-18-                            
 
                                                            
 
 
 Count Ciano invited me to his house to read me the   
diary,  I was to  know the true course of things. Under a certain date,  
following notification was read: "In the car Mackensen  
informed in a confidential manner, that Attolico was not  
liked in Berlin and that we would have to call him back.  
He made me understand that there were two acceptable names  
on the list. These were Farinacci and Alfieri. As I listened  
to the reading of this passage, I observed: "so - the Italian  
Ambassador to Berlin was practically chosen by the German   
Government.Ciano replied with a vague nod, which could be  
quoted as: "As You see, so it was". I could not help smi-  
ling, "And thus Alfieri was appointed Ambassador to Berlin?"  
"Un jeume homme tres gentil, completetement depourve d'intelligence."   
This was the definition made by Miss Fontanges,  
the adventuress with whom Mussolini had had a ridiculous  
adventure. Count Ciano smiled, "What choice have You? From  
two evils, You choose the least bad." I once more asked,  
"And did not Mackensen assign also Anfuso?" "No he did not.  
Anfuso had always been considered pro-German, but Mackensen  
did not assign him." "Always pro-German" I replied surprised.  
"But how is that? I have a literary friend with whom he  
always has anti-German disputes." "Yes, I know," said  
Count Ciano. "You mean a certain Sicilian novelist, but in  
spite of this, he has always been pro-German." I remained  
speechless. Count Ciano's reply pointed to two small  
puzzles, of which one was a little difficult to solve, and the other   
almost impossible. The first was: the Sicilian  
Novelist, Vitaliano Brancati, well- there wes Anfuso, who  
for years had made anti-German debates with Brancarl - who  
happened to be an old friend of his, from his earliest  
                          youth...