The Little Liar

The march occurs on March 15, 1983, and begins in Liberty Square. Many in the crowd carry white balloons that bear the words “Never Again” in Greek. Sebastian gives a speech about the losses and horrors that the Jewish people faced. As he finishes, the crowd applauds and begins to march toward the train station. Fannie and her daughter march together, and she remembers how Nico had seemingly disappeared that day in the rain. She went through his office and discovered lists of Jewish names, addresses, photos, documents, and death certificates. She found another file with her name on it and realized that Nico would never come back.

In the crowd, Udo hides a gun in his jacket. He lurks in the crowd wearing a white wig and holding a white balloon. As the marchers reach the train station, Udo is surprised to see that they have an original Nazi cattle car 50 yards up the tracks; it is a museum piece. Soon, people form a line and begin to step up to a podium and state who they lost on the platform 40 years ago. Udo listens and thinks that the “melodrama” is “ridiculous” (311).

Sebastian holds a red carnation for each of the family members he has lost; he does not include Nico. Fannie approaches Sebastian and tells him that she is proud of him, giving him another carnation to represent Nico. As Sebastian begins to speak at the podium, a male voice comes through the loudspeakers stating that he had told everyone’s families lies that resulted in their deaths. He states that he was lied to by Udo Graf, whom he claims is now dead. Udo becomes enraged and lashes out, calling Nico a liar. Udo pulls out his gun and fires at Sebastian and the Nazi Hunter. Nico tackles Sebastian to the ground, shielding him. Sebastian recognizes Nico and tells him that he has hated him for years. Nico tells Sebastian the truth: that Udo manipulated him. Sebastian feels his anger and resentment toward Nico fade. Sebastian remembers the final words his father said to him, and he tells Nico that he can “stop atoning now” (318).

Nico tells Sebastian to take the papers in his pocket. They are Nazi documents that have Udo’s fingerprints on them. In doing so, Sebastian realizes that Nico has been shot. Fannie runs to Nico’s side and holds him. As he lies dying, Nico thinks about how nice it is to be with Sebastian and Fannie. He also thinks about the man who painted the White Tower. Nico realizes that his grandfather was right; men are willing to do anything to be forgiven. Suddenly, the old boxcar begins to move, pulling into the station with open doors. Nico looks at the boxcar, smiling and crying, and dies in Fannie’s and Sebastian’s arms.

After Nico’s death, his studio is closed under a “shroud of secrecy” that allows Fannie to finalize his affairs (320). While packing his apartment, she discovers several reels of film hidden in the basement. She watches the films and is shocked to discover that they are recordings of Nico telling his story to the camera over the course of 30 years. Fannie calls Sebastian and demands that he fly to California as soon as possible to watch the films. Sebastian and Fannie spend weeks reviewing every single film reel and learning about the incredible life that Nico led. The tapes reveal that Nico was the person who gave the priest the money to rescue Gizella from the Arrow Cross. Nico’s final reel explains that he wants his wealth to be distributed amongst the Holocaust survivors listed in his files. These distributions must be made every year on August 10 as an act of kindness not to be repaid. Finally, Nico speaks directly to Sebastian, explaining that he found their grandfather at Auschwitz and stayed with him until he died. Nico says that Lazarre continued to ask for Sebastian until his death.

Udo Graf’s lawyers convince the Greek government to allow his trial to take place in Germany. The request is granted after several Greek officials are bribed. Udo also threatens to reveal the names of Nazi collaborators that remain in Salonika if his wish is not granted. Sebastian is enraged to hear the news, but the prosecutor’s office assures him that Udo will be dealt with. After several weeks of waiting, Udo is placed on a train to be extradited to Germany. On the train, a young woman serves Udo a glass of wine. She wears white gloves and is missing two beads from her red rosary. Udo drinks the wine and dies alone two miles from the German border.

Truth states that one detail has been omitted from the story and that humans are susceptible to corruption. Truth’s job is to stop such corruption, but in order to do so, Truth must find a voice. To share this particular story, a specific voice is needed: the voice of someone who intimately knows each of the four protagonists. Truth wants to explain how hope survives even in the face of evil. Truth states that they were asked twice in their human existence to “tell the world what happened here” (328). This moment reveals that the narrator, “Truth,” is actually Fannie. This story is meant to tell the world what happened.