You crouch behind the tombstones in the cemetery in the Montmartre section of Paris. You pass the grave of Emile Zola which you consider too close to the entrance for safety. Finally you conceal yourself behind a tomb that is away from the entrance. Watching, hardly breathing, you freeze as an SS patrol searches the bushes outside the graveyard. But you are safe. Despite the death's-heads that adorn their uniforms, these SS Troopers are afraid of entering a cemetery. As they march away, you sigh with relief. But your ordeal is hardly over.
You have no food, no shelter, no friends, nowhere to turn, nowhere to hide. You can sneak out at night to scavenge in garbage cans and steal food from nearby houses, but you discover a new danger. There are frequent funerals at the cemetery; you fear that you will be spotted and turned in to the German authorities.
After one particularly large funeral, you notice a nun lingering in the
cemetery. She appears to be praying at other graves, but, when all the other
people have left, she heads directly for you. You are nearly paralyzed with
fear. There is nothing you can do but stand up: Good afternoon, Sister.
She introduces herself as Mother Marie. I know that you are a Jew.
Come with me. We'll arrange to hide you.
Her offer lifts your spirits.
Previously, you were considering the possibility of fleeing on your own to
Switzerland; now, you have an alternative.
If you go with Mother Marie, continue to page 99.
If you decide to flee to Switzerland, continue to page 100.