Sentence The Fourhundredandfiftyseventh

Gertie was surprised to hear Palestrina whistling Marching Through Georgia as they rode in one of The Grand Babylon's mirrored lifts; for her friend to be whistling at all was a surprise in itself, for Gertie had always associated whistling with fellas, and to hear her whistling a jaunty Shermanesque marching song from the American Civil Wart, which she would have associated with Soldiers, was a double-surprise, but then Pal caught her eye in three of the mirrors and winked; “we'll have a good

chinwag once we reach our suite,” she said, “I know you are a pretty astute judge of character, Gertie, and I am hoping that you will be able to assist me in my Mission – but please believe me when I say that I will not expose you to any unnecessary danger,” at which Gertie's eyes widened: was Pal referring to her casual remarks on the train about Herr Hitler? although she sure that the name should mean something to her, Gertie's memory of anything before waking on the train was shrouded in mist – it felt like being in arrears of rent but having no hope of ever raising the money: on one level a source of anxiety, and on the other a release, for there is no point in worrying, it never achieved anything, only action would do, and Gertie determined that she would do everything in her power to help Pal, no matter what the consequences; she supposed that she must have been in love before, but she knew that her feelings for Pal were True Love and she would do anything asked of her; now the suite, when they entered, was exquisite, the furnishings and window drapes in Regency stripes of

rubine red and gold damask, the wood painted in delicate ivory, and the view of the Square was charming – apart from the former Jewish shops boarded up and empty, with yellow stars painted on the doors and Juden Raus - Gertie felt a sudden sadness, she wondered what had happened to the shop-keepers and their families; there was so much she didn't know, couldn't understand; Palestrina opened the doors to the two bedrooms, one on either side of the sitting room and Gertie noticed a little Stieff teddy bear on each bed, leaning against the pillows, and she felt suddenly, utterly, exhausted!