Boyne, John - The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by Boyne John

Author:Boyne, John [Boyne, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Children, Military, Young Adult
ISBN: 9780385751896
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Published: 2006-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas

Chapter Eleven

The Fury

Some months earlier, just after Father received the new uniform which meant that everyone had to call him 'Commandant' and just before Bruno came home to find Maria packing up his things, Father came home one evening in a state of great excitement, which was terribly unlike him, and marched into the living room where Mother, Bruno and Gretel were sitting reading their books.

'Thursday night,' he announced. 'If we've any plans for Thursday night we have to cancel them.'

'You can change your plans if you want to,' said Mother, 'but I've made arrangements to go to the theatre with—'

'The Fury has something he wants to discuss with me,' said Father, who was allowed to interrupt Mother even if no one else was. I just got a phone call this afternoon. The only time he can make it is Thursday evening and he's invited himself to dinner.'

Mother's eyes opened wide and her mouth made the shape of an O. Bruno stared at her and wondered whether this was what he looked like when he was surprised about something.

'But you're not serious,' said Mother, growing a little pale. 'He's coming here? To our house?'

Father nodded. 'At seven o'clock,' he said. 'So we'd better think about something special for dinner.'

'Oh my,' said Mother, her eyes moving back and forth quickly as she started to think of all the things that needed doing.

'Who's the Fury?' asked Bruno.

'You're pronouncing it wrong,' said Father, pronouncing it correctly for him.

'The Fury,' said Bruno again, trying to get it right but failing again.

'No,' said Father, 'the— Oh, never mind!'

'Well, who is he anyway?' asked Bruno again.

Father stared at him, astonished. 'You know perfectly well who the Fury is,' he said.

'I don't,' said Bruno.

'He runs the country, idiot,' said Gretel, showing off as sisters tend to do. (It was things like this that made her such a Hopeless Case.) 'Don't you ever read a newspaper?'

'Don't call your brother an idiot, please,' said Mother.

'Can I call him stupid?'

Td rather you didn't.'

Gretel sat down again, disappointed, but stuck her tongue out at Bruno nonetheless.

'Is he coming alone?' asked Mother.

'I forgot to ask,' said Father. 'But I presume he'll be bringing her with him.'

'Oh my,' said Mother again, standing up and counting in her head the number of things she had to organize before Thursday, which was only two evenings away. The house would have to be cleaned from top to bottom, the windows washed, the dining-room table stained and varnished, the food ordered, the maid's and butler's uniforms washed and pressed, and the crockery and glasses polished until they sparkled.

Somehow, despite the fact that the list seemed to grow longer and longer all the time, Mother managed to get everything finished on time, although she commented over and over again that the evening would be a greater success if some people helped out a little bit more around the house.

An hour before the Fury was due to arrive Gretel and Bruno were brought downstairs, where they received a rare invitation into Father's office.

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