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.The rabbi turned his head to watch them go, before bringing his gaze to Jason.Itwas almost as he were examining him.Then, he smiled."I have great hopes for you, young man.I think you will make a splendid rabbi."Now he looked at Jason's chevrusah."Spread the word, Schmuel.We want only men who knowhow to use guns.No point in trying to teach complete novices."After Schmuel raced out, Spira chuckled."Such as myself.Tell me, Don Morris, are you familiarwith guns?"Before answering him by way of answer, rather Morris went to another crate and drew out adifferent weapon.This one, unlike the others, was encased in a fancy covering rather than simple cloth.He unzipped the guncase and drew out the rifle."This is a much better gun than those flintlocks,Rabbi.I've owned it for many years.It is called well, never mind.Yes, I know how to use it.I was asoldier in the American army, some years ago.In fact, I'm quite a good shot."Spira seemed to be examining him, now.Morris shifted his shoulders uncomfortably."Look, Rabbi,it's not just my military training.In the world I came from my wife and children and I were the only Jewsin our town.And it's a mountain country town, where everybody hunts." He looked down at the rifle, caressing the sleek stock."The strange thing about it perhaps isthat I never actually hunted myself.Hunting is not part of our traditions and customs."Spira nodded."No, it is not.We may only eat meat which has been properly slaughtered by aschohet."Morris smiled wryly; almost bitterly."Ah, yes, all those rules.Most of which I do not agree with butstill often find it hard to ignore completely.Like hunting." He raised the rifle a bit, as if starting to bring itto his shoulder, and then lowered it again."But, you see, Rabbi.it would have been standoffish for me not to join my friends in theirfavorite sport.So, I did, even though I never shot any deer.I just went along.I always enjoyed theoutdoors anyway.And I don't know I suppose just in order to prove that the reason I didn't wasn'tbecause well "He shifted his shoulders again."I was one of the best shots on the rifle range and everybody knewit.So my friends yes, gentile friends, I had lots of them still do would tease me about it.But notmuch, and not hard, and only in fun."He gave Spira something of a challenging stare.Spira looked away, but Morris didn't think it wasbecause the rabbi was afraid of the challenge, or trying to avoid it."There are many wise and wonderful sayings in the midrash, Don Morris.'When in a city, follow itscustoms' is one of them."Morris swallowed.He'd heard that one before, from his rabbi Steve Stern, in a universe nowimpossible to reach.Spira brought his gaze back."But I think there is perhaps an even more apt saying though notfrom the midrash.It is one of your American folk sayings, Jason tells me."The rabbi gestured toward the west, where, faintly, the sounds of fighting could still be heard acrossthe river."We will not takes sides in this affair.But, however it is settled, we will be guided by thewisdom of the ancient Babylonian sage Schmuel.'The law of the kingdom is the law.' That will sufficefor you, I think, in the immediate period.""Yeah," Morris gruffed."I can live with that.For a while, at least.So can Wallenstein."Spira nodded."And, in the meantime, Don Morris ""I prefer to be called just 'Morris,' " he stated abruptly.Spira nodded again."As you wish.And, in the meantime, Morris.don't be a stranger."With that, smiling, the rabbi turned away and headed for the stairs."Now," he said over hisshoulder, "I'd best see after young Schmuel who is no sage.Indeed, he can be excessively enthusiastic.Please come with me, Jason, I could use your help."* * *Morris stayed alone in the basement after they left, silent, for perhaps five minutes.Then he beganloading the rifle."Did you think it was going to be simple?" he muttered to himself."You dummy."Chapter V: CastlingJuly, 16331For the next two days, while Wallenstein and Pappenheim fought a chaotic and swirling series ofsmall battles in and around Prague with military units who opposed the rebellion or simply wanted toremain neutral, which Wallenstein wasn't going to tolerate Morris Roth remained in his mansion.Hestayed on the uppermost floor most of the time, except for brief snatches of sleep; moving from windowto window, rifle in his hands, keeping watch on the streets below.He hadn't planned it thatway certainly Len and Ellie hadn't, when they purchased the building on his behalf but because of its location just outside one of the main gates in the ghetto wall, his mansion served the Josefov as somethingin the way of a ravelin.An exterior little fortress from which enfilade fire could be brought to bear onanyone attempting to assault the fortress itself.He only used the rifle once, during those two days.That was on the evening of the first day, justbefore sundown, when a small band of ruffians possibly soldiers operating on their own, possibly justcriminals; it was hard to tell advanced toward the ghetto brandishing a haphazard collection of swords,pikes and arquebuses.Morris warned them off when they were fifty yards away.When the onlyresponse he got was a small volley of arquebus fire that did no damage at all beyond making a fewpockmarks in the thick walls of the mansion, he shot three of them.One round each, good center mass shots.Not hard to do, at that range, especially for a good shotlike Morris.All of them fell in the street, in the space of less than ten seconds.The rest promptly fled.One man had been killed instantly; the other two were mortally wounded, dying within minutes.Oneof the men managed to crawl perhaps twenty feet before he finally collapsed.Morris slept hardly at all that night.Early in the morning, Judith found him back at his post, rifle heldfirmly in his grip.He avoided her eyes, though, when she approached and placed her hand on hisshoulder."Talk to me, Morris.""What's there to say?" he asked, shrugging."I'm a small-town jeweler who hasn't even been in a fistfight since I was a kid in boot camp.Over thirty years ago.Yeah, sure, I was in Vietnam.Big deal [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.The rabbi turned his head to watch them go, before bringing his gaze to Jason.Itwas almost as he were examining him.Then, he smiled."I have great hopes for you, young man.I think you will make a splendid rabbi."Now he looked at Jason's chevrusah."Spread the word, Schmuel.We want only men who knowhow to use guns.No point in trying to teach complete novices."After Schmuel raced out, Spira chuckled."Such as myself.Tell me, Don Morris, are you familiarwith guns?"Before answering him by way of answer, rather Morris went to another crate and drew out adifferent weapon.This one, unlike the others, was encased in a fancy covering rather than simple cloth.He unzipped the guncase and drew out the rifle."This is a much better gun than those flintlocks,Rabbi.I've owned it for many years.It is called well, never mind.Yes, I know how to use it.I was asoldier in the American army, some years ago.In fact, I'm quite a good shot."Spira seemed to be examining him, now.Morris shifted his shoulders uncomfortably."Look, Rabbi,it's not just my military training.In the world I came from my wife and children and I were the only Jewsin our town.And it's a mountain country town, where everybody hunts." He looked down at the rifle, caressing the sleek stock."The strange thing about it perhaps isthat I never actually hunted myself.Hunting is not part of our traditions and customs."Spira nodded."No, it is not.We may only eat meat which has been properly slaughtered by aschohet."Morris smiled wryly; almost bitterly."Ah, yes, all those rules.Most of which I do not agree with butstill often find it hard to ignore completely.Like hunting." He raised the rifle a bit, as if starting to bring itto his shoulder, and then lowered it again."But, you see, Rabbi.it would have been standoffish for me not to join my friends in theirfavorite sport.So, I did, even though I never shot any deer.I just went along.I always enjoyed theoutdoors anyway.And I don't know I suppose just in order to prove that the reason I didn't wasn'tbecause well "He shifted his shoulders again."I was one of the best shots on the rifle range and everybody knewit.So my friends yes, gentile friends, I had lots of them still do would tease me about it.But notmuch, and not hard, and only in fun."He gave Spira something of a challenging stare.Spira looked away, but Morris didn't think it wasbecause the rabbi was afraid of the challenge, or trying to avoid it."There are many wise and wonderful sayings in the midrash, Don Morris.'When in a city, follow itscustoms' is one of them."Morris swallowed.He'd heard that one before, from his rabbi Steve Stern, in a universe nowimpossible to reach.Spira brought his gaze back."But I think there is perhaps an even more apt saying though notfrom the midrash.It is one of your American folk sayings, Jason tells me."The rabbi gestured toward the west, where, faintly, the sounds of fighting could still be heard acrossthe river."We will not takes sides in this affair.But, however it is settled, we will be guided by thewisdom of the ancient Babylonian sage Schmuel.'The law of the kingdom is the law.' That will sufficefor you, I think, in the immediate period.""Yeah," Morris gruffed."I can live with that.For a while, at least.So can Wallenstein."Spira nodded."And, in the meantime, Don Morris ""I prefer to be called just 'Morris,' " he stated abruptly.Spira nodded again."As you wish.And, in the meantime, Morris.don't be a stranger."With that, smiling, the rabbi turned away and headed for the stairs."Now," he said over hisshoulder, "I'd best see after young Schmuel who is no sage.Indeed, he can be excessively enthusiastic.Please come with me, Jason, I could use your help."* * *Morris stayed alone in the basement after they left, silent, for perhaps five minutes.Then he beganloading the rifle."Did you think it was going to be simple?" he muttered to himself."You dummy."Chapter V: CastlingJuly, 16331For the next two days, while Wallenstein and Pappenheim fought a chaotic and swirling series ofsmall battles in and around Prague with military units who opposed the rebellion or simply wanted toremain neutral, which Wallenstein wasn't going to tolerate Morris Roth remained in his mansion.Hestayed on the uppermost floor most of the time, except for brief snatches of sleep; moving from windowto window, rifle in his hands, keeping watch on the streets below.He hadn't planned it thatway certainly Len and Ellie hadn't, when they purchased the building on his behalf but because of its location just outside one of the main gates in the ghetto wall, his mansion served the Josefov as somethingin the way of a ravelin.An exterior little fortress from which enfilade fire could be brought to bear onanyone attempting to assault the fortress itself.He only used the rifle once, during those two days.That was on the evening of the first day, justbefore sundown, when a small band of ruffians possibly soldiers operating on their own, possibly justcriminals; it was hard to tell advanced toward the ghetto brandishing a haphazard collection of swords,pikes and arquebuses.Morris warned them off when they were fifty yards away.When the onlyresponse he got was a small volley of arquebus fire that did no damage at all beyond making a fewpockmarks in the thick walls of the mansion, he shot three of them.One round each, good center mass shots.Not hard to do, at that range, especially for a good shotlike Morris.All of them fell in the street, in the space of less than ten seconds.The rest promptly fled.One man had been killed instantly; the other two were mortally wounded, dying within minutes.Oneof the men managed to crawl perhaps twenty feet before he finally collapsed.Morris slept hardly at all that night.Early in the morning, Judith found him back at his post, rifle heldfirmly in his grip.He avoided her eyes, though, when she approached and placed her hand on hisshoulder."Talk to me, Morris.""What's there to say?" he asked, shrugging."I'm a small-town jeweler who hasn't even been in a fistfight since I was a kid in boot camp.Over thirty years ago.Yeah, sure, I was in Vietnam.Big deal [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]