Free The Test of Courage: (A Biography of) Michel Thomas by Christopher Robbins Page A

until they reached a low, camouflaged Gestapo building hidden among large, dripping trees. They were taken inside and interrogated in a straightforward question-and-answer session that seemed to bore their captors. Papers were filled out and stamped. One of the Gestapo men then announced they were to be driven that night to Dachau, where they would be interned. They were led back to the car.
    Michel and Suzanne, of course, knew all about Dachau. Michel understood that they faced a long and lonely journey across Germany and that the present moment was possibly the only hope of escape. As they approached the car he gave a signal to Suzanne to run into the woods. She broke away and made for the trees, but one of the Gestapo officers gave chase and quickly captured her. Infuriated, he dragged her back to the car. His colleague unholstered his Luger and began shouting that he was going to shoot them both where they stood.
    ‘Why don’t you?’ Michel yelled, losing his temper. ‘Go on - shoot! What do you want from us? You want the Jews out of the country, and that’s all we’re trying to do - leave the country! And you bring us back! Where should we go? We’re not allowed to stay, we’re not allowed to go! You want to shoot, shoot! ’
    At first the Gestapo men seemed stunned by Michel’s outburst, but then they grew quiet, perhaps checked by the inescapable logic of his argument. They waved their guns and ordered the prisoners into the back of the car.
    After driving for some time along a dark, empty road, they suddenly pulled over. The Gestapo officer in the passenger seat turned to face them. ‘We have decided to let you escape.’
    Michel was certain they were about to be shot, victims of the classic ruse: Auf der Flucht erschossen - shot while trying to escape.
    ‘Yes, we are going to let you go,’ the Gestapo officer continued, ‘but you’ll have to keep your eyes and ears open because when we return to HQ we will announce your escape.’
    This made no sense, and Michel prepared himself. The Gestapo officer in the passenger seat got out of the car, while his companion remained behind the steering wheel. The back door was unlocked and the couple climbed out. The Gestapo officer led them to the edge of the woods where there was a path. He gestured to Michel to follow it.
    ‘No,’ Michel said firmly, expecting to be shot in the back. ‘After you.’
    The Gestapo officer understood and went ahead without comment, and after walking a short distance they reached a clearing. He pointed out three lights in the far distance and explained that the two closest to them were on German territory, while the furthest was in France. He told them that if they walked straight they would come to a railway line, and once they had crossed it they would lose sight of the lights. But if they remembered the position of the third light and made towards it they would be able to cross the border unchallenged. It was a lonely part of the frontier, he continued, and it was unlikely they would run into any patrols or checkpoints. But if the French picked them up they would certainly be handed back to the Germans. And then, incongruously wishing them good luck, the Gestapo officer turned and walked back along the path.
    They stood for a moment, braced for shots to ring out from the black woods. But there was nothing - only the silence of the night. Michel suspected they were trapped in a cruel game and could only guess at the pay-off. On the other hand, there was a possibility that the Gestapo had decided to throw the political small fry back into the sea. They began to walk towards the lights.
    They crossed a railway line and the lights disappeared exactly as described. Michel wondered if they were being sent directly into the line of fire of some frontier post as they continued to walk. They emerged on to a road. There was no checkpoint, no armed guards or border patrol, no sudden burst of gunfire from out of the dark. A knot of people