Part 2

Chapter 1

           Inthespringof1917,whenDoctorRichardDiverfirstarrivedinZurich,hewastwenty-sixyearsold,afineageforaman,indeedtheveryacmeofbachelorhood.Eveninwar-timedays,itwasafineageforDick,whowasalreadytoovaluable,toomuchofacapitalinvestmenttobeshotoffinagun.Yearslateritseemedtohimthateveninthissanctuaryhedidnotescapelightly,butaboutthatheneverfullymadeuphismindin1917helaughedattheidea,sayingapologeticallythatthewardidn’ttouchhimatall.InstructionsfromhislocalboardwerethathewastocompletehisstudiesinZurichandtakeadegreeashehadplanned.

           Switzerlandwasanisland,washedononesidebythewavesofthunderaroundGoriziaandonanotherbythecataractsalongtheSommeandtheAisne.Foroncethereseemedmoreintriguingstrangersthansickonesinthecantons,butthathadtobeguessedatthemenwhowhisperedinthelittlecafésofBerneandGenevawereaslikelytobediamondsalesmenorcommercialtravellers.However,noonehadmissedthelongtrainsofblindedorone-leggedmen,ordyingtrunks,thatcrossedeachotherbetweenthebrightlakesofConstanceandNeuchâtel.Inthebeer-hallsandshop-windowswerebrightposterspresentingtheSwissdefendingtheirfrontiersin1914withinspiringferocityyoungmenandoldmenglareddownfromthemountainsatphantomFrenchandGermans;thepurposewastoassuretheSwissheartthatithadsharedthecontagiousgloryofthosedays.

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