by L. Rosenman
It was dawn. The light that came flooding from the skyline lit up the faces of the tired policemen who had been lurking there all night. They put Michal, Saul, and Gidi into individual patrol cars and drove them to the holding cells.
The Crystal Circle Hall
Raz’el was sitting alone, leaning over a round white table, a white robe around his shoulders and a serious look on his face. The violin music was quiet this time. He was writing on a scroll made of transparent leather that shone with a mysterious, internal light. Raz’el wasn’t using any pen or pencil, but rather his own hand. His hand moved back and forth across the parchment and the words appeared by themselves, in a bright color that varied with Raz’el’s facial expression. He usually wore a worried expression; sometimes he would stifle a smile and sometimes frowned with what could be seen as anger, even rage, although Raz’el was never angry. When he had finished, the scroll rolled itself into a cylinder and a silk ribbon tied itself around it. The recipient’s name appeared on the ribbon with a lift of Raz’el’s finger, a total of two words.
He stood up, leaving the scroll on the table, and remained standing there for a moment. He looked around and then created a whirlwind with his hand. The whirlwind he created swirled a spiral of tiny ovals of light up and down. The spiral fell below the floor of the Crystal Circle until it disappeared. He looked around and then lowered his hand and the music stopped. Raz’el vanished.
The Uprooted Camp, five in the morning
The morning clouds had accumulated into dull, dark gray piles. Lightning flashed in the distance, and a cool breeze blew up occasionally. Individual thunder rolls sounded one after the other in frightening thuds of foreboding. It was going to be one of those three to four days of rain a year that Eilat was known to have during the summer. The wind picked up speed and items of laundry and pieces of paper began to fly around.
At six AM, the few fishermen at sea watched a dark gray pillar suddenly grow out of the waters of the bay, attaching the heavens to the Earth. It was as if the pillar was supporting the sky and was located exactly at the point where the border passed between Egypt and Israel. There, from the Red Sea, a wall of water begun to form like a small tornado. The thunder roared, and the shrapnel of rage pierced the sand. The rain hurled itself violently at the small beach. The tornado moved across the Uprooted Camp until it dispersed and dissolved, its dark funnel hurling showers of rain combined with seaweed, fish, and crabs, which began to fall on the shore and on the trailers. They kept piling up. Five minutes later, the rain gradually stopped, and the sun came out slowly from behind the clouds, cautious and hesitant.
The people of the camp peered through their windows and around their doors and began shouting with joy. The children burst into shrieks of happiness and ran outside. “Fish, fish! It’s raining fish!” The entire uprooted camp was celebrating, its shores and houses covered in fish and lobsters, some still fluttering, pumped straight from the waters of the bay merely minutes earlier, directly into the hands of the fishermen. They broke into shrieks of joy. They felt as if manna was falling from the skies, just like in the Bible! The paper, wet and wrinkled, flying around with the fish, contributed to the strange feeling. The papers were pages from the Bible, all from Samuel I, the story of Saul and David. Those who left the camp that day were doubly amazed when they discovered that the fish storm had only hit the Uprooted Camp. The rest of the city of Eilat had perfectly normal rain, though that, in itself, was very rare in summer.
Maurice, who was still standing, shocked, amidst the scene, peeled a wet page off his foot and read, “Samuel 16, 8: But the LORD said unto Samuel: ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him; for the LORD seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
All the events of that morning seemed like a sign to him. Here was a description of King Saul in the Bible, so similar to the sight of Saul and his guns and schemes, being dragged away to the police station.
The next wet page Maurice peeled off his clothes left him stunned. “And Saul said unto Michal: ‘Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped?’ And Michal answered Saul: ‘He said unto me: Let me go; why should I kill thee?’”
Chapter 13: The Police Station in Eilat
07/08/2013 - Twenty-third day of disappearance
That same day, late in the morning, Lynn still sat on a bench in the hallway, tired and handcuffed. She had been taken to a detention cell early in the morning. After napping on the bench for about two hours, she had been rushed along to the office of Superintendent Illouz, who’d been waiting for the reports of the arresting officers since the early morning. Lynn knew it was only the first in a series of interrogations.
He looked at her as someone would look at a rare archaeological exhibit. “So you’re the Michal who fled Migdal Haemek...”
“I’m not Michal. I’m Lynn, and I came to Eilat from Tel Aviv. I didn’t flee anywhere,” she replied testily.
“Okay, doesn’t matter. We picked you up at the trailer park with two criminals. One tried to kill a man, and you saved one from being killed by the other. According to the policemen and the detainees themselves, you’re a part of that gang. I suggest you tell me everything from the very beginning to the end.”
Lynn took a very deep breath. She began telling her story from the moment she got to Eilat. She told him about Dave, about the investment company Saul started, and her wish to protect Dave, her decision to join the bank as an investor, and agreeing to Saul’s offer to join his business, mainly to neutralize the conspiracy from within and thwart his plans to kill Dave.
“Yes.” Illouz nodded. “I have a very similar version here. The question is – why, throughout this hair-raising series of events, didn’t it occur to you to call the police and expose them?”
“It was all mere suspicion. I didn’t believe the police would seriously listen to someone reporting dubious businesses and investments. On what basis? Because someone looks dirty and has a gun? When I understood what kind of investments they were up to, they didn’t tell me exactly when all this was going to be over, or that they didn’t intend to return the money to the customers. I only had my speculations and concerns. Eventually, I realized that if I’d done as you suggested...” She bowed her head to the floor and bit her lip. Her fragile beauty and the cuffs made her look very vulnerable.
“What do you think would have happened?” He encouraged her and waited until her eyes met his.
“They’d have hurt me without hesitation, but first they’d have murdered Dave!” She shot him a green and penetrating look.
“How d’you figure that, young lady?”
“Last night... oh,” she sighed, “it seems like weeks ago! Gidi shot Dave through the window of his trailer. Really, he shot at his pillow...”
Lynn went on to describe what happened: the fight on the beach between Gidi and Saul before she dared to intervene, and the more she told, the more she could see the situation from a different perspective, and how close she’d been to danger. She pulled her shoulders back and sat up straight. The stone no longer weighed on her chest. She could breathe oxygen; finally everything was coming out.
“Inspector, who gave you a version similar to mine?” Lynn raised her eyebrows and looked at him. He waited a moment, hesitating, and then cleared his throat, and said, “Dave. He was here last night and told us the whole thing on his own initiative. He begged us to go into the camp to protect you from that pair of ugly crooks. He was under a lot of pressure and asked that we go in immediately, and the truth is...”
“That?” Her lips stretched into a short desperate smile.
“We don’t go into any place just because someone claims that we have to. But... I’ve known Dave for a long time. His arguments carry weight.” Illouz scratched behind his ear as he weighed whether or not to reveal more details. “Also, I asked him to report on suspicious matters in the camp, but he c
ouldn’t file a complaint. Dave has no identification documents, so, officially, he can’t.” She nodded her head, and then he realized she knew. “But then, in the raid conducted yesterday morning, this note fell out of your pocket. Are you familiar with this writing?”
Illouz spread out the little yellow note in front of her: “Dave is in mortal danger! Brown trailer. The trailer park. Saul and Gidi. M16 – Murderers. Underworld. Urgent. Michal Rafael.”
Lynn read it again and again. The writing was her own. Although it was written in haste, there was no shadow of a doubt. She couldn’t remember writing it, and she pursed her lips in embarrassment. Why did she sign it ‘Michal Rafael,’ and how did the police officers connect the dots to her?
“We prepared a plan of action and staked it out at night, all because you signed your real name - Michal Rafael. We’ve been looking for you all over the country for almost a month, Michal. And all this time you were here, under our noses.”
“But my name isn’t...” she said quietly and looked down. Was she absolutely sure her name wasn’t Michal? Why did she choose that name as an alias? There were so many holes in her memory. For example, how did she know Krav Maga? How was it that she could handle weapons with such expertise? She fell silent.
“Why did you threaten Gidi? Why did you protect Saul? Why didn’t you run? Why did you interfere, Michal?”
“He didn’t have to die. It’s not fair, he’s kind of a genius, and I believe he still has a good future ahead of him. I felt some affection for him, even though he’s a criminal. There’s some good in him. You must have noticed the piles of money in his bags?” she asked and he didn’t answer. “That money belongs to the people of the camp. It should be returned to them. These are their savings.”
“It will be dealt with,” he replied briefly. “What would make me think you’re not a part of this gang? That you weren’t planning on escaping with them in the getaway car? Maybe you planned it together with him back in Migdal Haemek?”
“Migdal Haemek?” She looked at him in confusion. “I’m from Tel Aviv. My name is
Lynn, and I’ve never been to Migdal Haemek. Is that where Saul’s from?”
He looked at her keenly. Many years of experience with people convinced him that she wasn’t lying. Perhaps she didn’t remember anything? Maybe it was some sort of a split personality? He made a note to arrange for a psychiatric examination.
“If you decided to defend Saul, why did you detain him and throw away the weapon?” “You weren’t there! There were children there, people were starting to come closer!”
She raised her voice, and tears accumulated in her eyes. Her throa t was parched. “Gidi grabbed the bags and ran at them with a drawn gun. He could have easily killed them if they stood in his way! I preferred to surrender. Lucky you came...” She breathed with relief. Illouz settled back and unintentionally gave out a little smile.
“I must say, your quick response was impressive, even considering your past as a...” and he lowered his head to a paper in front of him and read, “Krav-Maga and shooting instructor in the army.”
She stared at him wordlessly. How? What? that might explain -
“You know it’s all true. There’s no other truth. Maurice was there. He saw everything. Maybe you could ask him?” She looked around the room with its blanked-out windows, with the feeling that things could be interpreted differently. The superintendent ignored her comment, and after reading the report in front of him, he raised his head and looked at her with narrowed eyes.
“Another thing. You stayed at an apartment in south Tel Aviv on the 16th of June this year, where one Linda Weiner lives alone. She claims she took you home when you were completely drunk and that you took advantage of her kindness. When she went into the shower for a few minutes, you stole her money, some clothes, her cellphone and wallet. Perhaps her identity and name as well. Explain, please.”
Lynn was speechless. She stared at the superintendent and couldn’t understand. “I’m Lynn… short for Linda. It was my apartment. I didn’t steal anything.”
“There’s no point in you continuing to deny your identity, Michal. In the end, you’ll have to give us an explanation. You should return the stolen property, and, in my opinion, apologize to her for using her identity!”
Lynn felt she had reached a dead end. On the one hand, she believed she was indeed Lynn, or so her memories testified. On the other hand... this was exactly the problem - her memories were fragmented, as if they were implanted in her brain. She felt fundamentally different in her essence from the Lynn from the Tel Aviv apartment she thought she was. But who was she really?
“This story’s surreal!” she sighed honestly.
“Absolutely. Thank you, Michal. Get some rest. We’re not done with you yet. Sit outside for now.” Lynn sat on the bench outside, and a policeman led Saul past her to the interrogation room, his hands and feet bound. He looked at her and she at him.
Saul fired at her with a squeaky, hoarse voice, “Thank you for stopping Gidi, but... I thought you were with me, Lynn...”
“I’m not with you. I’m on your side,” she replied simply. “I saved your life today.” The policeman looked at them quizzically.
He shrugged and said, “Okay, we don’t have all day. The commander’s waiting for you”. They entered Illouz’s office. Lynn sat on the bench for an hour, during which a policewoman brought her a cup of coffee and a sandwich, not taking her eyes off her. Finally, Lynn was led into the conference room.
“Someone will come to question you in a minute,” the policewoman said. A man with a full head of silver hair was sitting in the room. His gray eyes were cheerful, but his smile was somewhat sad. The policewoman ignored the man as if he wasn’t there. She released Lynn’s hands from the cuffs, said, “Wait here,” left the room, and locked it from the outside.
Lynn looked at the man with a bewildered smile. “Hello, who are you, sir?”
Raz’el looked at her and said softly, “Lynn. You’ve had a very difficult night. How do you feel?”
Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. That gentle voice, that illuminating smile, those sparkling gray eyes were very familiar to her. “I… I don’t...”
“Everything’s all right, Lynn. You’re amazing.” He smiled at her. “You’ve managed to break a cycle of bloodshed that ran for thousands of years. I want to say goodbye to you.” He approached her, put his hand on her head, and she felt a tremendous wave of heat at the top of her head. He whispered, “I, Raz’el...” Circles above circles of lights swirled above her head. She sighed and blinked, and when she opened her eyes, there was no one there.
The door opened and in came the policeman who’d arrested her. “Who were you talking to? There’s nobody here, no phones either...” He looked around nervously.
Lynn was confused and didn’t answer.
“You can take off the glasses now. They’re not real, Michal.”
“I’m Lynn!” she said, angry at the interruption, but took off the glasses. The officer handed her a tablet, and she saw again the picture of the missing person, Michal Rafael. She flinched again. It was a picture of her, smiling, the way she looked back in Tel Aviv.
“Yes, this is me in the picture, but my name’s Lynn, and I’m from Tel Aviv, I’m not Michal from Migdal Haemek.”
Then her family came in. Yossi, Gaya, and Eden looked at her in amazement. She looked at the man and the two girls with him, and her eyes grew round with wonder. A huge mixture of emotions washed over her – from embarrassment through misunderstanding to an excitement that caused her hands to tremble uncontrollably. But Lynn still didn’t understand. Who were they? Yossi rushed to embrace her. He held her close, but she stepped back.
“Hold on, sir. I don’t know you. Who are you?”
He withdrew awkwardly and looked at her. She didn’t remember anything. It wasn’t a strange joke made up by the officers, or Michal playing a cruel trick; she just didn’t recognize them.
Gaya lo
oked at her curiously and said, “Mom, cut the bullshit. Everyone knows you’re a good actress. What a haircut! Mom, you’ve changed a lot.”
Lynn looked at her with growing embarrassment. I must look like her mother.
Then little Eden approached and jumped on her. “Mom! My Mommy. I want you to come back home. Why’re you here, Mommy? Where did you go?” She cried and Lynn looked at her pityingly, lowered her head, and looked deep into the little girl’s eyes, into her reflection in the tears of the weeping girl, and suddenly...
The Crystal Circle Group
“Michal, it’s time. It’s all over.”
Lynn was sitting on a round white couch beneath the crystal dome. She closed her eyes and felt the hands of all members of the group placed gently on her head. The music entered her bloodstream. She felt a stream of energy waking a section of her soul that had been shut down. “You’ve returned to be Michal,” everyone told her. “Go back to being yourself.” After about a minute she opened her eyes. Raz’el was not there, only all the members who were already a part of her. She looked right and left and stood up. They nodded. “This is your time to remember. Your family’s there now, with you at the police headquarters. You have to remember.”
“Where’s Raz’el?” she asked.
“Raz’el’s gone,” said Yossi. “Gone. Maybe to guide another group. It’s weird, but he left words of farewell for you. He handed her a transparent, glowing scroll. It was rolled up and on it were imprinted the words, “For Michal.”
She paused a moment and read the words Raz’el left her. Every word she read immediately disappeared and left behind a glowing trail on the scroll. When she raised her head, she saw all the group members looking at her intently, waiting.
“He probably won’t be back.” She announced. She thought for a while and then saw everyone looking at her and continued. “He’s the one who planted in my mind the memories of Lynn. He sent the followers to Eilat, to make sure Saul, Dave, and I walked our paths. But -”