“That’s thinking in the past. Frankly, West Berlin is nothing. It’s an island, a club for freethinkers and draft dodgers. But a united Berlin will be the capital of the world.”

“That does sound visionary.”

“It is. Forgive me for saying so, but the Wall was an even larger reality than your investigation. Now the Wall is gone and Berlin is finally free to bloom. Think of it: over two hundred kilometers of Wall erased, an extra thousand square kilometers in the center of Berlin to be developed. It’s the greatest real estate opportunity in the second half of the twentieth century.”

There was such conviction in Max’s eyes that Arkady realized he had encountered a salesman. Max was selling the idea of the future, and it was compelling. Evidence of the future lined the street. Urgent sounds of it echoed everywhere. The only silent building was the Soviet embassy hulking like a mausoleum above the trees.

Arkady said, “Does Michael share this vision of yours? For a man who is the radio station’s deputy director for security, he welcomed you back pretty quickly.”

“Michael is a little desperate. If the Americans drop the station, he’ll be left with a European life-style and no particular skills. He doesn’t have a graduate degree in business administration; he simply has a Porsche. If he can adapt to a new situation, so should you.”

“How would I?”

“Your investigation got you here. What you do from this point on is an entirely different question. Do you go forward or do you turn back?”

“What do you think?”

“I’ll be honest,” Max said. “It wouldn’t matter to me except for Irina. Irina is part of Berlin. She stands to benefit. Why do you want to take that away from her? She’s never had a chance to enjoy money.”

“She can do that with you, enjoy money?”

“Yes. I don’t describe myself as a completely innocent person, but fortunes are not made with ‘thank you’ and ‘please.’ I bet that when the wheel was invented, it rolled over someone.” Max wiped his mouth. “I understand the hold you have on Irina. Every émigré feels guilty about somebody.”

“Really? Who do you feel guilty about?”

A good salesman was not discouraged by rudeness. Max said, “It’s not a matter of morality. It’s not even a matter of you or me. It’s just that I have the capacity to change and you don’t. Maybe you’re a heroic investigator, but you’re a figure from the past. There’s nothing for you here. I want you to be honest and ask yourself what’s best for Irina, going forward or going back?”

“That’s up to Irina.”