Transgression

by R. S. Ingermanson

  “He said what?” Ari asked. “Rivka, that is nonsense. The wormhole’s stability is determined by the presence of exotic matter threading the wormhole, which depends on the power supply in our lab. It has nothing to do with people going through it.”

  “That’s not what he told me, and I would think he knows something,” Rivka said. “You’re not trying to leave him behind, are you?”

  Ari shook his head. “Of course not. I told you I am reconciled to him in my heart. I agree that we should ask Damien to go back with us. But more than that, we need to have a long talk with him. Something strange is going on here, and he needs to give us some straight answers.”

  “No way. I know what happens when you two get in the same room,” she said. “There’d be another fight in ten seconds.”

  “Things have changed,” Ari said.

  “Not for him,” Rivka said. “Maybe you’ve really changed. If so, prove it. Stay away from him. I’ll go talk to him myself.”

  “I don’t trust him,” Ari said.

  “I thought you were reconciled to him,” Rivka said.

  “That doesn’t mean I should trust him. I don’t think you’re safe with him alone.”

  “Dr. West is a bit strange, I admit,” Rivka said, “but he’s been a perfect gentleman around me. And I’m not going to let your paranoia keep me from having a talk with him.”

  “Rivka, I’m just saying—”

  “I know what you’re saying.” Rivka turned to Hana, who had been watching this conversation with blank eyes. “Hana, can I borrow your knife? I want to go talk to Damien, and Ari does not trust him.”

  Hana picked up the knife on her table and handed it to Rivka. “It is the way men are—when they love a woman, they instantly become jealous.”

  “How do you know about that?” Rivka asked. Nobody had told Hana anything about Ari being in love.

  “How could I not know it?” Hana said. “I have seen the eyes of many men. And the truth-tellers confirm it.”

  Rivka was beginning to feel very curious about these truth-tellers. “Do they tell you whether I’ll be safe with Damien?”

  “Yes, you will be quite safe,” Hana said.

  Rivka slid the knife up the long sleeve of her tunic. “Ari, I’m going to see Dr. West. Hana and I think I’ll be very safe. You need to stay here.”

  Ari gave a wry smile. “You’re leaving me alone with this woman? Brother Baruch would be shocked, shocked.”

  Rivka went out into the street, thinking about that. Baruch was in big trouble—mostly with himself, but also with his community. What would happen when all his friends found out who he had been fooling around with?

  She felt just a bit sorry for him. After all, he seemed to have repented. And he had healed Ari.

  That was something Baruch would have to sort out for himself. By this afternoon, she and Ari and Dr. West would be out of here.

  * * *

  Damien

  Damien had slept late after his night’s adventures and then gone shopping for his breakfast. After that he had taken a leisurely stroll through the streets, just trying to get a better feel for the territory. You could never know it too well. The day had gotten quite warm and humid, and Damien felt lazy and sluggish. The hurry-hurry-hurry of modern life was already beginning to fade. This would be a permanent vacation, as soon as he finished Job One.

  When he turned the corner near his rented house, he saw Rivka just stepping away from the door. Good. She had come to him, as he had expected.

  He mentally geared himself to be the courtesy king for a while. And wasn’t that the story of his life? Always having to play-act a role. When this was all over, would he even remember what it felt like to be real?

  “Hello, Miss Meyers!” he said. “How are you this morning?” He watched her closely. Was she suspicious? What had she and Ari guessed about his mission?

  “I’m…a little frazzled,” she said.

  She looked it. Dust and sweat streaked her face. “You look a little under-the-weather. Are you coming down with a bug?”

  “No,” she said. “But I’m afraid Ari did.”

  “I’m very sorry to hear that,” Damien said. He was very glad to hear it. “Summer cold?”

  “A hornet.”

  “No!” Damien fought hard to contain his joy. “He’s terribly allergic to them, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, it nearly killed him,” Rivka said.

  Excellent. Ari was probably lying in a bed somewhere in a coma. Damien allowed his voice to quiver with shock. “Is there anything I can do? Where is he?”

  “He’ll be all right,” Rivka said. “But I think it’s time this little adventure ended. Ari wants to go back through the wormhole this afternoon.”

  That didn’t compute. Ari had told him weeks ago that a hornet sting could kill him. Maybe a couple millennia of evolution had changed the venom just enough to save his life. Too bad. Damien nodded sympathetically. “It’s fine with me if he goes back. You and I are still on for some sight-seeing and autograph-hunting, right?”

  “But we can’t.” Rivka looked puzzled. “If Ari goes, then we need to go, too. Isn’t that what you told me Friday? The wormhole will collapse as soon as the next person goes through it.”

  Damien cursed himself for getting caught in a trap of his own making. Nothing to do but backtrack. “You know, I’ve been puzzling over that ever since Ari appeared yesterday.”

  “Puzzling over what?” Rivka asked. She fanned herself and pointed up at the sky. “Is there any chance we could go in out of the sun? It’s boiling out here.”

  “Forgive me,” Damien said. “Of course.” He produced a key and took his time opening the door while he tried to remember what condition he had left the room in. Was Ari’s backpack out of sight? Had he let any scraps of paper fall on the floor?

  The lock clicked. Damien hesitated. “Miss Meyers, could you find us a small stone or stick to prop this door open? It gets awfully hot in this house.”

  “Sure, let me look around,” she said.

  Damien pushed open the door and scanned the room. Ari’s backpack lay in the corner. He ran over and threw his duffel bag over it.

  But he had left his bag’s zipper half open, and inside he could see a box of ammo. He yanked at the zipper, but it jammed.

  Before he could unstick the zipper, Damien heard the door opening. He tugged together the flaps of the bag as best he could and stepped toward the table near the door. He would have to keep Rivka distracted at this end of the room. His face felt hot when he plopped onto a stool at the table.

  She came in and eyed him quizzically. “Is something wrong?”

  “Have a seat,” Damien said, motioning toward the stool nearest the door. “It’s coolest there.”

  Rivka sat. “So where were we? Oh, yeah. You’ve been puzzling over something.”

  Damien stroked his three-day growth of beard. “It’s very odd that Ari didn’t disrupt the wormhole when he came through. Evidently, it’s more robust than I would have guessed.”

  “How do you know?” Rivka asked. “Maybe it collapsed an hour after he came through.”

  “No, it would have happened in a few seconds,” Damien said. “And it would have made quite a bang. Ari would have heard it. Obviously, he didn’t, or he wouldn’t think he could go back. Therefore, the wormhole has survived. Ergo, it is stable.” He gave a hearty laugh. “Sometimes these machines work better than we expect!”

  “Maybe,” Rivka said. “But I want to go back home now. It’s not safe here for Ari.”

  “Fine,” Damien said.

  “Are you coming with us?”

  Damien was beginning to feel trapped. If he said no, Rivka would want to know why. He tapped his fingers on the table. “Actually, I’m just a little suspicious of Professor Kazan. This feels like a chance to pick another fight with me.”

  “I don’t think so,” Rivka said. “Ari’s changed a lot. He says he’s not angry at you anymore.” She stood up and began paci
ng.

  Damien felt a needle of panic jabbing at his gut. If Rivka saw what was in that duffel bag, she might make some guesses that would be most unfortunate. Promise her anything, but get her out of the house. Now.

  “All right, then.” He stood up and stepped toward the door. “Let’s all go to the cave at noon. I would rather not get anywhere near Ari—no sense in letting him pick a fight, right? I’ll hang around outside, and you take Ari in first and make sure he’s gone through the wormhole. Then come out and let me know, and we can go back together.”

  At the far end of the room, Rivka turned and studied Damien.

  He put on his most sincere smile. “Miss Meyers, I’m really glad that this nightmare is coming to an end for us. I won’t be happy until we’re safely back in our own century.”

  “Noon, then.” Rivka looked at her watch. “It’s 9:05 by my watch. That gives us time to say good-bye to our friends.” She went to the door and stopped short. “Ouch! It’s bright out here.”

  “And hot, too,” Damien said. He followed her to the door. “Thank you for coming, Miss Meyers. I do hope Ari and I can be reconciled. I think when he starts seeing his counselor again, he’ll settle down.”

  “I thought you said he is seeing one.”

  “What I meant,” Damien said, trying to make up something while he spoke, “is that he was seeing one until recently, but then he stopped for a few weeks. It’s an ego thing, you know. Ari’s a proud man.”

  “Um…right,” Rivka said.

  One thing Damien still wanted to find out. What had Ari told her about Paul, if anything? He allowed himself a faint snort. “Such a pity, we won’t be collecting that autograph, after all.”

  “Autograph?” Rivka asked.

  “You remember.” Damien watched Rivka’s face very closely. “Saint Paul.”

  Rivka showed only disappointment, not guilt or fear or any other out-of-place reaction. “You’re right. I really wanted to see him. I’ve heard through the grapevine that he really is in town.”

  That was news to Damien. Great news. His heart began thudding in his chest. He forced his voice to stay calm. “Oh well, if we came back with his autograph, who would believe it anyway?”

  Rivka nodded absently. “I’d better hurry if we’re going to say good-bye. Ari’s got a friend in the upper part of the city.” She stepped out into the street. “Don’t forget—noon today.”

  “I couldn’t possibly forget,” Damien said.

  He watched Rivka walk down the street. Of course, he was not going to meet her outside the cave at noon. She would send Ari through then come looking for him. He wouldn’t show. She would eventually get tired of waiting and go through herself. And if she stayed, what could she do without Ari?

  That meant a slight change in his plans. He obviously wasn’t going to find out from Rivka where Paul’s trial was going to be. He would have to find out himself. And only two days left to figure out how.

  But first he had another task. He went back into the house and pushed his duffel bag aside. Ari’s backpack had to go. If Rivka or Ari came back here for any reason, he didn’t want to risk them seeing it. He’d never be able to lie his way out then.

  Damien shoved the backpack into his duffel bag and zipped it shut. A minute later, he was out on the street, going in the opposite direction from Rivka. He had read once that somewhere outside the city were garbage pits. Once he dumped the backpack, he would be home free.

  * * *

  Hana

  From far up the street, Hana watched Rivka leave the good man’s house. She felt sad that they would all be returning so soon to their own country. She might never see any of them again.

  The good man left his door open and ducked inside his house.

  Hana wondered whether she should return to her own home now. She wanted to speak to the good man, but the truth-tellers said that she must return home at once.

  The good man came out of his house with a large bag. He locked the door and started down the street in the opposite direction.

  Hana did not want him to go away.

  The truth-tellers raised their voices, insisting that she turn back.

  She stopped.

  The good man kept walking.

  She must decide now or lose sight of him.

  The truth-tellers began shrieking. The terrible sound hurt her ears.

  She wavered, torn by fear and doubt.

  The good man disappeared around a corner.

  With a rush of nausea in the pit of her stomach, Hana decided to disobey the truth-tellers. She trotted forward after the good man. The truth-tellers would be angry, but she would ignore them. Just this once, for the sake of the good man, she would ignore them.

  Chapter 21

  Rivka

  IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE. Rivka had seen it, but she could not understand it.

  Why did Dr. West have a box of ammunition in his duffel bag?

  Rivka’s stepfather had been a gun enthusiast. He had insisted that she take a basic gun-safety course years ago. She had never owned a gun and didn’t want one—she hated the things. But she knew what ammunition looked like. And she knew it was heavy.

  Why had Dr. West brought something like that through the wormhole with him?

  If he had bullets, then he must have a gun. How had he gotten possession of a gun in Israel? Either he had smuggled it in, or he had bought it illegally. Neither one spoke well for his intentions.

  When Rivka reached Hana’s house, her mind was buzzing. She opened the door.

  “So what’s the news?” Ari asked. “Did Damien behave himself?”

  “Where’s Hana?” Rivka laid Hana’s knife back on the table.

  “Out somewhere.” Ari took a sip of water from the stone cup. “She said she did not wish to stay in the same house alone with me. Maybe she thinks it doesn’t look good.”

  Rivka managed a smile, but her mind had latched onto a question and wouldn’t let go. Why did Dr. West need all that ammo?

  “Is Damien coming back with us to the wormhole?” Ari asked.

  “Have you been seeing a counselor?” Rivka didn’t believe what Damien had told her, but she wanted to hear Ari’s reaction.

  “Of course not. Did Damien tell you that?”

  She nodded.

  He laughed. “I don’t understand what game he’s playing. I really don’t.”

  “Tell me something.” She hesitated. Ari would hit the roof when he heard this.

  “I’m listening,” he said. He held up the stone cup. “Would you like a drink? You look like you could use one.”

  “Suppose someone carries something heavy somewhere, and that something has only one use,” Rivka said. “Do you think that someone would use that something?”

  “Say again?” Ari said. “I got lost with all the someones and somethings and somewheres.”

  “He’s got a gun,” Rivka said. Suddenly, she felt fear gnawing at the inside of her skull. “At least, I think he does. There’s a box of ammunition in his duffel bag, and I saw it, and then he lied to me about how you need counseling and how proud you are, and I’m scared, Ari, I’m really scared. What is he going to do with a gun?”

  It happened so quickly that she hardly noticed. Ari was up on his feet, holding her in his arms, and she was crying.

  She felt a strange mixture of terror and trust.

  “Tell me everything,” Ari said. “Everything he said. Everything you did. Everything you saw and heard and felt.”

  Rivka told him. They sat down together on the floor, and she went over the entire conversation in minute detail.

  Ari just listened.

  When she finished, they sat in quiet thought for a long moment.

  They both heard the soft footfall at the door at the same time. Ari rose silently to his feet. He motioned for her to move to the far corner of the house.

  Rivka wanted to scream. She could see in her mind’s eye Dr. West crouching outside with a gun, preparing to storm in and shoot them both.r />
  Ari pressed himself against the wall just inside the door. Rivka stuffed her knuckles into her mouth.

  The door opened.

  Ari lunged.

  Hana screamed and dropped something on the ground.

  Ari’s backpack.

  Then Ari was gabbling out an apology, and Hana stood there quivering with fear, and Rivka rushed to her and hugged her and tried to explain what was going on.

  Finally, Ari picked up the backpack, pulled Hana in, and shut the door.

  “Where did you get that pack?” Rivka asked.

  “Your friend,” Hana said. “I watched when you went to his lodgings. Soon after you came out, he also went out with a bag. I followed him. The truth-tellers told me not to, but I went anyway.”

  “To where?” Pieces of this puzzle were falling into place, but Rivka wanted to get it all.

  Hana pointed toward the south. “To the refuse pits in the Valley of Hinnom. He took out this strange pack and threw it in.”

  “Translate, please.” Ari unzipped the backpack and opened it. He pulled out a crushed packet of epinephrine. A broken hypodermic needle dangled from its syringe. Sheets of paper had been wadded up and jammed into the pack. Ari lifted them out. Two halves of a Polaroid photo fell to the floor. Ari stooped and picked them up, his face tight with fury.

  Rivka summarized what Hana had said.

  “I don’t believe it,” Ari said. “This is malicious, pure and simple. What’s he up to?”

  “He was looking for something,” Rivka said.

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know, but I think he’s afraid. When I went to his house, he acted nervous. Almost like he was afraid of me.”

  “Why? He’s got a gun. Even without one, he could rip you apart. What’s to be afraid of?

  “Physically, nothing. So he has to be afraid of what I know.”

  “What do you know?”

  Rivka shook her head. “I have no idea. After living here for a few days, I know a lot less than I thought I did.”