Laboe

Laboe is the setting for a rare stretch of ease between Karl von Lützow and his sister, Margot von Dohren. A walk beside the Baltic Sea and shelter from a summer storm turn an ordinary outing into a moment of wordless companionship that calms Karl and affirms their bond.

The Walk by the Baltic Sea

After their meal, Karl and Margot go to Laboe for a long walk beside the sea. They walk quietly alongside one another in the rhythm of the waves; the simple nearness comforts Karl, and the troubling thoughts that had surfaced that morning finally fade. He stops and embraces Margot without explanation, a gesture he would not make with anyone else. In Laboe, their closeness needs no conversation to be felt.

Shelter at the Strandklause

A summer thunderstorm catches them outdoors, and they reach the Strandklause just in time. Over coffee and cake, they exchange family news: their father has grown somewhat muddled lately, while their mother seems to be doing better with age. Their conversation follows an unwritten rule against speaking badly about anyone, a restraint that helps preserve the ease between them.

A Place of Reprieve

The outing’s calm is built from modest details: walking together without speaking, taking shelter from the rain, and watching pigeons from the café. Karl observes that the birds willingly endure getting soaked and seem hardier than their surroundings. The scene places Laboe in contrast with the worries that had troubled him earlier that day: here, companionship and the steady rhythm of the waves allow those thoughts to recede.