Night Angels(68)

Fengshan turned around.

“One thousand American dollars, Herr Consul General!”

He stopped. “Mr. Galili, I believe your money will be more useful somewhere else. The consulate of the Republic of China does not accept bribes. You have demeaned me and my consulate by offering your bribe. I wish you a good day.”

“Herr Consul General, wait! I apologize if I’ve offended you. Please give me one more chance to explain. As you know, many consulates in Vienna are unreachable for various reasons. I’ve spoken to representatives from Liberia, Argentina, and Greece in Berlin and Prague. They said they must report to their officials at home regarding the visas, which would take months. I’m afraid I don’t have time. These people are waiting on the train and will be turned away in days if they do not have visas.”

The flakes of snow plastered the man’s face and melted. He was perspiring; his eyes glowed with urgency and fear. Fengshan relented. “Herr Galili, as I’ve stated earlier, the consulate of the Republic of China has a liberal policy regarding the Jews in Greater Germany. All applicants will receive their visas, provided they have proper documents. But bribery is not the path to visas.”

The young man pulled his coat tighter. “My deepest apologies, Herr Consul General. This is a just cause, I assure you, and I’ll be happy to tell you the details. The seven hundred seventy-five people, as you suspected, do not intend to go to China. They have their own destination in mind. They have been given a pass-through in Rumania by a local official, yet the official was unwilling to take a risk to accept them for fear they would linger in his country. He asks to see the evidence of their departure. So I have reached an agreement with him. Suppose each of them owns a visa to China, a faraway country, proving that they are en route to China. In that case, the official will let the train pass through his country, and they’ll board the ship in Varna in Bulgaria and reach their destination.”

“What’s their intended destination?”

“Palestine.”

The visas to China, it appeared, would be used as a device for the Jews to escape Vienna. If he were to follow Ambassador Chen’s order to halt the issuance of visas, it would be for this type of visa—visas to smugglers and illegal transporters.

“Herr Consul General, I beg you. You must hear me. Palestine is the country confirmed to us by the League of Nations. We have the right to live there, but Palestine, a British mandate, is beyond our reach. Britain restricts the immigration of German Jews on a large scale, believing a Jewish majority in Palestine will pose a threat and complicate their ruling in Palestine.”

This delicate situation of controlling the territory was nothing new. Fengshan knew too well that the Suez Canal, a corridor to India and other colonies, was vital for the British empire, and the British wanted absolute control in that region. What the young man didn’t say was that the Rumanian official feared he would antagonize the British, since his approval of the passage would violate the British order. As a diplomat, Fengshan was aware of the risk of antagonizing the British as well, and for the interest of his country, it was best to avoid rocking the boat.

“I’m sorry; this qualifies you as a smuggler, Mr. Galili. You’re conducting the illegal immigration of seven hundred seventy-five people.”

“Herr Consul General, I wouldn’t refer to it as illegal immigration; I would say it’s free immigration.”

Fengshan waved his hand.

“Herr Consul General, people will die if they turn back to Germany. Seven hundred seventy-five people.”

Fengshan’s heart grew heavy. “Is this the first time you’re transporting people to Palestine?”

Those black eyes locked on him. “We’ve been transporting Jews to Palestine since 1930.”

“Which organization do you work for, Mr. Galili?”

“It doesn’t matter what organization it is, does it, Herr Consul General? We have a crisis in this country, and we are doing all we can to save people’s lives.”

This was an audacious man. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Mr. Galili.”

The young man wrapped his loosened scarf tighter around his neck. “If it’s about saving people’s lives, Herr Consul General, we don’t have a choice.”

Fengshan sighed. “Do you have the passports with you?”

“They’re in four bags. I couldn’t bring them all.”

“Bring them to the consulate tomorrow and fill out the forms, Mr. Galili. I shall have the visas ready in two days.”

The young man let out a long breath. “Thank you, Herr Consul General.”

Fengshan’s hands were freezing. He rubbed them to keep warm, turning to leave. “May I have your real name, Mr. Galili?”

The young man smiled, and there in his intelligent eyes flashed the light of admiration and gratitude. “My name is William Perl. I’m the founder of Die Aktion, Af-Al-Pi, an underground organization that helps Jews leave Vienna. The members of Af-Al-Pi owe you eternal gratitude, Herr Consul General.”

Fengshan smiled and walked back to the consulate. His loyalty would always be to China, but when it came to saving people’s lives, a man’s obligation to his superior was no longer critical.



The next day, Vice Consul Zhou carried the package that contained seven hundred seventy-five forged passports to his desk. He looked anxious, scratching his head with his long nail. “Mr. Consul General, these passports, if I may say this, need further investigation. They look authentic, but none of the applicants could be contacted for interviews.”