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In The last episode we left young Balz in 1914 approaching the Suez Canal aboard a Portuguese tramp steamer posing as Portuguese.

“You will keep your mouth shut,” Balz senior said, “This is dangerous enemy territory and if the British discover we are German they will throw you in jail.”
“I will speak English to the British,” Balz answered.
“You will keep your mouth shut.”
“Then they will think I’m I’m a mute German,”
“You will be a mute German if I catch you speaking to the Brits. I will hire Ahmed the camel driver to cut your tongue out.”
Balz rolled his tongue in and said, “Hoochie woochie, hoochie woochie.”

In Suez, the /British pilot came aboard. Balz made the canal transit gagged and tied to his bunk. He never got to meet Ahmed the camel driver, for which he resented his father.

As they docked in Istambul, Balz’s father said, “Here you can speak German, the Turks are our allies.”
“Are we their allies, too?”
“Yes.”
“Are the Turks allied to us or are we allied to them?
“We are allied to each other.”
“Who allied us?”
“Nobody allied us.”
“Then how come we are allied?”
“We are friends.” The Older Balz took a deep breath.
“So we are friends, why didn’t you say so at the beginning? We don’t need to be allies if we are friends.”
“Friends become allies.”
“And allies can become friends and stop being allies?”
“Go to the cabin and sing your hoochie-woochie song with your tongue rolled up.” Old man Balz lit a cigar and retired into his cabin.

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