to take in, but she was coping with it remarkably well so far. “Why shouldn’t people recognize me? Is someone going to look for us?” she asked.
“The nuns. Just the nuns,” said Leni hurriedly.
“Let’s get moving, shall we? The sooner we go, the sooner we’ll be in Switzerland.” Otto was anxious now not to make her any more apprehensive. He took a step towards her.
She stepped away from him. “But what’s in Switzerland? Why are we going there, really?” Angelika stuck out her jaw. Now that they were away from the convent, and she was in a new place with new people, she seemed to be realizing just what she’d done.
Leni shot a look at Otto. He nodded: They had to tell her something. Now was the time to give her MacPherson’s story.
Leni took the girl’s hand. “Because your parents are in Switzerland, Angelika.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “My parents? But … that’s not possible! I don’t know anything about my parents …”
Leni put her other arm around her. “Well, we’re here to help you get to them. You’re a very special child, and the people who’ve been keeping you in that place didn’t want you to know the truth.”
“But why?” the girl asked. She was starting to look confused, and, worse, her eyes were filling with tears.
“We don’t know,” said Otto. “Our job is to get you across the border in the next twenty-four hours before they realize what’s happened and try to recapture you.”
“Recapture me?”
Otto saw she was really alarmed now. He cursed his choice of words.
“Not recapture you, as such. But the nuns will be worried, quite naturally. They’ll want to find you, make sure you’re safe.” He smiled as reassuringly as possible.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s all a terrible shock,” Leni added.
The three of them stood in silence. Leni bent down and tied Angelika’s shoelaces tight with a double bow. Then she stood up and put her hands on the little girl’s shoulders.
“How long have you been on that island?” she asked.
“Four years, three hundred and sixty-two days, and about thirty minutes. I was five when I arrived. And this Sunday,” she added with a touch of pride, “it’s my birthday. I’m going to be ten.”
Admiral MacPherson hadn’t told them she had a birthday coming up. Perhaps it wasn’t relevant, thought Otto. But he wondered now what else had been kept from them.
“Well, you’ll be able to have the most wonderful party with your parents, won’t you?” said Leni brightly.
“Do you think so?” Angelika said anxiously. “I’ve never met them. No one ever told me a thing about them.”
“We’re sure of it, aren’t we, Otto?” Leni and Angelika both looked at him.
Otto nodded as sincerely as he could. But all he knew for certain at that moment was that they should be getting away from this village as fast as they could. There was still no light in the sky but dawn would be here soon enough.
“But look,” Leni said, “if you really don’t want to come with us, it’s fine.”
Otto stared at Leni. What was she playing at?
“We’ll drop you at the dock,” Leni went on, “and you can explain everything to the mother superior in the morning.”
“Leni, what —” Otto began.
“But if you choose to come with us now, we promise to do everything in our power to keep you safe and get you to Switzerland.”
“And my parents are really there?” Angelika looked at Leni. “I could find out who they are?” The hope in her eyes was almost painful to see.
Otto wondered what Leni would say. Was she capable of telling this young girl such an awful lie?
“Yes,” said Leni firmly, but she flinched slightly as she said it.
The church clock suddenly struck the hour, making them all jump. It seemed to jar the girl into making a decision.
“I’m sorry,” said Angelika. “I am grateful that you’ve helped me get out of that place. Honestly, I am. It’s just …” She hesitated. “I’ll come with
“The nuns. Just the nuns,” said Leni hurriedly.
“Let’s get moving, shall we? The sooner we go, the sooner we’ll be in Switzerland.” Otto was anxious now not to make her any more apprehensive. He took a step towards her.
She stepped away from him. “But what’s in Switzerland? Why are we going there, really?” Angelika stuck out her jaw. Now that they were away from the convent, and she was in a new place with new people, she seemed to be realizing just what she’d done.
Leni shot a look at Otto. He nodded: They had to tell her something. Now was the time to give her MacPherson’s story.
Leni took the girl’s hand. “Because your parents are in Switzerland, Angelika.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “My parents? But … that’s not possible! I don’t know anything about my parents …”
Leni put her other arm around her. “Well, we’re here to help you get to them. You’re a very special child, and the people who’ve been keeping you in that place didn’t want you to know the truth.”
“But why?” the girl asked. She was starting to look confused, and, worse, her eyes were filling with tears.
“We don’t know,” said Otto. “Our job is to get you across the border in the next twenty-four hours before they realize what’s happened and try to recapture you.”
“Recapture me?”
Otto saw she was really alarmed now. He cursed his choice of words.
“Not recapture you, as such. But the nuns will be worried, quite naturally. They’ll want to find you, make sure you’re safe.” He smiled as reassuringly as possible.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s all a terrible shock,” Leni added.
The three of them stood in silence. Leni bent down and tied Angelika’s shoelaces tight with a double bow. Then she stood up and put her hands on the little girl’s shoulders.
“How long have you been on that island?” she asked.
“Four years, three hundred and sixty-two days, and about thirty minutes. I was five when I arrived. And this Sunday,” she added with a touch of pride, “it’s my birthday. I’m going to be ten.”
Admiral MacPherson hadn’t told them she had a birthday coming up. Perhaps it wasn’t relevant, thought Otto. But he wondered now what else had been kept from them.
“Well, you’ll be able to have the most wonderful party with your parents, won’t you?” said Leni brightly.
“Do you think so?” Angelika said anxiously. “I’ve never met them. No one ever told me a thing about them.”
“We’re sure of it, aren’t we, Otto?” Leni and Angelika both looked at him.
Otto nodded as sincerely as he could. But all he knew for certain at that moment was that they should be getting away from this village as fast as they could. There was still no light in the sky but dawn would be here soon enough.
“But look,” Leni said, “if you really don’t want to come with us, it’s fine.”
Otto stared at Leni. What was she playing at?
“We’ll drop you at the dock,” Leni went on, “and you can explain everything to the mother superior in the morning.”
“Leni, what —” Otto began.
“But if you choose to come with us now, we promise to do everything in our power to keep you safe and get you to Switzerland.”
“And my parents are really there?” Angelika looked at Leni. “I could find out who they are?” The hope in her eyes was almost painful to see.
Otto wondered what Leni would say. Was she capable of telling this young girl such an awful lie?
“Yes,” said Leni firmly, but she flinched slightly as she said it.
The church clock suddenly struck the hour, making them all jump. It seemed to jar the girl into making a decision.
“I’m sorry,” said Angelika. “I am grateful that you’ve helped me get out of that place. Honestly, I am. It’s just …” She hesitated. “I’ll come with
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