Page 457 of Edge of Eternity (The Century 3)

His driver returned to the black ZIL limousine parked at the curb.

Lili spoke with distaste. "What do you want?"

"To speak to your niece, Alice."

"How did you know she was here?"

Hans smiled and did not bother to answer. The Stasi knew everything.

Lili went into the kitchen. "It's Hans Hoffmann. He wants Alice."

Alice stood up, pale with fear.

Carla said: "Take him upstairs, Lili. Stay with them."

Karolin half-rose out of her chair. "I should go with her."

Carla put a restraining hand on Karolin's arm. "You're in no state to deal with the Stasi."

Karolin accepted that and sat back down again. Lili held the door for Alice, who came out of the kitchen into the hall. The two women went upstairs, followed by Hans.

Lili almost offered Hans a cup of coffee, from automatic politeness, but she stopped herself. He could die of thirst first.

Hans picked up the Sherlock Holmes book Alice had left on the table. "English," he commented, as if that confirmed a suspicion. He sat down, tugging on the knees of his fine wool trousers to prevent creasing. He put the square packet on the floor beside his chair. He said: "So, young Alice, you wish to travel to West Germany. Why?"

He was a big shot now. Lili did not know what his exact title was, but he was more than just a secret policeman. He made speeches at national meetings and spoke to the press. However, he was not too important to persecute the Franck family.

"My father lives in Hamburg," Alice said in answer to his question. "So does my aunt Rebecca."

"Your father is a murderer."

"It happened before I was born. Are you punishing me for it? That isn't what you mean by Communist justice . . . is it?"

Hans gave that smug I-thought-so nod again. "A smart mouth, just like your grandmother. This family will never learn."

Lili said angrily: "We have learned that Communism means petty officials can take their revenge, without regard to justice or the law."

"Do you imagine that such talk is the way to persuade me to grant Alice permission to travel?"

"You've made up your mind already," Lili said wearily. "You're going to refuse. You wouldn't have come here to say yes to her. You just want to gloat."

Alice said: "Where in the writings of Karl Marx do we read that in the Communist state workers are not

allowed to travel to other countries?"

"Restrictions are made necessary by the conditions prevailing."

"No, they're not. I want to see my father. You prevent me. Why? Just because you can! That has nothing to do with socialism and everything to do with tyranny."

Hans's mouth twisted. "You bourgeois people," he said in tones of disgust. "You can't bear it when others have power over you."

"Bourgeois?" said Lili. "I don't have a uniformed chauffeur to hold an umbrella over me while I walk from the car to the house. Nor does Alice. There's only one bourgeois in this room, Hans."

He picked up the package and handed it to Alice. "Open it," he said.

Alice took off the brown paper wrapping. Inside was a copy of Plum Nellie's latest album, The Interpretation of Dreams. Her face lit up.

Lili wondered what trick Hans was up to now.

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