Whatmough coveted one, so he had his choice, we took the other two.
The policeman came to tell us that rooms had been prepared in two clean houses. We scrambled out into the dark again, stumbled along in the mud, and at last found an open square of light, through which we came into a room.
There was a red rug over half the floor, and a brasier on three legs filled with charcoal standing in the centre. One or two of our men had already found the place and were lying on the rug. In one corner was a large baking oven like a beehive, half in one and half in the room next door. A wide shelf ran from the beehive almost to the open door. There were two small windows, each about the size of this book wide open. Jan and Jo sniffed. Where had they smelt that odour before?
An old woman in Albanian costume crept up to Jo and caught her by the skirt.
"See," she said, dragging her into the next room, "here is a fine bed. The ladies will sleep with me this night."
Jo looked at the old lady's greasy hair and filthy raiment.
"We always sleep with our own people," she said firmly.
The old lady protested. All the while our men were packing the baggage beneath the shelf. It was a tight fit, but at last it was got in.
The professor entered once more on the scene.
"This house will do very well for the common people," he said, "but the Herr Commandant" (meaning Jan) "and the two ladies will come over to sleep with me."