Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth

Part 6

I felt it would be useless to appeal to his sense of honor. He came from the other world: betrayal was no crime to him. I sensed this acutely. The people from the other world were not like us in these matters.
"Not say anything?" laughed Kromer. "Kid, what do you take me for? Do you think I own a mint? I'm poor, I don't have a wealthy father like you and if I can earn two marks I earn them any way I can. Maybe he'll even give me more."
Suddenly he let go of me. The passageway no longer smelled of peace and safety, the world around me began to crumble. He would give me away to the police! I was a criminal; my father would be informed -- perhaps even the police would come. All the dread of chaos threatened me, everything ugly and dangerous was united against me. It meant nothing that I'd filched nothing. I'd sworn I had!
Tears welled up in my eyes. I felt I had to strike a bargain and desperately I groped
through all my pockets. Not a single apple, no pocket knife, I had nothing at all. I thought of my watch, an old silver watch that didn't work, that I wore just for the fun of it. It had been my grandmother's. Quickly I took it off.
I said: "Kromer, listen! Don't give me away. It wouldn't be fair if you did. I'll give you my watch as a present, here, take a look. Otherwise I've nothing at all. You can have it, it's made of silver, and the works, well, there's something slightly wrong with them; you have to have it fixed."
He smiled and weighed the watch in his palm. I looked at his hand and felt how brutal and deeply hostile it was to me, how it reached for my life and peace.
"It's made of silver," I said hesitantly.
"I don't give a damn for your silver and your old watch," he said scornfully. "Get it fixed yourself."
"But, Franz!" I exclaimed, trembling with fear that he might run away. "Wait, wait a moment. Why don't you take it? It's really made of silver, honest. And I don't have anything else."
He threw me a cold scornful look.
"Well, you know who I'll go to. Or I could go to the police too. . . I'm on good terms with the sergeant."
He turned as if to go. I held on to his sleeve. I couldn't allow him to go. I would rather have died than suffer what might happen if he went off like that.
"Franz," I implored, hoarse with excitement, "don't do anything foolish. You're only
joking, aren't you?"
"Yes, I'm joking, but it could turn into an expensive joke."
"Just tell me what I'm supposed to do, Franz. I'll do anything you ask." He looked me up and down with narrowed eyes and laughed again.
"Don't be so stupid," he said with false good humor. "You know as well as I that I'm in a position to earn two marks. I'm not a rich man who can afford to throw them away, but you're rich -- you even have a watch. All you have to do is give me two

marks; then everything will be all right."