Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 FIVE HOURS LATER "As we all know, the Nazis are hiding the weapons right here," Mr. Leon said, pointing to a spot on the map. "They're in the old barn they've been using as a warehouse." Paul was sitting next to Victor in a room in the castle basement. The small room was crowded.

Throughout the afternoon, more people had arrived. And Paul had been shocked to discover that he recognized every one of them. There was Marie, the young woman who had served him the cookies at the bakery. Her work at the shop made her one of the resistance's most prized spies. She'd picked up many secrets listening while the Nazi soldiers gorged themselves on cakes and tarts. There was Mr. Spire, an older man with a limp, who'd been friends with Paul's grandfather. Pierre the policeman was back. And there was Mrs. Bernard, a gray-haired woman who had the prettiest voice in the church choir. Paul would never have guessed any of these people would be in the resistance. And of course the person he'd least suspected was sitting next to him. Maman.

She'd arrived a couple hours ago. Mr. Leon had spoken to her first; then she came to find Paul. They'd sat for a moment alone, holding hands, wiping away tears. But not much needed to be said. Now Paul knew all about Maman's secret life. And whether Maman liked it or not, Paul was a part of it. And anyway, there was no time for tearful talk. Mr. Leon had gathered them to discuss an urgent mission, the one that Victor had come to Le Roc to help with. The Nazis were keeping some deadly weapons in Le Roc. These weapons needed to be destroyed. "The Allies have sent us another message," Mr. Leon went on. "They want these terrible weapons destroyed tonight." It was Maman who had brought this message, Paul had learned. There were people in town who'd been given secret radios they used to communicate with the Allies. One of Maman's jobs was to pick up those messages and deliver

them to other resistance members in and around Le Roc. "These are one of the Nazis' most powerful weapons," said Mr. Spire. "More destructive than anything I remember from World War One." He'd actually fought in that war with Paul's grandfather. "They can kill one thousand men in minutes." A chill went up Paul's spine. Victor had told him about these weapons earlier. They were a kind of powerful cannon with six barrels. Each one could shoot one hundred exploding rockets in a minute. The weapon was called a Nebelwerfer, a German word that Paul didn't understand. But he knew it must mean something evil. When the rockets hit, they exploded, killing everything in their path. This made Nebelwerfers one of the most feared weapons the Nazis had. "The Allies have told us that this mission is urgent," Mr. Leon said. "That's why they took the unusual step of sending Victor. He is one of their

best men. Victor is not simply a soldier. He is a special agent, trained in explosives." Victor nodded, and now Mr. Leon stepped aside so Victor could take over. Victor stood up and explained that the mission should be simple. "I have brought a new kind of plastic explosive. It's called C-Three." He lifted a block of what looked like dull yellow clay. "This explosive is very light. Just a small amount will cause a powerful blast. We can slice off a bit and put it in one of the cannon barrels. Once the Nazis try to fire the cannon, the whole thing will explode." "We will turn their weapon of death against them," said Mrs. Bernard. Paul eyed her, surprised to hear these harsh words coming from the same mouth that sang their Christmas carols. "Exactly," said Victor. "Any questions?" Mr. Leon asked.

He leaned forward and looked at each person, one by one. It was the same look he used at school, the one that made Paul feel a little smarter. Like suddenly he could accomplish anything he set his mind to. "I have a question," Marie said, putting down her mug of cider. "We informed the Allies that there were Nebelwerfers here months ago. Now they've sent Victor and we must destroy these weapons tonight. What changed to make things so urgent?" The others murmured their agreement, and Maman nodded her head. Paul had been wondering the same thing. Mr. Leon glanced at Victor, who looked down. Paul sensed there was something they weren't sharing with the rest of the group. Mr. Spire put his hand over Mr. Leon's. "Jacques," he said. "Are the Allies about to attack France? Is the invasion about to happen? Is that why they want the weapons destroyed?"