The Librarian Spy

by Madeline Martin

The Maquis, named for the underbrush in which they hid, were men who were too young to fight at the start of the war, but were ordered in recent months to relocate to factories in Germany to work for the compulsory labor service. Many opposed this rule and instead chose to live in the dense forests rather than be slaves for the Nazis. These men fell back on the guerrilla warfare tactics of their Frankish ancestors, using the land to their favor.

“Mr. Sims, there’s more to it than all that,” she said levelly. “Today is ephemeral.” His face screwed up at her effrontery. “What the hell do you mean by that?” She was saying the wrong thing again, muddying what she meant in her urgency to defend her stance. Drawing in a deep breath, she refocused her efforts and tried again. “I mean that this present we live in is tomorrow’s history. You ask if this is important. This is the education for our future, to learn from the mistakes that have been made now and never let atrocities such as this continue or be repeated.” The room fell silent.