Page 56 of Library of Forbidden Books

“Good day to you all, and what a pleasant surprise to find an old friend here!” he gushed.

Helene frowned and pulled the children close to her. Klaus jumped up, but Lena grabbed his hand to hold him back.

“Mrs. von Sholtz,” Fuchs spat her surname out, “surely you know you’re not allowed to work in a public library?”

“And is it a crime to visit friends?” She kept her voice even and unaffected. She did not want him to think he had the power to make her afraid, though inside she was trembling.

“I’ll have to ask Captain Kummer about that. I’m sure he’ll be pleased to have news of you. We thought you had left the country, but you must be as stubborn as your parents. It won’t be long, though, until you people stop causing trouble. Good day!” he called, turning and marching out. The black uniform did nothing to make him look more commanding or more Aryan.

Helene, Lena, and Klaus exchanged a glance. “One day that pig is going to get his comeuppance. You know how he got promoted so quickly? By ratting out all his old commie comrades.” Lena made no attempt to hide her anger and disgust.

“Well, let’s not give him the pleasure of ruining our day,” Klaus said.

They chatted awhile longer and then Helene headed back to their makeshift home at the Secret Library.

Taking her customary pains to ensure she was not followed, Helene entered the yard and adroitly got the stroller up the stairs. The front door was shut as usual, but unlocked. She thought about turning around and leaving, but there was nowhere else she could go.

On high alert, she led the children into the expansive foyer, though the sky was too cloudy for the waning sunlight to be of any help.

Alexander turned on the light. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the room. The light reached halfway up the staircase at the far end of the room.

Helene heard footsteps descending. Would she have time to grab a knife from the kitchenette?

Before she could take action, black boots were visible on the stairs, then baggy, greenish-gray army pants, and then an army jacket. Helene was flooded with relief when Derek’s face appeared next.

Cries of “Derek!” and “Daddy!” rang out, and the family embraced in a tangle of arms and legs. Derek kissed Helene until Alexander pulled at his uniform for attention.

“Who is this strapping young man?” Derek asked, picking Alexander up. “Have you taken good care of your mother and sister like I asked?”

The boy’s blond curls jiggled as he nodded his head vigorously and toyed with the gold buttons on Derek’s coat. With his other arm, Derek scooped up Matilde. She buried her face into his neck and giggled.

“When did you get back?” Helene asked, then thought better of it. “No, let’s get the kids ready for bed, then we can talk all about it.”

They went up to the floor above. Derek bathed Alexander and Matilde while Helene prepared dinner. The children ate first, but Derek and Helene waited to eat until after the little ones were asleep.

“Tell me all about it. What kept you in Poland so long? I thought you’d never get sent back.”

Derek winced. He knew he would have to talk about it, but he preferred to pretend that the last few months had been a bad dream. “The war part was short. The poor Poles fought bravely and heroically but were no match for us. What we’re doing to their country is unbelievable. Besides jailing or executing their leaders, any Pole who stands out at all gets executed, and now they’re shutting the Jews into ghettos—which are big, but nowhere near large enough for all the people getting crammed into them. In these conditions, the population will die by the thousands—tens of thousands.”

Helene hung on his every word. So Hitler was not content to torture his own people. He would spread the horror throughout Europe.

“And it’s not slowing down. Keitel has told me that once we’ve secured the western front, Russia is next. It’s madness!”

Helene squeezed Derek’s hand. “Couldn’t you go ahead and retire?”

Derek shook his head and raised his shoulders in helpless anger. “Now? It’s impossible. We’re stuck. I’ve not had to fire a shot, but I’m one of the guys responsible for it all. But getting out would mean . . .”

“And what if they send you to Russia, or somewhere worse?”

Derek leaned over and hugged Helene. They pushed thoughts of the future aside. The past few years had taught them the value of enjoying each particular moment as it came. There was no guarantee that another would come.

Chapter 32

The Gray Building

Berlin

March 5, 1940