‘That’s all we can do for now,’ said Bill, ‘’cos we don’t know what they’ve got in the pipeline.’ He glanced at Felix, adding for clarification, ‘What they’ve already got planned.’

‘They’re taking Jews to camps,’ said Felix, ‘thousands of us, yet no one seems to know where these camps are. How can they not know? Surely they must be huge to accommodate so many people? They must have been built in secret in the dead of night.’

Bill nodded. ‘Like I say, twenty years to prepare. If they’ve got us in their sights, first we’ll know about it is when they start droppin’ bombs.’

Felix swallowed hard. ‘You don’t know how lucky you are to have the Channel between them and you.’

‘Oh yes we do,’ said Bill with verve, ‘but even the Channel won’t stop them. It didn’t last time, so why should it this, when they’ve got better planes, boats, and ammunition?’ He stood up to help Felix with the washing-up.

‘Better prepared …’ said Felix softly.

Alan rested his head in his hands. ‘How long do you think we’ve got?’

‘How long’s a piece of string?’ said Bill. ‘But I reckon we’d best get our skates on, ’cos we’re goin’ to be playin’ catch-up as it is.’

Felix passed the dishcloth over a bowl then handed it to Bill who wiped it dry. ‘We can’t let him win,’ said Felix. ‘He’s a maniac.’

‘I know, son,’ said Bill, ‘and we won’t, ’cos even though he’s had longer to prepare, we’re British, and he’ll never take us over, not whilst there’s breath in our bodies.’

‘And don’t forget the Americans,’ added Alan. ‘They’d stand by us, and no matter how prepared Hitler thinks he is, he’s no match for them.’

‘I’m sure you’re right,’ said Bill, nodding slowly, ‘but don’t you think Hitler’s thought of that already?’

‘He’s arrogant,’ said Felix, ‘he probably thinks he can persuade them to be his ally.’

‘Then he don’t know diddly squat,’ said Alan, much to Felix’s amusement.

‘Diddly what?’

‘Squat,’ said Alan. ‘It means he don’t know nothin’, because there’s no way the Americans would side with the likes of Hitler, not after last time. You wait and see, if the proverbial hits the fan, they’ll be by our side before you can say knife.’

CHAPTER THREE