LESLIE EPSTEIN
49
T he relentl ess Urinstein p ushed on . " By tha t token , a further forty
thou sand zlo tys would bring the to ta l to - " But before he could fini sh
hi s coll eagues ran to him and gra bbed hi s arms. The bald Popower
stepped on hi s toes. T hey feared he woul d undo the good tha t had been
accompli shed.
"T o fift y-fi ve J ews." The coffee merch ant compl eted Urinstein 's
phrase.
" If
the sum you menti on , the full one-hundred and twenty
tho usand , is brought in cash , I shall make the fin al total exactl y fifty. I
cannot reduce that number by a single J ew. Do you accept, or don 't
you ?"
Margolies, amon g those th ere the most Jewish -looking, was the
first to res pond. "We definitely accept!" he cried. "The number has
been cut in half!"
"We've saved them !"
" Yes! And at what a risk to ourselves!"
" I told you ," said Rabbi Nomberg, " that this was our fri end . He is
practi call y a Jew himself. "
Minister Verbl e: "We thank our good fri end, Wohltat! Hooray !"
" Hooray! Hooray!"
T hey all turned towa rd the Vo lksdeutcher. H e rema ined where he
had been , the swea t rolling off him, like rain from an awning. "But
where," he asked, " is the list?"
"The list?"
"The fift y names. Write th em down . You-" he pointed to the
Minister of Vital Stati sti cs. " You with the pen . Draw up the names."
" I am a stranger here," Urinstein hastil y said. "A Hungari an
citi zen. I h ardl y know a soul in the Ghetto. In my opinion, to choose a
name, one name and not another, tha t is an ethi cal question . It has a
spiritual dimension . Perhaps the Minister of Religious Affairs- ?"
"But I represent onl y a sing le congrega ti on ," Nomberg responded.
"And the Itali anate Syn agogue has been burnt down . I would need
the advice of the wises t rabbis. The Pshi skher descendant and other
scholars."
" Eno ugh ! No more ta lking! I know thi s is an attemp t to stall for
time! I h ave been here already an hour ! Do you know I have the right to
shoot an ybody I wi sh ? T hat is the strain tha t I li ve with . It 's an gui sh !"
The pudgy man was beside himself. Hi s eyelids fluttered wildl y. H e
blew air from hi s cheeks. " Wa tch out, Jews! Watch out ! I'm ch ang–
ing!"
It was a t tha t dangero us moment tha t old Phil osoff chose to come
forwa rd . H e walked ri ght up to Wohlta t, who had a bubble in the
