The Nature Theatre of Oklahoma Amerika

At a street corner Karl saw a placard with the following announcement: The Oklahoma Theatre will engage members for its company today at Clayton race-course from six o’clock in the morning until midnight. The great Theatre of Oklahoma calls you ! Today only and never again ! If you miss your chance now you miss it for ever ! If you think oi your future you are one of us ! Everyone is welcome ! If you want to be an artist, join our company ! Our Theatre can find employment for everyone, a place for everyone! If you decide on an engagement we congratulate you here and now! But hurry, so that you get in before midnight ! At twelve o'clock the doors will be shut and never opened again ! Down with all those who do not believe in us ! Up, and to Clayton !

A great many people were certainly standing before the placard, but it did not seem to find much approval. There were so many placards; nobody believed in them any longer - And this placard was even more improbable than usual! Above all, it failed in an essential particular, it did not mention payment. If the payment were worth mentioning at all the placard would certainly have mentioned it; that most attractive of all arguments would not have been forgotten. No one wanted to be an artist, but every man wanted to be paid for his labours.

Yet for Karl there was one great attraction in the placard. ‘Everyone is welcome,' it said. Everyone, that meant Karl too. All that he had done till now was ignored; it was not going to be made a reproach to him. He was entitled to apply

for a job of which he need not be ashamed, which, on the contrary, was a matter of public advertisement. And just as public was the promise that he too would find acceptance. He asked for nothing better; he wanted to find some way of at least beginning a decent life, and perhaps this was his chance. Even if all the extravagant statements in the placard were a lie, even if the great Theatre of Oklahoma were an insignificant travelling circus it wanted to engage people, and that was enough. Karl did not read the whole placard over again, but once more singled out the sentence : ‘Everyone is welcome.' At first'he thought of going to Clayton on foot; yet that would mean three hours of hard walking, and in all possibility he might arrive just in time to hear that every available vacancy had been filled. The placard certainly suggested that there were no limits to the number of people who could be engaged, but all advertisements of that kind were worded like that. Karl saw that he must either give it up or else go by train. He counted over his money, which would last him for eight days yet if he did not take this railway journey; he slid the little coins backwards and forwards on the palm of his hand. A gentleman who had been watching him clapped him on the shoulder and said : ‘All good luck for your journey to Clayton.’ Karl nodded silently and reckoned up his money again. But he soon came to a decision, counted out the money he needed for the fare and rushed to the underground station. When he got out at Clayton he heard at once the noise of many trumpets. It was a confused blaring; the trumpets were not in harmony but were blown regardless of each other. Still, that did not worry Karl; he took it rather as a confirmation of the fact that the Theatre of Oklahoma was a great undertaking. But when he emerged from the station and surveyed the lay-out before him, he realized that it was all on a much larger scale than he could have conceived possible, and he did not understand how any organization could make such extensive preparations merely for the purpose of taking on employees. Before

the entrance to the race-course a long low platform had been set up, on which hundreds of women dressed as angels in white robes with great wings on their shoulders were blowing on long trumpets that glittered like gold. They were not actually standing on the platform, but were mounted on separate pedestals, which could not however be seen, since they were completely hidden by the long flowing draperies of the robes. Now, as the pedestals were very high, some of them quite six feet high, these women looked gigantic, except that the smallness of their heads spoiled a little the impression of size and their loose hair looked too short and almost absurd hanging between the great wings and framing the faces. To avoid monotony, the pedestals were of all sizes; there were women quite low down, not much over life-size, but beside them others soared to such a height that one felt the slightest gust of wind could capsize them. And all these women were blowing their trumpets.

There were not many listeners. Dwarfed by compariso with these great figures, some ten boys were walking about before the platform and looking up at the women. They called each other’s attention to this one or that, but seemed to have no idea of entering and offering their services. Only one older man was to be seen; he stood a little to one side. He had brought his wife with him and a child in a perambulator The wife was holding the perambulator with one hand and with the other supporting herself on her husband’s shoulde \ They were clearly admiring the spectacle but one could see all the same that they were disappointed. They too had apparently expected to find some sign of work, and the blowing of trumpets confused them. Karl was in the sam: position. He walked over to where the man was standing listened for a little to the trumpets, and then said : ‘Isn’t the the place where they are engaging people for the Theatre of Oklahoma ? ’

‘I thought so too,' said the man, ‘but we’ve been waiting here for an hour and heard nothing but these trumpetJ

There’s not a placard to be seen, no announcers, nobody anywhere to tell you what to do.'

Karl said: ‘Perhaps they're waiting until more people arrive. There are really very few here.'

‘Possibly,’ said the man, and they were silent again. Besides, it was difficult to hear anything through the din of the trumpets. But then the woman whispered to her husband; he nodded and she called at once to Karl: ‘Couldn’t you go into the race-course and ask where the workers are being taken on ? ’

‘Yes,’ said Karl: ‘But I would have to cross the platform, among all the angels.’

‘Is that so very difficult?’ asked the woman.

She seemed to think it an easy path for Karl, but she was unwilling to let her husband go.

‘All right,’ said Karl, ‘I’ll go.'

‘That’s very good of you,’ said the woman, and both she and her husband took Karl’s hand and pressed it.

The boys all came rushing up to get a near view of Karl climbing the platform. It was as if the women redoubled their efforts on the trumpets as a greeting to the first applicant. Those whose pedestals Karl had to pass actually took their trumpets from their mouths and leaned over to follow him with their eyes. At the other side of the platform Karl discovered a man walking restlessly up and down, obviously only waiting for people so as to give them all the information they might desire. Karl was just about to accost him, when he heard someone calling his name above him.

‘Karl ! ' cried an angel. Karl looked up and in delighted surprise began to laugh. It was Fanny.

‘Fanny ! ’ he exclaimed, waving his hand.

‘Come up here!’ cried Fanny. ‘You’re surely not going to pass me like that ! ’ And she parted her draperies so that the pedestal and a little ladder heading up to it became visible. ‘Is one allowed to go up ?’ asked Karl.

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‘Who can forbid us to shake hands V cried Fanny, an she looked round indignantly, in case anyone might b coming to intervene. But Karl was already running up the ladder.

‘Not so fast !’ cried Fanny. ‘The pedestal and both of u will come to grief !’ But nothing happened, Karl reached th| top in safety. ‘Just look,' said Fanny, after they had greete: each other, ‘just look what a job I've got/

‘It’s a fine job,' said Karl, looking round him. All the women near by had noticed him and begun to giggle. ‘You're almost the highest of them all,' said Karl, and he stretche out his hand to measure the height of the others.

‘I saw you at once,' said Fanny, ‘as soon as you came oil of the station, but I'm in the last row here, unfortunately nobody can see me, and I couldn’t shout either. I blew s loudly as I could, but you didn’t recognize me/

‘You all play very badly,' said Karl, ‘let me have a turn: ‘Why, certainly,' said Fanny, handing him the trumpe ‘but don’t spoil the show or else I’ll get the sack/

Karl began to blow into the trumpet; he had imagined was a roughly fashioned trumpet intended merely to make noise, but now he discovered that it was an instrument capab * of almost any refinement of expression. If all the instni ments were of the same quality, they were being very ill used. Paying no attention to the blaring of the others H played with all the power of his lungs an air which he hai once heard in some tavern or other. He felt happy at havin: found an old friend, and at being allowed to play a trumpet as a special privilege, and at the thought that he might like! I get a good post very soon. Many of the women stopped pla^ ing to listen; when he suddenly broke off scarcely half e the trumpets were in action; and it took a little while fc the general din to work up to full power again.

‘But you are an artist,' said Fanny, when Karl handed he the trumpet again. ‘Ask to be taken on as a trumpeter/ ‘Are men taken on for it too ? ’ said Karl.

'Oh yes,' said Fanny. 'We play for two hours; then we're relieved by men who are dressed as devils. Half of them blow, the other half beat on drums. It's very fine, but the whole outfit is just as lavish. Don’t you think our robes are beautiful? And the wings?’ she looked down at herself.

‘Do you think/ asked Karl, ‘that I’ll get a job here too?’

‘Most certainly,' said Fanny, ‘why, it’s the greatest theatre in the world. What a piece of luck that we’re to be together again. All the same it depends on what job you get. For it would be quite possible for us not to see each other at all, even though we were both engaged here,' 'Is the place really so big as that ? ’ asked Karl.

'It’s the biggest theatre in the world/ Fanny said again, 1 haven’t seen it yet myself, I admit, but some of the other girls here, who have been in Oklahoma already, say that there are almost no limits to it.’

‘But there aren’t many people here,' said Karl, pointing dowm at the boys and the little family.

‘That’s true,' said Fanny. ‘But consider that we pick up people in all the towns, that our recruiting outfit here is always on the road, and that there are ever so many of these outfits.’

‘Why, has the theatre not opened yet?’ asked Karl.

‘Oh yes,' said Fanny, ‘it’s an old theatre, but it is always being enlarged.’

‘I’m surprised,' said Karl, ‘that more people don’t flock to join it.

‘Yes,’ said Fanny, 'it’s extraordinary/

‘Perhaps/ . said Karl, ‘this display of angels and devils frightens people off more than it attracts them.’

‘What made you think of that?’ said Fanny. ‘But you may be right. Tell that to our leader; perhaps it might be helpful.’

‘Where is he ? ’ asked Karl.

'On the race-course,’ said Fanny, 'on the umpire’s platform/

‘That surprises me too,’ said Karl, ‘why a race-course fo engaging people?'

4Oh,' said Fanny, ‘we always make great preparations i case there should be a great crowd. There's lots of space on race-course. And in all the stands where the bets are laid o ordinary days, offices are set up to sign on recruits. Then must be two hundred different offices there.'

‘But,' cried Karl, ‘has the Theatre of Oklahoma such huge income that it can maintain recruiting establishmeni to that extent?'

‘What does that matter to us?’ said Fanny. ‘But you' better go now, Karl, so that you don’t miss anything; and must begin to blow my trumpet again. Do your best to get job in this outfit, and come and tell me at once. Rememba that I’ll be waiting very impatiently for the news.'

She pressed his hand, warned him to be cautious in climU ing down, set the trumpet to her lips again, but did not blov it until she saw Karl safely on the ground. Karl arranged the robe over the ladder again, as it had been before, Fanni nodded her thanks and Karl, still considering from variou angles what he had just heard, approached the man, who ha i already seen him up on Fanny's pedestal and had come clos to it to wait for him.

‘You want to join us?' asked the man. ‘I am the stai manager of this company and I bid you welcome.’ He had slight permanent stoop as if out of politeness, fidgeted wit his feet, though without moving from the spot, and playe ! with his watch chain.

‘Thank you,' said Karl, ‘I read the placard your compan i put out and I have come here as I was requested.'

‘Quite right,’ said the man appreciatively. ‘Unluckily then aren't many who do the same.’ It occurred to Karl that h could now tell the man that perhaps the recruiting com pany failed because of the very splendour of its attractions But he did not say so, for this man was not the leader of the company, and besides it would not be much of a recommer

dation for him if he began to make suggestions for the improvement of the outfit before even being taken on. So he merely said : There is another man waiting out there who wants to report here too and simply sent me on ahead. May I fetch him now ? ’

‘Of course,' said the man, ‘the more the better.’

‘He has a wife with him too and a small child in a perambulator. Are they to come too ? ’

‘Of course,' said the man, and he seemed to smile at Karl’s

doubts. ‘We can use all of them/

Til be back in a minute,' said Karl, and he ran back to the edge of the platform. He waved to the married couple and shouted that everybody could come. He helped the man to lift the perambulator on to the platform, and then they proceeded together. The boys, seeing this, consulted with each other, and then, their hands in their pockets, hesitating to the last instant, slowly climbed on to the platform and followed Karl and the family. Just then some fresh passengers emerged from the underground station and raised their arms in astonishment when they saw the platform and the angels. However, it seemed that the competition for jobs would now become more lively. Karl felt very glad that he was such an early arrival,- perhaps the first of them all; the married couple were apprehensive and asked various questions as to whether great demands would be made on them. Karl told them he knew nothing definite yet, but he had received the impression that everyone without exception would be engaged. He thought they could feel easy in their minds. The staff manager advanced towards them, very satisfied that so many were coming; he rubbed his hands, greeted everyone with a little bow and arranged them all in a row. Karl was the first, then came the husband and wife, and after that the others. When they were all ranged up - the boys kept jostling each other at first and it took some time to get them in order - the staff manager said, while the trumpets fell silent: ‘I greet you in the name of the Theatre of Oklahoma. You

have come early/ (but it was already midday), 'there is no great rush yet, so that the formalities necessary for engaging you will soon be settled. Of course you have all your identification papers/

The boys at once pulled papers out of their pockets and: flourished them at the staff manager; the husband nudged: his wife, who pulled out a whole bundle of papers from unden the blankets of the perambulator. But Karl had none. Would] that prevent him from being taken on? He knew well enough from experience that with a little resolution it should be easy^ to get round such regulations. Very likely he would succeed. The staff manager glanced along the row, assured himself that^ everyone had papers and since Karl also stood with his hand: raised, though it was empty, he assumed that in his case too: everything was in order.

'Very good,' said the staff manager, with a reassuring wave: of the hand to the boys, who wanted to have their papers examined at once, ‘the papers will now be scrutinized in the employment bureaus. As you will have seen already from oun placard, we can find employment for everyone. But we musn know of course what occupations you have followed until! now, so that we can put you in the right places to make use of your knowledge,' 'But it's a theatre,' thought Karl dubiously, and he listened] very intently.

'We have accordingly/ went on the staff manager, ‘set upi employment bureaus in the bookmakers’ booths, an office for each trade or profession. So each of you will now tell me his occupation; a family is generally registered at the husband’s employment bureau. I shall then take you to the offices, where first your papers and then your qualifications: will be checked by experts; it will only be a quite short! examination; there’s nothing to be afraid of. You will them be signed on at once and receive your further instructions^ So let us begin. This first office is for engineers, as the inscription tells you. Is there perhaps an engineer here?’

Karl stepped forward. He thought that his lack of papers made it imperative for him to rush through the formalities with all possible speed; he had also a slight justification in putting himself forward, for he had once wanted to be an engineer. But when the boys saw Karl reporting himself they grew envious and put up their hands too, all of them. The staff manager rose to his full height and said to the boys: 'Are you engineers?’ Their hands slowly wavered and sank, but Karl stuck to his first decision. The staff manager certainly looked at him with - incredulity, for Karl seemed too wretchedly clad and also too young to be an engineer; but he said nothing further, perhaps out of gratitude because Karl, at least in his. opinion, had brought the applicants in. He simply pointed courteously towards the office, and Karl went across to it; while the staff manager turned to the others.

In the bureau for engineers two gentlemen were sitting at either side of a rectangular counter comparing two big lists which lay before them. One of them read while the other made a mark against names in his list. When Karl appeared and greeted them, they laid aside the list at once and brought out two great books, which they flung open.

One of them, who was obviously only a clerk, said : 'Please give me your identity papers.’

T am sorry to say I haven’t got them with me,' said Karl.

'He hasn’t got them with him,’ said the clerk to the other gentleman, at once writing down the answer in his book.

Tou are an engineer?’ thereupon asked the other man, who seemed to be in charge of the bureau. '

'I’m not an engineer yet,’ said Karl quickly, 'but -

'Enough,' said the gentleman still more quickly, 'in that case you don’t belong to us. Be so good as to note the inscription.’ Karl clenched his teeth, and the gentleman must have observed that, for he said : 'There’s no need to worry. We can employ everyone.’ And he made a sign to one of the attendants who were lounging about idly between the barriers : ‘Lead this gentleman to the bureau for technicians/

The attendant interpreted the command literally and took Karl by the hand. They passed a number of booths on either side; in one Karl saw one of the boys, who had already been signed on and was gratefully shaking hands with the gentleman in charge. In the bureau to which Karl was now taken the procedure was similar to that in the first office, as he had foreseen. Except that they now despatched him to the bureau for intermediate pupils, when they heard that he had attended an intermediate school. But when Karl confessed there that it was a European school he had attended, the officials refused to accept him and had him conducted to the bureau for European intermediate pupils. It was a booth on thci outer verge of the course, not only smaller but also humbleri than all the others. The attendant who conducted him there was furious at the long pilgrimage and the repeated rebuffs; for which in his opinion Karl alone bore the blame. He did not wait for the questioning to begin, but went away at once. So this bureau was probably Karl’s last chance. Whenr Karl caught sight of the head of the bureau, he was almosti startled at his close resemblance to a teacher who was presumably still teaching in the school at home. The reseim blance, however, as immediately appeared, was confined to certain details; but the spectacles resting on the man’s broad nose, the fair beard as carefully tended as a prize exhibit, thq slightly rounded back and the unexpectedly loud abrupt! voice held Karl in amazement for some time. Fortunately, hd had not to attend very carefully, for the procedure here wan much simpler than in the other offices. A note was certainly^ taken of the fact that his papers were lacking, and the head oi the bureau called it an incomprehensible piece of negligence; but the clerk, who seemed to have the upper hand, quickly glossed it over and after a few brief questions by his superior1 while that gentleman was just preparing to put some more important ones, he declared that Karl had been engaged. The head of the bureau turned with open mouth upon his clerk but the clerk made a definite gesture with his hand, said::

Tineaged/ and at once entered the decision in his book. Obviously the clerk considered a European intermediate pupil to be something so ignominious that anyone who admitted to bein£ one was not worth disbelieving. Karl for his part had no objection to this; he went up to the clerk intending to thank him. But there was another little delay, while they asked him what his name was. He did not reply at once; he felt shy of mentioning his own name and letting it be written down. As soon as he had a place here, no matter how small, and filled it satisfactorily, they could have his name, but not now; he had concealed it too long to give it away now. So as no other name occurred to him at the moment, he gave the nickname he had had in his last post : 'Negro.’

'Negro?' said the chief, turning his head and making a grimace, as if Karl had now touched the highwater mark of incredibility. Even the clerk looked critically at Karl for a while, but then he said: 'Negro' and wrote the name down.

'But you surely haven't written down Negro?’ his chief shouted at him.

'Yes, Negro/ caid the clerk calmly, and waved his hand, as if his superior should now continue the proceedings. And the head of the bureau, controlling himself, stood up and said: Tou are engaged, then, for the - ’ but he could not get any further, he could not go against his own conscience, so he sat down and said : ‘He isn’t called Negro.’

The clerk raised his eyebrows, got up himself and said: ‘Then it is my duty to inform you that -you have been engaged for the Theatre in Oklahoma and that you will now be introduced to our leader.’

Another attendant was summoned, who conducted Karl to the umpire’s platform.

At the foot of the steps Karl caught sight of the perambulator, and at that moment the father and mother descended, the mother with the baby on her arm.

'Have you been taken on?’ asked the man; he was much

more lively than before, and his wife smiled at Karl across her shoulder. When Karl answered that he had just been taken on and was going to be introduced, the man said : Then I congratulate you. We have been taken on too. It seems to be a good thing, though you can’t get used to everything all at once; but it’s like that everywhere.’

They said good-bye to each other again, and Karl climbed up to the platform. He took his time, for the small space above seemed to be crammed with people, and he did not want to be importunate. He even paused for a while and gazed at thea great race-course, which extended on every side to distant woods. He was filled with longing to see a horse-race; hq had found no opportunity to do so since he had come to America. In Europe he had once been taken to a race-meeting, as a small child, but all that he could remember was that he had been dragged by his mother through throngs of people who were unwilling to make room and let him pass. So that! actually he had never seen a race yet. Behind him a mechan-t ism of some kind began to whir; he turned round and saw. on the board, where the names of the winners appeared, the following inscription being hoisted: ‘The merchant Kalla] with wife and child.’ So the names of those who were engaged! was communicated to all the offices from here.

At that moment several gentlemen with pencils and note- < books in their hands ran down the stairs, busily talking to; each other; Karl squeezed against the railing to let them; pass, and then went up, as there was now room for him above. In one corner of the platform with its wooden railing - the^ whole looked like the flat roof of a small tower - a gentleman I was sitting with his arms stretched along the railing and ai broad white silk sash hanging diagonally across his chesti with the inscription: ‘Leader of the tenth recruiting squad of the Theatre of Oklahoma.’ On the table stood a telephone*! doubtless installed for use during the races but now obviously] employed in giving the leader all necessary information regarding the various applicants before they were introduced

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for he did not begin by putting questions to Karl, but said to a gentleman sitting beside him with crossed legs, his chin in his hands: ‘Negro, a European intermediate pupil,' And as if with that he had nothing more to say to Karl, who was bowing low before him, he glanced down the stairs to see whether anyone else was coming. As no one came, he lent an ear to the conversation which the other gentleman was having with Karl, but for the most part kept looking at the race-course and tapping on the railing with his fingers. These delicate and yet powerful, long and nimble fingers attracted Karl’s attention from time to time, although he should really have been giving his whole mind to the other gentleman.

Tou’ve been out of work?’ this gentleman began by asking. The question, like almost all the other questions he asked, was very simple and direct, nor did he check Karl’s replies by cross-examining him at all; yet the way in which he rounded his eyes while he uttered his questions, the way in which he leaned forward to contemplate their effect, the way in which he let his head sink to his chest while he listened to the replies, in some cases repeating them aloud, invested his inquiries with an air of special significance, which one might not understand but which it made one uneasy to suspect. Many times Karl felt impelled to take back the answer he had given and substitute another which might find more approval, but he always managed to refrain, for he knew what a bad impression such shilly-shallying was bound to make, and how little he really understood for the most part the effect of his answers. Besides, his engagement seemed to be already decided upon, and the consciousness of that gave him support.

To the question whether he had been out of work he replied with a simple ‘Yes.’

‘Where were you engaged last?’ the gentleman asked next.

Karl was just about to answer, when the gentleman raised his first finger and repeated again : ‘Last ! ’

As Karl had understood the question perfectly well, he

involuntarily shook his head to reject the confusing additional remark and answered : ‘In an office/

This was the truth, but if the gentleman should demand more definite information regarding the kind of office, he would have to tell lies. However, the necessity did not arise, for the gentleman asked a question which it was quite easy to answer with perfect truth: ‘Were you satisfied there?'

‘No ! ' exclaimed Karl, almost before the question was^ finished. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that the leader was smiling faintly. He regretted the impetuosity ofi his exclamation, but it was too tempting to launch that no, fon during all his last term of service his greatest wish had been i that some outside employer of labour might come in and ask him that very question. Still, his negative might put him ati another disadvantage if the gentleman were to follow it up by asking why he had not been satisfied? But he asked instead : ‘For what kind of post do you feel you are best suited?' This question might contain a real trap, for why was it put at!] all since he had already been engaged as an actor? But although he saw the difficulty, he could not bring him- ' self to say that he felt particularly suited for the acting profession. So he evaded the question and said, at the risk j of appearing obstructive: ‘I read the placard in the town,, and as it said there that you could employ anyone, I came here.'

‘We know that,' said the gentleman, showing by his ensuing, silence that he insisted on an answer to the question.

‘I have been engaged as an actor,' said Karl, hesitantly, to < let the gentleman see that he found himself in a dilemma.

‘Quite so,' said the gentleman, and fell silent again.

‘No,’ said Karl, and all his hopes of being settled in a job began to totter. ‘I don't know whether I’m capable of being an actor. But I shall do my best and try to carry out all my instructions.’

The gentleman turned to the leader, both of them nodded; Karl seemed to have given the right answer, so he took

courage again and standing erect waited for the next question. It ran: ‘What did you want to study originally?’

To define the question more exactly - the gentleman seemed to lay great weight on exact definition - he added: Tn Europe, I mean,’ at the same time removing his hand from his chin and waving it slightly as if to indicate both how remote Europe was and how unimportant were any plans that might have been made there.

Karl said : T wanted to be an engineer.’ This answer almost stuck in his throat; it was absurd of him, knowing as he did the kind of career he had had in America, to bring up the old day-dream of having wanted to be an engineer - would he ever have become an engineer even in Europe? - but he simply did not know what other answer to make and so gave this one.

Yet the gentleman took it seriously, as he took everything seriously. ‘Well, you can’t turn into an engineer all at once,’ he said, ‘but perhaps it would suit you for the time being to be attached to some minor technical work.’

‘Certainly,’ said Karl. He was perfectly satisfied; true, if he accepted the offer, he would be transferred from the acting profession to the lower status of technical labourer, but he really believed that he would be able to do more justice to himself at technical work. Besides, he kept on telling himself, it was* not so much a matter of the kind of work as of establishing oneself permanently somewhere.

‘Are you strong enough for heavy work?’ asked the gentleman.

‘Oh yes,’ said Karl.

At that, the gentleman asked Karl to come nearer and felt his arm.

‘He’s a strong lad,’ he said then, pulling Karl by the arm towards the leader. The leader nodded smilingly, reached Karl his hand without changing his lazy posture, and said: Then that’s all settled. In Oklahoma we’ll look into it again. See that you do honour to our recruiting squad 1 ’

Karl made his bow, and also turned to say good-bye to the other gentleman, but he, as if his functions were now discharged, was walking up and down the platform gazing at the sky. As Karl went down the steps the announcement board beside them was showing the inscription: ‘Negro, technical worker/

As everything here was taking an orderly course, Karl felt that after all he would not have minded seeing his real name on the board. The organization was indeed scrupulously precise, for at the foot of the steps Karl found a waiting attendant who fastened a band round his arm. When Karl lifted his arm to see what was written on the band, there, right enough, were the words ‘technical worker’.

But wherever he was to be taken now, he decided that he must first report to Fanny how well everything had gone. To his great sorrow he learned from the attendant that both the angels and the devils had already left for the next town on the recruiting squad’s itinerary, to act as advance agents for the arrival of the troop next day. ‘What a pity,' said Karl; it was the first disappointment that he had had in this new undertaking, ‘I had a friend among the angels/

‘You’ll see her again in Oklahoma,' said the attendant, ‘but now come along; you’re the last/

He led Karl along the inner side of the platform on which the angels had been posted; there was nothing left but the i empty pedestals. Yet Karl’s assumption that if the trumpeting were stopped more people would be encouraged to apply was proved wrong, for there were now no grown-up people l at all before the platform, only a few children fighting overl a long, white feather which had apparently fallen out of an i angel’s wing. A boy was holding it up in the air, while the other children were trying to push down his head with one} hand and reach for the feather with the other.

Karl pointed out the children, but the attendant said I without looking : ‘Come on, hurry up, it’s taken a long time] for you to get engaged. I suppose they weren’t sure of you?’ 1

1 don’t know,' said Karl in astonishment, but he did not believe it. Always, even in the most unambiguous circumstances, someone could be found to take pleasure in suggesting troubles to his fellow-men. But at the friendly aspect of the Grand Stand which they were now approaching, Karl soon forgot the attendant’s remark. For on this stand there was a long wide bench covered with a white cloth; all the applicants who had been taken on sat on the bench below it with their backs to the race-course and were being fed. They were all happy and excited; just as Karl, coming last, quietly took his seat several of them were rising with upraised glasses, and one of them toasted the leader of the tenth recruiting squad, whom he called the ‘father of all the unemployed’. Someone then remarked that the leader could be seen from here; and actually the umpire’s platform with the two gentlemen on it was visible at no very great distance. Now they were all raising their glasses in that direction, Karl too seized the glass standing in front of him, but loudly as they shouted and hard as they tried to draw attention to themselves, there was no sign on the umpire’s platform that the ovation had been observed or at least that there was any wish to observe it. The leader lounged in his corner as before, and the other gentleman stood beside him, resting his chin on his hand. Somewhat disappointed, everybody sat down again; ’here and there one would turn round towards the umpire’s platform again; but soon they were all well occupied with the abundant food; huge birds such as Karl had never seen before were carried round with many forks sticking into the crisply, roasted meat; the glasses were kept filled with wine by the attendants - you hardly noticed it, you were busy with your plate and a stream of red wine simply fell into your glass - and those who did not want to take part in the general conversation could look at views of the Theatre of Oklahoma which lay in a pile aUone end of the table and were supposed to pass from hand to hand. But few of the people troubled much about the views, and so it happened

that only one of them reached Karl, who was the last in the row. Yet to judge from that picture, all the rest must have been well worth seeing. The picture showed the box reserved in the Theatre for the President of the United States. At first glance one might have thought that it was not a stagebox but the stage itself, so far-flung was the sweep of its: breastwork. This breastwork was made entirely of gold, tc the smallest detail. Between its slender columns, as delicately carved as if cut out by a fine pair of scissors, medallions of former Presidents were arrayed side by side; one of these had a remarkably straight nose, curling lips and a downwardlooking eye hooded beneath a full, rounded eye-lid. Rays of light fell into the box from all sides and from the roof; the foreground was literally bathed in light, white but soft, while the recess of the background, behind red damask curtainsfalling in changing folds from roof to floor and looped with cords, appeared like a duskily glowing empty cavern. One could scarcely imagine human figures in that box, so royal did it look. Karl was not quite rapt away from his dinner; but he laid the photograph beside his plate and sat gazing at it. He would have been glad to look at even one of the other photographs, but he did not want to rise and pick one up himself, since an attendant had his hand resting on the pile and the sequence probably had to be kept unbroken; so ha only craned his neck to survey the table, trying to make out| if another photograph were being passed along. To his great amazement - it seemed at first incredible - he recognized] among those most intent upon their plates a face which ha knew well: Giacomo. At once he rose and hastened up td him. 'Giacomo ! ’ he cried.

Shy as ever when taken by surprise, Giacomo got up from] his seat, turned round in the narrow space between the benches, wiped his mouth with his hand and then showecJ great delight at seeing Karl, suggesting that Karl shoulc come and sit beside him, or he should change his own place! instead; they had a lot to tell each other and should stid!

together all the time. Karl, not wanting to disturb the others, said perhaps they had better keep their own places for the time being, the meal would soon be finished and then of course they would stick together. But Karl still lingered a moment or two, only for the sake of looking at Giacomo. 'What memories of the past were recalled ! What had happened to the Manageress? What was Therese doing? Giacomo himself had hardly changed at all in appearance; the Manageress’s prophecy that in six months’ time he would develop into a large-boned American had not been fulfilled; he was as delicate-looking as before, his cheeks hollow as ever, though at the moment they were bulging with an extra large mouthful of meat from which he was slowly extracting the bones, to lay them on his plate. As Karl could see from his arm-band, he was not engaged as an actor either, but as a lift-boy; the Theatre of Oklahoma really did seem to have a place for everyone ! But Karl’s absorption in Giacomo had kept him too long away from his own seat, fust as he was thinking of getting back, the staff manager arrived, climbed on to one of the upper benches, clapped his hands and made a short speech while most of the people rose to their feet, those who remained in their seats, unwilling to leave their dinners, being nudged by the others until they too were forced to rise.

1 hope,’ said the staff manager, Karl meanwhile having tip-toed back to his place, ‘that you have been satisfied with our reception of you and the dinner we have given you. The recruiting squad is generally supposed to keep a good kitchen. I’m sorry we must clear the table already, but the train for Oklahoma is going to leave in five minutes. It’s a long journey, I know, but you’ll find yourselves well looked after. Let me now introduce the gentleman in charge of your transport arrangements, whose instructions you will please follow.’

A lean little man scrambled up on the bench beside the staff manager and, scarcely taking time to make a hasty bow,

began waving his arms nervously to direct them how to assemble themselves in an orderly manner and proceed to the station. But he was at first ignored, for the man who had made a speech at the beginning of the dinner now struck the table with his hand and began to return thanks in a lengthy oration, although - Karl was growing quite uneasy] about it - he had just been told that the train was leavind in five minutes. He was not even deterred by the patent inattention of the staff manager, who was giving variou>| instructions to the transport official; he built up his oration in the grand manner, mentioning each dish that had been] served and passing a judgement on each individually, wind-J ing up with the declaration : ‘Gentlemen, that is the way td our hearts !’ Everyone laughed except the gentlemen he wa addressing, but there was more truth than jest in his statement, all the same.

This oration brought its own penalty, since the road td the station had now to be taken at a run. Still, that was nd great hardship, for - as Karl only now remarked - no onq carried any luggage; the only thing that could be called luggage was the perambulator, which the father was pushind at the head of the troop and which jolted up and down| wildly as if no hand were steadying it. What destitute, dis-j reputable characters were here assembled, and yet how wel]| they had been received and cared for ! And the transport official must have been told to cherish them like the apple oil his eye. Now he was taking a turn at pushing the perambulator, waving one hand to encourage the troop; now hq was urging on stragglers in the rear; now he was careering along the ranks, keeping an eye on the slower runners in the^ middle and trying to show them with swinging arms howl to run more easily.

When they reached the station the train was ready fori departure. People in the station pointed out the new-comers to each other, and one heard exclamations such as: ‘All these belong to the Theatre of Oklahoma V The theatre^

seemed to be much better known than Karl had assumed; of course, he had never taken much interest in theatrical affairs. A whole carriage was specially reserved for their troop; the transport official worked harder than the guard at getting the people into it. Only when he had inspected each compartment and made a few rearrangements did he get into his own seat. Karl had happened to get a window-seat, with Giacomo beside him. So there they sat, the two of them, close together, rejoicing In their hearts over the journey. Such a carefree journey in America they had never known. When the train began to move out of the station they waved from the window, to the amusement of the young men opposite, who nudged each other and laughed.

For two days and two nights they journeyed on. Only now did Karl understand how huge America was. Unweariedly he gazed out of the window, and Giacomo persisted in struggling for a place beside him until the other occupants of the compartment, who wanted to play cards, got tired of him and voluntarily surrendered the other window-seat. Karl thanked them - Giacomo’s English was not easy for anyone to follow - and in the course of time, as is inevitable among fellow-travellers, they grew much more friendly, although their friendliness was sometimes a nuisance, as for example whenever they ducked down to rescue a card fallen on the floor, they could not resist giving hearty tweaks to Karl’s legs or Giacomo’s. Whenever that happened Giacomo always shrieked in renewed surprise and drew his legs up; Karl attempted once to give a kick in return, but suffered the rest of the time in silence. Everything that went on in the little compartment, which was thick with cigarette-smoke in spite of the open window, faded into comparative insignificance before the grandeur of the scene outside.

* The first day they travelled through a high range of mountains. Masses of blue-black rqck rose in sheer wedges to the railway line; even craning one’s neck out of the window, one could not see their summits; narrow, gloomy,

jagged valleys opened out and one tried to follow with a pointing finger the direction in which they lost themselves; broad mountain streams appeared, rolling in great waves down on to the foot-hills and drawing with them a thousand foaming wavelets, plunging underneath the bridges over which the train rushed; and they were so near that the breath of coldness rising from them chilled the skin of one's face.