Intermission 1

Mission of Truth

Saturday, April 11, 2001

"I already know all this," Lulu suddenly interrupted me, looking impatient. "I was there for everything you've said so far."

I sighed but said nothing. I knew that her words were the truth, but my stubborn self wouldn't admit it.

"You're putting it off, Sarah," she accused. "I know you don't want to tell this story, but you have to tell someone someday. Those months were you ran off to Ludwig's and did your paperwork there… no one knows what happened then. I was in my own state then, so I don't even know. And I was the only person, other than Gilbert and Feli, that even knew that you and Ludwig were—"

"Please," I pleaded, "just stop. I know I'm taking a while to get there, but you asked for the whole story, and it started back then. So do you want me to continue or not?"

She shut her mouth and nodded at my words. I stood up. "Excuse me. I have to use the restroom." I walked away, trying to hide my tears. The storm outside worsened, and I knew I wasn't hiding anything successfully.

As soon as Sarah had closed the bathroom door, I slipped an earpiece into my ear.

"Did you get all that?" I whispered into the microphone tucked under the collar of my shirt.

"Every word," I heard Alfred's voice say into my ear. Alfred had stationed his high-tech eavesdropping devices in an empty house across the street. With him were Arthur and Alex.

The three of them had sent me on a mission to find out the truth about Sarah. They had all known something was up during WW2, but all knew that Sarah would never tell. The only person she would open up to in that way was me.

I was very cooperative. Only having bits and pieces of the truth myself, I was eager to find out the truth. I told the men the fragments of the story that I knew, and set out to find the rest of the story.

As Sarah had been telling her story, I found my old scar aching again. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and spoke to my father once more.

"Sorry about the delay. I thought she'd skip everything I already knew, but if she needs to tell the entire story, then we have no choice but to listen."

"Hey, Luce?" Alfred sounded timid. "Did you really feel like that about me?"

I immediately knew he meant the hate I harbored for him, and cleared my throat. "Dad, that's all over with now. Does that even matter?"

"She's right. Just let past be past," I heard Alex reassure him.

"Gotta go. Sarah's coming." I shoved the earpiece in my pocket and less than a second later Sarah emerged from the bathroom. I sat up straight, plastered an understanding smile onto my face, and waited for Sarah to begin the next part of her story.