A Dreadful Aspect, part 2

A Penny Dreadful in Four Acts

I started this short story five months ago, before my back flare-up. I'm happy that I have finished the next chapter, in between shots of cortisone to my spine. For those of you who need a refresher on where we are at this point, please refer to chapter 1 HERE.

We return to our program, already in progress;

Major Gerhardt summoned Dekel to the guardhouse, and the Rabbi hurried behind the Nazi trooper who came for him. The grey skies pelted the land in torrents for weeks this time of year, and Jacob was already soaked to the bone. His emaciated frame somehow defied the laws of physics, for he walked erect with his prison clothes clinging to him, despite the days of malnutrition. Rickets had set in, and his legs were bowing outward as he sloshed through mud and muck.

The guardhaus was Spartan, but warm, and the smell of hasenpfeffer filled the air. Against his will, Jacob began to drool uncontrollably. His stomach roiled at the sight of this fat German pig swallowing his food while he stood before him and shivered. I can never again eat rabbit stew he thought I’ll see him and smell this place, and want to puke.

On the heels of that; If I live to eat rabbit stew again.

Dekel kept his eyes cast downward, showing the most subservient mask he owned. There was nothing in the guardhaus he needed to see anyway; A Nazi flag on the wall, a photo of der Führer over the desk, some maps and charts. And this swollen defecation in human form, stuffing his face. It was unbelievable that God would waste skin on something like that.

Gerhardt looked up from his food and scowled, as if he had just seen a large rat run across the floor. Wiping his mouth on a greasy sleeve, he rose from his meal and walked over to a nearby file cabinet and withdrew a heavy folder. After a brief moment of leafing through it, he turned his not-inconsiderable bulk back towards the desk with the remnants of his lunch, still waiting for him.

“You know Rabbi, there are many things here that demand my attention. We are understaffed, and I have had to regulate various administrative duties to certain camp trustees.” He said, as he waddled over to his chair and sank into it, the wood creaking slightly under the weight of the Nazi Major’s girth.

These people don’t bother with conversation on prisoners Jakob thought, He wants something.

“Most places like this, the warders look for village elders or former town officials to run a smooth camp and keep dissent down. There is truth in that, I suppose. But I find greater success with men of God, such as yourself. You people are natural mediators, sworn to keep the peace. You know the hearts of your flock better than anyone, perhaps even I could ever hope to.”

That’s certainly true Jakob thought, But what benefit do you see in that, and how can I turn it into mine? Gerhardt smiled at Jakob, and he looked no less disgusting than when he had scowled at him earlier. “I am going to give you the chance to save the lives of some of your people, Juden. You will have the opportunity to do something good for the prisoners, and earn my respect as well.”

Earn your respect? Thought Jakob, I would sooner convert to Catholicism. Jacob put on his best act of humility, his most penitent manners. Others would suffer if he made the wrong move here, and he knew he must tread carefully with this German slug. He was the only gateway between the guards and the gas chambers.

“How can I help?” he asked.

“I have some names, and Selektion is coming up this week. I need to know who the ones are that might be prone to…impulsive behavior, shall we say. I have compiled a list of suspicious ones from your bunkhaus and several others inside the camp, both men and women. They are mostly Juden, you understand, but we have some Poles, and a few undesirables plucked from der Fatherland’s heart. ”

“And of course, there’s the Roma.”

Gerhardt returned to his stew and attacked it with relish, sopping up the gravy with a thick wedge of brown bread. Jakob nearly passed out with uncontrollable hunger.

“Selektion is in two days. There are quotas. I will meet them. I will exceed them!”

“B-but, I don’t understand” the cold was making Jakob’s teeth chatter “If you have your list, what is it you want of me?”

Without looking up from his plate, the Major slid a sheaf of papers across the desk to Jacob.

“Choose.”

Jakob’s heart sank as the air was again filled with grunts and slurping.