the next day, children are loaded into trucks and ambulances for transfer to other camps. the children in karel's group are at first terrified because the nazis often used ambulances to asphyxiate victims, but eventually enter the vehicle. during the trip, the smell of exhaust fumes panics the children. karel's friend raoul forces open the back door and children scatter in all directions. karel and raoul try to swim across a river to escape from unrra men. raoul drowns, but karel hides in the reeds.