theonlybrotherworthyofaeasureofepathyinvanger’seyeswasthesicklygustav,whodiedoflungdiseasein1955.gustavhadneverbeeninterestedinpolitics,andheseeedtobesoesortofisanthropicartisticsoul,withabsolutelynointerestinbusinessorworkinginthevangercorporation.

blokvistaskedvanger:“nowyouandharaldaretheonlyonesleft.whydidheovebacktohedeby？”

“heovedhoein1979.heownsthathouse.”

“itustfeelstrangelivingsoclosetoabrotherthatyouhate.”

“idon’thateybrother.ifanything,iaypityhi.he’sapleteidiot,andhe’stheonewhohatese.”

“hehatesyou？”

“precisely.ithinkthat’swhyhecaebackhere.sothathecouldspendhislastyearshatingeatclosequarters.”

“whydoeshehateyou？”

“becauseigotarried.”

“ithinkyou’regoingtohavetoexplainthat.”

vangerhadlostcontactwithhisolderbrothersearlyon.hewastheonlybrothertoshowanaptitudeforbusiness—hewashisfather’slasthope.hehadnointerestinpoliticsandsteeredclearofuppsala.insteadhestudiedeconoicsinstockhol.afterheturnedeighteenhespenteverybreakandsuerholidayworkingatoneoftheofficeswithinthevangercorporationorworkingwiththeanageentofoneofitspanies.hebecaefailiarwithallthelabyrinthsofthefailybusiness.

on10june,1941—intheidstofanall-outwar—vangerwassenttogeranyforasix-weekvisitatthevangercorporationbusinessofficesinhaburg.hewasonlytwenty-oneandthevanger’sgeranagent,apanyveteranbythenaeofherannlobach,washischaperoneandentor.

“iwon’ttireyouwithallthedetails,butwheniwentthere,hitlerandstalinwerestillgoodfriendsandtherewasn’tyetaneasternfront.everyonestillbelievedthathitlerwasinvincible.therewasafeelingof…bothoptiisanddesperation.ithinkthosearetherightwords.morethanhalfacenturylater,it’sstilldifficul. comutwordstotheood.don’tgetewrong—iwasnotanazi,andinyeyeshitlerseeedlikesoeabsurdcharacterinanoperetta.butitwouldhavebeenalostipossiblenottobeinfectedbytheoptiisaboutthefuture,whichwasrifeaongordinarypeopleinhaburg.despitethefactthatthewarwasgettingcloser,andseveralbobingraidswerecarriedoutagainsthaburgduringthetieiwasthere,thepeopleseeedtothinkitwasostlyateporaryannoyance—thatsoontherewouldbepeaceandhitlerwouldestablishhisneuropa.peoplewantedtobelievethathitlerwasgod.that’swhatitsoundedlikeinthepropaganda.”

vangeropenedoneofhisanyphotographalbus.

“thisislobach.hedisappearedin1944,presuablylostinsoebobingraid.weneverknehathisfatewas.duringyweeksinhaburgibecaeclosetohi.iwasstayingwithhiandhisfailyinanelegantapartentinawell-to-doneighbourhoodofhaburg.wespenttietogethereveryday.hewasnooreanazithaniwas,butforconveniencehewasaeberoftheparty.hisebershipcardopeneddoorsandfacilitatedopportunitiesforthevangercorporation—andbusinesswaspreciselywhatwedid.webuiltfreightwagonsfortheirtrains—i’vealwayswonderedwhetheranyofourwagonsweredestinedforpoland.wesoldfabricfortheiruniforsandtubesfortheirradiosets—althoughofficiallywedidn’

7

提供

tknohattheywereusingthegoodsfor.andlobachknewhowtolandacontract；hewasentertainingandgood-natured.theperfectnazi.graduallyibegantoseethathewasalsoaanwhowasdesperatelytryingtohideasecret.

“intheearlyhoursofjune22in1941,lobachknockedonthedoorofybedroo.myroowasnexttohiswife’sbedroo,andhesignalledetobequiet,getdressed,andewithhi.wewentdownstairsandsatinthesokingsalon.lobachhadbeenupallnight.hehadtheradioon,andirealisedthatsoethingserioushadhappened.operationbarbarossahadbegun.geranyhadinvadedthesovietuniononmidsuereve.”vangergesturedinresignation.“lobachtookouttwoglassesandpouredagenerousaquavitforeachofus.hewasobviouslyshaken.wheniaskedhiwhatitalleant,herepliedwithforesightthatiteanttheendforgeranyandnazis.ionlyhalfbelievedhi—hitlerseeedundefeatable,afterall—butlobachandidrankatoasttothefallofgerany.thenheturnedhisattentio. comracticalatters.”

blokvistnoddedtosignalthathewasstillfollowingthestory.

“first,hehadnopossibilityofcontactingyfatherforinstructions,butonhisowninitiativehehaddecidedtocutshortyvisittogeranyandsendehoe.second,heaskedetodosoethingforhi.”

vangerpointedtoayellowedportraitofadark-hairedwoan,inthree-quarterview.

“lobachhadbeenarriedforfortyyears,butin1919heetawildlybeautifulwoanhalfhisage,andhefellhopelesslyinlovewithher.shewasapoor,sipleseastress.lobachcourtedher,andlikesoanyotherwealthyen,hecouldaffordtoinstallherinanapartentaconvenientdistancefrohisoffice.shebecaehisistress.in1921shehadadaughter,whowaschristenededith.”

“richolderan,pooryoungwoan,andalovechild—thatcan’thavecauseduchofascandalintheforties,”blokvistsaid.

“absolutelyright.ifithadn’tbeenforohing.thewoanwasjewish,andconsequentlylobachwasthefatherofajewintheidstofnazigerany.hewaswhattheycalleda‘traitortohisrace.’”

“ah…thatdoeschangethesituation.whathappened？”

“edith’sotherhadbeenpickedupin1939.shedisappeared,andwecanonlyguesswhatherfatewas.itwasknown,ofcourse,thatshehadadaughterwhowasnotyetincludedonanytransportlist,andwhowasnowbeingsoughtbythedepartentofthegestapowhosejobitwastotrackdownfugitivejews.inthesuerof1941,theweekthatiarrivedinhaburg,edith’sotherwassoehowlinkedtolobach,andhewassuonedforaninterview.heacknowledgedtherelationshipandhispaternity,buthestatedthathehadnoideawherehisdaughterightbe,andhehadnothadanycontactwithherintenyears.”

“sowherewasthedaughter？”

“ihadseenhereverydayinthelobachs’hoe.asweetandquiettwenty-year-oldgirlwhocleanedyrooandhelpedservedinner.by1937thepersecutionofthejewshadbeengoingonforseveralyears,andedith’sotherhadbeggedlobachforhelp.andhedidhelp—lobachlovedhisillegitiatechildjustasuchashislegitiatechildren.hehidherintheostunlikelyplacehecouldthinkof—rightinfrontofeveryone’snose.hehadarrangedforcounterfeitdocuents,andhehadtakenherinastheirhousekeeper.”

“didhiswifeknohoshewas？”

“no,itseeedshehadnoidea.ithadworkedforfouryears,butnowlobachfeltthenoosetightening.itwasonlyaatteroftiebeforethegestapowouldeknockingonthedoor.thenhewenttogethisdaughterandintroducedhertoeassuch.shewasveryshyanddidn’tevendarelookeintheeye.sheusthavebeenuphalfthenightwaitingtobecalled.lobachbeggedetosaveherlife.”

“how？”

“hehadarrangedthewholething.iwassupposedtobestayinganotherthreeweeksandthentotakethenighttraintocopenhagenandcontinuebyferryacrossthesound—arelativelysafetrip,eveninwartie.buttwodaysafterourconversationafreighterownedbythevangercorporationwastoleavehaburgheadedforsweden.lobachwantedtosendewiththefreighterinstead,toleavegeranywithoutdelay.thechangeinytravelplanshadtobeapprovedbythesecurityservice；itwasaforality,butnotaproble.butlobachwantedeonboardthatfreighter.”

“togetherwithedith,ipresue.”

“edithwassuggledonboard,hiddeninsideoneofthreehundredcratescontainingachinery.myjobwa. comrotectherifsheshouldbediscoveredwhilewewerestillingeranterritorialwaters,an. comreventthecaptainoftheshipfrodoinganythingstupid.otherwiseiwassupposedtowaituntilwewereagooddistancefrogeranybeforeiletherout.”

“itsoundsterrifying.”

“itsoundedsipletoe,butitturnedintoanightarejourney.thecaptainwascalledoskargranath,andhewasfarfropleasedtobeaderesponsibleforhiseployer’ssnottylittleheir.welefthaburgaround9:00intheeveninginlatejune.wewerejustakingourwayoutoftheinnerharbourwhentheair-raidsirenswentoff.abritishbobingraid—theheaviestihadthenexperienced,andtheharbourwas,ofcourse,theaintarget.butsoehoegotthrough,andafteranenginebreakdownandaiserablystorynightinine-filledwaterswearrivedthefollowingafternoonatkarlskrona.you’reprobablygoingtoaskewhathappenedtothegirl.”

“ithinkiknow.”

“myfatherwasunderstandablyfurious.ihadputeverythingatriskwithyidioticventure.andthegirlcouldhavebeendeportedfroswedenatanytie.butiwasalreadyjustashopelesslyinlovewithheraslobachhadbeenwithherother.iproposedtoherandgaveyfatheranultiatu—eitherheaeptedourarriageorhe’dhavetolookforanotherfattedcalfforthefailybusiness.hegavein.”

“butshedied？”

“yes,fartooyoung,in1958.shehadacongenitalheartdefect.anditturnedoutthaticouldn’thavechildren.andthat’swhyybrotherhatese.”

“becauseyouarriedher.”

“because—tousehisownwords—iarriedafilthyjewishwhore.”

“buthe’sinsane.”