she called
Easter Monday. Unknown Berlin number, 4pm. A woman's voice, clear, a bit hoarse, very precise.
"Brenneke. Sie haben mir geschrieben." You wrote to me.
We talked for maybe six minutes. She spoke German slowly for me, like I'm a student, which I deserve. What she told me, as close as I can remember:
Yes, Band II was finished. Yes, it was printed, in 1964. No, it was never sold. The whole print run was eingestampft, pulped.
I asked why.
"Die Zahlen waren nicht zufällig genug."
The numbers weren't random enough.
I asked what that meant. Bad diode? Bias in the generator? She said it was a long time ago and it was boring and I shouldn't waste my Easter on it. Then she asked how I got Band I and I told her about the flea market and the flat in Lichtenberg, and there was a short pause.
"Dann hat sie es doch behalten." Then she kept it after all.
I asked who "she" was. She said "Auf Wiederhören," which is how Germans say goodbye on the phone, and hung up.
I've been sitting here for four hours.