The Moon Is Down

Months pass as Colonel Lanser continues to occupy the town. The townspeople, in turn, take up a “slow, silent, waiting revenge” focused on small acts of insubordination and disobedience (57). Colonel Lanser attempts to control the population through food rationing and restrictions, but he is then unable to properly feed the miners and get as much coal as their army needs to ship.

Colonel Lanser’s soldiers must patrol in groups, as single soldiers have been killed or wounded by anonymous townspeople: “The men of the battalion came to detest the place they had conquered” (58) and the coldness that the people show them. Prolonged solitude, failures, and fear disrupt the idealistic pride that many of Lanser’s forces began the conquest with. The soldiers begin to distrust the reports sent to them of the war in other countries. The executions that Lanser orders in retaliation to the townspeople that transgress their orders are ineffectual in preventing further violence. Furthermore, England has begun bombing the mines and town at night to help liberate the country.

At the Mayor’s house, Colonel Lanser’s staff talks about their struggles with morale. Tonder and Prackle argue over the attractiveness of the women in the town and their frustration with the “coldness” shown to them by the townspeople. Tonder is infatuated with a blonde woman he often sees in the town and is frustrated that she won’t interact with him. Tonder realizes that the idealistic image told to them by their recruiters of arriving in a conquered town as heroes is a complete lie. He no longer trusts that the information they receive about how the war is progressing in the rest of the world is true.

Colonel Lanser returns. Tonder begins questioning him on how long they will remain, whether they will receive reinforcements, and whether they will be stuck in the town if the war is lost elsewhere. Lanser tries to explain that their duty is to “police” the conquered lands until further orders; Tonder begins laughing hysterically until Lanser slaps him, ordering him to regain his self-control.

On a snowy, overcast, and cold night, the mayor’s cook, Annie, visits Molly. She gives Molly stolen meat from Lanser’s supply and warns her that Mayor Orden, Doctor Winter, and the Anders brothers from the town will be secretly visiting her in 15 minutes. Once Annie leaves, Lieutenant Tonder shows up at Molly’s door and forces his way inside. Molly is shocked that Tonder doesn’t recognize her as Alex’s wife and observes how lonely he is; she says he can stay for only 15 minutes.

Tonder attempts to flatter Molly and flirt with her by reciting a poem. Molly recognizes the poem, so Tonder must admit that he copied it from the poet Heine in an attempt to impress her. Molly rebuffs his romantic advances, but she says he may win her attention for the price of two sausages, as the colonel’s food rationing has left her close to starving. Tonder is offended by the transaction. Molly describes to him her experience of Alex’s execution, revealing her connection to the man Tonder is responsible for killing. Tonder leaves, promising to come back, despite Molly’s evasiveness.

Annie soon returns with the mayor, the doctor, and the Anders brothers, who are fleeing the town that night. Annie is suspicious of Molly after seeing Tonder leave her house. The Anders brothers will leave town that night under cover of bad weather, stealing Corell’s boat and heading for England. They hope to capture Corell himself and throw him overboard to rid the town of his presence and potential for violence.

Orden’s plan is to have the Anders brothers ask British officials for small weapons once they make it to England. Orden suggests asking for small tools of resistance like bombs or poison to help them revolt in small, secretive, but effective ways to minimize as many deaths among the townspeople as possible.

Lieutenant Tonder returns and knocks on Molly’s door. The Mayor leads his group out the back door but is reluctant to leave Molly alone. She assures him that she can handle the situation. Before she opens the door for Tonder, Molly puts her knitting shears in her dress with the intent of killing Tonder while he is vulnerable.