Page 164 - Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

future. It's very strong and real now, as if the more I
try to remember, the more I do. Memory on memory
on memory, like a layer cake."
"I remember cake," Shifre said.
"Impossible," Esther said.
"Even crazy," Rivka pointed out.
"Nevertheless," Hannah said, "I remember. And
you—you must remember, too, so that whoever of us
survives this place will carry the message into that fu-
ture."
"What message?" Rivka asked, her voice breathy
and low.
"That we will survive. The Jews. That what happens
here must never happen again," Hannah said. "That. . ."
"That four girls are talking and not working," inter-
rupted a harsh voice.
They looked up. Standing over them was a new guard,
his nose reddened from the sun. He had a strange,
pleased look on his face. "I have been told that the
ones who do not work are to go over there." He pointed
to the gate.
"No!" Rivka cried. "We were working. We were."
She held up the empty bucket.
The guard dismissed her pleas with a wave of his
hand, and all four of them held their breath, waiting.
"I was told that we need three more Jews to make
up a full load. Commandant Breuer believes in effi-
ciency and our units do not work well with short loads.
So I was sent to find three of the commandant's pets
who were not working. He told me^-personally—-to
make up the load."

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