Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

Alexandra disagreed. "Most abortive herbal concoctions have very unpleasant side effects. I plan to use the library of thisenlightened university to make a systematic study of the contraceptive knowledge of the ancients like Dioskorides andSoranus. In St. Petersburg books of these authors are locked up. In addition I do have another problem. My Greek isvery limited.""Oh," exclaimed Claudia, "there I can help, thanks to our Bavarian gymnasium my Greek is good enough!"Alexandra smiled. How unexpected to find a collaborator in Claudia!"Konrad, have you ever seen a house that completely and perfectly describes the character of its owner?"He thought for a moment. "Yes, Giulietta Malatesta’s mausoleum in Rimini! But are you talking about the Dahl’s house? Iam sure it is not a mausoleum!"Alexandra had to laugh. "Well, at first sight you could almost think it was. When you face it, it appears as forbidding as acastle. And then you enter and you find yourself in large, perfectly beautiful, open spaces flooded by light. I had thefeeling I was floating on light in their uncluttered living room. But the surprise is that this perfectly describes Mrs. Dahl’spersonality. Can you imagine her?""I have never seen such a case, but I see the ‘forever elegantly underdressed Dadiani’ in your description. Have youfound your match? Do you like Mrs. Dahl? You were less than enamored with her beautiful daughter?""Oh, you miserable German Sufi, always pointing out the negative sides of the world. Yes, I like Mrs. Dahl. I have alsofound a serious collaborator in my search for Dioskorides’ contraceptive knowledge, believe it or not, in Claudia. Shereads Greek, and we have decided to do this research together."Konrad smiled patronizingly. "Your reprimand two weeks ago must have impressed her. Watch out that you two don’t getblacklisted by the Catholic Church when you publish that paper."Konrad, searching for news from Russia sat reading the newspaper at his favorite café. The coverage by the Germanpapers of events in St. Petersburg was spotty at best. This café kept a rack of several papers on long yardsticks for theirguests. He was waiting for Katharina.Café Arzmiller occupied a corner of a quiet courtyard off Theatiner Strasse across from the Feldherren Halle. If he bentsideways he could see past the umbrella over his table the baroque towers of the Theatiner Church. His office at theuniversity was around the corner only a few steps away.Katharina was late, his coffee getting cold. During the past month, since Alexandra’s arrival, they had met here often. Heshook his head. He had reported to Alexandra every one of his meetings with Katharina, and she had not shown anysigns of anxiety. He was proud of her, he knew no other woman who would knowingly tolerate that her husband metanother woman.Since Alexandra had arrived Katharina seemed to have changed. Not that she was less cheerful, on the contrary, shewas dancing on a taut rope between him and Alexandra like a sleepwalker, avoiding all dangerous situations that couldcause her to fall. The vibrations he felt from being obliged to hold onto his end of that rope were an entirely novelexperience. And Alexandra, what did she feel? He shied from asking her.Katharina appeared in the archway to the courtyard. He watched her every movement. How dissimilar they were,Katharina and Alexandra. The one sweet, soft, and seductive, the other self-sure, proud, and his continuing supremechallenge. Was he tired of the demanding relationship with Alexandra? Katharina was so much easier to be with. In herpresence he did not have to use his mind all the time. Whatever it was, for the time being he needed them both.She greeted him with a shy kiss on his cheek. "May I get you a piece of cake or Torte?" she asked already on her way tothe confiserie.When she came back she sat down across from him, well out of his reach.She is withholding herself, he thought, that is what has changed. Absentmindedly he heard her say, "You were readingthe papers, what is happening in Georgia and Russia? I long to be with Alexandra, I have not seen her for two weeks."Before he could tell her the disturbing news from St. Petersburg, a waitress brought their two Torte sections, one withSchlagsahne, the other without. "The Sahnestück is for the gentleman," Katharina teased with a mocking smile. "You likeSchlagsahne, don’t you?"She reached over with her fork and with a smile snatched a spoonful of his whipped cream. "Please allow me to eat alittle of this airy temptation on the sly, Herr Professor."She licked the last speck of cream off her fork. "You look so serious today. Do you have bad news? What would youthink of going on a pilgrimage to Andechs? The three, or if you wish, all five of us? Then I am only the fifth wheel on yourroyal carriage? It is so beautiful out there at this time of the year."Oh, stop staring at her, he told himself, and self-consciously destroyed the beauty of his piece of cake with his fork.She began to laugh. "Konrad, first you look at me as if you want to devour me and now you destroy the innocent cake.Come, let’s be easy on each other. I feel so happy since Alexandra is here, I walk between the two of you and love youboth equally.""I am concerned for our friends in St. Petersburg." He evaded her dark eyes. "After the assassination of the head ofinternal security the government has imposed martial law in St. Petersburg. We had hoped that with that man disposed83