Chapter 10. Crossroad

Wal coughed. The splintered timbers snagged on his uniform

as Kurt lifted them off. He was bloodied and bruised - but he

was still alive.

Kurt cleared bricks and rubble from his legs, then grabbed

hold of Wal's uniform and sat him up. Wal grunted and

coughed again.

Dust choked the sunlight that came through the broken walls

and windows. The building had collapsed almost as soon as

their squad had taken shelter in it during an artillery barrage.

"Is there anyone else?" Wal asked.

Kurt shook his head and sat down next to him.

"It's just you and me Wal. The English haven't pushed forward

across the bridge yet. If we wait here out of sight, maybe we can

make a run for it when it gets dark."

Wal leaned forward trying to ease the pain in his back.

"Sounds like a plan Kurt."

*

It was a long day. Wal watched the shadows slowly

lengthen across the exposed walls as they waited for

nightfall.

"You ever been to Switzerland Wal?" Kurt was sitting back

with his eyes closed.

"Maybe one day," Wal said," if I'm lucky enough to live

through this War."

"I'm not sure that luck has anything to do with it."

They sat for a while not talking.

"Don't you think it's odd Wal that the two outcasts of the platoon

are still alive and the others are dead."

Wal didn't want to think about it.

Kurt went on. "Me, the wastrel son of a wealthy family, and you,

Waldamir the Jew, fighting for a country that loathes him and

his kind."

"If you're trying to make sense of all of this," Wal said, "or find

some sort of meaning in it....I don't think there is any."

"Maybe." Kurt said. " Maybe not. I was having a fine old time

travelling backwards and forwards across Europe spending

the money my family gave me to go to University, and there was

no way I was going to let the War ruin my fun. I was headed

for the Swiss border with fake identification papers and travel

documents. I intended to sit this War out by the shores of

Lake Geneva sipping coffee."

"What happened?"

"Fate intervened." Kurt said.

"Fate?" Wal said.

"I don't know what else to call it. The train I was travelling

on, broke down in Vogt and damaged the rail lines - so I had

to stay in the town for a few nights before I could continue.

It was no great hardship, the town had excellent local cuisine.

One particular morning the good townsfolk of Vogt woke to find

the wife and daughter of a local Lutheran minister were missing.

The Lutheran minister was the brother of the town Burgermeister,

so anyone who they thought was suspicious - such as a new

visitor in town - was rounded up and brought before a Magistrate

for questioning,"

"And you got caught up in that?" Wal said.

" I did, and my fake identification papers didn't stand up too well

to close scrutiny. I was held in custody until my identity was

confirmed by my family - which was rather awkward, then I had an

armed escort directly to the gates of a nearby Army training base."

"What happened to the Wife and daughter that went missing?"

"They were found butchered in a forest close to town. The good

people of Vogt suspected that a camp of travelling Gypsies

were involved, so the camp was burned and two men were

hung for it."

*