Anna swallowed. “All of us?”
“Ja,” he said.
Max slipped off his gloves, removed Nia’s harness, and the dog leaped into the bed of the wagon, where she padded forward and greeted Elfriede with a sniff.
Anna, Max, and Emmi climbed into the bed of the wagon. Fleck tugged on the reins, and the wagon pulled away.
Anna waited for Fleck to say something, but he silently steered as the horse plodded toward school.Let’s get it over with, she thought, staring at the back of Fleck’s snow-dusted coat. She wondered, although briefly, if she should address the issue head-on with Fleck. But she didn’t want to put Emmi in jeopardy of getting caught in Fleck’s crossfire. And considering Max’s silence, she believed that he might also be thinking the same thing. So, she leaned back, allowing icy flakes to patter her face, until they arrived at school.
They jumped down from the wagon. The horse snorted, its hot breath misting in the frigid air.
Anna motioned to Emmi to enter the barn.
Emmi nodded and slipped inside.
Fleck tethered a leash to Elfriede, who was no longer favoring her paw with the injured toenail.
“Elfriede looks much better,” Anna said, desperate to break the silence.
Fleck flapped his cap against his coat, dusting away snow, and placed it on his head. His eyes met Anna’s. “I’d like to have a word with you and Max—inside.”
“Ja, sir,” she said.
Anna, Max, and Nia entered the barn, where Emmi was preparing a fire in the cast-iron stove.
Emmi looked at Anna and silently mouthed, “It’ll be okay.”
Anna gave a subtle nod.
Rusted iron hinges screeched as Fleck closed the barn door.
Anna’s skin prickled.
“Fräulein Zeller,” Fleck said, facing her, “I assume that you are aware that Waldemar has come to me with a concern about you and Max.
She clasped her gloved hands. “Ja, sir.”
“Herr Fleck,” Max said, shuffling forward. “It was all my doing. I insisted that Anna permit me to barter for food while we were training.”
“You’ll get your chance to say your piece, Max,” Fleck said. “First, I’d like to hear from Fräulein Zeller.”
Max slipped off his gloves and placed them in his coat pockets. “Of course, sir.”
“We’re nearly out of food, sir,” Anna said. “I’m not sure if we’ll have enough to last us until the supply of rations in Oldenburg are restored. Myvater, Norbie, has had little success with trading his timepieces for food.” Her stomach fluttered. She drew a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to say. “I thought that by enlisting Max and Nia to barter timepieces, people would be more, how shall I say,sympatheticto our need.”
Emmi, her eyes wide, dropped a stack of wood. “Sorry,” she blurted.
Fleck crossed his arms.
“That’s not true,” Max said. “Anna is attempting to take my blame to save me from possibly being removed from training. It was me, not Anna, who insisted on bartering the timepieces.” Using his thumb and forefinger, he rubbed the smooth leather handle to Nia’s harness, as if it were a worry stone. “Anna and hervaterare nearly starving, yet they share what little food they have with me while I board in their home. It’s not fair; I receive military-issued lunches to sustain me, and they receive nothing. I wanted to help.”
Oh, Max. A flash of him digging frozen leeks from the garden filled Anna’s head.
Fleck sighed. “It’s admirable of you to want to aid Fräulein Zeller and hervater, but Waldemar is right. You should not have been conducting personal tasks while training in town. When I give an order, I expect it to be followed. You’re fortunate to have been selected for this program. There are countless blind veterans we can replace you with who will have no trouble adhering to my instructions.”
Max gently placed his hand on Nia’s head, and the dog leaned in to him.
Anna’s heart sank. “Please, Herr Fleck, don’t let Max go. He deserves to be here.”
