Page 44 of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Lale paces his small room. He pulls up the boy’s sleeve and studies his number.One of mine. He returns to pacing. The boys sit silently.

‘Stay here,’ he says firmly, grabs his bag and hurries from the room.

Searchlights scan the compound outside, as do violent eyes looking for someone to kill. Hugging buildings, Lale makes his way to the administration block and enters the main office. He is instantly relieved to see Bella behind the desk. She looks up at him.

‘Lale, what are you doing here? I have no work for you.’

‘Hi, Bella. Can I ask you something?’

‘Sure, anything. You know that, Lale.’

‘When I was here earlier today, did I hear talk of a transport going out tonight?’

‘Yes, there’s one leaving for another camp at midnight.’

‘How many on it?’

Bella picks up a running sheet nearby. ‘One hundred names. Why?’

‘Names, not numbers?’

‘No, they’re not numbered. They only arrived earlier today and are being sent to a boys’ camp. No one is numbered there.’

‘Can we squeeze one more onto that list?’

‘I guess so. Who? You?’

‘No, you know I’m not leaving here without Gita. It’s someone else – the less you know the better.’

‘All right, I’ll do that for you. What’s his name?’

‘Shit,’ Lale says. ‘I’ll be right back.’

Furious with himself, Lale makes haste back to his room. ‘Your name – what’s your name?’

‘Mendel.’

‘Mendel what?’

‘Sorry, Mendel Bauer.’

•

Back at the office, Bella adds to the bottom of the typed list.

‘Won’t the guards question a name not typed like the others?’ Lale asks.

‘No, they’re too lazy to question that. It would create too much trouble for them to get involved. Just tell whoever it is to be in the compound when he sees the truck loading up.’

From his bag, Lale takes a ring encrusted with rubies and diamonds and hands it to Bella. ‘Thank you. This is for you. You can either keep it or sell it. I’ll make sure he is at the transport.’

•

Back in his room, Lale sweeps Mendel’s two friends off the bed, takes out his bag and sits down beside him.

‘Give me your arm.’

As the boys look on, Lale sets about changing the number into a snake. The job isn’t perfect, but good enough to conceal the numbers.