The Serpent's Egg (17 page)

“We can help,” Anna said.

“Nonsense.” Libertas ran a hand across her face, leaving a streak of baking soda on her cheek. “There are people who do that sort of work for a living. You’ve already suffered enough on your wedding day.”

Adam offered to take Max and Anna home, but Libertas had other ideas. “Take Greta and the boy home, Adam. I’ll look after these two.”

Chapter 47

March 1939

Adam drove away with Greta and Ule. Libertas led Anna into the back parlor. Max followed.

Anna perched on a chaise Longue. “I wanted to thank you for helping us with our Marriage Application, Frau. We would never have got permission to marry without your help.”

Libertas hunted around and came up with an unbroken bottle of schnapps. She poured some into a glass and handed it to Anna. “You look a bit pale, my dear. Drink this. It will make you feel better.”

Anna was a little lightheaded. She took a sip. The schnapps started its long journey down her gullet to her stomach.

Libertas went off to make a telephone call. Max found a glass and poured himself a glass of schnapps. He sat beside Anna. They held hands.

Anna looked into Max’s eyes. “What happened? You said you would explain.”

“I will, my love, but not now.”

Libertas returned. She said, “I need to speak with your husband alone for a moment.”

My husband!

Anna waved consent with her glass. Max followed Libertas out the door.

Anna took a mouthful. It chased after the first one. For a woman who’d just had her home destroyed by a Gestapo demolition crew, Libertas was strangely calm, although her eyes seemed unusually bright.

Libertas and Max returned within a few moments. His glass was empty. Libertas refilled it, poured a glassful for herself and drank half of it. “Max tells me he has spoken to you about what Harro and I do.”

Anna took a third sip. “You’re an actress and Harro works in the Air Ministry for the Luftwaffe.”

“That’s right, but that’s not all we do.”

“Oh, you mean all that other stuff with the Communists.”

“We are not Communists, but we don’t like the Nazis. We do what we can to disrupt them. We resist.”

“And Max helps with that. Yes, he told me.” Anna swallowed some more schnapps and closed her eyes. She was tired.

“Anna, open your eyes. Look at me, Anna.”

Anna opened her eyes. Libertas was blocking her view. She couldn’t see Max.

“Listen to me Anna. I’m going to ask you some questions. You need to answer them truthfully. Do you understand?”

What did this actress woman want?

“Tell me you understand. You must tell me the truth.”

“I’m not a child. Ask your questions.”

“Very well. Did you tell anyone about the Red Orchestra?”

“No.”

“Maybe someone at work?”

“No. Nobody.”

“Did you mention my name to anyone – anyone at all? Think carefully before you reply.”

“I told Ebba that you were hosting the reception.”

“You told her my name?”

“I think so. Yes, I’m sure I did.”

“What else did you tell her about me?”

“Nothing. I told her nothing.”

“You’re certain?”

“I may have said you’re an actress.” She closed her eyes again. It had been a long, long day. She just wanted it to end.

Libertas gathered her petticoats and strode to the door. “Wait for me here. I have a visitor coming, and I’d like you to meet her. Her name’s Emmy.”

“Who is she, this Emmy?”

“She’s an actress like me. She’s the one who arranged your Marriage Authorization.”

“I thought that was you, Frau Libertas.”

Libertas patted Anna’s hand. “I passed on your request, dear. Emmy was the one who arranged it.”

Libertas left the room, and Max sat beside Anna again.

Anna rolled her eyes. “Madam Krauss passed our Marriage Application to Frau Greta, Frau Greta passed it to Libertas, Libertas passed it to her friend Emmy. Perhaps Emmy passed it to the German football team.”

Emmy was a pretty, slightly plump woman with wisps of gray in her hair. She spent a few minutes talking to Libertas in private before Libertas presented her to Anna.

Anna did a passable curtsey while holding on to the furniture. “I want to thank you, Frau Emmy, for arranging our Marriage Authorization.”

Emmy smiled at her. “You’re welcome, child. How could any force or device of man stand against the power of young love? And besides, it wasn’t I that made the arrangements. That was my husband, Hermann.”

“Well, please thank Herr Hermann from us,” said Max.

“I will,” said Emmy.

By the time Emmy had gone, Harro’s car had been returned to the house. Libertas offered to drive the newlyweds to their apartment.

“We can take the S-Bahn,” said Max.

Anna struggled to her feet. “Thank you, Frau Libertas. That’s very kind.” 

Chapter 48

March 1939

Max and Anna took the autobus to Lutherstadt Wittenberg the next day. Max’s mother had agreed to let them spend the first two weeks of their married life in her home. Anna was enjoying the ride. Since the wedding ceremonies – especially the one in the church – she felt utterly changed. She had always wanted to be a married woman. And Max was the only man she had ever wanted to marry. She held his hand tight while looking out the window watching hedgerows, fields and small towns roll by.

“You do realize who that was?” said Max. “That was Emmy Göring, the wife of Minister Hermann Göring.”

“So our request to Madam Krauss passed through three pairs of hands before reaching someone who could do something about it, and that someone was Hermann Göring?”

“The second most powerful man in the Fatherland.” He squeezed her hand. “That’s how important you are to me.”

“Which of them gave you… that book… to read?” she whispered. Apart from one old woman sitting right at the front, there was no one else on the bus, but Anna was being careful.

“Libertas. Did you see the number of books she had in the study?”

“A mountain of them. And bookcases to go with them. What do you think the Gestapo were searching for?”

“Heaven knows. Evidence against Harro, I suppose.”

“I thought they might be looking for the printer that was used to print this.” She pulled a sheet of paper from her handbag, unfolded it and placed it in Max’s lap.

Max leapt in the seat as if he’d seen a rattlesnake. “Put that away. Where did you get it?”

“I found it behind the cushion on the chaise longue.”

“Put it away. If anyone sees you with that you could be arrested.”

She folded the leaflet and put it back in her bag. “You were going to explain what happened in the church.”

Max took her hand. “The Schulze-Boysens, Harro and Libertas, are leading members of the Orchestra…”

“I understand that much.”

“Someone must have told the Gestapo that they would be at the wedding together. The Gestapo took the opportunity to arrest Harro and conduct a search of their home.”

“That was why Libertas asked me if I’d mentioned their names to anyone at work? She thought I was the one who alerted the Gestapo.”

“Unwittingly, yes.”

“But I didn’t.”

“I know, but there were very few people who knew they would be there.”

“Greta and Adam knew. You knew.”

“Yes, and Father Vigo.”

#

Anna was enchanted by Max’s family home. “Look at those eaves, the dormer windows, the leaded panes.”

“It’s an old building.”

“It’s not just old, it’s beautiful, Max. Where’s your soul?”

Max grunted. “You wouldn’t think it was so lovely if you’d spent your childhood in there.”

Anna remembered some of the tales that Max told her about his childhood. His father had gone to war when he was three and never came back. His mother had been far from easy to live with. “That all happened a long time ago. I’m sure our time here will be full of joy and happiness.”

Max knocked on the door. Anna hung from his arm while they waited. No one came.

“Use your key.”

Max opened the door.

Chapter 49

March 1939

The dark hallway was just what she expected. She had been in old buildings even darker than this. Her father had explained that natural light was not considered important by architects in earlier centuries, even though they had only candles in those days. The temperature was a surprise. Outside it was like summer, inside the house was winter.

She slipped her hand into Max’s. He took her into the front parlor. This room was just as cold and nearly as dark as the hall. Anna took an instant dislike to the period furniture, the dark red carpet, and the heavy curtains. She loved the room in spite of the lack of light. It had a high ceiling, maybe close to three meters. One look at the windows was enough to make her heart flutter. If the house were hers – if ever she inherited it – she would toss out all the furniture and replace the curtains and carpet with something bright – but not too modern.

The kitchen was brighter than the rest of the house, but only because it had black and white tiles in a checkerboard pattern on the floor. It had the same high ceiling as the parlor. The range was black, the heavy porcelain sink with one tap, like something from the dark ages! The shelving on the walls looked like they’d been there since the house was built. This was not what a kitchen should look like. Those tiles would have to go. The old range would be removed and a modern cooker put in its place. The shelves could stay, but they would have to be painted in a bright color, white or yellow, maybe. 

“Wait here. I’ll go and see if I can find her.”

While Max was upstairs, Anna had a closer look at the kitchen. The skirting boards were filthy and showed definite signs of rodent activity. Higher up the walls there were cobwebs gathering dust. A long brush would sort those out in a trice.

Max returned with his mother.

“You’ve found the kitchen, I see. The range is lit. Why not put the kettle on and make your mother-in-law a cup of tea.”

Anna lifted the kettle from the range. She put it in the sink, removed the lid and turned on the tap. The water pipe rattled and banged against the wall.

“You need to hold the pipe and turn the tap on slowly. Here let me show you.” Frau Noack turned off the tap. Then she placed a hand on the water pipe where it was bracketed to the wall. She turned the tap on slowly. The rattling started but then died. The water from the tap was dark brown.

“You can’t drink that!” said Anna.

“It won’t do you any harm, girl. I’ve been drinking it for fifty years and it’s never done me any harm.”

#

Anna lay in Max’s arms wearing her new nightdress. This was not how she’d imagined her wedding night would be. The bed was a 4-poster without a canopy. It was freezing. Max’s feet were like ice blocks. And dark shapes were moving in the dusty cobwebs above their heads. She’d insisted on leaving the light on.

She tried to remain quiet and let Max sleep, but after an hour and a half he was still awake. “Why did your mother put us in this room?”

“It used to be my room.”

“I hate it.”

“It is a bit cold. Come closer. I’ll try to warm you.”

She couldn’t come any closer without coming into contact with his icy feet.

“It’s not the cold I’m worried about, Max. It’s those things over our heads.”

“When I slept here, there was a canopy.”

“That would have been better.”

“Not really. I could hear the spiders scuttling about on there.”

She shivered. “How could you sleep?”

“You get used to it.”

“I never would. You’ll have to do something about it in the morning.”

Chapter 50

March 1939

In the morning, when Anna attempted to make breakfast for Max, Frau Noack pushed her away from the stove. “I’ll do that. Go and sit down.”

Anna sat at the table and Frau Noack served a breakfast of oatmeal and tomatoes in olive oil with thin slices of cheese.

“This looks lovely, Frau Noack, but Max and I usually have eggs in the morning.”

“You can have what you like in your own apartment, my girl. You’re in my house now. Here, we have oatmeal, cheese, and tomatoes in olive oil. It’s healthy food.  Tell her, Max-Christian.”

Max stuffed his mouth with oatmeal.

After breakfast, Anna asked Frau Noack if she had a long broom.

“Whatever for?”

“I want to clear the cobwebs in the bedroom. I don’t like spiders.”

“Spiders will do you no harm. And they keep the flies down. Tell her, Max-Christian.”

“I’m sorry, Frau, but I can’t sleep with spiders over my head. I had to leave the light on all night.”

“You did what? Max-Christian, tell me you didn’t leave the light on all night.”

“Yes, Mama, I’m afraid we did.”

“Well, that is most inconsiderate of you, girl. I hope you won’t do that again.”

“Not if you let me clear away the cobwebs with a long broom.”

Later, Anna was in the bathroom. Frau Noack knocked on the door. “Whatever are you doing in there, girl? Other people need to use the bathroom, you know.”

Anna found a broom. She wrapped a scarf around her head, stood on a chair and swept the cobwebs in the high ceiling of the bedroom. Spiders fell and scuttled about. Max stamped on them. When she’d finished, she attempted to open the window to allow the dust to escape. The hinges on the window were rusted and stiff. She asked Max to help.

He gave her his doe-eyed look. “I don’t think Mama will be happy.”

“I don’t care. I’ve raised a lot of dust. We need to open the window.”