Upfall

"My understanding of the theory is that having diverged from our own timeline so dramatically, anything we do here will establish a new timeline, without effect on the timeline we lefi behind. Nature prohibits paradoxes, so the fact that we are here and functioning seems to indicate that's the case."

"That's correct" said Feldhandler without being asked, although both he and Perchansky knew it wasn't so simple.

"Dr. Perchansky, do you want to say anything?" asked Yatom.

Perchansky wanted to say a lot, but doubted it would do much good. Why torment these men with doubt when all their fates seemed sealed anyway. "No" she said.

"Beseder" continued Yatom. "Our intention is to attack a German death camp today—Lieutenant Shapira will brief you with the details in a few minutes—and to keep attacking the Nazis for as long as we can, or until we can return to our own timeline. We've seen with our own eyes today, what before we only read in history books, experienced in museums, or learned in sleepy history classes. Before today is done I fear we will see much worse. Still, I cannot in good conscience order you to join me. Any man that doesn't want to participate can stay behind at the capsule, or with the refugees. If you want out, go now."

He looked out at the young commandos, contentedly munching on their snacks. They looked around at each other, then back at him. Yatom nodded. He'd known before he started the speech that none of the men would leave, and none did.

Chapter 13

Two hours later Shapira and the rest of his team found themselves in a reeking boxcar several as the engine pulled them ever closer toward Sobibor. In the car along with the Israelis was an ad hoc assault platoon made up of Jews freed from the train and led by the big Dutchman, De Jong. The Dutchman, as Bolander and Ilan had discovered during target practice, was a former naval officer who had been transferred from a POW camp to a Jewish ghetto. Upbeat despite his grim surroundings, De Jong laughingly explained to the Israelis, in excellent English, that his name meant "William the Young." In fact, De Jong wouldn‘t see fifty again, but he was in reasonably sound physical condition, and an experienced officer, even if his career had been spent on ships, not in the infantry.

De Jong and most of the other Jews recognized, if they didn't fully understand, the modern colloquial Hebrew of the Israelis. The Israelis had finally explained their presence to Jezek, De Jong and the other leaders of the rescued Jews, by claiming that they were Palestinian Jews in British service, sent on a rescue mission. It was close enough to the truth, and much less far-fetched than the actual story. De J ong and companions appeared to accept this. In any event, they cared less about their rescuers than the fact that they had been saved. De Jong and his men also knew, that in return for their salvation, much was now expected of them. The fact that their rescuers were fellow Jews only enhanced their sense of duty, and heightened their longing for revenge.

There were twenty-five men besides De Jong in the makeshift platoon, several of whom had experience in the Polish or Czech armies. They were armed with the five extra Uzis brought by Feldhandler, Mueller‘s Walther which Shapira had given up, and ten German stick grenades, taken from the train guards.

Two teenagers, dressed up in German uniforms taken the Polizei, rode outside the car pretending to be guards, in the fashion the Israelis observed just before the ambush. They were armed with Mauser rifles. The rest of the men men carried no weapons at all.

Yatom had ordered that all the remaining weapons captured from the German policeman be given to the Jews who remained behind, under the leadership of the Czech Jezek. De Jong's unarmed men were to pick up weapons as they went along—hopefully from fallen Germans; if not, then from fallen Jews.

Given the situation, Shapira had organized the men into five squads, each led by a seemingly experienced or reliable man armed with an Uzi. With each squad-leader were two men armed with a single grenade each, and three other unarmed men. Ilan and Bolander had done their best, in the short time available, to instruct the men in the use of the weapons, and described some rudimentary tactics.

Basically, the men with the Uzis were to attack, with the grenadiers and unarmed men in tow. How, or even if these men could function under fire was unknown. Shapira reminded all of them, repeatedly, of the fate they would have met in Sobibor had the death train not been stopped. They were in effect dead men given a second life to spend. Hopefully, though Shapira, they would spend it courageously.

The Israeli plan called for De Jong, armed with the pistol, to lead his men off the train. Shapira's team would follow and support the ragged Jewish band with disciplined fire. At the front of the train, Yatom would lead the rest of the sarayet from the second-class railcar.