The Book Thief(110)
He would part his hair from the opposite side to everyone else.
He would make himself a small, strange mustache.
He would one day rule the world.
The young man wandered around for quite some time, thinking, planning, and figuring out exactly how to make the world his. Then one day, out of nowhere, it struck himthe perfect plan. Hed seen a mother walking with her child. At one point, she admonished the small boy, until finally, he began to cry. Within a few minutes, she spoke very softly to him, after which he was soothed and even smiled.
The young man rushed to the woman and embraced her. Words! He grinned.
What?
But there was no reply. He was already gone.
Yes, the Fhrer decided that he would rule the world with words. I will never fire a gun, he devised. I will not have to. Still, he was not rash. Lets allow him at least that much. He was not a stupid man at all. His first plan of attack was to plant the words in as many areas of his homeland as possible.
He planted them day and night, and cultivated them.
He watched them grow, until eventually, great forests of words had risen throughout Germany.... It was a nation of farmed thoughts.
WHILE THE words were growing, our young Fhrer also planted seeds to create symbols, and these, too, were well on their way to full bloom. Now the time had come. The Fhrer was ready.
He invited his people toward his own glorious heart, beckoning them with his finest, ugliest words, handpicked from his forests. And the people came.
They were all placed on a conveyor belt and run through a rampant machine that gave them a lifetime in ten minutes. Words were fed into them. Time disappeared and they now Knew everything they needed to Know. They were hypnotized.
Next, they were fitted with their symbols, and everyone was happy.
Soon, the demand for the lovely ugly words and symbols increased to such a point that as the forests grew, many people were needed to maintain them. Some were employed to climb the trees and throw the words down to those below. They were then fed directly into the remainder of the Fhrers people, not to mention those who came back for more.
The people who climbed the trees were called word shakers.
THE BEST word shakers were the ones who understood the true power of words. They were the ones who could climb the highest. One such word shaker was a small, skinny girl. She was renowned as the best word shaker of her region because she Knew how powerless a person could be WITHOUT words.
Thats why she could climb higher than anyone else. She had desire. She was hungry for them.
THE ANARCHISTS SUIT COLLECTION
35 HIMMEL STREET,
DECEMBER 24
With the absence of two fathers,
the Steiners have invited Rosa
and Trudy Hubermann, and Liesel.
When they arrive, Rudy is still in
the process of explaining his
clothes. He looks at Liesel and his
mouth widens, but only slightly.
The days leading up to Christmas 1942 fell thick and heavy with snow. Liesel went through The Word Shaker many times, from the story itself to the many sketches and commentaries on either side of it. On Christmas Eve, she made a decision about Rudy. To hell with being out too late.
She walked next door just before dark and told him she had a present for him, for Christmas.
Rudy looked at her hands and either side of her feet. Well, where the hell is it?
Forget it, then.
But Rudy knew. Hed seen her like this before. Risky eyes and sticky fingers. The breath of stealing was all around her and he could smell it. This gift, he estimated. You havent got it yet, have you?
No.
And youre not buying it, either.
Of course not. Do you think I have any money? Snow was still falling. At the edge of the grass, there was ice like broken glass. Do you have the key? she asked.
The key to what? But it didnt take Rudy long to understand. He made his way inside and returned not long after. In the words of Viktor Chemmel, he said, Its time to go shopping.
The light was disappearing fast, and except for the church, all of Munich Street had closed up for Christmas. Liesel walked hurriedly to remain in step with the lankier stride of her neighbor. They arrived at the designated shop window. STEINERSCHNEIDERMEISTER. The glass wore a thin sheet of mud and grime that had blown onto it in the passing weeks. On the opposite side, the mannequins stood like witnesses. They were serious and ludicrously stylish. It was hard to shake the feeling that they were watching everything.
Rudy reached into his pocket.
It was Christmas Eve.
His father was near Vienna.
He didnt think hed mind if they trespassed in his beloved shop. The circumstances demanded it.
The door opened fluently and they made their way inside. Rudys first instinct was to hit the light switch, but the electricity had already been cut off.
Any candles?
Rudy was dismayed. I brought the key. And besides, this was your idea.