The Sugar Men by Ray Kingfisher

Author:Ray Kingfisher [Kingfisher, Ray]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781503936591
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2016-08-08T18:30:00+00:00

Next to the barbed wire at the perimeter fence Susannah coughs again and crouches down, almost doubled up with the convulsions of sickness. This is how it started with Father. The run from the shoe tent has made her chest worse, as if glue has been poured into her lungs. But Keller isn’t even out of breath when he arrives.

‘I’ve already told you,’ he says. ‘If I could do anything to help you I would, but—’

‘No!’ Susannah says. ‘We all know you have food. Look at you. Your bodies aren’t thin and wasted like ours. You’ve got energy. You must have more food than us. You even have food for your dogs. All I’m asking for is a little more. Some bread or something with sugar. Anything.’

Keller pauses while his eyes pass up and down her body. Then he says, ‘You know, if I could do anything for you that didn’t get me shot, then I would.’

‘Would you really?’

‘I’m sure I would. But . . . it depends what you could do for me in return.’

Susannah’s eyes drop to her torso. She straightens her clothing with the palm of her hand, then looks up at Keller, a scowl frozen on her face.

Keller is already shaking his head. ‘No,’ he says firmly. ‘You don’t understand. I don’t mean that.’

Susannah’s haggard shoulders dip very slightly as she relaxes, which brings on a short coughing fit. ‘Good,’ she says when she stops. ‘We all know some women who do, but . . .’

‘I understand,’ Keller says quietly. ‘I . . . I have a sister your age. I don’t want that. And really, I don’t want you to die.’

They are quiet for a moment as another guard passes by. He lingers, then asks if everything is all right.

Keller nods a few times and puts on a reassuring downward smile. ‘Oh yes,’ he says.

‘Was she trying to escape?’

Keller puts on a laugh. ‘Just being subordinate, nothing more.’

The other guard looks Susannah up and down, hesitates for a moment, then turns away and starts to walk briskly along an invisible line parallel to the perimeter fence.

‘So?’ Susannah says, once he has gone. ‘What do you want me to do?’

‘I’m not sure. But there are . . . there are rumours that the war isn’t going well for Germany.’

‘Then that’s what I can do for you.’

Keller frowns, puzzled.

‘If Germany loses the war I’ll take you in. You can come home to Berlin with us to save you from being shot. We could say you’re my older brother, yes?’

Keller laughs – at the same time almost crying – and gives his head a slow shake. ‘With my name and photograph on the staff records?’

‘We could get them and burn them.’

Keller gives her a pitying look and smiles glumly.

‘No,’ Susannah says. ‘Perhaps not. Perhaps I’m going mad. I’m sorry.’

‘Mad?’ Keller says. He laughs again, this time a cruel cackle, but also Susannah sees the wetness in his eyes. ‘Don’t apologize,’ he says. ‘This whole thing has been mad from the start.

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