Page 464 - The Book Thief

dry, but the book thief worked

through fifty-four pages.

The majority of children slept and didnt hear the sirens of renewed safety. Their
parents woke them or carried them up the basement steps, into the world of
darkness.

Far away, fires were burning and I had picked up just over two hundred
murdered souls.

I was on my way to Molching for one more.

Himmel Street was clear.

The sirens had been held off for many hours, just in case there was another threat
and to allow the smoke to make its way into the atmosphere.

It was Bettina Steiner who noticed the small fire and the sliver of smoke farther

down, close to the Amper River. It trailed into the sky and the girl held up her
finger. Look.

The girl might have seen it first, but it was Rudy who reacted. In his haste, he
did not relinquish his grip on the toolbox as he sprinted to the bottom of Himmel
Street, took a few side roads, and entered the trees. Liesel was next (having
surrendered her books to a heavily protesting Rosa), and then a smattering of
people from several shelters along the way.

Rudy, wait!

Rudy did not wait.

Liesel could only see the toolbox in certain gaps in the trees as he made his way
through to the dying glow and the misty plane. It sat smoking in the clearing by
the river. The pilot had tried to land there.

Within twenty meters, Rudy stopped.