Miriam grabbed Rietje’s arm and yanked her into the bedroom, holding her tightly to calm her. “Shh, it’s all right, Rietje. The men aren’t going to hurt us.” She managed to quiet her enough to hear one of the soldiers trying to explain in muddled Dutch that a Nazi vehicle and two motorcycles had been wrecked in the bombings. Injured soldiers needed first aid. When she finally understood, Miss Hannie let them be taken into the infirmary while the Nazi in charge demanded to use their telephone.

All the while, Frits shouted from upstairs, “Go away! Go away!”

“If someone doesn’t shut him up, I will!” the Nazi shouted back in German. Miriam left her place long enough to drag Frits into the bedroom with her and Rietje and close the door. They were both afraid of the dark, but there was nothing she could do about it.

“If you stop shouting, Frits, I’ll let you jump on my bed.” He quieted for a moment. It was something he loved to do but wasn’t allowed. He took a moment to decide, then grinned and climbed onto the bed and began bouncing. He was making loud thumps, but at least he’d stopped shouting. Rietje climbed onto her own bed and began jumping too. Miriam opened the door again, straining to hear what the officer was saying on the telephone.

Miss Willy had managed to coax the last two residents into their room to get ready for bed, and when she saw Miriam standing in her doorway, she hurried over, carrying a candle. “Can you tell what’s going on?” she whispered.

“There’s been an accident. Miss Hannie is giving the injured men first aid. The officer just telephoned his headquarters to tell them where he is and to ask someone to come for them.”

“So this isn’t a razzia?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“I should go down and help Hannie. Can you manage the residents by yourself?”

“Of course.” Miriam took the candle Willy held out to her. She checked inside Miep’s bedroom and saw her sitting on her bed, staring at Cornelia, who was wedged into a corner, mumbling a rapid stream of nonsense. Cornelia would need her medicine to calm down after the men were gone. Miriam went into the boys’ room next and found them having a pillow fight, dangerously close to the candle on the dresser. She pulled the pillows out of their hands. “You’d better stop that now and get ready for bed before Miss Willy gets back.”

Rietje and Frits were still jumping on the beds when Miriam returned to her room. “If you stop jumping, Frits, and go to your room and sit quietly with the other boys, I’ll tell you a story about the goblins that used to live in Holland.”

“Me too?” Rietje asked.