It’s not true. The Waffen-SS blew up the bridges as the Americans were marching in; Carl told him. But if he wants something from Dörsam it wouldn’t be wise to contradict him.

“Schmuederrich is in Buenos Aires. He was a friend of yours?”

Josef nods. Schmuederrich, sure, sure, a friend.

“So you want to go to South America too, huh? That’s why you wanted to meet with me?”

“I don’t have a future here. Maybe I can make myself useful in Buenos Aires?”

“Just what did you do for us anyway?”

He hesitates. Then he decides to bet it all on the one card he has.

“I did a lot for you. Operation Sonnenstaub.”

Dörsam’s face lights up. “Operation Sonnenstaub!”

Josef quickly changes the subject. “I don’t have any papers.”

“Come back to Cologne in four weeks. Do you have money?”

“No.”

“That’s not good.” Dörsam keeps walking, unfazed.

“What does that mean, that’s not good?”

“You can get a job, can’t you? Or sell that camera you’ve got in your pocket? What kind is it?”

“A Linhof.”

“Sell it.”

“I can’t. It’s my brother’s. Just how much money do I need?”

“Depends. If you can do without a lot of comfort, a little money is enough. Maybe five hundred dollars. First you cross the border at Aachen. Hitchhike to Eupen and take the regional train to Herbesthal. There’s a train that goes from Herbesthal to Brussels. From there you take a train to Paris. You actually need a visa for Belgium, but you’re from England, you didn’t know anything about it—that will get you through. In Paris you take a train to Le Havre. Plan on it taking a day. From Le Havre the ship to Dakar, with a stop in Casablanca. Can you remember all this?”

“I don’t know.” Dörsam waits till he’s written down all the different stages of the journey on the back of his train ticket.

“You can apply for a visa in Bonn.” Dörsam looks at his watch. “A little late for it today.”

Eupen, Herbesthal, Brussels, Paris, Le Havre, Casablanca, Dakar, he’s got it all down. “The ticket for the ship?”

“In Le Havre. You need the money for bribes. It’s not as bad as it sounds. All of Europe is on the move. Use the chaos to your advantage. Maybe you can sign on as a sailor, then they’ll give you free passage. And once you get to Buenos Aires, get in touch with Schmuederrich. Restaurant ABC. I’ll send a telegraph. You can make yourself useful there. I’ll be coming later, when I’ve finished my work here.”

He sees that Dörsam keeps looking around nervously, his way of signaling that the meeting is over. Josef summons his courage and asks, “What ever became of Dr. Ritter?”