Page 40 of The Little Liar
A flash of fear shot across the bearded man’s face.
“Relax,” Mantis said. “They’re not his. He’s a Jew on the run. Or not a Jew on the run. Look.”
The bearded man held the papers up to a light bulb. He turned back to Nico. His blue smock was covered in paint stains.
“Where did you get these?”
“I’m not telling you anything unless you give me back my bag,” Nico said. “And the photo I paid you for.” He was trying to sound brave, but his voice warbled.
“He speaks German,” Mantis said.
“Really?” The bearded man raised an eyebrow. “Can you read it, too?”
Nico sniffed and nodded. The man reached into his pocket and produced a folded paper.
“Quickly. What does this say?”
Nico read. It was an official list of names, under a paragraph of instructions. Nico had seen papers like this on Udo Graf’s desk.
“It says these people are to be arrested on the twenty-eighth of August and taken to the train station. That their bags cannot weigh more than six kilos. And that women and children are to be separated from the men before they board.”
Mantis frowned. “The twenty-eighth? That’s the day after tomorrow.”
Nico handed back the paper.
“Are you all Jews?” he asked.
The bearded man shook his head.
“Worse,” he mumbled.
What could be worse?
Allow me to interject. The Romani lived in nomadic communities all over Europe, with a rich history, strict faith, a love of music and dance, and a deep sense of family. But the Wolf considered them as poisonous as the Jews. He labeled themZigeuner, and called them “enemies of the state.” Wherever Nazi forces discovered Romani, they transported them to death camps, or murdered them on sight. The Wolf’s soldiers were particularly cruel to the “Gypsy swine” they so detested, raping their women, hanging their men, playing games for sport by making them choose between being shot in the head or having to run into electrified fences.
Before the war was over, more than half of the Romani living in Europe would be wiped out. Some say three out of every four were put to death. Descendants would refer to this period as Porajmos, which means “devouring,” or Pharrajimos, which means “cutting up,” or Samudaripen, which means “mass killing.” You cannot blame them for having multiple terms. Could a single word really describe such horror?
But back to the attic.
Nico remembered how his own family had been herded onto the trains. He thought about the large man who had lifted him by the armpits.They’re taking us to die.
“You need to leave this city right now,” Nico warned.
The men nodded at each other. Mantis zipped the leather bag and handed it over.
“Good luck trying to reach the camps.”
He turned to his sons. “Take him back to the shop.”
“Wait,” the bearded man interrupted. “The boy needs a photo.”
Mantis scoffed. “Why should we help him?”
“Because he helped us.”
The bearded man turned to Nico. “That paper you translated was stolen by a maid who works for a Nazi officer. We couldn’t read it. Now, thanks to you, we know we must go.”
Nico nodded. He felt badly for them. They were just trying to stay alive, same as him.
