scroll would bring up a word here or there. The cautious Himmelwasser wouldn’t undertake such treatment . All of a sudden it struck me that unless somebody was prepared to do something , I couldn’t go on. Some gesture had to be made to the boutons; their moribund condition was inducing in me a state of extreme nerviness.
None of this was easy to say and I was inhibited by the need to remember we were on an open radio-phone.
I could hear his heavy breathing at the other end. He said, ‘So what have you done so far?’
I told him a bit. I’d investigated thirteen sites. I’d examined various pillars of rock that might once have stood 600 feet. And I’d inquired zealously in Arab villages to see if the local lore provided any accounts of blue stones (the geological people not having come up with any).
‘So what is it? Have you run out of possibilities – what?’
‘No. I’m just not prepared to do any more.’
‘Come and see me.’
‘At Barot?’
‘I can’t get away. Do this for me.’
‘All right. I’ll come tomorrow.’
‘ Tov .’ He hung up before I did.
The girl had been hovering. She said, ‘You’re going away this week-end?’
‘Yes.’ It suddenly occurred to me that what with the blaze of industry I’d overlooked the matter of her leave.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ she said. ‘I knew there would be much to organize at the beginning.’
‘Do you want to go this week-end?’
‘Yes, I’ll go this week-end.’
‘Well, have dinner with me at the hotel tonight and tell me about it – unless you’re busy.’
‘Thank you. I’d like to,’ she said, smiling. A distinct improvement had come about in the social outlook of Almogi. I had carefully fostered this by preserving a certain distance during the day, and not involving her in any activities at night. I’d had my own night activities – at the dinner table of the curator at Tiberias, and at those of the C.O. in Beit Shean and the pakad in Nazareth. High Life.
‘Do you particularly want to eat in the hotel?’ she asked casually a few minutes later.
‘Not particularly. Why?’
‘Good,’ she said.
*
We ate in a clearing of eucalyptus, on the banks of the lake, a mile or so south of the tomb of Rabbi Meir. We ate fish, steaks and fruit, and then sat back with a cigarette over Turkish coffee in the glow of the charcoal tray.
‘Did you enjoy it?’
‘Very nice,’ I said.
So it was. Very sylvan, too, the moon glinting back off the smooth grey bark of the trees and off the pebbles on the sloping beach below. The barbecue and fishing kit had come out of a lockup army hut nearby. I’d noticed a couple of sleeping bags in there, too, and had begun to wonder if this girl was as old-fashioned as Agrot supposed.
‘I should have warned you about this,’ she said. ‘I often do it.’
‘Were you doing it the night you couldn’t dine with me?’
‘Yes. I’m sorry about that. I’d already arranged it. The food has to be eaten right away or it goes bad.’
I wondered who she’d arranged it with, and of which gender.
‘Any other girls at the camp?’ I said.
‘Four. They do clerical duties.’
‘Can they get all-night passes?’
‘Rarely, unless they’re officers. They aren’t.’
‘Easier for the men, I suppose – to stay out all night?’
‘Oh, yes. Much easier.’
I couldn’t see much of her face, which bothered me. What I could see looked merely tuned-in, which bothered me all the more. A faint suspicion developed that Almogi might be having me on.
‘Why were you so happy at not having to turn up till ten next morning?’
‘Oh, that. The fish round here are funny,’ she said, smiling. ‘They don’t bite till about nine. I like to catch them for breakfast .’
‘You sleep here, do you?’
‘Yes. Israelis like to sleep out when they can.’
‘I like to sleep out when I can,’ I said.
No comment.
I drew on my fag a bit and put my arm round her.
‘Don’t do that,’ she said a few
None of this was easy to say and I was inhibited by the need to remember we were on an open radio-phone.
I could hear his heavy breathing at the other end. He said, ‘So what have you done so far?’
I told him a bit. I’d investigated thirteen sites. I’d examined various pillars of rock that might once have stood 600 feet. And I’d inquired zealously in Arab villages to see if the local lore provided any accounts of blue stones (the geological people not having come up with any).
‘So what is it? Have you run out of possibilities – what?’
‘No. I’m just not prepared to do any more.’
‘Come and see me.’
‘At Barot?’
‘I can’t get away. Do this for me.’
‘All right. I’ll come tomorrow.’
‘ Tov .’ He hung up before I did.
The girl had been hovering. She said, ‘You’re going away this week-end?’
‘Yes.’ It suddenly occurred to me that what with the blaze of industry I’d overlooked the matter of her leave.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ she said. ‘I knew there would be much to organize at the beginning.’
‘Do you want to go this week-end?’
‘Yes, I’ll go this week-end.’
‘Well, have dinner with me at the hotel tonight and tell me about it – unless you’re busy.’
‘Thank you. I’d like to,’ she said, smiling. A distinct improvement had come about in the social outlook of Almogi. I had carefully fostered this by preserving a certain distance during the day, and not involving her in any activities at night. I’d had my own night activities – at the dinner table of the curator at Tiberias, and at those of the C.O. in Beit Shean and the pakad in Nazareth. High Life.
‘Do you particularly want to eat in the hotel?’ she asked casually a few minutes later.
‘Not particularly. Why?’
‘Good,’ she said.
*
We ate in a clearing of eucalyptus, on the banks of the lake, a mile or so south of the tomb of Rabbi Meir. We ate fish, steaks and fruit, and then sat back with a cigarette over Turkish coffee in the glow of the charcoal tray.
‘Did you enjoy it?’
‘Very nice,’ I said.
So it was. Very sylvan, too, the moon glinting back off the smooth grey bark of the trees and off the pebbles on the sloping beach below. The barbecue and fishing kit had come out of a lockup army hut nearby. I’d noticed a couple of sleeping bags in there, too, and had begun to wonder if this girl was as old-fashioned as Agrot supposed.
‘I should have warned you about this,’ she said. ‘I often do it.’
‘Were you doing it the night you couldn’t dine with me?’
‘Yes. I’m sorry about that. I’d already arranged it. The food has to be eaten right away or it goes bad.’
I wondered who she’d arranged it with, and of which gender.
‘Any other girls at the camp?’ I said.
‘Four. They do clerical duties.’
‘Can they get all-night passes?’
‘Rarely, unless they’re officers. They aren’t.’
‘Easier for the men, I suppose – to stay out all night?’
‘Oh, yes. Much easier.’
I couldn’t see much of her face, which bothered me. What I could see looked merely tuned-in, which bothered me all the more. A faint suspicion developed that Almogi might be having me on.
‘Why were you so happy at not having to turn up till ten next morning?’
‘Oh, that. The fish round here are funny,’ she said, smiling. ‘They don’t bite till about nine. I like to catch them for breakfast .’
‘You sleep here, do you?’
‘Yes. Israelis like to sleep out when they can.’
‘I like to sleep out when I can,’ I said.
No comment.
I drew on my fag a bit and put my arm round her.
‘Don’t do that,’ she said a few
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