~Chapter 5~
"Run for it!" Georg shouted again, and they all made for the train as fast as they could. They bumped into several people who were waiting for their train to arrive, but Georg didn't pay attention. They reached the train just as the conductor blew his whistle, and Max jumped in, pulling along the two little girls. Georg helped the rest of the children and Maria in through the narrow door.
As soon as they were all inside, Georg heard the shouts of Herr Zeller on the platform.
"Stop that train!" Zeller yelled, and the sound of the Nazi's boots thumping fast could be heard even inside the carriage.
Georg pushed his family through the door that led to the compartments.
"Walk on as far as possible," he instructed. Looking around, he saw that the conductor had got on and he could feel the train beginning to move. He closed his eyes while letting his breath escape from between his teeth. Would they have made it? He looked at Maria's back as she walked on, helping Brigitta to remain standing in the wobbling carriage. He bent over to a window and tried to look backwards at the platform. He could just see Zeller standing on the platform, flanked by two of his soldiers, and looking outraged.
As the train gathered speed, Georg moved away from the window and leaned on one of the benches with both hands, breathing deeply to calm himself down.
They made it. At least for a while, they were safe. But Zeller knew now what train they were on. He would most likely come after them again, following them to Genua, Georg thought. He had seen the look in Zeller's eyes and it had been one of sheer determination.
As the Captain stood up and started walking to the next carriage, he tried to think of what to do next. His relief at being on the train faded away. While the train was moving, there was no way to get off. If Zeller and his men reached Allessandria, where the train would make a stop before continuing on to Genua, before the train did.. ... there would be no escape. Would the train take them to freedom - or were they speeding straight into a trap?
Georg gritted his teeth. He felt under his jacket and touched the cold metal of the gun he was carrying. His family would not fall into Nazi hands - and neither would he.
Two carriages further, he found Maria, Max and the children. The train was almost deserted, and they had this compartment to themselves. As Georg walked past the children, they all looked up at him. He forced himself to smile reassuringly at them, and the children let out a few nervous laughs as Georg patted Brigitta's head.
"Don't worry now," he told them. "We'll be in Genua soon."
The children started talking softly among each other, relieved at least for the moment, and Georg moved past Max to sit down next to Maria. She had not said anything since he'd joined them, and her face was pale. A thin layer of perspiration had formed on her forehead.
"Maria," he said softly, wiping a lock of hair away from her face. She looked at him and tried to smile.
"Are we safe?" she asked, lifting her hand to touch his face. He covered her hand with his and leaned in to kiss her.
"Try to relax," he said as he drew back, avoiding her question. He looked at her intently. She was in no condition to be travelling, let alone hiding in the bushes or running around railway stations, and Georg felt as if he was personally responsible for her pain. The picture of a group of Nazi soldiers awaiting them in Genua flashed through his mind, and the idea that their ordeal might not be over yet sent shivers down his spine.
"Answer me, Georg," Maria said, meeting his intense gaze. "You don't think we are safe yet, do you?"
He turned away from her stare, looking out the window at the dark landscape that flashed by. He shook his head.
"No, darling. I won't feel safe until we are on that boat for America," he answered. Turning to face her again, he kissed her cheek. "But for the next two hours, we are. So you just try to get some rest," he tried to reassure her a bit. Maria nodded, only half convinced. She realised though that while they were on the train, there was nothing much she could do but rest. Heaven knew she needed it, her ribs were throbbing and she felt faint. She laid her head back against the train seat and closed her eyes.
Georg and Max sat in silence for a while. After about fifteen minutes, the children's talk faded as the younger ones were lulled asleep by the monotonous movements and sounds of the train. Kurt tried to stay awake, but eventually his head lolled sideways onto Louisa's shoulder. Normally, she'd have shrugged him off with an annoyed gesture, but now she let him sleep, staring ahead of her just like Friedrich and Liesl.
Maria had fallen asleep, too, and Georg was glad. He gently touched her cheek, looking at her pale face and feeling worried. He took off his jacket and put it over her, trying to make her as comfortable as he could. After he'd made sure she was still fast asleep, he looked at Max.
"They will come after us," he said. It was not a question.
Max nodded.
"They've come this far, they won't let us get away now," Georg continued, thinking aloud, only half speaking to Max. "What if they reach the station in Allessandria before we get there?"
Max looked outside for a moment. When he turned back to look at Georg, his face was blank as he shook his head.
***
As he saw the train disappearing into the distance, Herr Zeller breathed in deeply to control his rage. It was the second time in one night he had let Captain von Trapp slip through his fingers. He turned around to shout at his men, wanting to relieve some of his anger, but as he did so he almost bumped into an Italian railway official, who had come to see what all the noise on platform 11 was about. Zeller grabbed the astonished man by the lapels and pulled him close to his face.
"Where is that train going?" he demanded from him.
The man stuttered, not understanding what Zeller meant. Letting go of one lapel, Zeller motioned angrily in the direction of the disappearing train. "Roma? Genua? Torino?" he tried.
The scared official started nodded vehemently as he understood what this enraged man wanted from him. "Ad Allessandria, e poi a Genua!" he managed.
Even though Zeller did not understand the Italian words, he did recognize the names of the cities. Satisfied, he rudely pushed the man aside and motioned to his men to follow him. Within minutes, the Nazi car was again speeding through the Italian night, heading for Allessandria.
***
As the train approached Allessandria, Georg started waking up his children. They sat quietly, looking groggy and tired, their faces pale. Last of all, he woke up Maria.
As he touched her cheek, her eyes flew wide open. For the last half hour, her sleep had been light and restless. However, Georg was grateful to notice that she had regained a little bit of colour.
"What is it?" she asked, looking very awake right away.
"We'll be in Allessandria in 15 minutes," Georg explained to her. "I want us to move to the front of the train as far as possible. If we see Zeller, we have to get out, and we'll have the best chance if we are as close to the end of the platform as we can get. If he's not there, we will stay on the train and go on to Genua."
Maria listened closely, looking worried. "Shouldn't we get off whether he is there or not? I mean, he will come to Genua after us, even if he does not reach Allessandria in time," she countered.
Georg nodded. He had thought of that, too, but dejected the idea. "Genua is a much larger city. We will stand a better chance of hiding there, and if we're lucky, get on a boat as soon as possible. Trust me, darling," he told Maria.
She breathed in deeply. She did trust him - after all, he knew what he was doing. That was not what was bothering her, though. She was scared. She looked into her husband's eyes. His look was serious, thoughtful. But she also saw love and determination in those eyes, and she drew strength from it. She nodded at him, showing her trust, and he bent over her to quickly kiss her lips.
Maria handed him his jacket back, and they both got up.
"Come," Georg motioned to the children, "to the front of the train."
In a long line, they started moving through the compartments, making their way forward. Georg, Max and Maria helped the children through the doors that connected the carriages and across the moving plates that twisted under their feet as the train drove on. After a few minutes they had walked through all the carriages, and waited in the little hallway that separated the front carriage from the train engine. They all stood around near the door. The children looked up at their parents expectantly.
"When the train stops, you pay close attention," Georg instructed his children. "If I say 'run' you run after Uncle Max. Don't look around, just run, do you understand? And you- " his eyes shot to Liesl, Friedrich, and Louisa "-make sure all of you stick together."
He looked at seven very serious faces, all nodding at him. He was vaguely surprised at how well his children had been handling themselves ever since they had escaped from Salzburg. Despite their dire situation, he smiled encouragingly at them.
"Good," he told them. "We'll be there soon. If I don't say anything, you just stay on the train." Again, the children nodded in silence.
Georg moved to stand next to Maria. "If it comes to it, you run with Max and the children," he told her.
Not liking the expression on his face, she cocked her head. "And where will you be?" she asked, anxiousness in her voice.
"I'll make sure they don't come after us," he answered, his face grim.
Maria noticed his hand moving to the gun he was carrying, a gun he had taken from another Nazi who was following them only weeks ago.
"Georg.. .." she was shaken by the idea.
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "You just run, and don't look back. Whatever happens, keep running."
Maria felt her stomach contract, but she nodded. Looking into her husband's eyes, she said: "Let's just pray that they aren't there."
"Yes. Let's pray for that indeed," he answered.
The train was slowing down now, and Maria felt her heartbeat quicken. She looked around at the pale, tight faces of the children, the serious face of Max, and the icy stare from her husband's blue eyes. As the lights of the platform came into view, she stared outside, trying to look at the people who were waiting for the train. Georg was staring outside too, an expression of pure concentration on his face.
As Maria cast a quick glance at him, she felt a sense of wonder at this man, who could be so loving and gentle, but also so calculating and serious. Even though she felt she did not really know this part of him and it unsettled her a bit to see him like this, it somehow also filled her with trust and made her love him even more.
The train came to a complete halt. Motioning for the children to step away, Georg opened the door, carefully staying as much out of sight as possible. Kneeling, he peered around the opening of the door and scanned the platform. There were only a few people there, quiet travellers who needed to be in Genua early in the morning. He did not see anything or anybody that indicated that the Nazis had made it to Allessandria in time.
Georg looked around at Maria and Max. "All clear," he whispered, relaxing just a little bit. He turned his head back to look at the platform again. It was empty now, the few people who had been there had gotten on the train through one of the other doors. Georg saw the train conductor stepping back inside, somewhere in the middle of the train, and heard him blow his whistle. As the train slowly started moving, Georg let out a sigh of relief. He stepped back and started pulling on the door to close it. He exchanged a quick glance with Maria, who smiled at him in utter relief.
"Will we make it to Genua, Father?" asked Friedrich, his voice trembling a little, but sounding hopeful.
But before Georg could answer him, he heard a sound that turned his heart to ice.
The sound of several pairs of heavy boots running echoed across the deserted platform.
"Stop! Hold the train!" came a voice, in a near-repeat of what had occurred in Milan.
Taking a huge risk, Georg peered round the corner of the still-open door to see Herr Zeller and his soldiers running toward the train. Georg's stomach dropped as he saw Zeller and two of the soldiers managing to jump onto the last carriage.
Georg closed the door and slowly turned around. He looked into Maria's eyes, which were wide with fear.
"Three of them are on the train," was all he said.
"Run for it!" Georg shouted again, and they all made for the train as fast as they could. They bumped into several people who were waiting for their train to arrive, but Georg didn't pay attention. They reached the train just as the conductor blew his whistle, and Max jumped in, pulling along the two little girls. Georg helped the rest of the children and Maria in through the narrow door.
As soon as they were all inside, Georg heard the shouts of Herr Zeller on the platform.
"Stop that train!" Zeller yelled, and the sound of the Nazi's boots thumping fast could be heard even inside the carriage.
Georg pushed his family through the door that led to the compartments.
"Walk on as far as possible," he instructed. Looking around, he saw that the conductor had got on and he could feel the train beginning to move. He closed his eyes while letting his breath escape from between his teeth. Would they have made it? He looked at Maria's back as she walked on, helping Brigitta to remain standing in the wobbling carriage. He bent over to a window and tried to look backwards at the platform. He could just see Zeller standing on the platform, flanked by two of his soldiers, and looking outraged.
As the train gathered speed, Georg moved away from the window and leaned on one of the benches with both hands, breathing deeply to calm himself down.
They made it. At least for a while, they were safe. But Zeller knew now what train they were on. He would most likely come after them again, following them to Genua, Georg thought. He had seen the look in Zeller's eyes and it had been one of sheer determination.
As the Captain stood up and started walking to the next carriage, he tried to think of what to do next. His relief at being on the train faded away. While the train was moving, there was no way to get off. If Zeller and his men reached Allessandria, where the train would make a stop before continuing on to Genua, before the train did.. ... there would be no escape. Would the train take them to freedom - or were they speeding straight into a trap?
Georg gritted his teeth. He felt under his jacket and touched the cold metal of the gun he was carrying. His family would not fall into Nazi hands - and neither would he.
Two carriages further, he found Maria, Max and the children. The train was almost deserted, and they had this compartment to themselves. As Georg walked past the children, they all looked up at him. He forced himself to smile reassuringly at them, and the children let out a few nervous laughs as Georg patted Brigitta's head.
"Don't worry now," he told them. "We'll be in Genua soon."
The children started talking softly among each other, relieved at least for the moment, and Georg moved past Max to sit down next to Maria. She had not said anything since he'd joined them, and her face was pale. A thin layer of perspiration had formed on her forehead.
"Maria," he said softly, wiping a lock of hair away from her face. She looked at him and tried to smile.
"Are we safe?" she asked, lifting her hand to touch his face. He covered her hand with his and leaned in to kiss her.
"Try to relax," he said as he drew back, avoiding her question. He looked at her intently. She was in no condition to be travelling, let alone hiding in the bushes or running around railway stations, and Georg felt as if he was personally responsible for her pain. The picture of a group of Nazi soldiers awaiting them in Genua flashed through his mind, and the idea that their ordeal might not be over yet sent shivers down his spine.
"Answer me, Georg," Maria said, meeting his intense gaze. "You don't think we are safe yet, do you?"
He turned away from her stare, looking out the window at the dark landscape that flashed by. He shook his head.
"No, darling. I won't feel safe until we are on that boat for America," he answered. Turning to face her again, he kissed her cheek. "But for the next two hours, we are. So you just try to get some rest," he tried to reassure her a bit. Maria nodded, only half convinced. She realised though that while they were on the train, there was nothing much she could do but rest. Heaven knew she needed it, her ribs were throbbing and she felt faint. She laid her head back against the train seat and closed her eyes.
Georg and Max sat in silence for a while. After about fifteen minutes, the children's talk faded as the younger ones were lulled asleep by the monotonous movements and sounds of the train. Kurt tried to stay awake, but eventually his head lolled sideways onto Louisa's shoulder. Normally, she'd have shrugged him off with an annoyed gesture, but now she let him sleep, staring ahead of her just like Friedrich and Liesl.
Maria had fallen asleep, too, and Georg was glad. He gently touched her cheek, looking at her pale face and feeling worried. He took off his jacket and put it over her, trying to make her as comfortable as he could. After he'd made sure she was still fast asleep, he looked at Max.
"They will come after us," he said. It was not a question.
Max nodded.
"They've come this far, they won't let us get away now," Georg continued, thinking aloud, only half speaking to Max. "What if they reach the station in Allessandria before we get there?"
Max looked outside for a moment. When he turned back to look at Georg, his face was blank as he shook his head.
***
As he saw the train disappearing into the distance, Herr Zeller breathed in deeply to control his rage. It was the second time in one night he had let Captain von Trapp slip through his fingers. He turned around to shout at his men, wanting to relieve some of his anger, but as he did so he almost bumped into an Italian railway official, who had come to see what all the noise on platform 11 was about. Zeller grabbed the astonished man by the lapels and pulled him close to his face.
"Where is that train going?" he demanded from him.
The man stuttered, not understanding what Zeller meant. Letting go of one lapel, Zeller motioned angrily in the direction of the disappearing train. "Roma? Genua? Torino?" he tried.
The scared official started nodded vehemently as he understood what this enraged man wanted from him. "Ad Allessandria, e poi a Genua!" he managed.
Even though Zeller did not understand the Italian words, he did recognize the names of the cities. Satisfied, he rudely pushed the man aside and motioned to his men to follow him. Within minutes, the Nazi car was again speeding through the Italian night, heading for Allessandria.
***
As the train approached Allessandria, Georg started waking up his children. They sat quietly, looking groggy and tired, their faces pale. Last of all, he woke up Maria.
As he touched her cheek, her eyes flew wide open. For the last half hour, her sleep had been light and restless. However, Georg was grateful to notice that she had regained a little bit of colour.
"What is it?" she asked, looking very awake right away.
"We'll be in Allessandria in 15 minutes," Georg explained to her. "I want us to move to the front of the train as far as possible. If we see Zeller, we have to get out, and we'll have the best chance if we are as close to the end of the platform as we can get. If he's not there, we will stay on the train and go on to Genua."
Maria listened closely, looking worried. "Shouldn't we get off whether he is there or not? I mean, he will come to Genua after us, even if he does not reach Allessandria in time," she countered.
Georg nodded. He had thought of that, too, but dejected the idea. "Genua is a much larger city. We will stand a better chance of hiding there, and if we're lucky, get on a boat as soon as possible. Trust me, darling," he told Maria.
She breathed in deeply. She did trust him - after all, he knew what he was doing. That was not what was bothering her, though. She was scared. She looked into her husband's eyes. His look was serious, thoughtful. But she also saw love and determination in those eyes, and she drew strength from it. She nodded at him, showing her trust, and he bent over her to quickly kiss her lips.
Maria handed him his jacket back, and they both got up.
"Come," Georg motioned to the children, "to the front of the train."
In a long line, they started moving through the compartments, making their way forward. Georg, Max and Maria helped the children through the doors that connected the carriages and across the moving plates that twisted under their feet as the train drove on. After a few minutes they had walked through all the carriages, and waited in the little hallway that separated the front carriage from the train engine. They all stood around near the door. The children looked up at their parents expectantly.
"When the train stops, you pay close attention," Georg instructed his children. "If I say 'run' you run after Uncle Max. Don't look around, just run, do you understand? And you- " his eyes shot to Liesl, Friedrich, and Louisa "-make sure all of you stick together."
He looked at seven very serious faces, all nodding at him. He was vaguely surprised at how well his children had been handling themselves ever since they had escaped from Salzburg. Despite their dire situation, he smiled encouragingly at them.
"Good," he told them. "We'll be there soon. If I don't say anything, you just stay on the train." Again, the children nodded in silence.
Georg moved to stand next to Maria. "If it comes to it, you run with Max and the children," he told her.
Not liking the expression on his face, she cocked her head. "And where will you be?" she asked, anxiousness in her voice.
"I'll make sure they don't come after us," he answered, his face grim.
Maria noticed his hand moving to the gun he was carrying, a gun he had taken from another Nazi who was following them only weeks ago.
"Georg.. .." she was shaken by the idea.
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "You just run, and don't look back. Whatever happens, keep running."
Maria felt her stomach contract, but she nodded. Looking into her husband's eyes, she said: "Let's just pray that they aren't there."
"Yes. Let's pray for that indeed," he answered.
The train was slowing down now, and Maria felt her heartbeat quicken. She looked around at the pale, tight faces of the children, the serious face of Max, and the icy stare from her husband's blue eyes. As the lights of the platform came into view, she stared outside, trying to look at the people who were waiting for the train. Georg was staring outside too, an expression of pure concentration on his face.
As Maria cast a quick glance at him, she felt a sense of wonder at this man, who could be so loving and gentle, but also so calculating and serious. Even though she felt she did not really know this part of him and it unsettled her a bit to see him like this, it somehow also filled her with trust and made her love him even more.
The train came to a complete halt. Motioning for the children to step away, Georg opened the door, carefully staying as much out of sight as possible. Kneeling, he peered around the opening of the door and scanned the platform. There were only a few people there, quiet travellers who needed to be in Genua early in the morning. He did not see anything or anybody that indicated that the Nazis had made it to Allessandria in time.
Georg looked around at Maria and Max. "All clear," he whispered, relaxing just a little bit. He turned his head back to look at the platform again. It was empty now, the few people who had been there had gotten on the train through one of the other doors. Georg saw the train conductor stepping back inside, somewhere in the middle of the train, and heard him blow his whistle. As the train slowly started moving, Georg let out a sigh of relief. He stepped back and started pulling on the door to close it. He exchanged a quick glance with Maria, who smiled at him in utter relief.
"Will we make it to Genua, Father?" asked Friedrich, his voice trembling a little, but sounding hopeful.
But before Georg could answer him, he heard a sound that turned his heart to ice.
The sound of several pairs of heavy boots running echoed across the deserted platform.
"Stop! Hold the train!" came a voice, in a near-repeat of what had occurred in Milan.
Taking a huge risk, Georg peered round the corner of the still-open door to see Herr Zeller and his soldiers running toward the train. Georg's stomach dropped as he saw Zeller and two of the soldiers managing to jump onto the last carriage.
Georg closed the door and slowly turned around. He looked into Maria's eyes, which were wide with fear.
"Three of them are on the train," was all he said.