The Paris Architect: A Novel

With more factory work coming in, Lucien needed a draftsman to help crank out the drawings. He couldn’t do it all himself, so he’d cajoled Herzog into upping his fee so that he could hire someone. Lucien knew he could get someone dirt cheap. And there was another reason a kid this age needed a job. Since the Occupation, thousands of young Frenchmen, who would have been eligible for military service if there had been a French army, were required to perform two years of mandatory labor for France. If a young man did not have a job, he would be “volunteered” into working in the Reich’s war industries in Germany.

Lucien looked up at Alain to see if he could detect some visible character flaw. He seemed perfectly respectable, in his early twenties, of average height with sandy-colored hair and light brown eyes. He was also very fashionably dressed and still had nice leather-soled shoes, which made him presentable to the Germans. There was just one more hiring detail that Lucien had to attend to.

“Are your papers in order?”

“Yes, monsieur.”

“May I see them?”

At all times, everyone in France had to carry their papers, an identity card similar to a passport listing all the personal details that the French bureaucracy and the German military found so important—date of birth, distinguishing marks, physical appearance, and home address. An “exemption from conscription” certificate was inserted in the boy’s identity card, which surprised Lucien—he already was off the hook for compulsory service. That meant only one thing—that Alain knew someone of influence.

He handed the card back to Alain and smiled.

“I can give you two hundred francs a week to start, monsieur.”

“That’s most generous, Monsieur Bernard. I’ll be honored to work for someone of such great talent. I want to learn from one of Paris’s up-and-coming modernists,” said Alain.

“That’s fine,” replied Lucien, who believed there was a limit to ass-kissing. “You’ll be working on the construction documents for a factory that will make guns for the Luftwaffe.” He pointed to the design drawings of the factory pinned to the wall behind him. “So you see, there’s a hell of a lot of work coming through the office. And there probably will be a lot more. So you’ll become my right-hand man if things go well.”

Lucien had always given this spiel to a new man. The whole process of hiring was always full of high hopes. But it had never worked out in his practice before the war. The difference this time was that Lucien was hiring a kid right out of the university. This one could be molded like a lump of clay into what Lucien had always wanted in an employee. Alain had all the skills he needed, especially an understanding of how a building was actually constructed. He could see that in his drawings, showing the construction details of a building. They were as precise and accurate as an experienced architect could have done. Most kids fresh out of school had their heads up their asses when it came to construction. They had no idea how a building was put together.

“I’m most anxious to start, monsieur. Will tomorrow be all right?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll be here at seven.”

“I’ll be here at nine. At the end of the week, you’ll get a key to the office so you can come in anytime you like.” Lucien always waited a week before handing out a key to make sure the new guy seemed honest. He’d learned that lesson from Hippolyte, who’d disappeared with all his drafting supplies the second day on the job.

Alain began to gather his drawings from the table and put them in his brown cardboard portfolio.

“So, I see from your papers you live quite near,” said Lucien, hoping to initiate a little informal conversation.

“Yes, monsieur.”

“Live with your parents?”

“Yes, monsieur.”

Lucien could see this was a dead end, but he was confident that Alain was talented and that was all that mattered. He put his hand on his shoulder and guided him to the door.

“Well, good-bye, Monsieur Girardet. I’ll see you tomorrow,” said Lucien, shaking his hand.

“Thank you again, monsieur. I look forward to working for you.”