She raised her hand to stop him, shut her eyes, and recited, “Shmah Israel, Hear, O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is one.”

Elie was shocked by the words of the ancient covenant. A Jewish woman travelling with a Nazi general? Shedding tears for the dead monster? He ignited the cigarette lighter. In the small flame, her face was shockingly beautiful, the angelic features of a woman-child, her green eyes wide and moist.

Abraham stashed the gun in his belt, dropped to his knees, and took her hand. His face was fresh, cheeks red from cold, chin marked by the shadow of a beard. His blue eyes sat large in his face, filled with compassion under the shock of blond hair. “ Hear, O Israel, Adonai is our God.” He pulled out a dirty handkerchief and wiped her forehead. “But there’s no God. No Adonai. If only He existed!”

She touched Abraham’s lips, silencing him, and Elie killed the lighter.

“What’s your name?” Abraham slipped his hands under her and lifted her up effortlessly.

“Tanya.” Her eyes turned to the dead Nazi lying in the snow. “Tanya Galinski.”

Grabbing her arm, Elie said, “You grieve for him? Why?”

“Leave her alone,” Abraham said.

“Where is his ledger?” Elie pointed to the corpse. “He kept a record!”

“Enough with the questions.” Abraham turned, carrying her, and stumbled. But he regained his footing and kept going. “She needs a doctor.”

“Did he give it to you?” Elie felt up the fur coat. “Tell me!”

Tanya rested her head in the small of Abraham’s neck, and he carried her through the snow back to the road and down toward the village. It started snowing again, and the ground quivered under the distant bombardment. The Battle of the Bulge lit up the western horizon with a glowing, man-made dawn, as if the first day of 1945 was eager to begin.

Four months later…

Chapter 2