Page 97 - Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

next to a tall, scowling woman, probably her mother.
The woman in the blue dress was speaking again.
"Quiet! Quiet!" she shouted, putting up her hands.
"Now, since you are all filthy from your trip, you must
take a shower. You will undress here. Help the children.
It must be done quickly. Quickly."
"What, here?" Gitl asked. "In front of each other?"
The woman looked disgusted. "You have not learned
the first lesson yet. You will not last here."
Gitl stared at her. "I will last," she said, her voice
low.
"Now, all of you, undress. Schnell! Pretend you are
in one of your ritual baths. Oh yes, I am not a Jew,
but even I have heard of it. What do you call it?"
"Mikvah," murmured Esther's mother.
"Yes, mikvah," the woman said. "Then this is your
mikvah in preparation for your new life in the camp."
She smiled and left.
Some of the women sat on the wooden benches and
began slowly to take off their shoes and stockings. But
Hannah stpod in the center of the room, staring around.
"Don't you understand?" she cried. "There are no
showers. There are only the gas ovens. They will burn
us all up."
Two benches away, Esther was crying softly as she
took off her right shoe. "There are no ovens, Chaya.
Do not try to frighten us. We are frightened enough."
Hannah started to answer but Gitl pulled her down
to the bench. "She is right, child. What is here is bad
enough. Let us live moment by moment. There is no

90