The Marsh Angel, Hagai Dagan [free e reader .TXT] 📗

Why not? her fingers casually travelled across his moist, panting belly, as if she were tracing ancient runes.

If I remember correctly, Ophira derives from the biblical Ophir, right?

Yes, Ophir-bound— like north-bound means towards to the north.

And Ophir is a place renowned for gold, right?

Yeah, gold of Ophir… My favorite verse is the consort stands at your right hand, decked in gold of Ophir.

Yes, that sounds good, he whispered. Gold of Ophir, he thought, tracing the contours of her body with his hand, running his fingers over her luscious, shimmering skin. Last rays of light refracted over the branches of the pine trees, their broken light descending like glittering confetti, flickering over her breasts, her belly, collecting in her bellybutton, the crevice of her neck, her curves. Pools of light, Tamir thought, and knelt to sip them like a wanderer replenishing himself in an oasis before continuing his desert journey.

4.Tzadik — A Jewish individual attributed with sanctity or a high religious status. Over the past decades, a culture of grave veneration has flourished in Israel. Many people attend these sites, prostrate over the graves, and make requests of the departed tzadik. In many cases, the historic validity of these sites are spurious, if not outright fictitious: often, they are repurposed graves of Arab sheikhs. The Israeli grave-veneration culture is buttressed by a well-oiled, state-sponsored industry of religious business enterprise.

5.Producer — A person whose role is to listen to enemy/hostile-factor communications and to produce an initial summary of relevant communications for intelligence analysts to assess.

6.Turkish Knight — A codeword for an infiltration or breach of the border.

7.Military Intelligence Directorate – Research Department (MID-RD)— The army directorate responsible for evaluating intelligence. The MID-RD concentrates intelligence funneled through by different intelligence collection bodies, evaluates them, and establishes a broad intelligence picture.

8.Shin-Beit — The Israeli General Security Agency. The agency responsible for homeland security and counter-intelligence, equivalent to the American FBI.

9.Unit 504 — A unit of the Israeli Intelligence Corps which used to engage in intelligence collection in Lebanon, primarily through agents (HUMINT, human intelligence).

10.Chuppah and Kiddushin — Terms denoting Jewish engagement and marriage. The chuppah is a kind of makeshift tent, under which the betrothed couple stand. The kiddushin is the text the groom recites to proclaim ownership over his bride in accordance with Jewish law: “You are hereby betrothed unto me in accordance with the laws of Moses and Israel.”

11.Goyim — The word finds its origin in the bible, where it has two meanings: (a) nations; (b) all nations other than the Hebrew nation. Usually, the word carries the latter meaning, in the context of the belief that Jewish people, through their descent from the ancient Israelites, are chosen people.

12.“The privilege is mine.”

13.“Blessed be the hands that serve this food.”

14.Foreign Volunteers — During the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s, kibbutzes in Israel invited young people from around the world to come and volunteer. These people spent short periods of time living in kibbutzes, working, and experiencing life in a collective settlement. For the volunteers, this period was often one of freedom and permissiveness, commonly taking place during the period between graduating high-school and enrolling to college.

15. Siddur — A Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of prayers.

16.Yeshiva — A Jewish educational institution, where an all-male student body studies the Talmud. In ultra-Orthodox society, studying in a yeshiva is a way of life which can extend for the entire duration of an individual’s life.

17.Women’s Balcony — The designated area for women at a synagogue. Rabbinical Judaism does not permit mixed prayer between men and women, thereby necessitating the designation of a space for women only. In two-storied synagogues, the women’s balcony (Ezrat Nashim) is usually located in the top floor.

3. THUNDERBIRDS

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? Behold his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

— Song of Solomon 3:6-8

a. The Plot Thickens

Tamir preferred not to spend the short leave he was given before transferring to headquarters and relocating to Tel-Aviv in the kibbutz. He decided to get to Tel-Aviv earlier, to find an apartment and get settled in. He found an old and slightly dilapidated apartment in Simon Thassi Street. After setting up a telephone line in the apartment, he looked up the Al-Shajara Foundation and called the number he found. After a couple of rings, a familiar and pleasant voice answered.

Do you remember your hitchhiker?

I pick up a lot of hitchhikers.

The one who asked about al-Damun.

Oh, yes… How are you?

Good. Do you think we could meet?

Sure. You’re welcome to come by our office.

What’s the address?

12 Gordon St., ground floor.

Tamir took a bus to Ibn Gabirol street, crossed Kings of Israel Square, and entered Gordon Street. The slanted ficus trees lining the cool and pleasant street imbued him with a sense of urban serenity. For a moment, he contemplated simply finding a bench to sit on, instead of going to find the Al-Shajara office, instead of going back to the base in a couple of days, instead of… anything. He could just sit there. Why shouldn’t he just sit there? Nevertheless, he kept on walking, rang the door-buzzer, and went up to the second floor.

Amalia wore a mocha-colored skirt and a yellow sweater this time. Tamir thought of late-summer earth and first rain. She looked at him with friendly eyes. He was ushered into a small, sparsely-furnished office. Gray files were stacked on the shelves, and a few old photographs were hung on the walls. He slowly glanced over them. Villages, fields, stone houses, women carrying earthenware making their way back from water wells, children riding donkeys, old men sat on stoops drinking coffee, an olive press, a donkey turning a millstone, terraces, olive trees, prickly-pair hedgerows. Absentmindedly,