again, in order not to tire herself unduly, but she took no notice of him. He kissed her and left, followed by Freddy. In the corridor he began to say goodbye.

‘No, I’m coming with you. I want to see him too.’

Gurdweill could not stop him, but this time he only stayed next to the baby for a few moments. Freddy stood a little way off from the cot, bending his long, thin body towards the sleeping baby, the secretive smile once more hovering on his lips. The way he was standing made Gurdweill think of a bird of prey crouching over its victim. He said, ‘That’s all! Let’s go!’