The Storyteller

Minka’s story continues with Aleks dragging Ania into an abandoned barn, where he reveals self-inflicted cuts all over his body. He finally tells her the story of her father’s death. One day, while Aleks was trying to find him food, Casimir escaped and found Ania’s cottage. He began to attack her father, but Aleks’s arrival at the scene distracted Casimir long enough for Ania’s father to land a blow against Casimir with his axe. The sight of the blood and his brotherly protective instincts overwhelmed Aleks, and he killed Ania’s father. He explains that he never wanted to kill again after that and had to find a way to protect others. Ania remembers that the only way to gain immunity from an upiór is by drinking its blood. She thinks of the pink-tinged princess roll and realizes that Aleks has been mixing his blood into the bread he bakes to protect her and other villagers.

After hearing Minka’s story, Sage asks how she can forgive the Germans for what they did. Minka says that she can never forgive Reiner for killing Darija—only Darija herself could do that. As for Franz, Minka has the choice to forgive him but is not sure if she can. Leo drives Sage home, but after she breaks down crying he brings her to a temple where a Friday night service is taking place. Although Sage protests, Leo encourages her to give it a chance. As the cantor sings, Sage is moved to hear the same music that her grandmother grew up with. When the rabbi begins the kaddish, a prayer for dead loved ones, Leo pulls Sage to her feet. Looking around, she realizes that she believes “in people…in their strength to help each other, and to thrive in spite of the odds” (373).

After the service, Leo and Sage drive to Westerbrook for tea at a late-night cafe. They are debating the topic of Josef’s guilt when Adam walks in with Shannon. He approaches their table and introduces Sage as one of his clients. During their awkward conversation, Leo pretends to be Sage’s boyfriend. He is disappointed to find out that Sage dated a married man and asks if she still loves him. She is unable to answer, which he takes as confirmation.

The next morning, Adam calls Sage. He is jealous over Leo and wants to see her again. Sage hangs up on Adam and calls Leo instead, who advises her to talk to Josef again while they wait for the delivery of a photo lineup so that Minka can confirm Reiner Hartmann’s identity. Sage goes to Josef’s house. Laying eyes on him for the first time after hearing Minka’s story, all she sees is Reiner. Josef further his explains his role at the camp—he was in charge of overseeing the prisoners who were kept alive. He tries to defend himself by asserting that he didn’t create the system he participated in, but Sage retorts that he did nothing to stop it, either. Finally, Josef slams his fists down on the table and shouts that he is a murderer and deserves to die. Disgusted, Sage tells him that he doesn’t deserve to die on his own terms and leaves. She returns to Our Daily Bread, reuniting with Mary, who reassures her that she still has a job at the bakery. Stepping back into the kitchen for the first time in days, Sage bakes the crown roll from Minka’s story.

Aleks tells Ania about the murders he’s committed—after a certain point, he stopped caring about the names or stories of the people he murdered. Ania asks how she can be sure he won’t kill her, and Aleks replies that she can’t be sure. Unbeknownst to them, Damian is listening to their every word.

Leo and Sage meet with Minka to see if she can identify Reiner in a photo lineup of eight similar-looking Nazis. Initially Minka says that what Leo is asking her to do is too hard, but eventually she relents and selects the photograph of Reiner, confirming that he is the man who killed her best friend. The information about Darija was an undisclosed part of Reiner Hartmann’s file, so Minka’s mentioning it confirms his identity. As Leo prepares to say goodbye to Sage and return to his office in D.C., Sage’s phone rings. It’s the hospital, sharing the news that Josef has been admitted for a suicide attempt.

In Minka’s story, Damian chains Casimir up in the village square. Ania and Aleks watch from behind Baruch Beiler’s house as Damian decapitates Casimir. Unable to control himself, Aleks runs out into the square and rips out Damian’s heart.