Chapter 10. What happens in Vogt

Waldamir coughed. Splintered timbers snagged on his

uniform as Kurt lifted them off. He was bloodied and bruised

- but he was still alive.

Kurt cleared the bricks and rubble from his legs, then grabbed

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

and coughed again.

Dust choked the sunlight that came through the broken walls.

The building had collapsed almost as soon as their squad had

taken shelter in it during an artillery barrage.

"Is there anyone else?" Waldamir asked.

Kurt shook his head. "It's just you and me Wal. The English

haven't pushed across the bridge yet. If we wait here till dark,

maybe we can make a run for it then."

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

"Sounds like a plan Kurt."

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*

It was a long day of watching the shadows inch across the

floor as they waited for nightfall. Kurt sat back against the

wall with his eyes closed. "You ever been to Switzerland?"

"Always wanted to." Waldamir said," Maybe if I'm lucky enough

to live through this War"

"I don't think that luck will anything to do with it." Kurt said.

They sat for a while in silence.

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

are sitting here still alive and the others are dead."

Waldamir didn't want to think about it at all.

"Kurt, the wastrel son of a wealthy family and you, Waldamir

the Jew, fighting for a country that loathes him and his kind."

"I wouldn't waste your time thinking that there is some

sort of grand plan in all of this." Waldamir said. "The War made

our choices for us. We rolled the dice and here we are."

"I'm not so sure," Kurt said, "I saw myself sitting this War

out by the shores of Lake Geneva sipping coffee.

I was having a fine old time travelling backwards and forwards

across Europe spending the money my family had given me to

go to University with. I had no intention of letting the War ruin

my fun, so I was headed for the Swiss border with fake

identification papers and travel documents."

"What happened?"

"Fate intervened."

"Fate?" Waldamir said.

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

broke down in the town of Vogt and damaged the rail lines.

I had to stay there for a week or so before I could travel on.

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

and then one 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 was rounded up.".

"Like a just arrived visitor in town." Waldamir said.

Kurt nodded. "I was brought before the local Magistrate for

questioning. My story and 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."

"The Wife and daughter that went missing," Waldamir

asked. "What happened to them."

"They were found butchered in a forest on the edge of the

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."

*