She helped Eloise change out of her ruined nightgown, then quickly got dressed herself, afraid to leave her alone for more than a minute, afraid she would run upstairs to the roof again. “Come into the kitchen with me while I make breakfast.”

“Who can eat at a time like this?”

Ans couldn’t stop thinking about Papa and Erik, wondering if they were all right and if she would ever see them again.

Sirens wailed as morning turned into afternoon, and planes continued to roar overhead, sometimes flying so low that the windows rattled. Eloise refused to do something to take her mind off the news, such as reading a book or listening to the gramophone.

“I can’t concentrate, Ans. I’m so worried about Herman. If anything happens to him, I don’t think I can go on. Why doesn’t he call?”

“I’m sure he will as soon as he can. Maybe the telephone lines are down.”

“He’s in Den Haag, Ans, where the fighting is!”

“I think you should take some of your medicine. I’m worried about you.”

Eloise lowered the volume on the radio and turned to look at Ans, her eyes oddly bright and alert. “I’m going to do everything differently this time. I was so fearful the last time, and I let the war overwhelm me. Mother and Father worked with the Resistance, and my brother fought in the trenches. They were strong and brave, and they lost their lives, but I was a coward. I was afraid to die.”

“I’m sure there were a lot of people who were afraid —”

“This time I know better. I know that dying isn’t the worst thing that could happen to me. Doing nothing and losing everyone I love is the worst thing. That’s why I’m going to fight back this time. Are you with me, Ans?”

She didn’t know what to say. If she agreed to fight, she feared Eloise might do something crazy like rush out into the street and chase down the Nazis with a carving knife. Yet Eloise needed to know that Ans was her friend. “How can we fight back?” she finally said. “We don’t have any weapons. Shouldn’t we let the Dutch army do the fighting?”

“I don’t want to alarm you, Ans, but they aren’t going to win. The Nazis are going to conquer the Netherlands just like they’ve conquered everyone else.”

“Please, God . . . no . . .”

She didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until Eloise said, “Praying won’t help. I already told you that. But once the Nazis take over, there are lots of things that civilians like us can do. So are you with me?”