Karen nodded and looked into it. She could see the two cells on the other side of the wall. She saw Akiva in the first and Dov in the other, his scarlet dress. Dov lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. Karen could see a guard enter and unlock his cell door.
“Up, Landau,” the guard barked. “Somebody to see you.”
Dov picked up a book from the floor and opened it and read.
“You’ve got a visitor.”
Dov turned a page in the book.
“I said you’ve got a visitor.”
“I’m not in for any of your good-will ambassadors. Tell them I said to go …”
“It ain’t one of ours. It’s one of yours. It’s a girl, Landau.”
Dov’s hands tightened on the book and his heart raced. “Tell her I’m busy.”
The guard shrugged and walked to the slot in the wall. “He says he don’t want to see nobody.”
“Dov!” Karen called. “Dov!”
Her voice echoed in the death cell. “Dov! It’s me, Karen!”
Akiva looked tensely to Dov’s cell. Dov gritted his teeth and turned another page.
“Dov! Dov! Dov!”
“Talk to her, boy,” Akiva shouted. “Don’t go to your grave in the silence my brother has condemned me to. Talk to her, boy.”
Dov set the book down and rolled off the cot. He motioned the guard to open his cell door. He walked to the slot and looked into it. He could see only her face.
Karen looked into his cold, blue, angry eyes.
“I don’t want no more tricks,” he said acidly. “If they sent you here to beg, just turn around and get out. I’m not asking for mercy from these bastards.”
“Don’t talk like that to me, Dov.”
“I know they sent you.”
“I swear no one asked me to come. I swear it.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to see you once again.”
Dov clenched his teeth and kept his control. Why did she have to come? He nearly died with wanting to touch her cheek.
“How do you feel?”
“Fine… just fine.”
There was a long silence.
“Dov … did you really mean what you wrote to Kitty or did you say it just because …”
“I meant it.”
“I wanted to know.”
“Well, you know now.” ’
“Yes, I know. Dov … I … I’ll be leaving Eretz Israel soon. I’m going to America.”
Dov shrugged.
“I guess I shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry I bothered you.”
“That’s all right. I know you was just trying to be nice. I would really like to see my girl but she’s a Maccabee and she can’t come. She’s my own age, you know.”
“I know.”
“Anyhow. You’re a nice kid, Karen … and … uh … you uh … get to America and forget about all this business here. And good luck.”
“I guess I had better go,” Karen whispered.
She stood up. Dov’s expression did not change.
“Karen!”
She turned quickly.
“Uh … just to show that we are friends … uh … we could shake hands if the guard says it’s all right.”
Karen put her hand through the opening and Dov pressed it between his own and pressed his forehead against the wall and closed his eyes.
Karen grasped his hand and pulled it back to her side of the wall.
“No,” he said, “no …” but he could not resist.
She kissed his hand and pressed it against her cheek and her lips and he felt the tears from her eyes. And then she was gone.
His cell door clanged behind him. Dov flopped on his bed. In all of his lifetime he could not remember shedding tears.
But now nothing could stop them. He turned his back to the door so the guards and Akiva could not see his face and he wept softly from his heart.
Barak Ben Canaan was one of the Yishuv advisors who traveled with the UNSCOP as it inspected Palestine and made its various inquiries. The Yishuv showed its proud record of land reclamations, rehabilitation for the homeless-the progress of the kibbutzim and factories and the cities they had built. The UNSCOP delegates were impressed by the contrast of the Jewish and Arab communities. After the inspection tours formal inquiries were opened in which each side was allowed to present its case.
Ben Gurion, Weizmann, Barak Ben Canaan, and the other Yishuv leaders argued with tremendous skill the morality and justice of the Jewish case.
On the Arab side, the Higher Arab Committee, steered by the Husseini family stirred up bitter demonstrations against the United Nations. They barred the committee from many of the Arab towns where the squalor and primitive factory conditions would turn the strongest stomach. When the inquiries opened, the Arabs officially boycotted it.
It became obvious to the UNSCOP that there could be no middle road in Palestine. On a basis of strict justice the United Nations would have to recommend a settlement in favor of the Jews, but there was the weight of Arab threats to consider.
The Jews had long accepted the theory of compromise and partition, yet they were fearful of the creation of a land ghetto like the Pale.
With the tour of Palestine and the inquiries concluded, the UNSCOP prepared to leave and retire to Geneva to analyze their findings while a subcommittee studied the displaced-persons camps in Europe, which still held a quarter of a million desperate Jews. They would then present recommendations to the General Assembly of the United Nations. Barak Ben Canaan once again accepted a commission to travel to Geneva and continue his advisory capacity.
He returned to Yad El a few days before departure for Geneva so that he might spend some time with Sarah, who, despite his many departures, had never quite got used to them. Neither did she ever get used to Jordana’s and Ari’s being away.
Ari and David Ben Ami were at the nearby Ein Or kibbutz, at Palmach headquarters for the Huleh. They came to Yad El and Jordana came down from Gan Dafna for a farewell dinner.
Barak was preoccupied through the entire evening. He
spoke little of the UNSCOP, the coming trip, or of the pressing politics. It was a grim reunion.
“I suppose you’ve heard that Mrs. Fremont is leaving Palestine,” Jordana said at the end of dinner.
“No, I didn’t hear,” Ari said, masking his surprise.
“She is. She has given her notice to Dr. Lieberman. She is taking the Clement girl with her. I knew she would run at the first sign of real trouble.”
“Why shouldn’t she go?” Ari said. “She is an American and the girl is what she came to Palestine for.”
“She never had any use for us,” Jordana snapped.
“That’s not true,” David said in defense.
“Don’t always take her side, David.”
“She is a nice woman,” Sarah Ben Canaan said, “and I like her. Many times she passed this way and visited with me. She was very good to those children and they love her.”
“She is better gone,” Jordana persisted. “It is a shame she is taking the girl with her, but she has the child so spoiled now one would not think she was a Jewish girl.”
Ari stood up and walked from the cottage.
“Why must you make it a point to hurt Ari?” Sarah said angrily. “You know what he feels for her and she is a fine person.”
“He is well rid of her,” Jordana said.
“And who are you to judge a man’s heart?” Barak said.
David took Jordana’s hand. “You promised we would take a horseback ride.”
“You are on her side too, David.”
“I like Kitty Fremont. Come, let’s go for that ride.”
Jordana strode from the room and David followed.
“Let them go, Sarah,” Barak said. “David will calm her down. I am afraid our daughter is jealous of Mrs. Fremont as well she might be. Someday our girls may have the time to concentrate on being women.”
Barak played with his tea, and his wife stood behind his chair and laid her cheek on his thick red hair. “Barak, you cannot go on like this. You must speak or you shall regret it to your grave.”