THE ENGLISH GARDENS
223
A .. .'s going to be in Venice in August. A connection, man,"
and: "we talked R . . . into an edition. Send some stuff. You
getting any poems out of Germany?" Registering all this, Nicolas
made a quick inventory. Yes, he could get out three poems, two
he had in
his
head, one on paper. This, for kicks, had been con–
ceived as a result of a German typewriter he had found in an
apartment, two nights before. It was entitled, "Sputnik II passes
Munich," and it began,
((The quick brown fox jumped over the
moon"
and ended,
«Old gaschambers are now making Volk:,–
wagens."
Its quick and foxy conception that night had much
impressed the typewriter's owner and been good for a subsequent
breakfast and two dinners, where he was widely introduced as
America's most famous young poet.
Even so, and especially this morning, Nicolas was ready to
kiss central Europe goodbye. Having used the myth book so
often, he couldn't have helped glancing at some of its content and
it had already occurred to him that a few poems, mailed from,
say, some Greek village, would have an extra kick. Greek stuff
was always hot. But the plans forming in his head always ran up
against a wall of gold. With the twenty dollars left from Walter's
checks, and this morning's check, minus postage-the Bastards!
-he had about forty or so. Frowning, he looked up to study the
crowd-you never knew...
Mary Jane, just then, walked in. He watched her go to the
cashier's window and cash two checks (he'd have to warn her).
He tried remembering her last name (damn Norman!). Perhaps
she'd come over to the mail desk. Slightly turning, he leaned with
his back close to the mail girl's window. His wish was granted,
and he heard her say her name. He waited. She left, not noticing
him, he followed.
He had not approached her at the desk because there were
other Americans around, one of them might be a spy of her
husband's. Patiently he followed along two blocks, boarded the
same streetcar back to Schwabing. He paused while she found a
table at a cafe and then made a casual approach, passing, as he
