Page 422 of Edge of Eternity (The Century 3)

Carla embraced Walli, saying: "My little boy! My poor little boy!"

Lili hugged and kissed him, crying all over again. "You look so different," she sobbed. "What happened to you?"

"Rock and roll," he replied with a laugh. "But I'm getting over it." He looked at his older sister. "Rebecca sacrificed a year of her life--and a great career opportunity--to save me."

"Of course I did," said Rebecca. "I'm your sister."

Lili felt sure Rebecca had not hesitated. For her, nothing came before family. Lili had a theory that it was because she was adopted that she felt so strongly.

Werner held Walli in his arms a long time. "We didn't know," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "We didn't know you were coming."

Rebecca said: "I decided to keep it a complete secret."

Carla said: "Isn't it dangerous?"

"It certainly is," said Rebecca. "But Walli wanted to take the risk."

Then Karolin walked in with her family. Like the others, she took a few moments to recognize Walli, then she gave a cry of shock.

"Hello, Karolin," he said. He took her hands and kissed her on both cheeks. "It's so good to see you again."

Odo said: "I'm Odo, Karolin's husband. I'm very glad to meet you at last."

Something flashed across Walli's face. It was gone in a split second, but Lili knew that Walli had seen and understood something about Odo that had shocked him, and had then covered up his shock instantly. The two men shook hands amiably.

Karolin said: "And this is Alice."

"Alice?" said Walli. He looked dazedly at the tall sixteen-year-old girl with long fair hair draping her face like curtains. "I wrote a song about you," he said. "When you were little."

"I know," she said, and kissed his cheek.

Odo said: "Alice knows her history. We told her everything, as soon as she was old enough to understand."

Lili wondered whether Walli heard the note of righteousness in Odo's voice. Or was she being oversensitive?

Walli said to Alice: "I love you, but Odo raised you. I'll never forget that, and I'm sure you won't either."

For a minute he choked up. Then he regained control and said: "Everybody, let's sit down and eat. This is a happy day." Lili realized that Walli had probably paid for everything.

They all sat around the table. For a few moments they were like strangers, feeling awkward, trying to think of something to say. Then several people spoke at once, all asking Walli questions. Everyone laughed. "One at a time!" Walli said, and they all relaxed.

Walli told them he had a penthouse in Hamburg. He was not married, though he had a girlfriend. About every eighteen months or two years he went to California, moved into Dave Williams's farmhouse for four months, and made a new album with Plum Nellie. "I'm an addict," he said. "But I've been clean for seven years, eight come September. When I do a gig with the band, I have a guard outside my dressing room to search people for drugs." He shrugged. "It seems extreme, I know, but there it is."

Walli had questions, too, especially for Alice. While she was answering them, Lili looked around the table. This was her family: her parents, her sister, her brother, her niece, and her oldest friend and singing partner. How lucky she was to have them all together in the same room, eating and talking and drinking wine.

The thought occurred to her that some families did this every week, and took it for granted.

Karolin was sitting next to Walli, and Lili watched them together. They were having a good time. They still made one another laugh, she noticed. If things had been different--if the Berlin Wall had fallen--might their romance have been rekindled? They were still young: Walli was thirty-three, Karolin thirty-five. Lili pushed the thought away: it was an idle speculation, a foolish fantasy.

Walli retold the story of his escape from Berlin for Alice's benefit. When he got to the part where he sat all night waiting for Karolin, who did not show up, she interrupted him. "I was frightened," she said. "Frightened for myself, and for the baby inside me."

"I don't blame you," Walli said. "You did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. The only wrong was the Wall."

He described how he had driven through the checkpoint, busting the barrier. "I'll never forget that man I killed," he said.

Carla said: "It wasn't your fault--he was shooting at you!"

"I know," Walli said, and Lili knew from his tone of voice that at last he was at peace about this. "I feel sorry, but I don't feel guilty. I wasn't wrong to escape; he wasn't wrong to shoot at me."

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