The height of the General made it difficult for Marie. She glanced around and found a short wooden stool. Scuff marks existed on the well-worn seat that said someone with military heels had stood on the stool many times. While she didn’t know for what purpose this was done, it did catch her eye. With an apologetic smile, she pulled the stool close and stood on it so that she might better measure the tall man. Her hands were efficient as she went about getting the precise measurements necessary for clothing of the quality that her master made. She had him raise his arms slightly so that she could measure him just under the chest, crossing the shoulder blades and fullest part of the chest. She stood so close to the man that she could hear his heart beat, feel the warmth of his body.<br/><br/>So the general was human after all, she thought wryly. Bloody visions of plunging a knife in his heart did not seem quite so fantastic, but of course, the Nazis would never allow her to get that close. What if she had scissors? It was a beautiful, futile thought. Within minutes, her little notebook was filled not with intelligence for the resistance, but the myriad little measurements needed to create this man’s narcissist’s vision of perfect cut, fabric, and grim little death heads. As she completed her task, Marie recalled Adelise.  An elegant older woman, she had often stopped by the shop to chat with Jean-Paul. This was when Jean-Paul’s legs still permitted him to stand and move about, albeit painfully. He had always showed such joy at her visits. But after she disappeared rumored to have been taken by the Nazis, Jean-Paul had never again spoken her name.<br/><br/>What painful sacrifices had Jean-Paul made to keep his shop open? What deals had he made for his ration cards and access to the highest ranks? Marie had never trusted Jean-Paul in any true sense. You could not afford the luxury of trust in the resistance. But she had never really thought of him as a collaborator, not a true one. Marie stepped away from the General. “Thank you Herr General. I have the measurements I need now.” Her voice was steady, but already as she tucked away her measuring tape and little book, she was looking down and a nervous little tremor was audible in her voice.<br/>