The Lilac People

by Milo Todd

“The United States has been welcoming them in. They’ve been seeking them out for recruitment with the government. Mostly spy work and war tactics. I’ve heard they’re terrible at it so far, embarrassingly bad, but they keep inviting them in.” “How?” Bertie could not think of anything more he could sputter out, English or otherwise. “Because the United States wants to eradicate Communists and homosexuals. And nobody hates Commies and queers more than Nazis.” He looked at all three of them, as if sure they did not believe him. “They’re getting great pay and benefits.” Karl looked horrified. “Are they at least being watched?” “Not from what I’ve heard. Some government agent just knocks on the doors of their houses once a month—” “They have houses?” Bertie realized many things at once. He realized why their ferry went through the other occupations effortlessly, why their ship was not attacked by the Allies while out in open water. There were valuable Nazis on board, most likely some that had been specifically requested by Amerika to join their ranks. The Allies had known about the ship all along. He realized why the passport of the Nazi on the ship had looked so real. Because it had been. After everything he, Sofie, and Karl had gone through to leave, to save themselves from people like him, to run to a country that hated them just as much as the one they left— The anger stoked inside of him, a burning inferno. Was this how Karl felt? So much inside of him, churning, the world ...