Autor glances away from her, focusing on the game. He wraps his arm around his knees.

"Conscription... is when countries require compulsory military service for men of a certain age," the boy says, adjusting his glasses again. "In Germany, where I'm from, it's from seventeen to thirty-five. They pay you a pittance, but provide food and shelter and a uniform. They teach you how to fire guns, and maintain a front line, and in general prepare you to be ready in case a war breaks out."