And trying to be casual - not thinking about her choice of words - she asked me brightly, 'What's the plan now?' Which forced my cluttered mind to admit, if only to myself, that I did have one.
How the Animals' Radar Marked My Re-entry
I DROVE FAR enough down Maxing Strasse to park opposite Maxing Park.
'Is this the zoo?' said Gallen.
'No,' I said. 'It's up a block or two, off the Platz.'
'Then why are we parking so far away?' she said.
'Oh, it's a pleasant walk,' I told her. And while she was fussing with her new hair in the side-view mirror, and pressing against her head to try to make her ears lie flat, I unloaded our pack and sleeping bag and tied everything all together in a gross lump, with our helmets strapped on top. Then I crept off in Maxing Park's deep hedges and stashed the whole mess out of sight.
'Why are you unpacking?' Gallen asked.
'Well, we don't want to be robbed,' I said.
'But we won't be gone long, will we? Graff?'
'Everyone's out to rob you, these days,' I said, and I didn't let her see me tuck the notebook under my shirt and jacket.
It's just common sense. If there's an available instruction manual for a job you're doing, you should certainly bring it with you.
'Oh, it's lovely here,' said Gallen.
We passed the Tiroler Garten, and I said, 'There's a mile of moss and ferns in there, and you can take off your shoes.'
'But that's just like the country,' she said, disappointed. She was much more impressed by the overhead maze of tram wires, when we got to the Platz. 'Is that the cafe you mean?' she said.
Of course, it was, but we were on the zoo side of the Platz, and from there I couldn't distinguish the Balkan waiter among the other white coats round the cafe.
We were about to cross over when I heard a Big Cat behind us, starting an uproar in the zoo.
'What's that?' said Gallen.
'A lion,' I said. 'Or a tiger, a leopard, a puma or cougar - a jaguar, cheetah or panther.'
'God,' said Gallen. 'Why don't you just say cat? A large cat.'
But I was suddenly too impatient to bother with the frotting Balkan waiter. Knowing what a sly one he was, I also thought he might make me tip my hand. So I said, 'There's a better place inside the zoo. It's a Biergarten, and much better than this cafe.'
Then maybe I turned her around too fast, and set off at too quick a clip, because Gallen said 'Graff? Are you all right now, really? Do you think you should come back here?'
I just dragged her on; I couldn't look at her. I think I would have seen her with all her guards down, and I was sure there'd be a better time to break my plan to her.
'Well, yes,' I said. 'The Hietzinger Zoo.'
Still gated by stone. Admission still granted by the man with the
gambler's green eyeshade. Over whose stall the giraffe's head loomed.
'Oh, Graff!' said Gallen. 'Oh, look at him! He's beautiful!'
'Well, look at his chin,' I said. 'It's all scraped up from the fence.'
'Oh, look how he moves!' said Gallen, not even noticing that the poor giraffe's chin was damaged on account of his captivity. 'Oh, what's in here?' she said, and darted off for the walrus's pool.
What really is here? I thought. She was much too gay; I couldn't watch her tottering so happy on the edge of that belching giant's slimy tub.