Page 7 of Geist Fleisch
“A little too easy to rile everyone up these days.” Frank shot another glance at Rohm’s table, then returned his attention to Callum as if nothing was wrong. Callum refused to turn around. “You should come and see it for yourself.”
“What? Japan?” Callum snorted.
“No,” Frank laughed. “The Institute. Even if they’re not forced to shut down, come Christmas, they’ll no longer be doing tours.”
“Always thought that was a ghastly business, anyhow,” Robert growled. “Displaying our sex lives to Charlottenburg socialites? They can visit the bloody zoo.”
“Magnus has always been about education first, you know that.”
“Yes, don’t be harsh, darling,” Jacqueline chipped in. “It’s not like Magnus is telling them precisely what that nice Communist boy has you put inside him.”
Callum decided not to ask. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to pronounce it, in any case. A loud bang and the sound of a breaking glass behind him made him turn around. He immediately wished he hadn’t. Beyond the waiter with heavily rouged cheeks trying to clean up the spill, Rohm was staring at him again. Even as he sat with a thick arm around one of his handsome human Rottweilers, he never took his eyes off Callum.
“I’m so glad you’ve come!” Anne grabbed his arm with a delighted look in her eyes. “Berlin is just the place for both of us!”
Another commotion behind him made Callum risk another look. The younger Nazi shook off Rohm’s arm with a scowl and disappeared behind a curtain Callum assumed led to the toilet. Rohm, for his part puffed at his cigarette, promptly transferring his affections to the other. His sights however, remained on Callum.
“He does like them a little rough,” Frank explained with a conspiratorial smile.
“Meine Damen und Herren!” boomed a voice from the stage as the music lowered. More German followed that was well beyond Callum, as most eyes in the room settled upon the chubby man in the queer, short suit that now held court onstage. He told several jokes that set about half the crowd laughing, then went on some more, obviously talking up the star attraction.
“Oh, Cal, Cal, you’ll love this!” squealed Anne, clapping her hands together with glee.
Callum watched the other Nazi slip from Rohm’s clutches and follow his compatriot. Robert and Jacqueline watched as well.
“Let me guess,” Jacqueline said. “The dark-haired one?”
“Huh?” Callum asked.
“A little game we play,” Robert answered, watching the man disappear behind the curtain.
“Will you two pipe down?” Anne asked. “The show’s about to start.”
“Yes,” purred Robert, getting up. “I think you’re right.”
Callum watched him follow the two men behind the curtain as a statuesque man in full glamour drag and an enormous blonde wig took the stage from the squat emcee.
“The best show is the people watching,” Frank continued. “You’ll be amazed how much you learn.”
“I can see that,” he answered, sheepishly.
The man gave him another kind smile. “Look, Callum, I know this is all very new to you, but how would you feel about coming to the Institute for one of their tours on Saturday afternoon?”
“T…tours?”
“It might be the last chance you get. And I think you’ll be quite amazed by what Magnus is doing for… well, people like us.”
Like us? Robert had been far from subtle, and anything went with the Frenchies, but Frank, also? And how did Frank know he liked lads? He was about to deny it, but there seemed little point. In any case, lying to the man felt wrong. Something about him,whether it was an intelligence Callum wasn’t used to rubbing shoulders with, or just his kindness, hewantedto tell Frank more. He waited for Anne to stop vigorously applauding and tilted his empty beer glass. “Yeah, all right. I’ll think about that.”
“Please do. I think you’ll find it most enlightening.” Frank smiled, turning his attention to the show.
Callum watched the performer strut the stage, all too masculine muscles bulging out of her sparkling gown as she warbled in German. A moment later, some tiny bloke in an enormous top hat and oversized tails waddled out on stage and took her in a ridiculous slow dance. Anne roared with laughter, while Jacqueline and Frank chuckled. Robert was nowhere to be seen.
“I’ll get us some more drinks.” Callum gestured to Frank’s empty glass.
“With what?” the man quipped before dropping three marks on the table.
Feeling foolish and trying to smile gratefully, Callum took them, moving to the bar as the singer spun her unlikely partner around and around, faster and faster until his heels clipped the curtains, and her singing grew increasingly breathless. At last, she set him down on the stage, where he staggered around under his ridiculous hat before falling on his backside like he was Buster Keaton. The crowd roared again. Callum just didn’t get it. Or maybe Rohm’s stare was pissing him off. Should he say something? No, everything he’d ever heard about the SA told him that was a terrible idea. And now, he needed to piss. The drinks could wait.
