The Book Thief(111)

In the middle of the exchange, Liesel tripped on a bump in the floor. A mannequin followed her down. It groped her arm and dismantled in its clothes on top of her. Get this thing off me! It was in four pieces. The torso and head, the legs, and two separate arms. When she was rid of it, Liesel stood and wheezed. Jesus, Mary.



Rudy found one of the arms and tapped her on the shoulder with its hand. When she turned in fright, he extended it in friendship. Nice to meet you.



For a few minutes, they moved slowly through the tight pathways of the shop. Rudy started toward the counter. When he fell over an empty box, he yelped and swore, then found his way back to the entrance. This is ridiculous, he said. Wait here a minute. Liesel sat, mannequin arm in hand, till he returned with a lit lantern from the church.



A ring of light circled his face.



So wheres this present youve been bragging about? It better not be one of these weird mannequins.



Bring the light over.



When he made it to the far left section of the shop, Liesel took the lantern with one hand and swept through the hanging suits with the other. She pulled one out but quickly replaced it with another. No, still too big. After two more attempts, she held a navy blue suit in front of Rudy Steiner. Does this look about your size?



While Liesel sat in the dark, Rudy tried on the suit behind one of the curtains. There was a small circle of light and the shadow dressing itself.



When he returned, he held out the lantern for Liesel to see. Free of the curtain, the light was like a pillar, shining onto the refined suit. It also lit up the dirty shirt beneath and Rudys battered shoes.



Well? he asked.



Liesel continued the examination. She moved around him and shrugged. Not bad.



Not bad! I look better than just not bad.



The shoes let you down. And your face.



Rudy placed the lantern on the counter and came toward her in mock-anger, and Liesel had to admit that a nervousness started gripping her. It was with both relief and disappointment that she watched him trip and fall on the disgraced mannequin.



On the floor, Rudy laughed.



Then he closed his eyes, clenching them hard.



Liesel rushed over.



She crouched above him.



Kiss him, Liesel, kiss him.



Are you all right, Rudy? Rudy?



I miss him, said the boy, sideways, across the floor.



Frohe Weihnachten, Liesel replied. She helped him up, straightening the suit. Merry Christmas.





PART NINE





the last human stranger





featuring:

the next temptationa cardplayer

the snows of stalingradan ageless

brotheran accidentthe bitter taste

of questionsa toolbox, a bleeder,

a beara broken plane

and a homecoming





THE NEXT TEMPTATION





This time, there were cookies.



But they were stale.



They were Kipferl left over from Christmas, and theyd been sitting on the desk for at least two weeks. Like miniature horseshoes with a layer of icing sugar, the ones on the bottom were bolted to the plate. The rest were piled on top, forming a chewy mound. She could already smell them when her fingers tightened on the window ledge. The room tasted like sugar and dough, and thousands of pages.



There was no note, but it didnt take Liesel long to realize that Ilsa Hermann had been at it again, and she certainly wasnt taking the chance that the cookies might not be for her. She made her way back to the window and passed a whisper through the gap. The whispers name was Rudy.



Theyd gone on foot that day because the road was too slippery for bikes. The boy was beneath the window, standing watch. When she called out, his face appeared, and she presented him with the plate. He didnt need much convincing to take it.



His eyes feasted on the cookies and he asked a few questions.



Anything else? Any milk?



What?



Milk, he repeated, a little louder this time. If hed recognized the offended tone in Liesels voice, he certainly wasnt showing it.



The book thiefs face appeared above him again. Are you stupid? Can I just steal the book?



Of course. All Im saying is . . .



Liesel moved toward the far shelf, behind the desk. She found some paper and a pen in the top drawer and wrote Thank you, leaving the note on top.



To her right, a book protruded like a bone. Its paleness was almost scarred by the dark lettering of the title. Die Letzte Menschliche FremdeThe Last Human Stranger. It whispered softly as she removed it from the shelf. Some dust showered down.



At the window, just as she was about to make her way out, the library door creaked apart.



Her knee was up and her book-stealing hand was poised against the window frame. When she faced the noise, she found the mayors wife in a brand-new bathrobe and slippers. On the breast pocket of the robe sat an embroidered swastika. Propaganda even reached the bathroom.