Max’s father stalked across the room and fiddled with the window catch. Max quickly swiped away the disloyal tears that had squeezed out of his eyes. He couldn’t let his father see him cry. He wouldn’t let that happen.

His father flung the window open. ‘Come here. Tell the world!’ he said. ‘As loud as you can. Over and over.’

Max ran to the window. He filled his lungs with air, and then he poured every bit of guilt, shame, anger and confusion into his words as he screamed at the top of his voice: ‘Jews are scum! Jews are rats! Jews are filth! Jews are scum! Jews are rats! Jews are filth! Jews are scum! Jews are rats! Jews are filth!’

By the time his father indicated for him to stop, Max’s forehead was coated in sweat, his heart was pounding like a train, his legs were so weak he thought he would faint.

His father closed the window. ‘Good. Don’t ever forget that,’ he said. ‘And you are never to speak of those filthy Jewish children in this house again.’

‘I won’t, Father. I promise.’ Max knew it was true. He would never allow himself to be put through this after today. He would do anything to avoid making his father so angry again. He would never again doubt what Leo and Elsa were. He would never even think about contacting them. He would banish them from his mind.

His father looked at him for a long time without speaking. Then in a quiet voice, he said, ‘Are you ready to put your words into action?’

Max would have agreed to anything his father suggested in that moment. ‘Yes, sir.’

‘All right, then. You’ll join us tonight. It’s a big night. An important night. I am giving you an opportunity to prove to me that you aren’t completely useless and to show me that you are ready to play your part.’

‘I’ll show you,’ Max said fervently. ‘I promise. I won’t let you down.’

‘Good. Now, let’s go and finish our meal.’

Later that night, Max and his father left the house in the dark and headed to the city’s Jewish quarter with a growing army of men joining them at every corner.

Armed with bricks, stones and a heart that had begun to beat to the rhythm of rage, Max was determined to honour his promise.

LEO

What was that?

A crashing sound had woken me and I sat bolt upright in my bed. I held my breath and listened for a moment. Nothing. It must have been a cat jumping off a roof. They did that all the time.

I was about to lie back down when I heard it again.

CRASH!

This time there was no mistaking the sound: breaking glass. It sounded like it was quite far away.

I crept out of my bed and tiptoed across my bedroom.

CRASH!