The country had gone mad.

At least, it seemed so to Maria. She had been born after the Great War and thus did not have many clear memories of the hard, post-war years. Yet she knew, she felt, that over the last decade, her world had dramatically changed. And the change was because of the Fuhrer.

Hitler. Could people talk of no one else? To the wealthy class Maria had been raised in, he seemed more of a god than a chancellor. Among the middle and lower classes, she discovered, opinion was much the same. Everywhere his praises were being sung. His new national flag stained the city streets red and black. And the absolute hysteria whenever his party held a rally never failed to make Maria’s knees shake.

That feeling of intimidation was twinned with fear as she began to learn Hitler’s plans for Germany. Along with righting the wrongs of the Treaty of Versailles and reviving the economy, the Fuhrer spoke with great fury about solving what he called "the Jewish Problem." According to Hitler, Jews were not only responsible for a variety of evils, but were also an inferior race. This prejudice was already shared by many of Hitler’s followers, and with his encouragement began to grow into hatred.

Maria was at first confused by this hate. The only Jewish people she knew were the Schweitzers’ housekeeper Janina and a few shop owners. She had tried to think of how they might be wronging the community, but she could never come up with anything convincing. They were just people living their lives. The more she heard, the more Maria realised that her country was under the control of a strange new darkness.

With the same stubbornness that got her into college, Maria began a series of secret rebellions. Some nights, when she was sure everyone in the house was asleep, she would quietly sneak out the back door with any leftover food she thought no one would really miss. In a winter coat and a scarf worn like a hijab, Maria would find her way to the Jewish neighbourhoods and give her gifts to the needy people there. After a few visits, she no longer had to leave the food on doorsteps, for there would be someone waiting in the shadows for her who would distribute her gifts among the people.

Maria knew that what she was doing was extremely dangerous. The consequences of being caught would be those of a traitor. But something told her to continue. She just couldn’t bring herself to turn yet another back on the persecution.

Because of the incredible danger of her actions, Maria tried to avoid recognition. She hid her actions even from Janina, for she, being Jewish, would suffer far worse punishment than a gentile if discovered to be a conspirator. All Janina knew about were Maria’s secret gifts of money to her. As for the people in the Jewish neighbourhoods, those who waited in the dark to receive the food gifts told only of a young gentile woman who was risking her life to help them. Maria was always careful to keep her hair tied back and to keep her eyes downcast. However, just in case, she always swore along with the recipient that neither would identify the other, even if caught. It was sometimes the only thing of which Maria felt sure.

* * * *

"...And then the next week you go to Warsaw."

Rudi shook his head and finished chewing. "No, first we go to the conference in Munich. Then Warsaw."

"Well, I hope you’ll get back in time for Christmas."

"Of course."

The Schweitzers were in the dining room, eating dinner and discussing schedules. Rudi was explaining his winter agenda so that Christmas celebrations could be organised for times the family would all be in one place.

Maria feigned interest in her brother’s military duties. She wondered in amusement how long he would focus on his work before his hair became the main priority again. Rudi had also been blessed with the family’s good looks, but was a great deal more proud of it than his little sister. She assumed his easy entry into the SS hadn’t done much to humble him. After all, he was the blond Aryan ideal.

Maria was immersed in her thoughts and in impaling a pea on each prong of her fork when she was awakened by her mother’s voice.

"Speaking of celebrations," Frau Schweitzer began, "we’re going to be having some rather interesting guests on Saturday." She had been planning a large dinner party for several weeks.

"What sort of interesting guests?" Maria wondered what her mother was up to.

"A very respectable Bavarian family. They’ve just moved here." She paused for effect. "They wanted to live closer to their son. He’s just finished his medical degree at the university."

Oh.

"Their name is von Reichter."

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