Max’s heart was thumping like the bass drum the boys banged at band practice. And then the words came out in a rush.

‘Father, I’ve been thinking about my old friends from Vienna, Leo and Elsa. I think we might have been wrong about them and I was wondering if I might perhaps be allowed to write to Leo.’

Max’s father carefully placed his knife and fork on his plate. Then he wiped his mouth, put his napkin back in its holder and turned to his wife. ‘Excuse us for a moment, darling,’ he said. Then he got up from his chair and indicated for Max to do the same.

‘Your room, now,’ he said and Max followed his father to his bedroom.

Once inside, his father softly closed the door. When he turned back to look at Max, his face was bright red, his eyes were tiny black holes.

Max swallowed.

‘How dare you,’ his father hissed. ‘After all we have done for you, the sacrifices we have made, the work I do for the cause of our great country and our great leader and this is how you repay me?’

‘Father, I just—’

‘DON’T interrupt when I am talking!’ His words felt like a slap to the side of Max’s face.

‘Your mother has spent half the day making us a nice dinner, and you spoil it by mentioning JEWS! What are you thinking?’

‘I – I – I wondered if perhaps there was a mistake,’ Max stammered. ‘That maybe they aren’t Jewish after all.’

‘Not Jewish? They looked like Jews, they smelled like Jews, they skulked around like Jews, they preyed on the rest of us. Of course they’re Jewish!’

Max wanted to argue. He wanted to say that his friends didn’t do any of those things. But he knew better than to argue with his father, especially when he was this angry.

‘And what are Jews?’

Max hesitated. Terrified of saying the wrong thing, he said nothing.

‘They are pigs,’ his father said through his teeth. ‘They are worse than pigs. They are scum. Vermin. Filth. They are rats.’

‘Yes, Father.’

‘Say it. Jews are scum. Jews are rats. Jews are filth.’

Max tried to get the words out but, when he tried to speak, the taste of bile in his mouth stopped him.

‘Say it!’ his father ordered.

‘Jews are scum. Jews are rats. Jews are filth,’ Max mumbled quickly.

‘Louder.’

Max swallowed down the bile in his throat and tried to speak louder. ‘Jews are scum. Jews are rats. Jews are filth.’

‘Louder!’

Max raised his voice. ‘Jews are scum. Jews are rats. Jews are filth.’

‘Louder!’

Max shouted. ‘Jews are scum! Jews are rats! Jews are filth!’ He could feel a tear snaking into the corner of each eye.

‘Again!’

‘Jews are scum! Jews are rats! Jews are filth!’