“You have a beautiful city,” Goss said, “but that’s the problem with Berlin. You take nothing seriously. Everything’s a joke.” Bertie tried to shrug off what he knew was true. “Everything’s just so hard. It’s how we get through life, laughing it off.” “But sometimes it’s not a good idea. I worry this is one of those times.” He locked eyes with Bertie, the lines of his face deepening as if he had learned this lesson himself the hard way. “Never laugh in the face of villainy.”
