Page 357 - The Book Thief

reaching up, making the window rise until the book was felled. It seemed to

surrender slowly, like a falling tree.

Got it.

There was barely a disturbance or sound.

The book simply tilted toward her and she took it with her free hand. She even
closed the window, nice and smooth, then turned and walked back across the
potholes of clouds.

Nice, Rudy said as he gave her the bike.

Thank you.

They rode toward the corner, where the days importance reached them. Liesel
knew. It was that feeling again, of being watched. A voice pedaled inside her.

Two laps.

Look at the window. Look at the window.

She was compelled.

Like an itch that demands a fingernail, she felt an intense desire to stop.

She placed her feet on the ground and turned to face the mayors house and the
library window, and she saw. Certainly, she should have known this might
happen, but she could not hide the shock that loitered inside when she witnessed
the mayors wife, standing behind the glass. She was transparent, but she was
there. Her fluffy hair was as it always was, and her wounded eyes and mouth and

expression held themselves up, for viewing.

Very slowly, she lifted her hand to the book thief on the street. A motionless
wave.

In her state of shock, Liesel said nothing, to Rudy or herself. She only steadied
herself and raised her hand to acknowledge the mayors wife, in the window.