The Other Side (3 page)

Neither of us broke the silence.

III

When it comes down to it, no one can deny their own temperament, it will always determine everything you do. In mine, a decidedly melancholy one, pleasure and misery lie quite close together. I have always been subject to the most abrupt changes of mood. This particular disposition, a psychological legacy from my mother, has been the source of both great joy and bitter torment. I mention this excessive emotionalism now; it will make my later behaviour in various situations more readily understood.

I have to admit that Gautsch now appeared to me as a person in whom I could have complete confidence. I was convinced that he must have some connection with Patera and it was obvious there was some truth in the story of the Dream Realm. The world’s a big place and I have come across many bizarre things in my time. Patera, of this at least I was convinced, was very rich. The Dream Realm must be a kind of hobby, a caprice realised on a large and expensive scale. Being an artist I always found that kind of thing plausible. In a sudden upsurge of emotion I stretched out my hand to Gautsch.

‘Do please forgive my strange behaviour, but I am only just coming to terms with all this. I am most interested in what you have had to say. Would you please tell me more about my old school-friend.’ As I spoke I pushed his chair towards him.

My visitor sat down and said, very politely, ‘Certainly. I will fill in the details of what I sketched out before and tell you more about the Dream state and its mysterious lord.’

‘I can hardly wait!’

‘Twelve years ago my master was in the extensive region of the Tien Shan, the Mountains of Heaven, which are in Chinese central Asia. His main purpose was to hunt the rare animals which are now found only in those parts. Among others, he wanted to bag a Persian tiger, one of a smaller, particularly long-haired species. They found some tracks, and in the evening he set off to follow it. With the help of his Buryat tracker he soon succeeded in flushing the animal out. Before they managed a single shot, however, the cornered beast flung itself at its two attackers. The Buryat quickly took evasive action, but Patera was thrown to the ground. His guide, fortunately, managed to intervene in time and shot the animal through the head from point-blank range. Patera escaped with a badly lacerated hand which meant he had to stay in the area for some considerable time. It refused to heal until it was treated by an old man who was the chieftain of a strange blue-eyed clan. This tiny tribe–there were only about a hundred of them in all–was characterised by a lighter skin colour. Surrounded by a pure Mongol population, the outliers of the great Kirghiz hordes, they kept themselves to themselves and did not intermingle with the neighbouring tribes. Even at that time they were said to have strange, mysterious customs, but unfortunately I cannot tell you anything about them. What is certain, however, is that Patera was interested in and accepted by them. He gave them rich presents when he left, promising to return soon. The chieftains accompanied him a good way and their leave-taking was, it is said, an extremely solemn occasion. Our Lord was much moved by it. Nine months later he returned to the region for good. Among those accompanying him were a high-ranking mandarin and a whole troop of engineers and surveyors. They established a camp near our Master’s blue-eyed friends, who were delighted to see him again. I have all these events from an engineer I know who still lives in the Dream Realm. The result of their activities was the marking-out and purchase of an extensive tract of land, the several thousand square miles on which the Dream Realm was founded. The rest is quickly told. A whole army of coolies, under the guidance of experienced foremen, worked day and night, the Master constantly urging them to work as fast as they could. Two months after his arrival the first houses from Europe were already arriving, all of considerable age and in dilapidated condition. Cunningly dismantled and shipped in separate pieces, they were immediately re-erected on the foundations that had been prepared in advance. Of course, many people shook their heads at the grubby, smoke-blackened old walls, but the gold flowed freely and the Master’s will was done. Everything was crowned with success and only one year later
Pearl
, the capital of the Realm, must have looked almost the way it does today. All the tribes that used to live there left along with the coolies, only the blue-eyed folk stayed.’

Gautsch paused.

‘But there is one thing I still don’t understand’, I interjected. ‘According to what system does Patera buy the houses?’

‘I’m afraid that’s something I don’t know either’, Gautsch replied. ‘They are all old properties. Some are even falling down and would be worthless to anyone else; others, though, are solid and well preserved. They come from all over Europe. The master himself designated each one individually so one must presume these buildings, both wood and stone and gathered together from different parts, must have some particular significance for him. Why else would he have invested millions in founding this city?’

‘How much money does this man have then, for goodness sake?’ I exclaimed, astounded.

‘Ah, well, if we knew
that
‘, was his melancholy reply. ‘I have been in his employment for ten years and have certainly paid out close on two hundred million for purchases, compensation, transport and other goods and services. There are agents like myself in all parts of the world. It is impossible even to guess at the extent of Patera’s wealth.’

I gave a groan. ‘I believe you, sir, but I still don’t understand. It all sounds so mysterious. Well, go on, go on. What is life there like?’

‘I’ll try to explain some things. To tell you everything would be impossible, there isn’t time for that. And anyway, I don’t live there permanently, I just visit from time to time. What kind of thing would you like information on?’

I was naturally interested in artistic matters so Gautsch told me what he knew about the arts in the Dream Realm.

‘We don’t have special museum buildings or art galleries. We don’t pile up valuable works of art, but you will find many an exceptional individual piece. Everything is shared out, “in use”, so to speak. I must say, though, that I cannot recall a single case of a more recent painting, bronze or other art object being purchased. The 1860s are the absolute limit. I can tell you from my own experience that I despatched a crate of good Dutch paintings, including two Rembrandts, myself a few years ago, so they must be there now. Patera is more a collector of antiquities than of art, though on the grand scale. As I have already explained, he buys extensive building complexes. But there is even more! He has an unbelievable memory and can remember almost all the objects in his realm. We agents purchase them to order. We often receive lists of the desired objects with precise details of their appearance, where to find them and who owns them. These goods are acquired, often at the highest prices, and then carefully packed and sent to Pearl. And quite a task that is too’, he added. ‘I often find it incomprehensible where he gets his immense knowledge of these things. Although I have been in his employment for many years now and might be expected to be used to anything, I keep on being amazed. Valuable articles and what is clearly trash are both demanded with the same insistence. How often have I visited people, from respectable city-dwellers to peasants living in remote mountain areas, and had to rummage through their cellars and lofts looking for some old piece of rubbish. The people themselves often have no idea that they possess the thing, a broken chair, an old cigar-lighter, a pipe-rack, an egg-timer or whatever. Sometimes, when the object is too trifling, they just laugh and let me have it for nothing. Quite often I have great difficulty persuading the people they actually possess the object I’m looking for, but we always find it in the end. It’s usually the wily peasant who takes the fattest cut. Yes, I’ve plenty to keep me occupied. Only last week I received a consignment of old pianos. There were some very worn-out ones among them.’

‘Oh, I just love old junk’, -l interjected.

‘Yes, I’m sure you’d feel very much at home there. We have everything you need. Good food, not to be compared with the usual swill travellers get in the orient. Housing is comfortable and you’ll find lively society everywhere. There’s even an excellent coffee house. What more could you want?’

‘You’re quite right there’, I cried with feeling. ‘There’s nothing better than a well-ordered, simple existence. But the inhabitants, the people. Who do you meet over there?’

The agent cleared his throat, his spectacles flashed and he went on, ‘That’s true. I haven’t told you about the people yet. Well, just like everywhere else, there are some delightful characters among them.’

‘For example?

‘Well, for a start there is our well-educated, respectable middle class, also the numerous officials … the army too, they’re nice and presentable, you often see officers around … then we mustn’t forget the large number of erudite scholars and, finally, all those characters who escape precise classification, circus performers, freelance artists and the like, just like everywhere else: ..’

‘And above all my friend, the Master himself?’ I interjected.

‘You probably won’t meet him that often. Patera is too busy, weighed down with work. The responsibility! Just think of it! Of course’, he went on hastily, ‘they’re all people who fit into the whole. You, as far as I am aware, were selected because certain of your drawings made an impression on the Master. As you see, you are not entirely unknown there … In order to preserve the purity of the way of life, the style of life there it is necessary, as I mentioned before, to shut off the outside world entirely. Ensuring that is the overriding aim of the Master’s policy. And indeed, so far we have been successful in keeping out those who do not belong there.’

I expressed my enthusiastic support for these ideas. In my mind I had resolved to accept the invitation and was already looking forward to a rich artistic harvest from the whole adventure.

How weak, how unpredictable is the human heart! Had I known then, when the idea of going there began to form within me, had I had even a vague premonition of the tragedies I would undergo, I would not have accepted the invitation and would probably be a different person today.

IV

At this point in the narrative I feel I should add that at that time I was very close to fulfilling a wish that had long been close to my heart. This was a journey to Egypt and India which until now had been impossible for financial reasons. My wife had just received a small legacy and the money was to be used for that journey. But, as always in life, things turned out differently from what we had imagined. When I told Gautsch about this plan he immediately expressed the idea that had occurred to me.

‘Simply swap projects. Instead of India, go to the Dream Realm.’

‘But what about my wife? I don’t want to travel without her.’

‘I have been instructed to invite her as well. If I forgot to mention it previously I do so now.’

I still had some misgivings, however. My wife was not of a strong constitution and could not be expected to take on an arduous journey.

The agent immediately reassured me. ‘That will not be a problem’, he said. ‘The general level of health in the Dream Realm is excellent. Pearl is on the same latitude as Munich, but the climate is so mild that even the most neurasthenic soon feel fit and well again. A large proportion of the inhabitants used to be regular residents in clinics and sanatoriums.’

‘Oh, that’s all right then. In that case I accept’, and I shook Gautsch joyfully by the hand.

‘And as far as the expenses for the journey are concerned’–he had a rapid look round the room before going on–‘you would have no objections to a small advance, I presume?’

Jokingly I laughed, ‘Well, if you insist on giving me a thousand marks, why not?’

At this Patera’s agent just shrugged his shoulders, took out his cheque-book, scribbled down a few words and handed me the slip of paper.

It was a cheque drawn on the Reichsbank for 100,000 marks.

V

Whenever we hear tell of something fantastic, something far from everyday reality, there is always a tiny residue of doubt left in us. And a good thing too! Otherwise we would be easy dupes for anyone with a good story to tell or the first conman to come along. For that reason we are much more easily convinced by things we see than by things we hear. That is what happened in my case. I was already more or less prepared to trust Gautsch, but when I saw this huge sum, a small fortune to me, when I actually held it in my hand, a strange feeling came over me. I trembled and there were tears in my eyes as I said, ‘My dear sir, you must excuse me, but I find it difficult to put my gratitude into words. Not for all this money. Oh no. But, you see, when one has spent all one’s life seeking after the fantastic and it suddenly comes to one, then that is a moment of great wonder. And that is what I, through your kind offices, have been privileged to experience today. Please accept my thanks for it.’

That, more or less, was the way I expressed myself, such was my excitement. Gautsch, who, as it seemed to me, had also turned very solemn, replied in words which showed great sensitivity. ‘Sir, I am only doing my duty. I am pleased if that gives you joy, but you should not thank me, but one mightier than me, in whose name I act. One further piece of advice I can give you:
say nothing of what you have learnt today, do not speak to anyone about it.
Your wife excepted, of course. I cannot say what the consequences of any violation of this rule of ours would be. But Patera’s power is great and he wants the Dream Realm to remain a secret.’