“Max,” she said. He turned and briefly closed his eyes as the girl continued. “‘There was once a strange, small man,’” she said. Her arms were loose but her hands were fists at her side. “But there was a word shaker, too.”
One of the Jews on his way to Dachau had stopped walking now.
He stood absolutely still as the others swerved morosely around him, leaving him completely alone. His eyes staggered, and it was so simple. The words were given across from the girl to the Jew. They climbed on to him.
The next time she spoke, the questions stumbled from her mouth. Hot tears fought for room in her eyes as she would not let them out. Better to stand resolute and proud. Let the words do all of it. “‘Is it really you? the young man asked,’” she said. “‘Is it from your cheek that I took the seed?’”
Max Vandenburg remained standing.
He did not drop to his knees.
People and Jews and clouds all stopped. They watched.
As he stood, Max looked first at the girl and then stared directly into the sky who was wide and blue and magnificent. There were heavy beams—planks of sun—falling randomly, wonderfully to the road. Clouds arched their backs to look behind as they started again to move on. “It’s such a beautiful day,” he said, and his voice was in many pieces. A great day to die. A great day to die, like this.
Liesel walked at him. She was courageous enough to reach out and hold his bearded face. “Is it really you, Max?”
Such a brilliant German day and its attentive crowd.
He let his mouth kiss her palm. “Yes, Liesel, it’s me,” and he held the girl’s hand in his face and cried onto her fingers. He cried as the soldiers came and a small collection of insolent Jews stood and watched.
Standing, he was whipped.
“Max,” the girl wept.
Then silently, as she was dragged away:
Max.
Jewish fist fighter.
Inside, she said all of it.
Maxi Taxi. That’s what that friend called you in Stuttgart when you fought on the street, remember? Remember, Max? You told me. I remember everything ….
That was you—the boy with the hard fists, and you said you would land a punch on death’s face when he came for you.
Remember the snowman, Max?
Remember?
In the basement?
Remember the white cloud with the gray heart?
The Führer still comes down looking for you sometimes. He misses you. We all miss you.
The whip. The whip.
The whip continued from the soldier’s hand. It landed on Max’s face. It clipped his chin and carved his throat.
Max hit the ground and the soldier now turned to the girl. His mouth opened. He had immaculate teeth.
A sudden flash came before her eyes. She recalled the day she’d wanted Ilsa Hermann or at least the reliable Rosa to slap her, but neither of them would do it. On this occasion, she was not let down.
The whip sliced her collarbone and reached across her shoulder blade.
“Liesel!”