The Magician

Monika arrives at Princeton in a strange state, commenting about the huge New Jersey house where the Manns live. Meanwhile, Thomas and Katia prepare to move to Los Angeles. Eugene Meyer asks Thomas to lunch in New York. In a roundabout way, Eugene communicates to him that, as one of the most prominent German expats in the US, Thomas must be careful not to make a public case for the US joining the war. When Thomas asks Eugene if he can help secure new contracts for German emigres in Hollywood, such as Heinrich (who moved to Los Angeles to be a scriptwriter), Eugene flatly refuses. As Thomas leaves Eugene, he feels vindicated about the decision to move to Los Angeles. If politics is so heartless and messy, the further he wants to be from its center.

Thomas and Katia build another grand house in Pacific Palisades (an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood near Santa Monica). Monika and Golo move with them. On the grounds is a pomegranate tree, which Thomas sees as a good omen. When he was a child, imported pomegranates were a rare delicacy in Lübeck, and Julia would ration them out to the children. The pomegranate tree and warm climate make Thomas feel closer to Julia.