Music Box Page #6

- Want one?

- She say when she'd be back?

- Harry.

- Mischka, don't worry.

They're never gonna send you back.

- Salami?

- Both of us will be dead...

- ...before the appeals are exhausted.

- Yes.

I thought you did real good,

considering.

Annie, you want a salami sandwich?

You know, I don't understand

what the hell is going on here.

Trouble with these young clowns

in Washington today...

...they're so full of glasnost

and building Hilton hotels over there.

They should never have gotten

into court.

- Why'd you say that to Mikey?

- What did I say?

The Holocaust was all made-up.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Mikey and I never discuss politics.

Where have you been?

Getting information

from those Hungarian witnesses.

Do you swear to tell the truth...

...the whole truth and nothing

but the truth, so help you God?

- Yeah, I do.

- Please be seated.

- Mr. Boday, do you speak English?

- Little.

We could use the interpreter

if you'd like to speak Hungarian.

I try English.

Mr. Burke.

- Mr. Boday, where do you reside?

- Ln Budapest.

And where did you reside

in December of 1944?

Ln Budapest ghetto.

Mr. Boday, can you describe

to us the events...

...that took place there

on December the 14th, 1944?

Night, 7:
00.

One room we're in.

My mother, father...

...my brother, my wife, Clara,

my boy.

- How old was your boy?

- He 7 year old.

- They come.

- Who came in?

Special Section.

They come in. Machine gun, uniform.

- Black. All black.

- You must look at the witness.

On arm...

- How you say?

- What?

- Look at him.

- " Insignia."

Insignia.

- "Arrow Cross."

- Arrow Cross.

Did you know about

the Arrow Cross before, Mr. Boday?

Yeah. We see Arrow Cross before.

How many of them were there,

Mr. Boday?

Four.

Two leaders.

One have scar on face.

Other, big boss, Mischka.

- His name was Mischka?

- Yeah. They called him Mischka.

What did they do then, Mr. Boday?

Mischka, he the most talk. He say:

"You got jewel, diamonds.

All you Jews got gold."

My father say, "We got nothing."

- Then what happened?

- Mischka, he...

He take my wife. He say:

"Open mouth, pig."

He look at teeth.

He say, " Plenty gold."

And then?

They take us from ghetto.

Very cold. Snow.

We march in street.

My mother fall.

One of them, not Mischka...

...he with a scar...

...he beat her on head with rifle.

We keep march.

No see Mama again.

She stay in street.

- Where did they march you?

- They march us to the Duna riverbank.

Danube.

By bridge. Lanchid.

To a field.

Many people there. Jews.

Mischka say, "All you get bath,

water cold, kill fleas."

And what happened there, Mr. Boday,

on the riverbank of the Danube?

They tell us:

"Stand close."

We stand close.

They take wire.

They wrap wire around us,

two group.

Very tight.

They move us to the edge

of bank of river.

Mischka say:

"Sorry, we no got enough

the bullet."

He take pistol, go behind my Clara.

He say:

"One for you, pig."

He shoot.

He come behind us...

...he put pistol to my father head...

...he shoot.

And then push us in Duna.

So he shot your wife and then your

father and dumped you in the river.

Your Honour, that is not a question,

that is a speech.

Sustained.

Yeah. They... They push from edge.

We wired together.

Duna very cold.

They think we all die.

How did you survive, Mr. Boday?

I don't know. I feel I died.

We got swept to riverbank.

I got hand out, take wire off.

Father dead...

...boy dead.

I no see Clara in water.

Mr. Boday...

...is this the man that shot

your wife and your father...

- ...and pushed you in the river?

- Yeah. That is Mischka.

Ls there any doubt in your mind

that that is the man, Mr. Boday?

I see him 40 year every night

I close eyes.

Lt is Mischka.

No further questions, Your Honour.

Your witness.

Mr. Boday, would you care to take

a short recess before we begin?

Mr. Boday...

...how did you identify my father

as the man...

...who did these things

to your family?

They come to me six month ago,

show me photograph.

They showed you a photograph?

- Objection, the witness is misspeaking.

- He's coaching the witness.

Let the witness speak for himself,

Mr. Burke.

They show me many photographs

of many people.

Who showed you

these photographs?

Mr. Burke...

...man from American Embassy...

...man from Interior Ministry

and translator.

And what did they tell you?

Mr. Burke, he say he investigate

war criminal.

He find in United Nations

my affidavit what happened.

He say, " I think they find man."

How many photographs

were shown to you?

- Many.

- This guy's a fake.

Were there 10 or 20?

Were there 100?

- Twelve or 15.

- Well, which was it? Was it 12 or 15?

- I no remember.

- You don't remember?

- How were they displayed to you?

- Displayed?

They put on table.

And of these 12 or 15 photos...

...where was my father's picture

on the table?

- I don't remember exactly.

- You don't remember?

And were the men in

the photographs all the same age?

Yeah. All of them young, like Mischka.

How long did it take you

to recognize the photo?

Mr. Boday, you said that you

dreamed of this man every night...

...for 40 years,

that you couldn't forget.

So how long did it take?

Can you give us your best estimate?

As soon as I see him.

Mr. Boday, are you a member

of the Communist party?

Objection, Your Honour.

Irrelevant and immaterial.

Relates to his believability

as a witness.

No member. I no like Communist.

They know I no like them.

What they can do to me?

I old man, no have family.

Nobody can no hurt me no more.

You have your answer, Mrs. Talbot.

No further questions, Your Honour.

Mr. Burke?

We will adjourn until

tomorrow morning.

Mr. Vamos, tell us where

you were between...

...December of 1944

and January, 1945.

Ln Budapest. Forced labour.

- Where did you work?

- At bank of Duna, Danube River.

Lanchid Interrogation Centre.

What were your duties there?

- Clean up.

- Mr. Vamos...

...do you remember meeting a man

there in the Special Section...

...known as Mischka?

Everybody know Mischka.

Everybody afraid.

Mischka worst.

Why was that, Mr. Vamos?

Why was he the worst?

Mischka and his group enjoy.

Mr. Vamos,

what was it that Mischka did...

...at the interrogation Centre

that you saw him enjoying?

Mischka liked kill Jew. Mischka

liked kill gypsy more than Jew.

Mischka liked game. Inside, they ask:

"You have gold, diamond?"

You say, " No."

Mischka take outside, play game.

What was this game, Mr. Vamos,

and how was it played?

- He put bayonet in earth.

- Your Honour, may we demonstrate?

Yes, yes.

Would you mind coming down and

showing us how the game was played?

Mr. Vamos, suppose or imagine

that this were a bayonet.

How did he play the game? Show us.

He make hole.

He put bayonet in earth.

He tell you get on earth.

Body over bayonet.

Arm and leg on earth.

Push up and down, push up and down.

Up and down, up and down.

- Pushups?

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