They all wanted a sign, the women here. Her former bedmate, a Gypsy girl called Mila, had dreamed every night that she had been reunited with her husband, and every morning, when she awoke, she would cry and scream. 10678 had been sympathetic at first, but the girl’s regular hysterics soon wore her down. And then, one day, Mila had disappeared. 10678 tried hard not to feel relieved, such was the nature of the place—it brought out your worst side, and it could become your only side. Mila’s disappearance meant that 10678 had the bed to herself for a few nights, and for that she was grateful, but she would rather have had Mila and the sleepless nights back, because she hated the fact that the price of comfort was another’s life. That disturbed her, kept her awake more than Mila ever could.

Over the next two days, Strasser taught Lockhart about the SS training routine. It was similar to that of the British army, although there was a greater emphasis on political “education,” as Strasser called it—“indoctrination,” thought Lockhart, but he kept his mouth shut. Lockhart learned that recruits were woken at six o’clock for an hour’s gymnastics before breakfast. The morning could be taken up by weapons training, the recruits learning how to strip and assemble a whole variety of weapons, or it could involve infantry training, in which skills such as bayonet practice and unarmed combat would be taught. After a good lunch, there was a “make and mend” session, in which recruits would have to clean the barracks and their boots and uniforms, as well as attend to any other chores. The afternoon was filled with further physical exercise—a route march or a cross-country run in full kit. In the evening, the recruits had time to themselves. Normally they would read, play cards or listen to the radio, although they were encouraged to play chess. Some would have earned a pass to go into the local town, where they had to be on their best behavior—drunkenness was not tolerated in the SS, Strasser reminded Lockhart.