ANNA

SCHMIDT
simple
faith
the peacemakers book 2
2014byAnnaSchmidt
Print!S8N9781620291412
c8ookditions:
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KindlcandMobiPockctdition(.prc)9781628369793
Allrightsrcscrvcd.Nopartolthispublicationmaybcrcproduccdor
transmittcdlorcommcrcialpurposcs,cxccptlorbriclquotationsinprintcd
rcvicws,withoutwrittcnpcrmissionolthcpublishcr.
AllscripturcquotationsarctakcnlromthcKingJamcs\crsionolthc8iblc.
Thisbookisaworkolliction.Namcs,charactcrs,placcs,andincidcntsarc
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PrintcdinthcUnitcdStatcsolAmcrica.
Acknowledgments
Spccial gratitudc and apprcciation to thosc who livcd through cvcnts
similar to thosc dcscribcd in this novcl and to thc historians who tcll
thoscstoricssothatthcymayncvcrbclorgottcn.
Thanks oncc againas with book 1, All Gods Childrengo to
cniscHcapandJcssicaSlavin,whorcadthcmanuscriptinprogrcss,
kccping mc on track as thcy rcvicwcd historical lacts and madc
suggcstionstocnrichthcstory.
ThanksalsotomycditorsRcbcccaGcrmany,AnnicTipton,and
8cckyurostFishlorthcopportunitytotcllAnjaandPctcrsstory
andlorthclovcwithwhichthcybroughtthoscstoricstopublication.
ThanksalwaystoNatashaKcrnmylricnd,mcntor,andagcnt
whobclicvcsinmcwhcn!somctimcslailtobclicvcinmyscll.
And linally, cvcry book ! havc cvcr writtcn owcs its inspiration
to comc to light to my bclovcd husband. As hc hcld mc in thc Light
throughout thc lilc wc sharcd togcthcr, so ! hold him in thc Light as
!travclonwithouthim.
carRcadcr,
!nbook1olthcPcaccmakcrscrics,All Gods Children,thcstory
cvolvcdagainstabackdropoltruchistoricallactsthatincludcdthc
rcmarkablcstoryolasmallgroupolGcrmanmcdicalstudcntswho
bandcdtogcthcrinwhatcamctobcknownasthcVhitcRoscto
spcakoutagainstHitlcrandthcNazis.!ntimcthchcroandhcroinc
olthatnovclJoscland8cthalongwiththcirlricndAnjawcrc
imprisoncdinthcNazidcathcampSobiborincastcrnPoland.Thc
cvcntsolthcircscapclromthathorridplaccarcalsobascdonlact.
ThcjourncythatourcharactcrsincludingAnjaandJoscland
8cthtakcinthclollowingpagcsisalsosctagainstabackground
olhistoricallact.Amazingly,duringVorldVar!!thcrcwcrcscvcral
socallcdcscapclincsmanagcdbythcbravclocalcitizcnsolcountrics
occupicdbythcNazis.LikcthoscwhoworkcdonthcAmcrican
UndcrgroundRailroad,thcscindividualsatconsidcrablcrisktothcir
ownlivcsandsalctyprovidcdlalscpapcrs,salchouscs,lood,shcltcr,
andclothingtomovcAllicdairmcnlromthcsitcolthcirdowncd
plancsbchindcncmylincsacrossmucholuropcuntilthcycould
rcachGibraltara8ritishtcrritoryandmovclromthcrcbackto
ngland.Thcytravclcdhundrcds,cvcnthousandsolmilcsbytrain,
bicyclc,oronloot,andpcrhapsthcmostamazingpicccolthisstory
isthatthcbcstknownolthcsccscapclincsthcComctLincwas
crcatcdandmanagcdbyayoungwoman.
!havclongbccnlascinatcdwiththccouragcolordinarypcoplc
incxtraordinarytimcs,and!hopcthatAnjasstorywillinspirc
youaswcll.!dohopcyouwillwritctomcviamywcbsitc(www.
booksbyanna.com)ortoP8ox161,Thicnsvillc,V!53092!so
cnjoyhcaringlrommyrcadcrs.
Allthcbcst,
Anna
part 1
Belgium
November 1943
Only guard yourself and guard your soul carefully,
Lest you forget the things your eyes saw,
And lest these things depart your heart all the days of your life,
And you shall make them known to your children,
And to your childrens children.
vu:vvoxo:v:,
ixscvinvuix:nvH~iiovRv:v:nv~xcv
~::nvUSHoioc~us:Mv:ovi~iMusvu:
7
chapter 1
Ilyoulandatnightandarcnotbadlyinjurcd,countyourblcssings.
Sccond Licutcnant Pctcr Trcnt could not lathom why hc was
muttcringthcopcninglincsolthcguidcloravoidingcapturcprovidcd
to 8ritish llight crcws. Hc was Amcrican altcr all and had ccrtainly
rcccivcdsimilartraining.8uthchadspcntthcbcttcrpartolthcprcvious
cvcninginapubwithTommyJohnstonc,agunncrwiththcRoyalAir
Forcc.HcandTommyhadalotincommon.Thcywcrcthcsamcrank.
Thcywcrcthcsamcagctwcntyscvcnoldcrthanmostolthcrcstol
thcguysonthcircrcws.Thcywcrcbothlacingthcirlirstmissionovcr
cncmytcrritory.Tommysllightwasschcdulcdtogooutatnight,but
gcncrallyAmcricansdidnotbombbynight.VhcnTommyhcardthis,
hcbcganquotingthcguidcbook.
Pay attention to what I say, Petey, because you are going to have to be one
lucky bloke not to get shot down flying in broad daylight,hchadwarncd.
Pctcr had laughcd ollTommys dirc prcdiction and wishcd him wcll
asthcybothhcadcdolltogctsomcslccp.nthcothcrhand,maybc
hc should havc paid closcr attcntion, lor at thc momcnt hc was lrcc
lalling through thc air on a collision coursc with a lallow licld bclow
8
ANNA SCHMIDT
and wishing hc could rcmcmbcr morc dctails ol Tommys rclrcshcr
coursc in survival tactics. Hc was all too awarc that thc lorcc ol his
landingcvcnaltcrhcactivatcdhischutcwouldbcalittlclikcjumping
outasccondstorywindow.Addtothatthclactthathcwasprcttysurc
oncolthcNazibullctshadhithislcg,andthcrcwaslittlcdoubtthat
thiswasgoingtobcpainlul.
Vhcn thc pilot, Captain Jack Valkcr, had ordcrcd thc crcw to
abandonthcplancaltcritlillcdwithsmokc,Pctcrhadwaitcdhisturn
andthcnlcapcdoutjustashchadpracticcdthcmovcdozcnsoltimcs.
Unlortunatcly,thclorccolthclcapllippcdhimontohisback.Nowhc
wasstrainingtolookovcrhisshouldcrinordcrtojudgchowlasthcwas
lallingandwhcntopullthcparachutcsripcord.Hcandthcrcstolthc
crcw had succcsslully droppcd thcir load ovcr Franklurt and wcrc on
thcirwaybacktobascwhcnthcydbccnhitlrombclowbyantiaircralt
artillcry.Unlortunatcly,aphotollashbombuscdsothatplancscngagcd
innightphotographyrcconnaissanccnccdnotbclimitcdtolowaltitudc
wasstillonboard.Vhythcyhadhadthcthingonadaylightmission
wasamystcrytoPctcr.8utthcphotollashbombhadbccnthcsourcc
olthclircthatthcyduscdcvcryavailablccxtinguishcronboardtotry
andcontrol.
Thcyhadlailcd.Undcrthcbcstolcircumstanccs,thcscllashbombs
rcquircdcxtrcmccautionwhcnhandlcd.Thcywcrcsoscnsitivcthatthc
changcintcmpcraturccouldsctthcmoll.!nthccascolantiaircraltlirc
pcltingthcplanc,thcbombgoingollandstartingthclircthatswcpt
throughthcbaywasasurcthing.Mattcrswcrconlymadcworscwhcn
thcgunncrHavcrsolcawctbchindthccarskiddctcrmincdtobca
hcrodccidcdtoopcnthcbombdoorsinhopcsolpushingthcthing
out.Thc rush ol air scrvcd as lucl lor thc lirc, and bclorc thcy kncw
what was happcning, acrid smokc had lillcd thc cabin. Morc ground
lirctargctcdthcplanc,andthistimcthcbullctshadloundthcirmark
killing Havcrsolc and at lcast grazing Pctcrs lcg.Thc crcw had tricd
9
SIMPLE FAITH
cvcrything to contain thc damagc, but linally thc pilot had givcn thc
ordcrtobailout.
8ccausc it was still lightthc sun just sctting bcyond a linc ol
trccsPctcr kncw that although his lingcrs wcrc itching to pull thc
cord,hchadtowaituntilthcvcrylastmomcnttodosoorriskbcing
spottcdbyGcrmangroundlorccs.Givcnwhathckncwolthcirllight
plan,hcjudgcdhcwassomcwhcrcovcr8clgium,butthatcountrylikc
mostolVcstcrnuropcwasoccupicdbythcNazis.lcourscthcrc
wcrcothcrdangcrsaswcllpowcrlincs,trccswhcrchischutcmight
gct cntanglcd and lcavc him dangling likc a sitting duck lor a Kraut
with a rillc. Hc lorccd himscll to locus on thc positivc and mcntally
schoolcdhimscllinthcactionshcwouldnccdtotakconcchcmadcit
downsalcly.Gctridolthcchutcandstartmovinglast.
Hishcadlcltasilitwcrconaswivclashclookcdwildlyaround
andbclowhim.lltohislcltandscvcralyardsbclowwasSimpson,thc
plancsnavigator.Hc,too,wasnomorcthanakidascarcdkidand
Pctcrcouldsccthathcdpanickcdandopcncdhisparachutctoosoon.
Hcwashcadcdloraclustcroltrccs.
AncxplosiontohisrightdrcwPctcrsattcntiontothcwcstwhcrc
hc saw thc planc alrcady in llamcs hit thc lrozcn ground hard and
thcncruptinalircball.HckncwthcrcwasnowayValkcrwouldhavc
abandoncd thc planc cvcn oncc thc rcst ol thc crcw bailcd out. Hc
wouldhavcdonccvcrythingpossiblctoputdistanccbctwccnhiscrcw
andthcwrcckagc,knowingthcGcrmanswouldgolirsttothcwrcckagc
toscarchlorsurvivors.
Pctcr squcczcd his cycs shut and scnt up a praycr lor mcrcy lor
Valkcr and thc othcrs thcn lorccd his attcntion back to thc issuc at
handhisownsalclanding.Turninghishcadtothcright,hcstraincd
tolookovcrhisshouldcrandsawaroadandsomcpowcrlincs.!lhchit
thcpowcrlincs,hccouldbckillcdinstantly.Thchardcarthwasracing
up to mcct him. Hc twistcd his lacc to onc sidc, closcd his cycs, and
10
ANNA SCHMIDT
pullcdthcripcord,lcclingthcpowcrolthcrclcascdparachutcasthc
lorccolitrushcdpasthislaccanditballooncdabovchim,slowinghis
dcsccntwithajoltolthcharncssandllippinghimsothathcwasnow
lacingthcground.Notthirtysccondslatcrhclandcdhardwithhis
woundcd lcg twistcd at an unnatural anglc bcncath him. Grimacing
against thc pain that thrcatcncd to ovcrwhclm him, hc lumblcd to
unlastcnthcharncssandshruglrccolit,allthcwhilcpullingthcstill
billowingsilkolthcparachutctohimandwaddingitintoatightballas
quicklyaspossiblc.Hcalsoshruggcdoutolhisllightsuitandstowcdit
withhishcadgcarinthcwadolthcparachutc.
Hc pcrlormcd thcsc actions automatically as hc studicd his
surroundings.Thcsunwaslowinthcsky,partiallyoblitcratcdbyalinc
olgraycloudsthatthrcatcncdsnow.Hcwasgratclullorthcrcalization
that in a mattcr ol minutcs what sun thcrc was would slip bclow thc
horizonandduskwouldcovcrhismovcmcnts.Hcnccdcdtowaitlor
lulldarkncss.
Thc licld had bccn plowcd, but thc ground was lrozcn solid and
rockhard.Ahaystackstoodmaybctcnyardslromhim.Clutchingthc
ballcdup chutc in onc arm and using thc othcr as a kind ol crutch,
hcdraggcdhimscllinchbypainlulinchtowardthchaystack.Alongthc
way hc pauscd oltcn, taking timc to chcck to bc surc that thc lrozcn
ground showcd no signs ol his journcy. 8y thc timc hc rcachcd his
dcstination,hcwasswcatingprolusclyinspitcolthctcmpcraturcthat
had to bc bclow lrcczing. And hc was prctty surc hc had lost a good
amountolblood.
Thcsunwasgonc,lcavinghimvcrylittlctimctogcthisbcarings
bclorchcwascnvclopcdintotaldarkncss.Hcopcncdhiscscapckit,or
cvasionpursc,asitwascallcd.!tcontaincdmapslorthcarcasthccrcw
wouldllyovcraswcllasalittlcmoncy,althoughgivcnthathcwasnt
surcwhcrchcwas,itwasdilliculttoknowilthcmoncywoulddohim
anygood.
11
SIMPLE FAITH
lmorcimportanccwcrcthcphotographsolhimtakcnincivilian
garbthatcouldbcuscdtocrcatclalscidcntitypapcrs.Thcrcwcrcalso
cards printcd in various languagcs that rcad,! am an Amcrican, and
mislortunclorccsmctoscckyourassistancc.Thcsccouldbcuscdto
communicatcwithlocalsandollcrcdarcwardtoanyoncwhoprovidcd
suchassistancc.Finally,cvcrykitwasstockcdwith8cnzcdrinctablcts
togivcthcdowncdairmanthccncrgyhcwouldnccdtolocusonhis
cscapc.Pctcrpoppcdacouplcolthcsctablctsintohismouthandthcn
scttowork.Hcligurcdhchadaslittlcastcnminutcsorilluckwas
withhimpcrhapsasmuchastwcntybclorcthcGcrmanswouldstart
hcadinghisway.Vithbothhands,hcgougcdoutascctionolthchay
and stullcd thc parachutc insidc. Hc also abandoncd his hclmct and
gogglcs and considcrcd continuing to hollow out thc hay so that hc,
too, could hidc insidc but soon rcalizcd thc cllort was pointlcss.Thc
haystackwaslrozcnstill,andhishandsalrcadylcltrawandlrozcnin
spitcolhisglovcs.!twasallhccouldmanagctocarvcoutaspaccdccp
cnoughtostullthcparachutcandothcritcms.
Gaspingthcwayhchadinbasictrainingaltcrrunningdrillswith
a thirtypound pack on his back, hc lcancd against thc haystack and
considcrcd his ncxt movc. His hcad spun with thc instructions hcd
rcccivcd in trainingstick to lowlying arcas, stay ncar thc cdgc ol
a lorcst or wall or hcdgc bccausc its hardcr to scc movcmcnt whcn
backgroundisdark.Rcmovcwristwatchadcadgivcawaythathcwas
noturopcan.
Hc unlastcncd thc lcathcr strap ol thc watch his dad had givcn
him thc day hc shippcd outhis grandlathcrs watch. Unzipping his
llightsuit,hcstullcditinoncolhisshirtpockctsandbuttoncdthcllap.
8chindhimwasthcroadhcdspottcdduringhislall.Acarpasscd,thcn
arowoltrucks,militarybythcshapcandsizcolthcmanddclinitcly
not lricndly.Thc trccs whcrc Simpson had landcd wcrc to his right,
thc tclltalc whitc ol thc parachutc llapping in thc wind, which was
12
ANNA SCHMIDT
bcginning to pick up. No sign ol Simpson, but at thc momcnt Pctcr
couldnt worry about that. All hc could do was hopc thc kid had thc
goodscnsctounhookhisharncssandscparatchimsclllromthcchutc
cvcnthoughthatwouldmcanlrcclallingscvcrallcct.
For Simpson and thc rcstas wcll as lor himthc racc was on.
Vhowouldrcachthcmlirst:FricndlylocalsorthcGcrmans:Locals
wcrc lcss likcly.Thc punishmcnt lor aiding thc cncmyin this casc,
Pctcrwasdcath.Hccouldnttakcachanccthatsomclarmcrorvillagcr
was willing to risk that. Hc nccdcd to lind somcplacc to hidc. vcn
withthcmoonlightingwithcloudstoshincitslight,Pctcrkncwthat
aparachutcinthctrccswouldbcasgoodasallarcandbringthcNazis
to invcstigatc. !l Simpson wasnt alrcady lrcc ol thc contraptionor
dcadthcGcrmanswouldsurclylinishthcjobandthcnstartlooking
lorothcrsurvivors.
!nthcdistanccanothcrconvoyoltruckspasscd.Thcywcrcmoving
lastandhcadcdinthcdircctionolthcdowncdplanc.nccthcyrcalizcd
thc crcw had jumpcd, it wouldnt bc long until thcy lanncd out in a
scarch. !nstinctivcly, Pctcr tricd pulling his knccs closc to his body to
makchimscllassmallandunnoticcablcaspossiblc.8utthcactionscnt
ashotolpaindownhislcgsopowcrlulthathchadtobitchisdogtags
tokccplromcryingout.
Dog tagskeep them safe. !l hc was capturcd wcaring thcm, thc
Gcrmans would supposcdly dcal with him according to intcrnational
rulcs rcgarding thc trcatmcnt ol capturcd cncmy pcrsonncl. Vithout
thcmhccouldbclabclcdaspyortraitorandtorturcdorworsc.
Hcwondcrcdilontopolthcgunshotwoundhchadbrokcnhislcg
inthclall.!lso,thcnwhat:Acrossthclicldhcsawaringollightand
kncwthatthctruckshadcirclcdthcdowncdwrcckagcandturncdthcir
hcadlightsontomakcitcasicrtoasscssthcsituation.Sooncrorlatcr. . .
!cccrackcdcloscby.Tooclosc.Hcrccallcdpuddlcsthathadlormcd
inthcrutsandlurrowsolthclicldpuddlcscovcrcdwithathincoating
13
SIMPLE FAITH
olicc.Puddlcshchaddclibcratclyavoidcdsothatthcydidntbrcakand
lormatrailrighttohim.
Pctcrcastaboutlorsomcthinghcmightuscasawcapon.Hislingcrs
closcdaroundarockthcsizcolabascball.8ackhomchcdplaycdlirst
basc,andhchadagoodarm.
Mistcr:Thcwhispcrcamclromhislclt.Hchcltcdthcrockand
turncdtolaccaboyolnomorcthancightortcn.Canyouwalk:Thc
kidwasdownonallloursinchinghiswayaroundthchaystack.Thclact
thathcspokcatlcastsomcnglishalbcitwithahcavyacccntolsomc
sortputPctcronguard.Couldbcatricktogainhistrust.
Hcwasntabouttoadmitthathcnotonlycouldntwalkbutwasnt
surcilhccouldmovcatall.Thclcgwasstillcningup,andhcwasin
alotolpainandstartingtolcarthathcmightactuallyblackout.Hc
clcnchcdthcrockalittlctightcrasthckidcloscdinonhim,glancing
ovcr his shouldcr toward thc ring ol trucks around thc wrcckagc ol
thcplanc.Thcboypointcdtowardathickctolshrubs.Vcllgctyou
ovcrthcrc,and!llgolorhclp,hcsaidmorctohimscllthantoPctcr.
Mamawillknowwhattodo.HcpronounccdMamawiththcacccnt
onthcsccondsyllablc.Comcon,hcinstructcdashcstartcdtocrawl
towardthcshrubs.VhcnhcrcalizcdthatPctcrwasnotlollowinghim,
hcpauscdthcnstoodup.kay,!lldragyou.
ThcidcawouldhavcmadcPctcrsmilcundcranyothcrcircumstanccs.
Thc kid was skinny, almost lraillooking. Thcrc was no way hc was
goingtodragPctcrssixloottwo,185poundlramctosalcty.
Golorhclp,Pctcrsaid,hisvoicchuskylromboththcsmokcin
thcplancandnowthccold.Hclumblcdwiththclirstaidkitthatwas
standardissucaspartolhisgcar.!nsidcwasasyringcwithmorphinc.
Thissccmcdasgoodatimcasanytouscit.
Thckidstoodupandcamcbacktohim,watchinghimashcgavc
himscll thc pain mcdication. You cant stay hcrc, mistcr. Vithout
warning,hcstcppcdbchindPctcrandthrustbothhisarmsundcrPctcrs
14
ANNA SCHMIDT
armpits.Uscyourgoodlcgtopush,hcgruntcdashctuggcdonPctcrs
uppcrbody.
Lctgo,Pctcrwhispcrcd.!candothis.Hcjammcdthcsyringc
intothchaystacksoitwouldntbcdiscovcrcd,thcnhcuscdthcrollol
bandagcstolashionatourniquct.Ncxthcbraccdhispalmsllatbchind
him.Pushingollwithhisgoodloot,hcscootcdalongthclrozcnlicldas
thcboyhovcrcdncarbytoshowthcwayandapparcntlyplaychccrlcadcr.
Almostthcrc,mistcr.
Justalcwmorcmctcrs,mistcr.
Thc kid scramblcd ahcad, and Pctcr hcard thc snap ol somc
branchcsandthcrustlcoldricdlcavcs.!nhcrc,thcboysaid.
Pctcr gavc his body onc grcat hcavc and oncc again lclt himscll
lallingthis timc into a ditch. Hc was lying in hall an inch ol cold
watcrthc icc that had covcrcd it lloating around him. Hc caught a
picccandprcsscdittohislipstostcmthcincrcdiblcthirsthclclt.Thc
smcllolwctdccayinglcavcssurroundcdhim,andhcsurrcndcrcdtothc
painandcxhaustionandcloscdhiscycs.Thclastthinghcrcmcmbcrcd
wasthckidcovcringhimwithbranchcsthatsmcllcdlikchismothcrs
ccdar chcst and thc sounds ol truck cngincs rcvving in thc distancc
andamansvoiccbarkingoutordcrsinGcrman.!twasthcclcvcnthol
Novcmbcr. !n two wccks, Pctcr would bc twcntycight ycars old. His
lcllowcrcwmcmbcrshadjokinglyrclcrrcdtohimasthcldMan.Hc
hadtowondcrjustwhcrchcwouldspcndthatbirthdayilhcmadcit
outolthismcssalivc.
Anja Jcnscn Stcinbcrga last namc shc had surrcndcrcd to thc nccd
loranonymityandthcprotcctionolhcrsonsatonthctrain,staring
out into thc gathcring darkncss. Thc journcy lrom 8russcls to thc
villagc whcrc hcr grandparcnts lal and Ailsa Jcnscn had thcir larm
couldtakcaslittlcasanhouroraslongaslourtosixhours,dcpcnding
15
SIMPLE FAITH
on whcthcr thcir train was lorccd to sit on a sidc track so that somc
GcrmangcncraloratrainloadolGcrmantroopscouldhavcprclcrcncc.
Thcidcathatthcirbusincsswasolmorcimportanccthanhcrchancc
tospcndtwcntylourblcsscdhourswithhcrcightycaroldson,anicl,
annoycdhcr.uringthcwcckanicllivcdinthcorphanagcwhcrchc
hadbccntakcnwhcnthcyhadllcdMunichandhcandAnjahadbccn
scparatcd.Thcrchcattcndcdclasscswhilcshcworkcdatthchospital
in8russcls.Hcspcntwcckcndsandholidaysonthclarm.Somuchhad
changcdlorallolthcminjustaycar.
This timc last ycar shc had bccn Anja Stcinbcrg, running lor hcr
lilcacrossPolandhcrhusbandanddaughtcrmurdcrcdbythcNazis,
hcrsonswhcrcaboutsunknown.Alongwithhcrlricnds8cthandJoscl
8uch, shc had cscapcd lrom thc notorious Sobibor dcath camp and
cvcntuallymadcittohcrhomconthcislandol8ornholmollthccoast
olcnmarkwhcrcshchadabandoncdhcrmarricdnamcandgottcnncw
idcntitypapcrslorgcdlorhcrscll,usinghcrlamilynamcolJcnscn.
nccshclcarncdthataniclwasalivcanddiscovcrcdhiswhcrcabouts,
shcprocurcdlorgcdpapcrslorhimaswcll.Shchadnodoubtthathcr
latc husband would not only approvc but would havc cncouragcd hcr
to do whatcvcr was ncccssary to kccp hcrscll and thcir son salc. Shc,
alongwith8cthandJoscl,hadbccnadviscdtostickascloscaspossiblc
to thcir givcn namcs. 8oth Anja and Jcnscn wcrc common namcs in
cnmark.ForJoscland8cthithadbccnabitmorccomplicatcd.8cth
bccamcLisbcth,andJosclkcpthisgivcnnamcbutchangcdthcspclling
ol his surnamc to 8uchcrmann. So lar thcy had all survivcd without
anyoncqucstioningthcmorthcirlorgcdidcntitypapcrs.
Vhcnthcylirstarrivcdon8ornholm,itsccmcdasilthcymight
havcloundaplaccwhcrcthcycouldwaitoutthccndolthcwar.Thc
ncwswasbcttcrthanithadbccnwhcnthcywcrcalllivinginMunich
andccrtainlygavcthcmmorchopcthanthcyhaddarcdtocntcrtainlor
cvcn an instant whilc imprisoncd at thc Nazi cxtcrmination camp in
16
ANNA SCHMIDT
castcrnPoland.!nthoscprcciouswccksonthcislandthathcldsomany
happymcmoricslorhcr,thcyhadcnjoycdanalmostnormallilc.8cth
andJosclhadmarricd,andAnjahadrcccivcdthcbcstgiltolallthc
ncwsthathcrsonwassalcinanorphanagcrunbyanordcrolnunsjust
outsidc 8russcls. !mmcdiatcly shc had bcgun making plans to bring
himto8ornholm.
8ut shortly altcr that, thcy lcarncd that it was no longcr salc lor
thcmtorcmainonthcisland.ThcNaziprcscnccwasgrowingbccausc
Hitlcrsrcgimchaddccidcdtoworkthcrcinsccrctonthcdcvclopmcnt
ol an atomic bomb. vcryonc on thc island had bccn subjcctcd to
intcrrogationthcir backgrounds and idcntity documcnts thoroughly
chcckcd.AsancscapcclromSobibor,shcwasstillbcinghuntcd,andas
Anjakncwalltoowcll,thcNazispridcdthcmsclvcsonlcavingnoloosc
cnds.vcninthcirsmallvillagc,itwasimpossiblctoknowwhomight
bctraythcm.
Armcdwiththcirncwidcntitypapcrs,Anjaandhcrgrandparcnts
hadllcdthcirhomclandlor8clgium.8cthandJosclhadlollowcdalcw
monthslatcraltcrthcylcarncdthcywcrccxpcctingthcirlirstchild.Not
that8clgiumwasanysalcr.Thcylivcdhourtohourinthcknowlcdgc
thatatanymomcntthcymightbcarrcstcd.8utitwascasicrtorcmain
undiscovcrcdinalargcrcityorinthcisolatcdcountrysidcwhcrcnoonc
kncwthcmthanitwasonanislandwhcrcnomattcrwhatnamcthcy
uscdthclocalswouldknowthcmbysight.Andtrulythconlythingthat
mattcrcdlorAnjawasthataniclhadasalcplacctobcwiththcnuns
atthcorphanagc.Thcopportunitytospcndcvcnanhourwithhimwas
worthcvcrythingtohcr.
Still,onccthcyscttlcdin8clgiumwhcrchcrgrandparcntsmanagcd
a small larm whilc shc sccurcd work as a nursc in 8russcls, Anja was
notcontcnttosimplyliclowandwaitlorthcwartocnd.Raiscdinthc
laitholthcSocictyolFricndsQuakcrslikchcrlricndLisbcthshc
wasdctcrmincdtodowhatcvcrshccouldtohclpothcrs.!natimcol
17
SIMPLE FAITH
war,suchcharitycouldgcthcrarrcstcdorshot.VorkingwithLisbcth
andhcrhusband,JosclwhohadalsoadoptcdthcQuakcrlaithshc
had joincd onc ol scvcral undcrground organizations that ran cscapc
lincslorAllicdairmcnwhoscplancshadbccnshotdownovcroccupicd
uropc.
AlthoughJosclwasadoctor,hcand8cthhaddccidcdthatopcning
asmallcalin8russclsgavcthcmmorcanonymity.ThcGcstapowould
bc looking lor a doctorthcy wantcd Joscl lor morc than his cscapc
lrom Sobibor.Thcy also wantcd him lor thc conncction hcd had to
thc Vhitc Rosc rcsistancc movcmcnt back in Municha group ol
GcrmanmcdicalstudcntswhohaddarcdtospcakoutagainstthcRcich
andinscvcralcascspaidlorthciractionswiththcirlivcs.Thatdidnot
dctcrJoscl.Hcwasdctcrmincdtocontinuctodowhatcvcrhccouldto
dclcatwhathcvicwcdasabuncholthugswhohadtakcncontrololhis
bclovcdhomcland.!twasthroughJosclandhisconncctiontoothcrsin
thcRcsistanccthatAnjahadbccomcinvolvcd.Aspcrilousasitwaslor
hcr,Anjahadalsolcltcallcdtotakcastandagainstthccvillorccsthat
hadtakcnthclivcsolhcrhusbandanddaughtcrandmadclilcahcllol
unccrtaintyandlcarlorhcrsonandhcrgrandparcnts.
Hcr voluntccr work with thc FricndsVar\ictims Rclicl Com
mittccgavchcragoodcovcrlorcarryingloodandmcssagcstothcsalc
houscs thc nctwork had cstablishcd in 8russcls and thc surrounding
countrysidc.Thcsc wcrc apartmcnts, larmhouscs, and in onc casc thc
countryhomcolawcalthybccrbaronwhcrclugitivcscouldstayuntil
thcycouldbcsalclymovcdtothcncxtplacc.!twasAnjasjobtosccurc
salc houscs, clothing, lalsc documcnts, and lood lor thc cvadcrs, as
thoscwhohadnotbccncapturcdwcrccallcd.Thccscapclincranlor
thousands ol kilomctcrs all thc way lrom 8clgium through occupicd
Francc, across thc Pyrcnccs Mountains, and on to Spain, whcrc thc
govcrnmcntwalkcdatightropcbctwccnappcasingthcNazisandtrying
tostayonthcgoodsidcolthcAllics.!lthcairmcnmanagcdtorcach
18
ANNA SCHMIDT
thc 8ritish cmbassy in Madrid, thcy had a good chancc ol making it
backtongland.
!nspitcolAnjasprotcsts,hcrgrandparcntsaswcllasLisbcthhad
insistcd on doing thcir part. Ailsa collcctcd clothing lrom ncighbors,
tclling thcm it was lor thosc rclugccs who had llcd thcir homcs with
nothing. lal had uscd his horscdrawn cart to movc Allicd airmcn
lrom thc larm to town and thc ncxt salc housc undcr thc guisc ol
bringinggoodstomarkct.Mcanwhilc,Josclhaduscdhismcdicalskills
totrcatwoundsthccvadcrsmighthavcsustaincdaswcllasthccolds
andviruscsthcydcvclopcdlromhavingtohidcoutsidcinthccold.
As an Amcrican, Lisbcth should havc gonc homc ycars carlicr
whcn thc Nazis wcrc allowing lorcigncrs to lcavc, but instcad shc
hadgivcnhcrpassporttoawomanshckncwonlyslightlyaJcwish
woman who would surcly havc bccn arrcstcd and scnt to onc ol
thc camps il shc had staycd. vcn altcr Joscl had gottcn hcr papcrs
rcplaccd,Lisbcthhadcontinucdtodclythcgovcrnmcnt.nccshchad
litcrallysavcdAnjaandhcrlamily.!nlact,itwasindircctlybccauscol
LisbcthandJosclthataniclhadcndcdupsalcinthcorphanagc.
Anja shuddcrcd to think what might havc happcncd without thcir
hclp.
Thc train lrom 8russcls chuggcd on, uncncumbcrcd by thc nccd
tostopandwait.utsidcitwascomplctclydark.Anjawasboncwcary
lromworkingadoublcshiltatthchospitalandbcingupmostolthc
last lcw nights moving thc latcst group ol Canadians lrom onc salc
housctoanothcr,makingsurcthcyhadthcrightclothcsandidcntity
papcrs,quictingthcirncrvcsaboutthcncccssityolbcingscparatcdlor
thcncxtlcgolthcirjourncyintoFrancc,andrcmindingthcmagainand
againaboutthctricksGcstapoagcntsoltcnuscdtocatchancvadcr.
Thcywillaskloryourdocumcnts,cxamincthcm,andallthcwhilc
makcconvcrsationtocachothcrinGcrman.Andthcnallolasuddcn
asthcyhandbackyourpapcrs,thcywillsayinnglish,Havcagood
19
SIMPLE FAITH
journcy. Your instinct will bc to say,Thank you, but you must lcign
conlusionasilyouhavcnoidcawhatthcyspokcinnglish.thcrwisc
youarccaught.
vcrytimcshcturncdagroupolthcscyoungairmcnovcrtothc
ncxt contact on thc linc, Anja worricd. Thcy wcrc so young, so vcry
trusting, so vcry alraid. And cvcry timc shc kncw that thcir latc was
now in thc hands ol othcrspcoplc whosc namcs cvcn shc did not
know bccausc thc dangcr was so grcat and it was bcttcr to havc lcss
inlormationincascshcwasbroughtinlorqucstioningandshcpraycd
again. Shc rcmcmbcrcd all thc young airmcn shc had cncountcrcd
thcirnamcs,thcirlaccs,thcirstorics.Thcysharcdagrcatdcalwithhcr
onthoscoccasionswhcnshcvisitcdtobringthcmloodorclothingor
ncws.Thcywcrcvcrycagcrtotalkonccthcyrcalizcdshcspokcnglish.
Most ol thc locals providing hiding placcs did not. So many storics.
Thisoncwassupposcdtomarryhischildhoodswccthcart,andhcwas
havingsccondthoughts.Anothcrwasdctcrmincdtomakcitbackalivc
sothathccouldstartabusincss.Athirdjustwantcdtogcthomcsohc
couldscchissonborninhisabscncc.
Somcolthcmwcrcoutthcrcnow.Thcymightbcwalkingthrough
thclicldsshcwaspassingorridingoncolthcbicyclcsthcundcrground
kcptlorthcmtouscasthcywcntlromoncvillagctothcncxt.Somcol
thcmmightbconthisvcrytraincrammcdwithhcrandothcrlocals
intothcrcarcarsbccauscthcNazishadtakcnovcrscvcralcarslorthcir
cxclusivcusc.
Shc rcstcd hcr lorchcad against thc window as shc lclt thc train
roundacurvcandthcslccpingwomansittingncxttohcrprcssagainst
hcr.Thctrainwascrowdcdwithpcoplclikchcrmcnandwomcnwho
workcd in thc city and madc thc journcy homc to thc larms to visit
lamily and hclp out whcncvcr thcy could. All around hcr passcngcrs
clutchcd papcr sacks or boxcs wrappcd with brown papcr and string
thatnodoubthcldsomcspccialtrcatthcyhadbccnablctogctlorthcir
20
ANNA SCHMIDT
lamilycxtra rations, a candy bar lor thc childrcn, cigarcttcs or pipc
tobacco,pcrhapsapicccollincnorlacc.!nhcrbagshccarricdasinglc
orangcloranicl.
As thc train whcczcd and bclchcd to a stop in thc station, Anja
waitcdlorothcrpasscngcrstoprcsslorwardandlillthccxits.Thcnshc
gathcrcd hcr things and walkcd slowly to thc door at thc rcar ol hcr
car.Arailwayworkcrwasbusyunloadingluggagcasshcstcppcdonto
thcstationplatlorm.Hcwhcclcdhisloadcdcartpasthcr,andashcdid
hcslippcdhcraloldcdscrapolpapcr.Thcysaidnothing.Ncithcrdid
thcysomuchasmakccyccontact.8utthcykncwoncanothcr.Hcwas
MikclSabartc,arclugcclromthc8asqucrcgionolSpain,aguidcon
thccscapclinc,andamanwhoAnjasuspcctcdwasinlovcwithhcr.
Thcysharcdmuchincommon.VhilcHitlcrhadaparticularhatrcd
olJcwsincludingAnjaslatchusbandthcdictatorolSpain,Francisco
Franco,hadthatsamchatrcdolthc8asqucpcoplc.ncchctookpowcr,
thc8asqucslivinginSpainalongthcloothillsolthcPyrcnccsMountains
wcrcstrippcdolallpoliticalautonomyandrights.Thoscwhodarcdto
stand up and spcak outand many who did notwcrc imprisoncd or
killcd.!n1937FrancorcqucstcdthatGucrnicaMikclshomctownbc
bombcd by thc Gcrmans. Scvcral hundrcd civilians, including most ol
Mikclslamily,dicd,andhcllcdtothcmountains.
Likc Anja, Mikcl had lost thosc dcarcst to him. Likc hcr, hc had
bccn lorccd lrom his homc. Likc hcr, hc was on thc run and always
awarcthatatanymomcntcapturccouldoccur.8utunlikcAnja,Mikcl
had littlc hopc lor thc luturchis or anyonc clscs. Hc was a dark,
broodingmanwhohadoncctoldhcrthathcloundhcrscarchlorsomc
!nncr Light to bc sad and stupid.Thcrc is no God, hc had argucd.
oyouthinkGodwouldallowthis:
8ut Anja hcld lirmly to hcr bclicl in Gods brcath within cvcry
humanbcingcvcndictators.ThcLightwasthcrc.!twasuptocach
pcrsontobringittothclorc.
21
SIMPLE FAITH
Now as shc glanccd quickly at othcr passcngcrs and railway
cmployccs along thc platlorm, shc slid thc scrap ol papcr insidc hcr
glovc. Shc hoistcd hcr bag highcr on hcr shouldcr as shc crosscd thc
platlormpastthcrackolbikcslincdupandwaitinglorthcirowncrsto
claimthcm.umpinghcrbaginthcwillowbaskctolonc,shcstccrcd
thc bikc away lrom thc station whcrc Gcrman soldicrs prowlcd thc
platlorm, smoking and laughing as thcy waitcd to board thc train.
AmongthcmwcrcthrccmcnwcaringthcunilormolthcdrcadcdNazi
sccrctpoliccthcGcstapo.
Shc walkcd hcr bicyclc past thcm. nc ol thcm glanccd hcr way
anddismisscdhcrasthcirkindusuallydid.Hcrprotcctioncamcintwo
lorms:shcworcthcunilormolanursc,andshcwassopctitcthatshc
oltcnpasscdloramcrcgirlrathcrthanawomanoltwcntysixwhohad
sccn hcr husband and daughtcr murdcrcd and who cvcn now carricd
incriminatinginlormationthatcouldgcthcrarrcstcd.
Hcrjobwastopassthcscrapolpapcrontothclocalbakcr,who
was just closing up his shop lor thc night. As shc parkcd hcr bicyclc,
shcwavcdtothcbakcr,whowavcdbackandwcntbchindthccountcr.
Vhcnshccntcrcdthcshop,hchandcdhcraloalolbrcad.!twashard
asarock,andbccauscrationinglimitcdthcbakcrsrcsourccs,shckncw
thcinsidcwouldbcgray,glucy,andtastclcss,butthcbakcrhadclcarly
madcthcbrcadthatdaycspcciallylorhcrandhcrlamily.Shchandcd
himacoinandthcscrapolpapcr.
Thcy madc small talk whilc hc glanccd at thc papcr and handcd
hcr somc changc. All ol this in spitc ol thc lact that thcy wcrc alonc
inthcshop.ncncvcrkncwwhcnsomconcmightbcwatchinglrom
thcstrcct.Usingthchouscnumbcrascodc,hcgavchcrncwsabouta
compromiscdsalchousc.8utallswcllthatcndswcll,hcsaid.Noonc
washomc.
!knowaplaccncarthclarmand
Hclaughcdhcartilyasilshchadmadcajokcthcnwalkcdhcrto
22
ANNA SCHMIDT
thc door and turncd thc sign to show that thc shop was closcd. 8ut
undcrhisbrcathhctoldhcrhisncws.
A planc wcnt down ncar your grandlathcrs larm. . .Amcricans.
Scarchison.Takccarc,littlconc.
Now Anja pcdalcd lrantically. !l thc planc had crashcd in hcr
grandlathcrs licld, thcn thc lirst placc thc Gcrmans would comc
would bc to thcir housc.Thcy would ransack thc housc dcspitc lal
and Ailsas protcsts that no cvadcrs wcrc hiding thcrc. Thcy might
cvcn burn thc outbuildingssimply bccausc thcy could.Thcy would
ccrtainly takc any lood supplics thcy lound in thc scarch as spoils ol
warandthcirducasconqucrors.Thcywouldsurclytcrrilyanicl,who
alsolivcdwiththcmcmoryolsccinghislathcrarrcstcdandknowing
that his sistcr had bccn murdcrcd cvcn as thc strangcr at his sidca
contactolJoscl shadstccrcdhimintothcshadows,protcctinghim
andcvcntuallygcttinghimtosalcty.
Andwhatiloncormorcolthcsurvivorslromthcplanchadlound
thcirwaytothclarmunbcknownsttolal:Vhatilcvcnnowaman
washidinginthcloltolthcbarnorinthcshcdbchindthchouscthat
doublcdasastablclorhcrgrandlathcrshorsc:Vhatil. . .
Anjablinkcd,unwillingtobclicvcwhatshcwassccingahcadolhcr
onthcsidcolthcroad.Thcskywasdark,butthcmoonplaycdhidc
andscckthroughthcdriltingclouds.Suddcnlyitbrokclrccandshonc
ontoaclustcroltrccs.Notjustanytrccs.Thcsctrccswcrccovcrcdina
whitcshroudthatblcwandllappcdinthcwintcrwind.Andbcncath
thcbarc,outstrctchcdtrccbranchcssomcthingmorcsomcthinghcavy
anddarkswaycdslowly.
Abody.Aman.
Hchadbccnshotscvcraltimcsashchungthcrchclplcss.Hadhc
dicdinthclallorlaccdhiskillcrsandknownhislatc:
Anjas lcgs lclt likc lcad as shc slowly pcdalcd past. To stop and
try to cut thc man down and givc him somc propcr rcspcct cvcn in
23
SIMPLE FAITH
dcath was ol littlc usc. !l somconc saw and rcportcd hcr, shc could
bc arrcstcd. Thc Nazis had lclt him hanging thcrc purposclyas a
warning.h,howshchatcdthiswarallwar.Allviolcncc.Thcrchad
tobcsomcthingsomcwaythatshcandthoscshcworkcdwithcould
provcthcpointlcssncssolsuchcarnagc.
Shcpcdalcdon,hcrlcgshcavywithwcarincssasshcpraycdlorthc
cnlightcnmcnt ol hcr laith, that laith that taught hcr to bclicvc that
thcrc was good in cvcry pcrsonor at lcast thc potcntial lor good in
cvcry pcrson.Thosc raiscd in thc tradition ol thc Socicty ol Fricnds
bclicvcdthatcvcrypcrsoncamcintothcworldinposscssionolan!nncr
Lighta light that camc dircctly lrom God, that was thc vcry soul
and spirit ol thcir bcing.Thc challcngc cach pcrson laccd in lilc was
toconncctwiththatlightandspirit,tolivclilcguidcdlromwithin.To
holdothcrsinthatlight.
Shc smcllcd thc lingcring stcnch ol oil, charrcd wrcckagc, and
gasolinc and kncw that thc downcd planc was ncarby and still
smoldcring.Justahcadshcsawthclanclcadingtothclarmandinthc
larmyardatruckitslightslocuscdonhcrgrandparcntsandhcrsonas
ilthcywcrconastagc.Shcsawasoldicrguardingthcmwithpointcd
rillc.Andasshccamccloscr,shchcardthcclattcrolbrokcnglassand
splintcrcdlurniturcasthcguardscohortsrummagcdthroughthchousc.
ShccrlurythrcatcncdtoovcrwhclmhcrasshcrcalizcdthatAilsa
was shivcring, having bccn lorccd lrom thc housc in hcr bcdroom
slippcrsandathinswcatcr.Shchadwrappcdhcrarmsinthcskirtol
hcrapronlorwarmth.lalwaswcaringhisworkshocsprobablyhc
hadbccnlccdingthclivcstockwhcnthcsoldicrscamc.Hisshirtslccvcs
wcrcstillrollcdtohisclbows,aswashiswaywhcnhcworkcdwiththc
animals.Hishcadwasbarc,andthccoldwindllattcncdthcthinwisps
olhiswhitchair.
8utitwasaniclwhohcldhcrattcntion.Hcstoodstraightandtall
lacingthcsoldicr.Hcwaswcaringthcclothcshcworctoschoolcvcry
24
ANNA SCHMIDT
daywoolpants,ashirtwiththrcadbarccollarandculls,andovcrthat
a hcavy swcatcr that Ailsa had knittcd lor him. n his hcad hc was
wcaringthcbcrctthatMikclhadgivcnhim.
Halt!avoiccgrowlcd.Thcmanguardinghcrlamilyswivclcdto
point his wcapon at hcr. Anothcr soldicr stcppcd out ol thc shadows
bchindhcr.Hcwasalsopointingagunathcr.Shcstcppcdollhcrbikc
andraiscdhcrhands.
Mama! anicl ran to hcr, wrapping his arms around hcr waist.
8othsoldicrslowcrcdthcirwcapons.Thcycxchangcdalook,andthcn
oncolthcmhcrdcdhcrandaniclbackintothcspotlightwhilcthc
othcroncpickcduphcrbikcandrummagcdthroughhcrbag.Vhcn
hcloundthcorangc,hcgrinncdandhclditupasatrophylorthcothcr
soldicrtoscc.
Thatbclongstomyson,AnjasaidinpcrlcctGcrman.
Thc soldicr hcsitatcd, no doubt startlcd by hcr command ol his
languagc.
Givc it to thc boy, a man said, stcpping into thc light. Hc was
clcarly in chargc. Hc worc thc unilorm ol a Gcstapo agcnt, complctc
with shiny black boots and a holstcrcd handgun strappcd to his sidc.
HcwaitcdlorhisordcrtobcobcycdthcnturncdhisattcntiontoAnja.
Frulein, hc said politcly. Thcn hc bcgan to spcak to hcr in
Gcrman. Shc kncw that hc was tcsting hcr, trying to dctcrminc just
howwcllshcspokchislanguagcandwhy.Shcanswcrcdhisqucstions
astruthlullyaspossiblc.
!livcdloratimcinMunich.
!amanishbybirth.
Thcscarcmygrandparcnts.Myparcntsarcdcad.
!worklorthcFricndsVar\ictimsRcliclCommittccin8russcls.
Thcolliccrstudicdhcrloralongmomcnt.Thisisyourson:
Ja.
Vhcrcisyourhusband:
25
SIMPLE FAITH
Shcmcthisgazcdircctlybutsaidnothing.
Hclrowncd.Youhavcahusbandandyctyoucarrythcnamcol
yourgrandparcnts:
!ncnmarkitisacommonnamc.
Yourhusbandthcnisasoldicr:
VcarcolthcFrcundcSocictcwcdonotbclicvcinyourwar.
id hc nccd to know that hcr husband had bccn a Jcw: id hc
nccdtoknowthathchaddicdinthcstrcctoutsidcasynagoguc:id
hcnccdtoknowoncmorcdctailolhcrlilc:
Thcolliccrsmilcd.!tishardlymywar,FrauJcnscn.
And yct you light, shc rcplicd quictly, hcr cycs ncvcr wavcring
lromhis.
His smilc dissolvcd into a scowl, and hc turncd on his hccl and
approachcdthchousc,barkingoutordcrstothcsoldicratthccntrancc.
Vithinsccondsthcsoldicrsransackingthchousccamcrunningout.At
thcsamctimc,thoscwhohadbccnscarchingthcoutbuildingscmcrgcd
andrandoublctimctothccanvascovcrcdtruck.Thcyclimbcdinthc
backthclastbcingthcsoldicrsguardingAnjaandhcrlamily.
Thcolliccrclimbcdintothcpasscngcrscatncxttothcdrivcrand
saidsomcthingtohim.Sccondslatcrthctaillightsolthctruckcouldbc
sccnladingintothcdistancc.
Forthclirsttimc,Anjaturncdtolookdircctlyathcrgrandlathcr.
Hcshookhishcadoncc,signalingthatindccdthcrcwcrcnoAmcricans
hiding on thc propcrty. Thcn hc lollowcd his wilc to thc housc and
bcgan picking up thc ovcrturncd lurniturc whilc shc swcpt up thc
shardsolglass.Anjawrappcdhcrarmaroundaniclsshouldcrs.Put
thcbicyclcawayandthcncomchclp,shcsaid.
Mama, anicl said in a whispcr, casting a glancc toward thc
housc.!knowwhcrconcolthcmishiding,andhcishurt.Youmust
comc.Hctuggcdathcrarm.
Noanicl,you
26
ANNA SCHMIDT
!sawthcplanccomcdown,and!sawthcmanlallintoourlicld.
Hchidhisparachutcinoncolthchaystacks,and!hidhiminthcditch
bythcstrcam.Vcshouldbringablankctandsomcwaytocarryhim.
Hccannotwalk.
ArumblcolmorctrucksonthcroadmadcAnjatrcmblcwithlcar.
Vhat il somconc had sccn anicl hiding thc airman: Vhat il thc
olliccrhadknownthatalocalboyhadbccnsccndraggingsomcthing
acrossalicld:Vhatil
Mama:Comcnow.Hcmustbccoldandhungry,and!thinkhc
wasinsuchpain.
GohclpMomseandscndMoffee outtomc.Shcwasdclibcratcin
hcruscolthctcrmsolcndcarmcntlorhcrgrandparcnts.Shchopcdit
wouldcalmanicl.TcllMollcctowcarhisjackctandglovcs.
8ut
o as ! say, shc snappcd, hcr lcar lor what hcr son had donc
without a thought lor his own salcty making hcr irritablc.Thcn shc
grabbcdhimandhuggcdhimhard.Youdidthcrightthing,shctold
him,kissinghislorchcad.Justncvcrcvcrdosomcthinglikcthatagain.
Promiscmc.
Thcydidnotsccmc,Mama.!wassovcrycarclul.
Hcwouldnotpromischcwasthatmuchlikchislathcr.AndAnja
undcrstoodthatcvcnasyoungashcwas,thclossolhislathcrandhis
sistcrmadchimwanttonccdtodosomcthing.
Go, shc said giving him a littlc push. And whilc shc waitcd lor
hcr grandlathcr to join hcr, shc tricd to think about how thcy might
movcalullgrownmanwhowasinjurcdpossiblybadlyburncd.And
whcrcwcrcthcygoingtohidchimuntilshccouldarrangclorhimtobc
movcddownthccscapclincandhopclullybacktongland:
Thcnshcrcmcmbcrcdthcbodyhanginglromthctrcc.Vhatilthc
Nazisgottothismanhcrsonhadloundbclorcshccould: