The Gossamer Cord by Philippa Carr Read Free Book Online Page B

which evil lurked. I just wanted to get away, to go home, where everything would be normal. I looked back over those enjoyable days before I had seen that spectacle of destruction, but I could not forget the expression in the eyes of Else’s lover. How could a young man like that behave as he had? He had no pity for the innocent people he had attacked. I could have understood if there had been a quarrel and he had lost his temper, but it had all been done in cold blood. It was a senseless, calculated attack on people because they were of a different race from his own.
    I told Edward that the leader of the band was Else’s friend. I explained what I had seen.
    “I wonder if she knew he was going to do what he did,” I said.
    “Perhaps,” replied Edward. “It explains things. She must have discovered that the family was Jewish. There is the old man in his black cap reading the Scriptures. He might have betrayed the fact.”
    Edward was thoughtful. He told me later that he had passed on the information to Kurt who had said that it was very likely. They lived among spies. If Else had betrayed them, there was nothing they could do about it. To dismiss her would mean great trouble. Of that they could be sure.
    Edward could not bring himself to let the matter rest. He had enough German to speak to Else and he could not resist doing so.
    He told me about the conversation afterwards. He had said to her: “Was that a friend of yours who created all that damage last night?”
    “I could see from her expression that she was quite truculent,” he went on. “She said defiantly: ‘Yes. It was.’ I answered: ‘And what did you think of what happened here last night?’ She replied: ‘It was for Germany and the Führer. We want an Aryan Germany. It is the Führer’s orders. We don’t want Jews here.’ I reminded her: ‘But those are the people you work for.’ ‘I should be employed by Aryans,’ she answered. ‘Why do you work here, then?’ I asked. ‘It is a job and my friend lives in the town nearby,’ she answered.
    “It was just hopeless,” went on Edward. “I could not get through to her. She graciously made it clear that she had nothing against me. I wasn’t German, which was why I could not understand what it meant to Germany to have a pure race.”
    “Oh, Edward,” I said. “It is so horrible. What if Kurt…his parents…Helmut and Gretchen…?”
    Edward looked worried. “I have been talking to Kurt. They should get out.”
    “How can they?”
    “I don’t know. But they should consider it.”
    “We shall be going soon,” I said. “It will be worrying to leave them…knowing what we do…having seen what we have seen.”
    Edward looked deeply concerned. I thought then that he was perhaps more involved with Gretchen than I had realized.
    I was certain of this when he said: “Gretchen is only a little older than you and Dorabella. Imagine what it must be like for her.”
    “And Kurt and Helmut. I think they are ashamed in a way. They would rather it had happened when we were not here.”
    “I suppose that is natural. And when you think that sort of thing is going on all over the country, it is something to be ashamed of. Violetta, how can we go away and leave them here?”
    “What else can we do?”
    “Well, it was Gretchen I was thinking of in particular. We could take her back with us.”
    “Take her back!”
    “We could say it was a holiday or something. She could stay with you. I am sure your mother would understand when we explained to her. She always understands.”
    “I see,” I said.
    “She is only a girl. How could we leave her here? With that likely to happen at any moment…?”
    “You are very fond of her,” I said.
    He nodded.
    I smiled. “Well, you know my mother. She always comes to the rescue of people in distress.”
    “As I have good reason to know. You and Dorabella could ask her back to stay with us for a while. That would be the best way of doing it.”
    “And