Page 351 - The Book Thief

the others cross the line.

On the way back to his family, he met first with his leaders and then with Franz
Deutscher. They both nodded.

Steiner.

Deutscher.

Looks like all those laps I gave you paid off, huh?

Looks like it.

He would not smile until hed won all four.

A POINT FOR LATER REFERENCE
Not only was Rudy recognized now as a good
school student. He was a gifted athlete, too.

For Liesel, there was the 400. She finished seventh, then fourth in her heat of the
200. All she could see up ahead were the hamstrings and bobbing ponytails of

the girls in front. In the long jump, she enjoyed the sand packed around her feet
more than any distance, and the shot put wasnt her greatest moment, either. This
day, she realized, was Rudys.

In the 400 final, he led from the backstretch to the end, and he won the 200 only
narrowly.

You getting tired? Liesel asked him. It was early afternoon by then.

Of course not. He was breathing heavily and stretching his calves. What are you
talking about, Saumensch? What the hell would you know?

When the heats of the 100 were called, he rose slowly to his feet and followed

the trail of adolescents toward the track. Liesel went after him. Hey, Rudy. She