Summary

The elderly Lizzie paused and told the nurse and Karl that she heard church bells, which reminded her that every year in Dresden on the anniversary of the bombing, all the church bells are rung. She paused and wondered out loud if her story was taking too long, but both the nurse and Karl insisted that she continue.

Lizzie said she was sure the only reasons they survived were that they traveled at night and away from others. Other people were dangerous because they could report them, and Allied forces continued to bomb the roads. Occasionally, they would hide in a barn or shed with other refugees or soldiers: the meetings were awkward because of lingering resentment over the bombings, but Marlene always helped to diffuse the tension. Karli always became the center of attention as he...