Exodus - Leon Uris [311]
“What is it?”
“I358.”
They dashed for the Bible. Ben Zion emitted a long sigh of relief as he read, “Isaiah: thirty-five, eight: And an highway shall be there ... lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon ... but the redeemed shall walk there ...”
Nahshon had arrived in Jerusalem! David Ben Ami had found a bypass of Latrun. Jerusalem still had a chance.
Thousands of volunteers in Jerusalem were sworn to secrecy. They poured out of the city to claw a road through the wilderness along the route that David had found. David returned to Tel Aviv where a second corps of volunteers worked at the opposite end to link up with the Jerusalem people.
The two task forces hid by day and built by night, right under the noses of the Arab Legion at Latrun. They toiled in feverish silence, carrying away by hand each bagful of dirt. Through the wadis and ravines, along the ancient Roman road, the two forces inched toward each other. David Ben Ami asked for permanent transfer to Jerusalem and got it.
Jordana had had a case of nerves ever since she had left David in Tel Aviv. She returned to Gan Dafna where there was a tremendous amount of work to be done rebuilding the wrecked village. Most of the buildings had been hit by artillery fire. The younger children who had been evacuated were now returned. Kitty’s cottage had not been too severely damaged so Jordana moved in with her and Karen. The two women had developed a fast friendship. Jordana found herself able to confide in Kitty the things which she could not tell others for fear of showing weakness.
Kitty was fully aware of Jordana’s state when she returned from Tel Aviv, though Jordana tried to mask it with an outward show of gruffness. On an evening two weeks after she had parted from David she sat with Kitty in the dining room, having a late snack and tea. As Kitty chatted, Jordana suddenly became pale and stood up quickly and ran from the room. Kitty followed her outside and reached her just as Jordana slumped to the ground. Kitty caught her and supported her, half leading and half carrying Jordana to her office. She stretched the sabra on the cot and forced some brandy into her.
It was ten minutes before Jordana came fully around. She sat up in a daze. Kitty made her put her head down. When she had regained her senses Jordana shook her head with disbelief.
“What happened?” Kitty asked.
“I don’t know. Nothing like that has ever happened to me. I was listening to you and all of a sudden I couldn’t hear you or see you. It turned dark and a cold chill passed through me.”
“Go on ...”
“I ... I heard David shriek ... it was horrible.”
“Now you listen to me, young lady. You’ve been so tensed up you’re ready to explode. I want you to take a few days’ rest. Go down to Yad El with your mother ...”
Jordana sprang to her feet. “No!” she said.
“Sit down!” Kitty barked.
“It’s nonsense. I am behaving shamefully.”
“You are acting quite normally. You wouldn’t get yourself into such a state if you would let off a little steam and a few tears occasionally and not try to hold it all inside you.”
“David would be so disgusted with me if he knew I was carrying on so.”
“Oh, stop it, Jordana. Damn your sabra pride. I’m giving you a sedative and I want you to go right to bed.”
“No!” Jordana said and ran from the room.
Kitty gave a sigh of resignation. What did you do with a girl who felt that any show of emotion would be construed as a weakness. Years of tension and struggle had built a thick skin on the sabras. Their pride was fierce beyond comprehension.
Three days after the incident Kitty came into her cottage one evening after sending Karen over to Dov’s. Jordana was working on reports. Kitty sat down before the desk. Jordana looked up and smiled, then turned grave as she saw the expression on Kitty’s face. Kitty took the pen from her hand.
Neither of them spoke for several moments.
“David is dead,” Jordana said.
“Yes.”
“How did it happen?” Jordana said in an emotionless monotone.
“Ari phoned a few minutes ago. The details are not clear. It seems that he