Deadlight-Hall(10)

Michael said, ‘That date’s significant, isn’t it? Could the figures have been smuggled out during the Second World War? Or even looted by the Nazis? No, that’s not very likely is it? The Nazis wouldn’t be likely to seize such a very Jewish symbol. Or would they?’

‘The Nazis squirrelled away a huge amount of paintings and silver and whatnot. I wouldn’t discount anything. But don’t you see that it begs the question—’

‘If Leo Rosendale owns one of the vanished pair, how does he come to own it?’

‘Exactly. I do like not having to spell things out to you,’ said Nell. ‘And the other question, of course, is what happened to the second figure.’

‘I wonder if the professor knows.’ Michael was still studying the photographs. ‘Is this the hallmark?’

‘Yes, I took several close-ups. That’s the date, as you can see, and a figure fifteen indicating the purity of the silver. And—’

‘What’s that?’ Michael interrupted, indicating a small symbol on the side of the main hallmark, set a little apart. ‘It doesn’t look as if it’s part of the hallmark.’

‘No, in fact it looks as if it was added much later – a bit amateurishly, as well. I thought about asking Professor Rosendale if he knew what it was, but—’

‘He’s a bit defensive about the figure?’ said Michael.

‘You noticed that, too? Yes. But Henry didn’t know what it was and we couldn’t find it in any of the reference books. I’m hoping Ashby’s will recognize it.’

‘I recognize it,’ said Michael. He was staring at the small symbol, which was a little like three vertical branches jutting up from a horizontal line.

‘You do? What is it?’

‘I don’t know. But the exact same symbol is carved on a wall inside Deadlight Hall.’

*

The Village School House, Nr Warsaw

Autumn, 1942

My dear M.B.

We agreed that, in the British expression, there would be ‘no names, no pack drill’ in these messages, so I address you by your initials only, and sign in the same way. Forgive the discourtesy, my good friend.

With great reluctance, we have agreed that despite the emotional cost to their families, the children in our village may need to be removed to safety. You mentioned a possible escape plan from the man we both know as Sch?nbrunn. Does such a plan actually exist? Can you give me information about it? And can it – and Sch?nbrunn himself – be trusted?

Affectionately,

J.W.

Prague, 1942

Dear J.W.

I have spoken with Sch?nbrunn (through the usual sources) and he has given me details of his plan. I do not dare commit those details to paper, but I can assure you the plan is a simple one and should work. It will be an enormous wrench for the families, but in the end we will have saved the children, and we can only hope they will be reunited with their parents before too long.

Sch?nbrunn can be trusted completely. Remember how many of our people he has smuggled to safe countries already. I suppose someone somewhere knows his real name, but I certainly do not and I don’t suppose you do, either, which probably is safer for both of us. I shall never forget the first time I met him – just outside Buchenwald, it was. He has the eyes of a poet and a dreamer, but in his hands is a machine gun.

Your friend and one-time colleague,

M.B.

School House, 1942

My dear M.B.

If Sch?nbrunn can save our children, we do not care if he is one of the seven princes of hell.

J.W.

School House

Winter 1942

Dear M.B.

It is being whispered that the march towards our village will soon begin, and a terrible dread is pervading every house.

We hear that Dr Josef Mengele is being called the Todesengel – the Angel of Death – and that he is particularly focusing on experiments on twins. We therefore have great concern for the Reiss girls – you will remember them, I dare say, from your time here teaching at the school. If so, you will certainly recall that very unusual gift they seemed to have. I think special arrangements may need to be made for those two.

If our village is invaded, we plan to hide in the crypt of an old Christian church on the village outskirts – the last place we will be sought, we hope!

J.W.

Prague,

January, 1943

Dear J.W.

Sch?nbrunn’s agents have told us that an order has gone out from the High Command that 7,000 of our people per day are to be ‘resettled in the East’. Once, we would have accepted this at face value; now we know that these deportations end in mass extermination.