“I thought Miss Levy would be with you,” the Jinni said.
In response Yossele bent and took Kreindel’s hand, and then slowly let go. He looked up at the Jinni, to see if he understood.
The Jinni nodded, growing worried. Was she still in the water? Was she trapped somewhere?
“I’m sure she’ll be here soon,” Kreindel said, though her voice sounded less than certain.
“You should go inside,” the Jinni told them. “I’ll join you in a minute.”
Yossele had to duck and angle sideways to fit through the alley door. On the other side, still out of sight of the others, Kreindel said, “Yossele, wait.”
He looked down at her quizzically, head cocked, as though to say, What is it? She couldn’t remember him ever being so expressive. Was it Miss Levy’s influence? He still held the tarpaulin around himself; she pulled it from his shoulders. “That’s better,” she said. “You don’t have to hide, here.”
He looked past her, to where the others were.
“They might be scared of you at first,” she said. “That’s only natural. My father built you to be frightening. But he hoped that you’d be gentle, too.” She cleared her throat, nervous. In truth she wasn’t nearly so calm. What if something went wrong, what if she thought the wrong thing and made him attack—No, don’t think about it, don’t remember how he looked in the hallway, don’t! Her chin wavered; her tired, reddened eyes filled again.
He stood sadly, watching her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He shook his head, and put a hand to his chest. No. I am.
She smiled through her tears. “Did Miss Levy teach you to do that?”
He nodded.
“I’m glad.” She wiped her eyes with Toby’s handkerchief and said, “Let’s introduce you to the others.”
“Toby?”
The boy looked up from the workbench, where he’d been poking through a tool-box. Kreindel stood a few feet away—and behind her was the biggest creature Toby had ever seen.
“Toby, this is Yossele,” Kreindel said.
Holy smokes, Toby thought.
Her golem stared at him with marble eyes. Toby stared back, terrified. His mother was nearby, with Maryam; her face had gone utterly white. She looked ready to attack Yossele herself, to grab Toby and run.
It’s all right, Toby thought, pushing back his fright. He’s calm now. Kreindel’s in control of him. “Yossele,” he said, fighting to keep his voice steady. “It’s good to meet you. I’m Toby.” And he stuck out a hand.
Behind him, Anna stifled a gasp.
Yossele stared down at Toby’s hand. Then, very carefully, he closed his own around it, lifted once, twice, and let go.
“Huh,” Toby said, startled.
Beside Yossele, Kreindel glowed like a proud mother.
Maryam squeezed Anna’s arm in reassurance, then came to where Toby stood. “Hello, Yossele,” she said, smiling up at the massive gray head. “I’m Maryam.” And she, too, shook his hand.
Toby turned to look at his mother. She stood unmoving, her eyes hard with fear.
Yossele put up a hand: It’s all right. Then, slowly, he bowed his head to Anna.
Please, Ma, Toby thought.
After a moment Anna nodded back, a small, stiff motion.
Toby cast her a look of fervent gratitude. The glare that she gave him in return promised him the worst tongue-lashing of his life.
* * *
The Jinni stood in the alley entrance on Carlisle, thinking.
An Amherst on every corner. Was Maryam right? Did he merely need to be patient and wait for humanity to catch up to him? He had to admit, it was an intriguing thought. His own hidden abilities turned commonplace. Ordinary. What would it be like, to be ordinary again?
The night air felt harsher than usual against his skin. He knew he ought to return to the forge before his injuries caught up with him—but he wanted to spend a few more minutes by himself, away from the unlikely community inside. After so long in solitude, he felt overwhelmed, exposed. He wondered what he’d regret having said aloud, when all of this was over.
Distantly, through the dying wind, came the sound of someone running.
He stepped out onto Carlisle, looked up and down the street. No one. But the footsteps were coming closer, and quickly.
He walked down the block to West Street and peered north. A figure was running toward him down the empty street. A woman, tall and fast, carrying someone.
He went still.
He was alive. Alive, and standing in the middle of West Street as though he’d been waiting there all this time.
In her relief she nearly careened into him, but then remembered the jinniyeh. She slowed, holding tight to her passenger—and saw him realize who it was that she carried.
She stopped a few feet away, his lover in her arms.
Chava, he nearly said; but his voice caught on the name.
She looked down at the jinniyeh, then came toward him. “She’s badly hurt. She needs a fire.”
Numbly he took the jinniyeh from her. Her features were far too dim, her eyes barely open. He wondered how all of this had come to pass, then put it aside for later. The Golem stood nervous, hesitant—as though unsure of her welcome now that she’d delivered her burden.
“You should come inside,” he told her. “Yossele is here.”
He saw her flinch—at his words, or Yossele’s presence, or all of it, perhaps. “Kreindel, too?”
“And Toby, and Anna, and the Faddouls.”
That surprised her. She peered at him, bemused—and he could sense the questions she would ask, the conversations that would surely follow, their shared ways and habits waiting to be donned like old, familiar garments. But then she said only, “Is the forge lit?”
He nodded, unable to speak.
“Then let’s get her out of the cold.”
Inside, there was a quick knock at the front door.
It was Sayeed, returned from the Hotel Earle. Maryam hurried to his side, murmured quickly; and Toby watched as Sayeed looked past her to Yossele, sitting on the floor beside Kreindel. Yossele saw the newcomer, and stood. Sayeed took several deep and steadying breaths before nodding hello. Yossele nodded back.
“Was there anything at the hotel?” Anna asked.
“Perhaps,” Sayeed said, tearing his gaze from Yossele with difficulty. “The manager was in
