Number the Stars

In bed, Ellen worries that the soldiers will come, but Annemarie just thinks it's an empty threat. Ellen talks about pretending to be Lise, which Annemarie thinks she can do because she is such a good actress. They discuss her sister's death. Annemarie doesn't really know how she died, only that it was an accident. It was raining that day, and slippery. She points out Lise's trousseau to Ellen, noticing the Star of David necklace that Ellen is wearing as they talk. Ellen admits that she is scared of dying but falls asleep.

There is a pounding on the apartment's front door. A soldier says he knows they are friends of the Rosens. The Johansens tell him to look in the Rosens' apartment, but he says it is empty and asks if they were visiting. He wants to look around and Mrs. Johansen tells him not to wake the children. Already awake, Annemarie tells Ellen to take off her necklace, but it is stuck. Eventually, Annemarie pulls it off, keeping it in her palm. Three officers come in with a flashlight, and the girls pretend to wake up. The soldiers ask their names, and Ellen lies. One soldier makes a joke about how Ellen has dark hair, unlike the other members of the family. He wonders if she is actually part of the family: “Where did you get the dark-haired one?” (Page 47). Mr. Johansen takes out a photo album and shows photos (with the dates torn off) of Lise with dark curls. The soldiers leave, and Annemarie remembers she still has the Star of David necklace in her hand.

Mr. Johansen worries that the Germans are suspicious now. Ellen apologizes for the color of her hair, but Mrs. Johansen tells her not to. It's the first time the family has talked about Lise in three years. The parents decide the girls will go on “vacation” to visit Henrik, Mrs. Johansen's brother, based on what Peter has told them. Although Mr. Johansen wants to go, Mrs. Johansen thinks it will be less suspicious if she goes alone with the children. Eventually, she convinces him, and he calls Henrik. Annemarie tells Ellen it's where her mother grew up, and that they can see Sweden across the water. On the call, Mr. Johansen asks if the weather is good for fishing, saying that he has a lot of cigarettes to send. This is strange, but Annemarie figures out that this is code for Ellen.

On the train ride, Annemarie wants to stop to see tourist attractions, but they can't. Soldiers stop them on the train. Mrs. Johansen explains they are visiting her brother. They try to trap her by asking if she is visiting for the New Year, which she answers with confusion, since it is October. Kirsti starts to talk, which scares Annemarie, but she only wants to show them her new shoes. At their destination, the girls and Mrs. Johansen walk from the station, passing an old castle and the former house of Mrs. Johansen's aunt. Mrs. Johansen remembers when she was little and her dog, Trofast, would follow her to school along the path, which is empty today. As the approach the house, Annemarie runs ahead to see it. Her mother tells her to inform her uncle they've brought a friend.