Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Leyers’ valise is a source of mystery and intrigue from the moment Pino meets the general. The valise is always with Leyers as he’s working in the back seat of the car, pulling out important documents. As a spy, the general’s valise is of value to Pino. Pino believes the valise contains many important documents that he can share with the Allies, and later, Pino suspects the general of using the valise to transport gold to Switzerland. However, for most of the book, Pino doesn’t get the chance to look inside of the valise, despite it being so close to him at all times. Pino even goes so far as to make a copy of the general’s key to unlock the valise. He has several opportune moments to use this key to search the valise, and yet becomes sidetracked every time. Finally, when Pino opens the valise in front of Aunt Greta and Uncle Albert, the contents of the valise are a bit of an anti-climax. While there are some documents outlining enemy positions and a handwritten note from Leyers essentially saying that the war was lost, the valise doesn’t contain anything revelatory. In a way, the valise almost becomes a symbol for Leyers himself: an enigma.