He was very concerned about David; the boy was withdrawn and vacant, not answering questions and hardly eating his food. It was more than the usual apathy, and Simon feared it was the beginning of a glazed semiconsciousness, a state he’d seen in others. In his head he practiced the piece he was trying to master on his secret violin. The wire was tough on his fingers, and the instrument was almost impossible to keep in tune, but he was pleased with the progress he’d made during snatched moments of practice. Suddenly his reverie was broken by a loud thump. He looked up to see two guards converging on the table where David stood to polish the shells. Instinct told him to stay where he was as he fought a desperate longing to intervene. Both men were kneeling down; David must have fainted. Then the worst possible thing happened, the SS-obertsturmführer appeared and noticed the disturbance. He briefly inspected whatever it was they were kneeling beside and ordered it to be removed.
