Chapter 5

5

Pavel was waiting for her outside the Café Slava, his hands deep in his pockets and his scarf wrapped around the lower part of his face. She'd told him countless times to meet her inside if he arrived first, but that wasn't his style; he preferred to accompany her when she entered.

His eyes lit up as she approached and they hurried inside out of the biting wind.

The interior was art deco style with huge mirrors on one wall reflecting the view through the large windows opposite: the ancient Prague Castle and Saint Vitus Cathedral towering above the icy, grey Vltava River. They sat themselves down at a round, marble top table and peeled off their outer garments, which they draped over the back of their chairs.

Pavel grinned at her, revealing the familiar dimple in his left cheek and chipped front tooth. Jana felt a rush of affection for her friend; he was one of the crowd from university. They had only been able to study for one year before the Nazis marched into Prague and closed down Charles University. One day, a large group of students protested in Wenceslas Square, including Pavel's elder sister. The Nazi's machine gun fire tore through the crowd, young lives brutally extinguished within mere heartbeats. Jana had cradled Pavel through the night as he mourned the loss of his sister.

‘I can't thank you enough for diverting the guards as I drove past with Michal,' she said in a low voice, shaking herself from her reverie.

‘Did you get him to safety?'

‘Yes. But what happened to you?'

‘Nothing.' Pavel laughed. ‘Transporting old clothes isn't illegal. Yet. Where is the boy?'

A breath of hesitation. But if she couldn't trust Pavel, then she couldn't trust a soul.

‘He's with my grandma, but it's been two days now and I must see him. The buses aren't running. Either because of the snow or lack of fuel, or both.'

‘I'd borrow my father's car again and drive you out there, but we're out of fuel now too.' He gave her one of his earnest looks that lasted a fraction too long. Jana knew he liked her. A lot. But although tempted a couple of times at parties, she hadn't crossed that line between friendship and romance.

The waitress arrived and took their order.

‘How's Lenka?' he asked, after the waitress left.

‘She's fine but must take things easy till the birth. I'm taking over her job at the castle.'

His eyes flickering with concern, Pavel leaned across the table and whispered, ‘She never said what she was up to there but it was obvious she was working for the resistance. Things have got really savage now that Reinhard Heydrich is the new Reichsprotektor . As well as heading the Gestapo, he's one of Hitler's top men and is out to prove himself. No one messes with Heydrich. '

‘I won't either.'

The waitress brought their coffees and moved on to the next table.

Jana glanced around her. People were either talking animatedly or reading books and newspapers. It was the usual crowd of actors, writers and artists. Or was it? Some were missing, like Kafka and his friend Brod. Writers who were Jewish, communist, socialist, or who even hinted against the Nazi ideals were persecuted, their work banned or even burned.

‘It's better we don't talk here any more,' said Jana. ‘You can always find me at the bookshop.'

He nodded and placed light fingers on her wrist.

‘Be careful, Jana. Heydrich has his office at the castle.' Then he withdrew his hand quickly and they drank their coffee in silence.

That evening, Jana sat on her bed in her long, flannel nightdress and slipped on her warmest woollen bed socks. She pulled open the drawer of her bedside table, lifted out two books with gentle hands and lay them on her lap.

Mama's books.

She caressed the top book with soft fingertips, feeling the worn, burgundy fabric and the embossed, gold lettering. The book, Little Women , had transported her and Mama many times to Massachusetts in the 1840s, and into the life of headstrong Jo and her sisters. She placed the book on the bed beside her and gazed at the other that lay on her lap. Now her throat ached with unshed tears. She held the book covered in dark-green cloth to her chest. Jane Eyre : the emotional, personal story had become a talking point between her and Mama for years. It had been her mother's favourite book. And Jana's too.

Her eyes moistened as memories of Mama swallowed her up and swirled in her brain till she was dizzy with love and sadness. Tears fell, which she quickly wiped away with the sleeve of her nightdress, not wanting to dampen the books.

She popped Little Women back in the drawer, and opening Jane Eyre, she removed the photograph she used as a bookmark. She gazed at the image: Mama posed in front of the majestic, domed Frauenkirche in Dresden, wearing an ankle-length skirt and a high-necked blouse. Her mother peered up at the camera from beneath a straw boater, a shy smile playing on her full lips. She looked so young and beautiful, barely seventeen. Papa had taken the photograph on an outing to the city. The young couple had been so in love and Papa had drawn a row of hearts on the back of the photograph he had taken.

Jana sighed, crawled under the covers and began to read, the familiar words bringing her comfort.

As far as she knew, these two books had not yet been banned. But others from Mama's collection were. Not able to bear handing them to the Nazis to be destroyed, she had hidden them away somewhere safe.

The following morning, a sour-faced official entered the shop and presented Jana with a list of newly banned books. She was to search through her stock and bring any of the offending works to the town hall within two days. He left, his boots leaving clumps of dirty snow across the wooden floor.

She fetched a cloth and was on her hands and knees mopping up the dirt when the door opened again and two men entered: one wearing a wide-brimmed hat and full-length, black, leather coat, the other the uniform of a police officer.

She sat back on her haunches, momentarily paralysed. The leather-coated man was Gestapo and the policeman was the young one with the high cheekbones, Kovar. He'd only been here two days ago with his warning of a new banned book list and here he was again. And he'd brought the Gestapo with him.

Bitter dislike tainted her tongue.

She got to her feet, fighting her instinct to frown, instead pinning a polite wooden smile to her face, like one of Papa's marionettes.

‘How can I help, gentlemen?' she said, averting her gaze from the increasingly annoying policeman.

The Gestapo man spoke, his voice a quiet rasp. ‘Just a routine check on banned books.'

‘But I've only just received the list and haven't even started to sort through.'

‘Nevertheless…' His leather coat flicked her hip as he passed by. She cringed at the touch, her mouth dry as she watched him approach the bookshelves.

The young policeman, Kovar, turned his attention similarly to the books.

Don't panic , she told herself. She had been meticulous in her last check, handing most of the banned books to the authorities, except for the couple she'd hidden away. Surely, there couldn't be any more forbidden editions on her sparse shelves. On the other hand, the list she'd glanced at briefly this morning had been a long one.

The Gestapo man moved to the second-hand book table whilst the policeman studied the classics section, pausing at the Shakespeare shelf. Jana waited, her feelings of uneasiness mixing with resentment .

Checking his watch, the leather-coated man let out an exasperated sigh. ‘I have to leave. I'm to assist with an interview. You carry on here, Captain Kovar.'

‘Yes, sir!' He stood ramrod straight, his back to the bookshelf.

After the Gestapo had left, Jana and Captain Kovar stared at each other in silence.

Finally, he asked, ‘Are you Miss Hajek?'

Jana was relieved he spoke in Czech not German this time.

‘Yes. The family name is on the shop front. Unlike other shop names, it has not been Germanised. Yet.' Her voice was flat.

He reached for a book behind him and flicked through the pages.

‘ Hamlet ,' he said.

‘Do you know the play?' she asked, her tone implying she clearly didn't expect him to.

‘Yes, but I admit to reading it in translation. This edition, however, is an English original: a valuable book.'

‘As far as I'm aware, Shakespeare is not forbidden.'

‘Well, yes and no. The rules are complicated.'

This Captain Kovar was really beginning to annoy her.

‘What do you mean?'

‘The Reich has published a new version of the play, where Hamlet plays a pro-German warrior.'

A laugh of astonishment burst from Jana. ‘You must be joking.'

Kovar's lips twitched and she saw his eyes light for a brief moment. They were a deep blue, almost navy.

‘It's no joke, I'm afraid. This book might be taken from you next time, unless…'

Unless what? Was he suggesting she hid it? Surely not. He was a fascist, pro-Nazi, collaborator and traitor, turning his own people over to the SS. She just wanted him to leave .

‘The list of banned books that you received this morning was a long one. Maybe you need some help. I'm off duty in an hour if you require assistance.'

Her mouth dropped open.

He removed his police cap to reveal a tuft of short, black hair, which he smoothed back with one hand. His expression softened. ‘We could talk about the books on the list.'

Jana finally found her voice. ‘That won't be necessary. Absolutely not.'

He nodded, looking embarrassed, asked her to excuse him and promptly left.

She stared after him, not having the faintest idea what that had been all about.

As the day wore on, each time the small brass bell clang above the door, she caught herself looking up with a hint of expectation. But Captain Kovar did not return.