"Oh. I was sitting with Papa."

"Her boyfriend," Papa mentioned to the paint cans. He blew another mouthful of smoke.

Liesel wasn't in the mood for this. She spoke quietly enough so that Mama wouldn't hear. "I don't steal from my papa."

"Do you have any cigarettes? Maybe we can sell some."

"Good Lord, another one!"

Max was covered up.

When she reached the door, Rudy moved from foot to foot. "I just came to see --" He stopped. "What's that smell?" He sniffed. "Have you been smoking in there?"

"He is not my boyfriend," Liesel countered, but she was not irritated. It was impossible after such a close call. "I'm only going up because Mama will be yelling out any second."

Rosa trudged up the basement steps, but when she opened the door this time, it was not the Nazis. It was none other than Rudy Steiner. He stood there, yellow-haired and good-intentioned. "I just came to see how Liesel is."

When she heard his voice, Liesel started making her way up the steps. "I can deal with this one."

She was on the fifth step. "See?"

"Liesel!"

Worry resumed immediately.

Minutes later, a second knocker was at the door.

Liesel was unaware of this. For her, the Jew in her basement had not been revealed. Her foster parents were not taken away, and she herself had contributed greatly to both of these accomplishments.

"Yes, but you reek of it." Rudy was really warming up now. "Maybe that's not cigarette smoke after all." He leaned closer and smiled. "It's a criminal I can smell. You should have a bath." He shouted back to Tommy Muller. "Hey, Tommy, you should come and have a smell of this!"

"Talk a bit louder, why don't you."

"Like you've never stolen anything."

"Everything's good," she said, and she was not talking about a soccer injury of any description.

"But you steal from certain other places."

Things were on the verge of decay.

She started shutting the door. "Get lost, Saukerl, you're the last thing I need right now."

It was June. It was Germany.

Rudy shook his head in Liesel's direction. "Useless."

She was fine.

Rudy schmunzeled. "See what stealing does? You're all worried."

Very pleased with himself, Rudy made his way back to the street. At the mailbox, he seemed to remember what he'd wanted to verify all along. He came back a few steps. "Alles gut, Saumensch? The injury, I mean."

"What did you say?" Trust Tommy. "I can't hear you!"