When he had only a few coins left, he tried to get help from the telephone company, repeating to the employee the requests he had made at the information office, but he did not understand a word of the reply. He then tried to explain himself better, but the attendant answered by shouting in his ear as if instead of a castaway's pleas for help he was receiving the worst insults to his mother from the most vulgar yokel, and at one point hung up on him.
Kaputt: even if he wanted to try again, the hoard was gone.
It was now almost six o'clock.
With growing apprehension, Battista returned to the information office on Marienplatz, and there, after updating the employee on his unsuccessful experience, he told her that he had no more coins, no more trust, and no more time to repeat it, so he wo
