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PARTISAN REVIEW
to have four available," he answered. "That's twenty-five hundred
lire. You should be able to buy a warm sweater and have something
left over besides."
"I need
a
suit," Susskind said. "The days are warm but the
nights are cold." He rubbed his arms. "What else
1
need
1
won't
say."
"At least roll down your sleeves if you're so cold."
"That won't help me."
"Listen, Susskind," Fidelman said gently,
"I
would gladly
give
you the suit if
1
could afford to, but
1
can't. I have barely enough
money to squeeze out a year for myself here. I've already told you
I
am
indebted to my sister. Why don't you try to get yourself a job
somewhere, no matter how menial? I'm sure that in a short while
you'll work yourself up into a decent position."
"A job, he says," Susskind muttered gloomily. "Do you know
what it means to get a job in Italy? Who will give me a job?"
"Who gives anybody a job? They have to go out and look for
it."
"You don't understand, professor. I am an Israeli citizen,
and
this means I can only work for ,an Israeli company. How many
Israeli companies are there here?-maybe two, El Al and Zim,
and
even if they had a job, they wouldn't give it to me because I have
lost my passport. I would be better off now if I were stateless. A state–
less person shows his laissez passer and sometimes he can find a
small job."
"But if you lost your passport why didn't you put in for a
duplicate?"
"I did, but did they give it to me?"
"Why not?"
"Why not? They say I sold it."
"Had they reason to
think
that?"
"I swear to you somebody stole it from me."
"Under such circumstances," Fidelman asked, "how do you
live?"
"How do I live?" He chomped with his teeth. "I eat air."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously, on air. I also peddle," he confessed, "but to peddle
you need a license, and that the Italians won't give me. When they
