Page 399 - The Book Thief

He removed both shoes, both socks.

Und die Unterhosen, said the nurse. And the underpants.

Both Rudy and the other boy, Olaf Spiegel, had started undressing now as well,
but they were nowhere near the perilous position of Jrgen Schwarz. The boy was
shaking. He was a year younger than the other two, but taller. When his
underpants came down, it was with abject humiliation that he stood in the small,
cool office. His self-respect was around his ankles.

The nurse watched him with intent, her arms folded across her devastating chest.

Heckenstaller ordered the other two to get moving.

The doctor scratched his scalp and coughed. His cold was killing him.

The three naked boys were each examined on the cold flooring.

They cupped their genitals in their hands and shivered like the future.

Between the doctors coughing and wheezing, they were put through their paces.

Breathe in. Sniffle.

Breathe out. Second sniffle.

Arms out now. A cough. I said arms out. A horrendous hail of coughing.

As humans do, the boys looked constantly at each other for some sign of mutual

sympathy. None was there. All three pried their hands from their penises and
held out their arms. Rudy did not feel like he was part of a master race.

We are gradually succeeding, the nurse was informing the teacher, in creating a
new future. It will be a new class of physically and mentally advanced Germans.
An officer class.

Unfortunately, her sermon was cut short when the doctor creased in half and
coughed with all his might over the abandoned clothes. Tears welled up in his