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Chapter 1

For a crow, the cities of Vienna and Prague are just a shade over 150 miles apart When one travels by train, the distance is increased by al the northern bank of the Danube to Linz, then turns abruptly northward, crosses the Czech border, and follows the Vltava River into Prague If the train kept to its schedule, the entire journey would take five hours and eleven minutes

My particular train seemed unlikely toVienna, lost a few more minutes en route to Linz, and spent almost a quarter of an hour more time in that city than it was supposed to I had left Vienna by six; by nine we had still not quite reached the border station, and I expected it would be well after ue

The delay did not bother me I had spent themy time If I had wanted to proceed directly, I would have flown froone on directly by air to Prague But it had seemed advisable to create the impression that I was a rather ordinary American tourist on a rather ordinary European vacation I had, accordingly, gone first to London, then to Lisbon, then to Roue this evening, where according to the itinerary I carried, I would be uide and conveyed to a reco the Czech capital, I would go on to Berlin by air, take another train to Copenhagen, and finish up with a few days in Stockholue, however, I intended to depart rather drastically frouide, it would become obvious that I was not entirely the tourist I had seeh, and looked capable of doing the one thing it was designed to do – getanyone’s interest

My seat companion was French, a plump little man about forty with a dark shadow of beard and very little hair He wore thick glasses and a rumpled silk suit On the first part of the journey he busied hiazines I had theseat, and I spentthe blue Danube turn purple in the twilight The whole countryside looked like background scenery for a Strauss waltz

By the ti I propped openabout the town The eted a bit in his seat, opened the hed heavily The longer we rerew Several ti a conversation, but each time he held himself in check Finally, as the train pulled out of Linz, he offered arette

In French, I thanked him and explained that I do not smoke

"You speak French?"

"Yes, a bit"

"It is a blessing Myself, I have no head for languages None!"

I said that this was a great pity, or so equally noncoer – I do not normally travel Why should a man who speaks only French be sent on missions to other countries? Eh?"

He did not wait for an anshich savedto think of one "Extensive revisions in our pricing policies Certain important associates must be informed in person But why by ht I could speak Italian, but when I speak they do not understand, and when they speak I do not understand Next Vienna Three days in Vienna But I was fortunate In Vienna and in Florence there were ue! What do they speak in Prague?"

"Czechoslovakian"

"How formidable! I wonder if anyone will speak French It is not merely the men one sees on business But the waiters, the taxi drivers, the clerks It astonishes me that such persons are not required to learn French-"

He carried on in this vein all the way to the border For all the talking I did, it was hardly necessary that I spoke French; it would have been enough for his purpose if Ito nod in confirmation whenever he came to the end of a sentence

As we approached the border, he asked me my own nationality I told hihly "But," he said, "I can see that you are not the usual American tourist"

"Why do you say that?"

"Ah, because of your manner So many of your countrymen come to Europe with an attitude of – what is it? Superiority? Yes, just that They do not even trouble to learn the languages of the countries they visit What is their attitude? Let everyone else learn English An incredible attitude…"

The customs inspections at the border silenced hi on were delivered in both German and Czech, neither of which my worldly companion could understand I translated the Geret his suitcase down from the rack and unlock it, prepare his passport and other pertinent papers, and otherwise ready himself for customs check When the announcement was repeated in Czech, he demanded to know its content I assured him that it was just more of the same

There were two inspections The exit inspection on the Austrian side was cursory My own suitcase was not even opened Then we crossed the border, and the Austrian trainmen were replaced by Czechs, and Czech custoh the cars This second check was a good deal more detailed When the custoovernment railway policeman remained in our car We had been spared the presence of such an official in Austria

I glanced over at hi man, thick in the shoulders and thicker in the neck, with a flat forehead and close-cropped sand-colored hair I avoided his eyes for a fewat me

I wondered why There had been no trouble with the passport I was sure they had my name on a list somewhere, but a brief customs check would not turn it up By the tiether, I expected to be hidden in Prague

Unless, of course, they’d had advance notice that I was co me what a pleasure it was to have me for a companion The pleasure, I wanted to tell hiround it out carefully underfoot, and sighed again

"I think," he said, "that perhaps I shall take a brief nap"