Page 142 - Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

THE FIRST CHOOSING HAD BEEN THE HARDEST, HANNAH
thought later. After that, it merely became part of the
routine. And if you didn't stand too near the Greeks
or work too slowly or say the wrong word or speak too
loudly or annoy a guard or threaten the blokova or
stumble badly or fall ill, the chances were that this time
you wouldn't be Chosen. This time.
Part of her revolted against the insanity of the rules.
Part of her was grateful. In a world of chaos, any guide-
lines helped. And she knew that each day she remained
alive, she remained alive. One plus one plus one. The
Devil's arithmetic, Gitl called it.
And so one day eroded into the next. Her memories
became camp memories only: the day a guard gave her
a piece of sausage and asked for nothing in return. The
morning a new shipment of zugangi arrived. The morn-
ing a new shipment didn't arrive. The afternoon Gitl
organized a rope and the children all played jumping

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