Words on Fire

Ben approaches them in a wagon, driving wildly. Once Lukas and Audra are aboard, Ben notices she looks like Henri and explains that “all book carriers knew [her] parents” (90). Audra clarifies that they are still alive, and she has a plan to free them.

Ben dismisses the idea and plans to drop the children off in the next town. Lukas helps Audra hide the books in the wagon, and Audra realizes they are heading north, where the soldier in Venska mentioned they would be searching next. Audra volunteers to check the road ahead, suggesting that Ben follow in the wagon a few minutes later. She quickly runs into soldiers, one of whom is Rusakov. He recognizes her and offers to free her parents from their deportation sentence in exchange for information about a book-smuggling boy. She agrees to meet him in two days with information.

Rusakov pretends to be ignorant of Ben’s identity when he arrives and asks him to take Audra to Šiauliai with him. Audra does not tell Ben or Lukas about her deal with Rusakov, and Ben commends her for her bravery. Despite her fear, Audra decides she wants to keep smuggling books.