“Temper. Temper. You will never rise through the ranks if you don’t listen.”
“Don’t patronize me!” Rajid pressed the gun to his forehead. “Your insubordination dishonors me! As Allah is my witness, I’ll kill you if you don’t give me those plans! Where are they? In your bag? In the safe downstairs?”
The door shook with a fast knocking. “Professor?”
“Yes, Elzirah,” Silver yelled before Rajid had time to silence him. “One moment!” He rose slowly, the gun boring into his forehead.
Rajid’s mouth opened to speak, but she knocked again. “Professor!”
“Coming!” Silver reached slowly for the doorknob.
“Colonel Ness was my lover in the army,” Masada said to Tara. She beckoned the bartender and pointed to her empty water glass. “He’s still in love with me, which is a weakness I’ll use against him.”
“But the guy hasn’t contacted you in so many years.” Tara emptied her beer bottle.
“He’s followed my career, read everything I wrote, and probably had my photo taken by his agents regularly. That’s why he chose Phoenix for his Judah’s Fist bribe operation-so he could entangle me, use my friends, insinuate himself into my life. I’m sure he regrets it now, after I managed to expose his scheme.”
Tara sipped water through a straw. “Question is, why hasn’t he tried to contact you before, show up at your door with flowers, serenade you under your window, beg your forgiveness?”
“I think he didn’t want to hurt his wife.”
“That’s a new one.” Tara laughed.
“They lost a son in the air force. She made me stay for dinner, served a traditional Friday night meal. It’s my first since I left the kibbutz. When I saw him bless the wine, cut the bread, feed his grandkids, it was so normal, warm. I felt such pity.”
Tara twisted her face. “You pity him?”
“No. I pity myself.”
The Wailing Wall was taller than Rabbi Josh had imagined. The limestone-paved plaza glowed with an artificial brightness that reminded him of a baseball field. But rather than Diamondbacks’ baseball caps, the hundreds of men milling about wore black hats. And instead of hot dogs, they carried prayer books.
The human current swept him forward, depositing him among the swaying black hats. He stood with the praying men, facing the giant stones, which were smooth from centuries of human touch. The cracks filled with crumpled papers.
He kissed the stones.
Burying Raul had given him a good idea what it would feel like to die a torturous death. The finality of it, the prospect of a life without ever seeing Raul’s smiling face again, never touching his smooth cheeks or smelling his hair after a bath, broke something inside Rabbi Josh-not his faith, but his love for God. It was gone, replaced with anger and disrespect, as if he had witnessed a beloved friend commit an ugly act that could not be explained away, that would forever taint everything else that had once been good and worthy in their relationship.
Looking up at the Wall, Rabbi Josh said, “I quit!”
The simple declaration unshackled him. God now knew that this clergyman had resigned, that their professional association had been terminated due to irreconcilable differences over what constituted acceptable behavior by He who held all the power. Truth was, Rabbi Josh would have denounced God altogether. But he couldn’t, because he depended on God for the arrival of the Messiah and the Resurrection-his only chance of seeing Raul again.
Free of his divine employer, the rabbi turned away from the Wall. He was a regular Jew now, no longer a role model for his flock, no longer bound by a higher code of professional conduct. He was free to err and be petty, and to seek revenge like anyone else.
Elizabeth lifted her fist to knock again, but the door cracked and Professor Silver slipped out of his room, wrapped in a bed sheet. He shut the door and hurried down the hallway to the stairs. “Perfect timing,” he announced with exaggerated loudness. He descended one step at a time, feeling with his bare feet where it was safe to tread.
“Have you gone mad?”
He laughed, again too loudly, and led her through the modest lobby into an empty cafeteria. “Go on,
Elizabeth made two cups of coffee and pulled another chair over, facing him.
“
“You better stick to English, or you’ll blow your cover.”
“You could make a good agent.” He leaned forward, gazing intently through the open door.
Elizabeth saw a man with dark hair cross the lobby and push the glass doors with both hands in a violent manner, leaving the hostel. “You know him?”
“No worry.” The professor watched the lobby, as if expecting the man to return.
“What happened to you?” She touched a bruise above his left eyebrow.
“It’s Ramadan.” He chuckled. “By the end of a day of fasting I walk into walls.”
“You had an argument with your handler?”
Silver gave her an appraising look. “You are astute. He, on the other hand, is not.”
“What did he want?”
“Thought he could find some documents in my room.” Silver removed his glasses and rubbed the thick lenses on the sheet. “The Jews would love to put their hands on him.”
“They’d love even more to put their hands on you.”
“They think I died in the desert.” He lit a cigarette and drew at length, blowing it toward the ceiling. “Even the mighty Israelis won’t superciliously contrive to catch a ghost.”
“Can I speak with your handler regarding my award ceremony?”
Another exhalation of smoke clouded his face. “Be patient.”
She opened a window, letting in the night air. “Don’t toy with me.”
“Relax, Elzirah.” The professor tightened the sheet around his shoulders and joined her at the window. “Our brothers will contact you before Wednesday to arrange for your travel to the camp. You’re the guest of honor, remember?” He drew once more and tossed the burning cigarette out the window.
“By attending the funeral,” Masada argued, “Ness revealed he was connected with Rabbi Josh!” She beckoned the bartender. “I need something stronger than water.”
“Me too.” Tara gave him a professional smile.
He returned her smile. “Friday night we can only serve wine or beer.
“Surprise us.” Masada swiveled on the barstool toward Tara. “Now I understand why Rabbi Josh told Silver to tell me not to attend the funeral. But he didn’t know you’d be there and see Ness.” She grabbed a bar napkin and scribbled:
Masada bit the tip of the pencil. “What else? We must find out everything about him.”
“He’s got charisma,” Tara said. “Very attractive man.”
“Rabbi Josh?”
“The rabbi’s more than attractive, he’s a knockout.” Tara gulped her beer. “I was talking about the colonel. He’s a tad old, but he’s got serious appeal. He radiates strength.”
