At last it’s their turn. Stephie holds Nellie tightly by the hand as they walk down the gangway.

A woman is waiting for them on the dock. She’s wearing a knitted cardigan over her flowered dress, and she has a polka-dotted scarf tied around her head. A few strands of fair hair have escaped at her temples. As soon as she sees the girls, her face lights up.

“Eleonore… Stephanie,” she says, pronouncing their names very strangely. She bends down, embracing Nellie and kissing her on the cheek.

“How do you do?” Stephie says, extending a hand. “My name is Stephie.”

The woman takes Stephie’s hand, saying a few words in the unfamiliar language.

“What did she say?” Nellie asks.

“I don’t really know,” says Stephie. “It must have been Swedish.”

“Doesn’t she speak German?” Nellie wonders. “Can’t she understand us?” Her voice trembles.

Stephie shakes her head. “We’re going to have to learn Swedish.”

“Stephie?” The woman asks. “Ah, Stephanie-Stephie?”

“Ja,” says Stephie. “Stephanie-Stephie.” She points to her little sister. “Eleonore-Nellie.”

The woman smiles, nodding. “ Alma,” she says. “Alma Lindberg. Auntie Alma. Come along!”

Alma has a bicycle propped up against one of the boat-houses. She ties Nellie’s suitcase to the carrier and, taking Nellie by the hand, walks her bicycle along the narrow road between the houses. Stephie follows, carrying her suitcase.

The houses are very close together. They seem to creep along the ground, clinging to the slope for dear life. Each one has its own little yard with low bushes and gnarled fruit trees. The houses by the harbor are all small and low, but as the three proceed along the road, the houses become larger.

Auntie Alma walks fast, with long, determined strides. Nellie practically has to run to keep up. Stephie finds herself lagging farther and farther behind. Her throat is dry; she has a terrible, sour taste in her mouth. Although she’s already thousands of miles from home, she now has the impression that every step she takes is moving her far from the buildings, streets, and people she knows.