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Authors: Willi Heinrich
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falling. He turned to Zepac, a tiny, gnome-like figure of a man with the belligerent air of a small fighting cock.
"You were very quiet," Andrej said.
"You know why," Zepac answered. He had had a grudge against Nikolash ever since Nikolash had called him a miserable Slovak yokel. "I'll be glad when we're rid of him," he added. "Think I'm going with him to Dobsina? I wouldn't dream of it, what should I do there? I've got a wife and children here. Let the others carry on."
"We're not free yet."
"Free!" Zepac laughed. "What is free? Certainly not what you imagine. You're a Czech, but we Slovaks want something different."
"Perhaps you want the Germans," mocked Andrej.
"Oh shut up. You know we don't want Germans or Czechs. Why d'you think I've been fighting against the Germans?"
"Well, why have you, seeing that your Tiso is all for them?"
"He's not our Tiso. Tiso's working for the Germans and the Hungarians, not for us. So shut up about Tiso," he shouted, and disappeared into the house.
Andrej walked on smiling, remembering all the times he had bickered with Zepac on this subject. Zepac didn't know what he wanted, in fact he only joined the partisans, according to Kubany, so as to impress his wife, who wore the trousers at home. Still, he was a good man with a tommy-gun, and Andrej was satisfied with him.
But that reminded Andrej that they wouldn't need tommy-guns any more: no tommy-guns and no organization. The thought was so painful he felt like crying, and he trudged through the snow toward Elizabeth's house hardly noticing where he was going. He had never realized it would mean so much to him, but of course it wasn't surprising. As time went by he had become a leading figure in the local partisan activities.
It was a well-planned organization, and much bigger than Andrej had at first supposed; all its men were chosen with great care. Andrej had picked his section from Oviz and two neighboring villages; they were supposed to take prisoners so that Pushkin, in DobSina, could supply his contacts in Prague with exact information about each new division the Germans moved up to the front through Kosice.
Until a month ago, the prisoners had been shot after questioning. Then Nikolash gave instructions that those with the rank of captain and up should instead be taken to a safe hideout. The place chosen was a hut in a remote wooded valley northwest of Szomolnok, which was guarded by four reliable men from Kosice; it could also be used as a reserve base should things become too hot in Oviz. Nikolash, however, had been anxious to take extra precautions, so he and Andrej built a strong log cabin near the highest mountain peak in the vicinity; it was extremely defensible, and they brought up enough arms and ammunition to give them a breathing-space in any emergency. They did not tell the others about it, because, said Nikolash, "They'd be the first to betray us if their necks were in danger— I know this rabble." Nikolash didn't know that in less than a week Margita had wormed the secret out of her brother.
Going straight to Margita's room, Nikolash lit the lamp, went over to the bed and called her name. The pillows moved, as a slim face appeared with dark tousled hair and black eyes which blinked at him sleepily. "Nikolash!" she sat up with a start. "Is Andrej back?"
"Yes. With his woman, I think. Come on over." He went into the next room, where he took off his shoes. Margita came in. She had only a nightgown on and sat down on his knees. "Did you get the general?"
"Yes."
"Andrej’s a good man," she said proudly.
Nikolash smiled. "It wasn't very difficult. The Germans are stupid as geese. Aren't I a good man?"
"Show it."
He pulled her nightgown up over her knees. "Like this?"
"Yes."
"Or like this?"
"Like that too."
He laughed heartily and put her back on her feet. "I'm hungry," he said.
"You pig!" exclaimed Margita in disappointment. "You think of nothing but eating and drinking." She leaned over his
"You were very quiet," Andrej said.
"You know why," Zepac answered. He had had a grudge against Nikolash ever since Nikolash had called him a miserable Slovak yokel. "I'll be glad when we're rid of him," he added. "Think I'm going with him to Dobsina? I wouldn't dream of it, what should I do there? I've got a wife and children here. Let the others carry on."
"We're not free yet."
"Free!" Zepac laughed. "What is free? Certainly not what you imagine. You're a Czech, but we Slovaks want something different."
"Perhaps you want the Germans," mocked Andrej.
"Oh shut up. You know we don't want Germans or Czechs. Why d'you think I've been fighting against the Germans?"
"Well, why have you, seeing that your Tiso is all for them?"
"He's not our Tiso. Tiso's working for the Germans and the Hungarians, not for us. So shut up about Tiso," he shouted, and disappeared into the house.
Andrej walked on smiling, remembering all the times he had bickered with Zepac on this subject. Zepac didn't know what he wanted, in fact he only joined the partisans, according to Kubany, so as to impress his wife, who wore the trousers at home. Still, he was a good man with a tommy-gun, and Andrej was satisfied with him.
But that reminded Andrej that they wouldn't need tommy-guns any more: no tommy-guns and no organization. The thought was so painful he felt like crying, and he trudged through the snow toward Elizabeth's house hardly noticing where he was going. He had never realized it would mean so much to him, but of course it wasn't surprising. As time went by he had become a leading figure in the local partisan activities.
It was a well-planned organization, and much bigger than Andrej had at first supposed; all its men were chosen with great care. Andrej had picked his section from Oviz and two neighboring villages; they were supposed to take prisoners so that Pushkin, in DobSina, could supply his contacts in Prague with exact information about each new division the Germans moved up to the front through Kosice.
Until a month ago, the prisoners had been shot after questioning. Then Nikolash gave instructions that those with the rank of captain and up should instead be taken to a safe hideout. The place chosen was a hut in a remote wooded valley northwest of Szomolnok, which was guarded by four reliable men from Kosice; it could also be used as a reserve base should things become too hot in Oviz. Nikolash, however, had been anxious to take extra precautions, so he and Andrej built a strong log cabin near the highest mountain peak in the vicinity; it was extremely defensible, and they brought up enough arms and ammunition to give them a breathing-space in any emergency. They did not tell the others about it, because, said Nikolash, "They'd be the first to betray us if their necks were in danger— I know this rabble." Nikolash didn't know that in less than a week Margita had wormed the secret out of her brother.
Going straight to Margita's room, Nikolash lit the lamp, went over to the bed and called her name. The pillows moved, as a slim face appeared with dark tousled hair and black eyes which blinked at him sleepily. "Nikolash!" she sat up with a start. "Is Andrej back?"
"Yes. With his woman, I think. Come on over." He went into the next room, where he took off his shoes. Margita came in. She had only a nightgown on and sat down on his knees. "Did you get the general?"
"Yes."
"Andrej’s a good man," she said proudly.
Nikolash smiled. "It wasn't very difficult. The Germans are stupid as geese. Aren't I a good man?"
"Show it."
He pulled her nightgown up over her knees. "Like this?"
"Yes."
"Or like this?"
"Like that too."
He laughed heartily and put her back on her feet. "I'm hungry," he said.
"You pig!" exclaimed Margita in disappointment. "You think of nothing but eating and drinking." She leaned over his
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