My Brother's Secret (31 page)

‘Only one thing to do with you,’ I whispered as I picked up the book and went outside.

The sun had not been up for long and the air was cool outside. There was still a faint smell of burning drifting on the breeze, but otherwise, it was a beautiful day.

I placed three brown folders on the grass at the far end of the garden, and put
Mein Kampf
on top of them so the Führer was looking at the sky, then I doused him with paraffin from Opa’s supplies.

As I took a match from the box, I heard footsteps and turned to see my brother coming across the lawn.

‘I was so scared,’ I said when he stopped beside me. ‘Last night.’

‘Me too.’

‘I thought I might never see you again.’

Stefan looked down. ‘Are those our files?’

‘Yes.’

‘And the release order? That was you, wasn’t it? You filled it out.’

‘There was only just enough time, the soldiers were coming back. I left it on Wolff’s desk, but I didn’t know if it would work; the signature was really bad.’

‘The signature was really
good
.’ He looked at me. ‘And when they couldn’t find my file and Wolff was gone …’ He took a deep breath. ‘Thank you, Karl.’

‘You’re welcome.’

‘You’re braver than you look.’ He smiled, then shifted his eyes towards the files and the book. ‘And you’ve really finished with all this?’

I nodded.

‘But you know you’ll still have to go to
Deutsches Jungvolk
meetings? They’ll still try to get inside your head.’

‘They won’t be able to. Everything’s different now,’ I said. ‘
Everything
.’

When I put a match to the book, the flames burned blue and flickered in the wind. The folders went up well, but the book was thick and it took a while for the fire to work through it. The pages blackened and curled as the Führer turned to smoke.

‘I should go and tell Lisa,’ I said without taking my eyes off the fire. ‘She’ll want to know you’re home.’

‘She’s a good friend,’ Stefan said.

‘Yes, she is.’

Stefan and I watched the paper burn for a while, then he put his arm around my shoulder and we went back into the house.

Mama was still in the kitchen with Oma and Opa.

‘What were you two doing outside?’ she asked as Stefan went to sit with her.

I looked at her for a moment, then shrugged and smiled. ‘Just putting out some rubbish.’

ABOUT THE EDELWEISS PIRATES

The Edelweiss Pirates was a loosely organised youth movement that arose, mainly among the working classes, in towns and cities across Nazi Germany. Many groups had different names but they all considered themselves to be Edelweiss Pirates, named after the edelweiss badges that many of them wore. The groups arose in response to the strict, paramilitary nature of the Hitler Youth, and rebelled, initially, against the government’s control of leisure time.

One of their slogans was ‘Eternal War on the Hitler Youth.’

Groups of Edelweiss Pirates were mostly peaceful, engaged in hiking and camping trips, and defying the laws restricting free movement. They were known to paint buildings with anti-Nazi graffiti and to distribute propaganda leaflets dropped by the Allies. As the war progressed, however, some groups became more defiant by attacking Hitler Youth patrols, harbouring army deserters, Jews, and even prisoners of war.

Much later in the war, Edelweiss Pirates were even suspected of involvement in the murder of Gestapo officers.

In October 1944, Heinrich Himmler (the Chief of German Police and Minister of the Interior) ordered a crackdown on the group.

On 10th November 1944, thirteen youths were hanged at a public gallows in Ehrenfeld train station in Cologne. Six of them were, or had been members of the Edelweiss Pirates.

The youngest was sixteen years old.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

You’d be amazed how much work goes into bringing a novel to life, so I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge all those who have helped make
My Brother’s Secret
what it is. Thanks to my agent, Carolyn, for all her honest words and advice, and to Bella for her fantastic editorial work. I can’t stress enough how brilliant everyone is at Chicken House – their passion for good stories is unequalled and I have felt well and truly supported every step of the way – so thanks to Barry for making it all happen, and to Rachel L and Rachel H and Elinor for all their hard work. Thanks also to Tina (who never seems to rest) and to Laura and Becky. Big thanks have to go to my good friend Graeme who has been helping me with promotional materials for the past few years. My biggest thanks, though, is for my first readers and best supporters – my wife and children. Thanks for always being there and for putting up with me when I’m lost in Danworld – which is most of the time.

I’d also like to acknowledge the bravery of those who resisted.

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First edition published by The Chicken House in 2014
This electronic edition published by Scholastic Australia Pty Limited, 2014
E-PUB/MOBI eISBN: 978-1-925064-13-1

Cover and interior design by Steve Wells
Text copyright © Dan Smith 2014

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