Jenö’s hands tapped the table. ‘He might press charges.’

‘But he was the only one to witness it,’ said Charlotte.

‘Who will a judge believe? A citizen or a student? Besides, it’s hardly honourable to argue my way out of what I did. I caused him harm. It’s my responsibility.’

‘The Director’s talking to Mr Sommer,’ Walter said confidingly. ‘To persuade him not to press charges.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Jenö burst out, penitent: ‘I lost control of my temper!’

Walter moved his hand to cover Jenö’s; it was the first time I had ever seen the two men touch like this. ‘It was because of the faint,’ Walter said. ‘Obviously you didn’t intend to hurt him.’

Jenö looked at him, searchingly. ‘Still.’ He touched his lips. ‘Not much of an excuse.’

‘You got off rather lightly,’ I said to Walter, who, as I said, didn’t have a scratch or a bruise on him.

‘Not much I could do.’ He looked at his hands. ‘I’m hardly built for brawling.’

‘What do we do now?’ asked Irmi.

‘No ostentatious behaviour,’ Charlotte said. ‘No more fasts. At the Bauhaus, and in town, we’re as good as gold.’

Walter coughed. ‘There is one more thing.’

‘What now?’ said Irmi, who seemed just about as irked as I was, and I saw Charlotte shoot her a look.

‘We’re under curfew.’

‘What?’ said Kaspar. ‘All of us?’

Walter nodded. ‘The Director said “you six”. “Master Itten’s folk,” he called us. “The acolytes. The bald ones.” We’re to stick to the Bauhaus and our rooms. And, once it’s dark, nowhere else. We’re under curfew until this whole thing blows over.’

Kaspar threw his cutlery down. ‘Brilliant.’

Walter lowered his voice. ‘The Director thinks there’s a threat of retaliation. And the school’s relationship with the city is fragile. I think he’s scared we might get beaten up.’

‘Right,’ I said, but not knowing really what to say.

‘I’m sorry,’ Jenö said again. ‘I got us all in this mess.’

Charlotte put her hands on the table. Her bowl was empty. She regarded Jenö’s bruises. ‘If I hadn’t started the fast, this wouldn’t have happened. We were foolish to have done it.’

I saw Walter try to arrange his thoughts; Charlotte’s contrition was obviously unexpected. ‘You can’t blame yourself.’

‘You said it was the fast that made Jenö faint.’

Walter made a kissing noise. ‘The fast; the heat; it was a number of things.’

‘It’s my fault. I want to help.’

‘Thank you, but there’s little that can be done.’

‘If the police press charges,’ I asked, wanting to distract Charlotte from her guilt, ‘what then?’

‘Then it’s curtains for the both of us.’

‘Surely not?’ said Kaspar, suddenly bereft.

‘We can’t go around beating up the citizens of Weimar, Kas. It won’t do. The Director won’t have it.’