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.


    "Me, 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, "Waldamir said, "thinking that there


    is some sort of grand plan in all of this. The War made our choices


    for us. It 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."


    *