He sighed quietly and stepped into the corridor, then walked quickly to the elevator and rang to call it up. Once back in the lobby, he went over to Stein, who was still sitting with the other gentleman, discussing past or possibly future business dealings.

“Listen, Stein,” Silbermann said quickly and quietly. “I’m leaving this hotel. The Jewish concierge was arrested today. I assume some member of the staff is in contact with the police, or even worse, with the party. And they might very well sic the SA on us.”

“Where do you intend to go?” asked Stein, rather calmly taking in Silbermann’s report.

“I don’t know yet, but I’m not staying here under any circumstances.”

“I’m staying,” Stein declared. “After all, I won’t be getting out of the German Reich tonight. Nor will you. What purpose does it serve to make yourself meshuga on top of that. Anyway, things always turn out differently than you think.”

“If you want to be a fatalist, that’s your business,” Silbermann interrupted. “I intend to do what I can to avoid falling into their hands.”

“But where do you want to go? It’s the same in every hotel. All a matter of luck. Even in the cemetery a Jew isn’t safe from getting shoved around. What are you going to do?” He shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of resignation.

“So are you coming or not?”

“Listen, Silbermann, if you take me along, with my nose, you might as well stay here,” he said, dismissing the thought with an almost scornful laugh. “Flee, with my nose? Absurd.”

“You could be a South American, or an Italian,” Silbermann said to console him.

Stein brushed off the idea with a wave of his hand. “I could be, but I’m not. I have a German passport.” He shook his head. “No,” he said, “there’s no help for me. I have to see to my business, that’s all I can do. A rich Jew is still worth more than a poor one. So don’t let me detain you. Farewell and take care. I’ll call you in a few days, once the anti-Semites have calmed back down. I’d like to make this deal with you, you know? By which I mean that you’ll make the deal and pay me a commission. I’m telling you, what you get off those scrapped ships is nothing by comparison. This is a positive gold mine.”

“I don’t think I’ll be making any more deals,” Silbermann said slowly, “but feel free to call me in the next few days.”

He paid for his room and explained his sudden departure more or less neatly with an unforeseen trip, gave the waiter who was filling in for the concierge a handsome tip, without really knowing why, and left the hotel.