Page 16 of The Little Liar
Pinto agreed. He actually smiled when he received his official papers with the Nazi stamp on the bottom. He believed working beside the enemy would protect him from their wrath.
Silly thought. Would a lamb be protected from a wolf simply by walking alongside it?
***
“His name is Nico, but they call him Chioni,” Pinto said, as the boy stood against the living room wall, tugging nervously on his clothes.
“What doeschionimean?” Udo asked.
“Snow.”
“Why snow?”
“Because...” Pinto fumbled with the German word for “pure.” “Because he doesn’t lie.”
“Doesn’t lie?” Udo was intrigued. He turned to Nico. “Tell me, boy who doesn’t lie, have we met before?”
Pinto translated. Nico answered.
“I saw you at the square once. You were in a truck.”
Udo remembered. The boy who tried to wink.
“How old are you?”
“Eleven. Almost twelve.”
“Why don’t you lie?”
“My grandfather says it is a sin.”
“I see.” Udo paused. “Tell me, Nico, are you Jewish?”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe in God?”
“Yes.”
“Do you pray in a synagogue?”
“Not anymore. Someone took it.”
Udo grinned.
“But before that, Nico. Did you attend?”
“I used to go every Saturday.” He rubbed his nose. “And also, I ask the questions at the Passover seder, even though my sisters are younger. The youngest is supposed to ask them, but they don’t talk yet, so I do it.”
Udo studied the boy’s face. His blue eyes were perfectly distanced. He had good teeth, soft cheeks, a delicate chin, blond hair, and a nose that did not look Jewish in any way.Had the child not confessed his heritage, Udo might have regarded him as a fine example of Aryan youth.
He decided to test him further.
“Why were you hiding under the stairs?”
“There was a lot of noise. Everyone sounded scared. So I stayed inside.”
“Were you hiding by yourself?”
