Marie felt chilled. His words regarding the end of a rifle barrel recalled the fact that her presence here was not innocent. She thought of what would happen were she discovered. A quick bullet in the head and an unmarked grave in some muddy pit would be the fate she could hope for, the worst was by far too horrible to contemplate. She nodded and fashioned a wry smile at his words. She understood his point.<br/><br/>Marie had to shake her head briefly. She was so into her role as tailor she was already thinking about the stitching, the handwork. He spoke about her status as a “second class” citizen. “I feel favored,” she responded, “to have such an excellent model to work with. Your suits will look magnificent.”<br/><br/>Jean-Paul had drilled a variety of those little comments for her to offer during measurements. “Oh no, it’s a manly look,” was another she sometimes offered to an exceptionally portly man who worried that his gut might not be sufficiently obscured by their workmanship. As if a tailor could disguise an extra one-hundred-and-twenty-five pounds, in the mid-section. Thankfully, this was not an issue with the General. He would look magnificent in his tailored suits.<br/><br/>Ah, Marie could almost smile as the General offered a veiled threat. Luckily, she was more than capable of handling this order herself if necessary, though, the work would be slower. Who did he think actually manufactured the suits his officers wore? It would be different if they did not have pre-furnished patterns. Jean-Paul’s real mastery lay in his ability to design something new and original. What she did was artistry of a sort, very high level work in fabric and stitching, but she didn’t have Jean-Paul’s genius for design.<br/><br/>In any event, her employer had many years left. Yes, he was slowing down, but she did not believe him anywhere near death. “I understand Herr General. Please do not hesitate to trust our small shop to give you the absolute best work. And I guarantee if Master Jean-Paul should fall ill, I am prepared to handle the necessary work to complete your order. It was amusing. If they had been talking about the weather, her nerves would have made carrying on a conversation extraordinarily difficult. But when there was a specific task on hand, she was able to summon a keen focus and accomplish what needed to be done.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>