comm_4471_teaser

ERMAN-OCCUPIED PARIS, 1942. TWELVE YEAR-OLD ISAAC VIDAL AND HIS PARENTS LIVED G FRUGALLY IN A SMALL FLAT ON A QUIET STREET. THEY HOPED FOR NOTHING MORE THAN TO SURVIVE THE WAR AND STAY TOGETHER. BUT THEIR TIME AS A FAMILY WAS RUNNING OUT. CLEAR THE TABLE NOW PLEASE, ISAAC. YOUR FATHER WILL BE HOME IN A MINUTE.

STORY STEPHEN WALSH ART KEITH PAGE COVER KEITH PAGE

JUST FINISHING THIS STORY, MAMAN.

4 ISAAC’S FAVOURITE READING WAS THE ADVENTURES OF THE FLAMING DAGGER, A HEROIC PILOT WHO FLEW AROUND THE WORLD RIGHTING WRONGS AND FIGHTING INJUSTICE WHEREVER HE FOUND IT. HAVEN’T YOU READ THAT ONE A THOUSAND TIMES ALREADY? WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN IF THE FLAMING DAGGER TOOK ON THE NAZIS, MAMAN? DO YOU THINK HE’D BOX THEIR EARS?

THE STORIES ALL DATED FROM BEFORE THE WAR. ISAAC’S FATHER HAD BEEN A BUSINESSMAN THEN AND HIS WORK TOOK HIM FREQUENTLY TO LONDON WHERE HE PICKED UP THE COMICS FOR HIS SON. BUT NOW, BEING JEWISH, HE WAS FORBIDDEN TO DO ANY BUT THE MOST MENIAL JOBS. AT THE MOMENT HE WAS HELPING WITH THE TURNIP HARVEST AT ONE OF THE FARMS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY. THE FARMER PAID ME A LOT MORE THAN HE OWED ME. AND HE PROMISED ME A CHICKEN TOMORROW.

THERE ARE STILL SOME GOOD PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, THANK HEAVEN.

5

WHEN THE WAR ENDS, WILL YOU GET ME SOME NEW FLAMING DAGGER COMICS FROM LONDON PLEASE, PAPA?

OF COURSE HE WILL.

HOW CAN I TELL HIM THE TRUTH? BEST TO LEAVE HIM TO HIS STORIES. AT LEAST THERE’S A CHANCE OF A HAPPY ENDING THERE.

THE PARIS POLICE COLLABORATED WITH THE NAZIS, ENFORCING THEIR RULE. HOWEVER SOME INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS — LIKE HIS FATHER’S FRIEND LECLERC — STILL TRIED TO HELP THOSE MOST VULNERABLE TO THE INVADERS’ CRUEL POLICIES. THE WHISPER IS THAT THEY’RE GOING TO ROUND UP THE JEWS AND TAKE THEM TO THE CAMPS…AND SOON.

PROMISE ME ONE THING, MON AMI. WHEN THE DAY COMES, TRY TO GET ISAAC AWAY TO SAFETY AT LEAST.

6 HAVING HAD THE WARNING, HIS FATHER HAD ISAAC PACK A BAG. THE YOUNGSTER THOUGHT THE FAMILY INTENDED TO MAKE A RUN FOR IT TOGETHER BUT HIS PARENTS KNEW THAT THIS WOULD ONLY MAKE THEM AN EASY TARGET FOR ANY PURSUERS. THE VERY NEXT DAY THE SOUND OF ENGINES IN THE STREET BROUGHT MONSIEUR VIDAL TO THE WINDOW.

SO IT’S TO BE TODAY.

ARMED WITH THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF ALL THE JEWISH FAMILIES IN THE AREA, THE GENDARMES WENT TO WORK.

CALL YOURSELVES FRENCHMEN? I WAS WOUNDED IN THE FIRST WAR, YOU KNOW, FIGHTING FOR FRANCE AGAINST THE MONSTERS THAT YOU’RE NOW SERVING!

PIPE DOWN, GRANDAD, OR I’LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER WAR WOUND.

7 TO THE SOUND OF BREAKING GLASS AND DOORS BEING KICKED IN UP AND DOWN THE STREET, ISAAC’S FATHER GAVE HIS SON HIS INSTRUCTIONS. RUN DOWN TO THE CORNER. THERE’S A GENDARME WAITING THERE. YOU’RE TO DO WHATEVER HE SAYS, SON.

BUT… AREN’T YOU COMING?

HIS PARENTS HAD NO INTENTION OF FOLLOWING. THEIR ONLY HOPE WAS TO BUY ENOUGH TIME FOR THE YOUNGSTER TO GET AWAY.

WE’LL BE ALONG IN A MINUTE, SWEETHEART.

HE HURRIED OUT INTO THE STREET, ONLY TO BE CONFRONTED BY TWO GENDARMES. THERE SEEMED TO BE NO ESCAPE. GOING SOMEWHERE, LITTLE RAT?

DON’T DELAY! I CAN HEAR THEM!

8 ALL SEEMED LOST UNTIL THE SUDDEN INTERVENTION OF HIS FATHER’S FRIEND SAVED ISAAC. I’LL TAKE THIS ONE FROM HERE. GO ON. THE INSPECTOR NEEDS HELP FROM YOU TWO DOWN THE STREET.

IT WAS A MOMENT BEFORE THE YOUNGSTER RECOGNISED THE MAN.

I KNOW YOU. AREN’T YOU…?

LET GO OF ME, YOU!

AN HOUR LATER, AFTER DARK, THE BOY FOUND HIMSELF IN A RAILWAY YARD, BEING HELPED ABOARD A TRAIN DUE TO LEAVE ANY MINUTE.

UP YOU GET. THIS IS MONSIEUR REYNELL. HE’LL TAKE YOU TO SAFETY.

NO QUESTIONS. AS FAR AS THE WORLD’S CONCERNED, I’M A MINDLESS THUG EAGER TO PLEASE HIS NAZI MASTERS. AND YOU’RE MY PRISONER.

9 ONCE THE TRAIN WAS UNDER WAY AND SAFELY OUT OF THE AREA, THE OLD ENGINE DRIVER OFFERED HIS YOUNG PASSENGER A SANDWICH. AND A BIT OF THE CRUEL TRUTH. WHAT ABOUT MY PARENTS THEY SAID THEY WOULD CATCH UP…

THEY KNEW THEY’D NEVER MAKE IT THEMSELVES BUT YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER GOT YOU AWAY. DRY YOUR EYES AND EAT YOUR SANDWICH. I’LL HAVE NO TEARS ON MY TRAIN. ISAAC SAT QUIETLY. HIS WORLD HAD BEEN TURNED UPSIDE-DOWN AND HE REALLY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. SOME HOURS LATER, A LONG WAY FROM PARIS, ISAAC LOOKED OUT AND SAW BRITISH BOMBERS IN THE DISTANCE, POUNDING A TARGET.

LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE HITTING THE AIRCRAFT FACTORY. THAT’S A FEW MORE PLANES THE NAZIS WON’T BE ABLE TO THROW INTO THE FIGHT.

I WONDER IF THE FLAMING DAGGER IS FLYING ONE OF THOSE BOMBERS, MONSIEUR REYNELL.

10 SEEING THE ENGINE DRIVER’S BLANK LOOK, HE EXPLAINED WHO THE FLAMING DAGGER WAS. THE RAILWAYMAN COULD ONLY LOOK AT HIM WITH PITY.

THE LOCOMOTIVE THUNDERED ON THROUGH THE NIGHT, TAKING THEM FAR FROM PARIS. FINALLY IT SLOWED TO A HALT ON A QUIET STRETCH OF THE LINE NOT FAR FROM THE SWISS BORDER. AN OLD COUPLE EMERGED FROM THE DARKNESS TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE YOUNG FUGITIVE.

HE’S GOT A FLAMING DAGGER SYMBOL PAINTED ON THE NOSE OF HIS PLANE. THAT’S HOW THE ENEMY KNOW WHO’S SORTED THEM OUT.

THIS IS MONSIEUR AND MADAME GENTET. THEY ARE GOOD PEOPLE. THEY LIKE NAZIS AND COLLABORATORS ABOUT AS MUCH AS I DO.

DOWN YOU COME, YOUNG MAN. POOR KID. WITH ALL THE STRAIN HE’S UNDER HE’S GETTING FACT AND FANTASY MIXED UP.

I EXPECT YOU’D LIKE A CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE AFTER YOUR TRIP.