Lost Zweig Page #5

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of those wonderful

Brazilian children.

I must return,

however, to a graver topic...

namely the matter of the homeland.

The slaughter of Jews continues.

My personal, lifelong dream of

a free, united, democratic Europe...

a continent without passports,

has been snuffed out.

Barbarism is everywhere. "

I appeal to you once again

to approve our plan...

for a Jewish homeland in Brazil...

an act of humanity

which would give life...

to those who face certain death!

Good morning, miss.

Good morning.

- How are you today?

- I'm very well, thank you.

And thank you for the lovely gift.

It's the least I could do.

I think I'd like

to buy some stamps.

How about three sheets?

Three sheets?

My! You must have many friends.

Can I get the ones with the animals

and the birds on them?

They really are beautiful,

aren't they?

Yes, they are.

But they're only stamps.

The real ones are all around us...

and I would rather see

the real thing.

- Goodbye.

- Bye!

Well, but Brazil has been

such a wonderful new home...

for some many refugees.

And not just now,

but for more than a hundred years.

It's a country of immigrants.

Do you really believe

that it's been...

a welcoming home for the Jews?

Well, yes. Yes, look at us!

Aren't we doing okay?

Mr. Faerman,

don't you think it's time...

to take off your rosy glasses?

Look here,

you were treated differently.

As Jews, you arrived with money,

with contact, with education.

What about the

hundreds of Jewish prostitutes...

in the streets of Mangue's brothel?

Brazil hasn't been good to them.

Jewish prostitutes?

It's true.

These women were brought

to Brazil from Poland...

your country, Lotte...

from France, from Germany,

brought under false pretenses.

Have you ever heard of the Tzi Migdal,

the Jewish crime syndicate?

They are responsible for it.

A member of the organization

proposes to a young woman...

she accepts,

they travel to South America...

to begin a new life, and when

they arrive, the trick is revealed.

She is forced into prostitution.

That's horrible!

Someone should do something about it.

It's not possible.

The Tzi Migdal is too powerful.

"Let there not be a whore

amongst the daughters of Israel!"

Stefan!

What? It's a fact.

Jewish prostitutes

are made by Jews.

We seem to be the whipping whores

of the world these days...

and still we are punished

by our own people.

Attention to this newsflash:

a German submarine has attacked

the Brazilian steamship Buarque...

off the coast of the US today.

The brutal and coward aggression

has caused many deaths.

This is the first reprisal

by the Axis Alliance...

since diplomatic relations

of the Brazilian government...

with German and Italy

were broken last month.

The war has reached paradise.

When we left Liverpool for NY...

the ship's captain

visited our cabin.

He explained that our trip would be

a highly dangerous one.

The sea was full

of Nazi submarines.

Stefan and I knew that,

but we listened to him...

not really understanding

where he was getting at.

Then, without any

further explanation...

he deposited two little capsules

in Stefan's hand.

He said he had to do it...

and had already done so

with most of the other passengers.

It was his duty,

but it was an official matter.

In case of attack, each of us

would have the chance...

I think I meant "choice"...

to die by swallowing

the cyanide capsules...

rather than being drowned

or captured.

This world of ours

can be a peaceful world

As in this night

when people everywhere

Gather in prayer

to our Lord above

Most guiding light

shows us the way to love

This silent night

The world of ours is one

And everywhere

the hand of God's become

The greatest might

our world has ever known

The wondrous sight

No one is not alone

Stefan is unhappy and

there's nothing I can do about it.

Maybe he needs to be left alone.

But it's getting worse.

What if I were to lose him?

Lose him?

I think the guilt is driving him away.

He's closing in on himself.

Lotte, we are all suffering

from this war, being in exile...

but we shouldn't feel guilty

about being alive.

We are alive, but we are orphans.

The last thing we have

is each other.

And that's what I don't want

to lose, what I can't lose...

and I am losing him.

Is he planning on leaving?

Do you know that he once

asked Frederica to die with him?

The answer was...

"If you want to die,

do it by yourself.

Why do you need company?"

I'm sorry, but it's just so true!

It's okay, really.

It doesn't matter.

Come here.

Look what I've brought you, honey.

This is the world...

your world...

the world beyond Brazil.

What?

You don't like them?

No, they are beautiful.

The world that

you'll never see again.

Never again.

But that will be good for me

because I will have you forever.

Sorry. I'm joking.

I'm just feeling giddy.

I said I'd write

your Santos Dumont book.

Now, where are the visas?

Just tell your people

to do something.

Now! Or else...

Or else what, Herr Zweig?

You won't write the book?

But you yourself said

they are two separate issues.

The truth is you need to write a

successful book in this country.

"Brazil:
Land of the Future"

was an enormous success here...

it sold hundreds

of thousands of copies.

Even that walking cash register

Faerman was thrilled.

Oh, Faerman!

A very good salesman.

You're lucky to have him

working for you.

Now, Pontes,

Faerman is not the point.

But he is, Herr Zweig, he is.

Who do you think

bought all those copies?

You honestly think that, in a

country of millions of illiterate...

many Brazilians were interested

in the opinions of a foreigner?

What?

Let me show you something, Herr

Zweig, just between the two of us.

Please.

Look, Herr Zweig.

I mean...

you couldn't...

Couldn't what, Herr Zweig?

You couldn't!

They had a saying in England

which I always liked very much.

Now I'm not so sure.

They used to say,

there's no fool like an old fool.

Lotte? You startled me.

What are you still doing up?

You know I can't sleep

until you're home.

I'm sorry, dear.

It's just that I got distracted

with that vile creature Pontes.

God! I'm beginning

to hate that man.

He's so slimy that he leaves a trail.

I know.

It's okay.

Let's get you to bed.

Stefan?

Stefan?

Lunch is ready.

God, the water is

practically freezing.

We have just received word...

that the Germans are refusing

to recognize the visas.

After Pearl Harbor, you know,

everything became more difficult.

They will not allow your friends

to leave for Brazil.

It's out of our hands, Herr Zweig.

There's nothing more we can do.

But we have already tried again.

The war is changing.

This was our last and final chance.

I'm afraid that won't be possible.

The President is in negotiation

with the Americans...

for the next two weeks.

If you had some sort of arrangement

with president Vargas...

I have not been made aware of it.

So, we'll take up this matter

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