Exodus - Leon Uris [338]
“If the Syrians let us, which they won’t. Funny, Syria and Jordan stand to benefit from it ten times more than we do. But so long as it puts an extra ounce of water into Israel, they are against it.”
“What is the problem?” Sutherland asked.
“We have to change the course of the Jordan a few kilometers. The Arabs say we are doing it for defensive reasons, even though we welcome their observers. Oh well, we will work it out.”
Dov took a deep breath. He was obviously preoccupied and Sutherland sensed that Dov wanted to talk privately to Kitty, so he drifted to the far end of the room and absorbed himself in the shelves of books.
“Kitty,” Dov said. “I wanted to talk to you about Karen before she gets here.”
“Yes, Dov, of course.”
“She is very stubborn.”
“I know. I was at Nahal Midbar a few weeks ago. We had a long talk.”
“Did she tell you that I have a chance to study in America?”
“She didn’t tell me but I knew, anyhow. You see, I’ve been in Israel so long I’ve developed my own spy system.”
“I don’t know what to do. She is loyal to her kibbutz. I am afraid she will refuse to leave. I ... I just can’t leave her for two years.”
“I’ll work on her,” Kitty smiled. “She is weakening by the moment. You’ll see, Dov. Everything is going to work out fine.”
The front door was flung open and Jordana, her red hair flowing, held open her arms.
“Shalom, everybody,” she called.
Kitty embraced her.
“Ema!” Jordana called. “Come here. I have a surprise for you!”
Sarah rushed in from the kitchen just as Ari walked through the door.
“Ari!”
She reached for her handkerchief and simultaneously burst into happy tears and embraced him. “Ari! Oh, Jordana, you are a devil with red hair! Why didn’t you tell me Ari was coming!”
“Well, I figured that you might have made enough for an extra mouth at the table,” he said, hugging his mother.
“You devils!” Sarah said, shaking her finger at them, and dabbing at her eyes. “Let me look at you, son. Ari, you look tired. You are working too hard.”
They embraced again and laughed.
Then Ari saw Kitty Fremont.
The room turned awkwardly quiet as both of them stared long and hard. Jordana, who had carefully arranged the meeting, looked from one to the other.
Kitty stood up slowly and nodded her head. “Shalom, Ari,” she said softly.
“Shalom,” he whispered.
“Make yourselves at home,” Jordana said, grabbing her mother’s arm quickly and leading her back to the kitchen.
Dov shook Ari’s hand. “Shalom, Brigadier Ben Canaan,” he said. Kitty watched Dov. The young man’s eyes brimmed with admiration, seeing Ari as the almost legendary leader of “the Beasts.”
“Shalom, Dov. You are looking fine. I hear you are going to bring water down to us in the desert.”
“We will try very hard, Brigadier.”
Sutherland and Ari shook hands.
“I received your letter, Sutherland, and I will be delighted to have you visit us at Elath any time.”
“I am terribly keen to see the Negev first hand. Perhaps we can arrange a time.”
“Fine. And how does your garden grow?”
“Well, I must say, your mother’s roses are the first I’ve found to envy. I say, old boy, I’m not letting you get back to Elath without spending an afternoon at my villa.”
“I shall try.”
Again an awkward silence fell as Bruce Sutherland looked from Ari to Kitty. She had not taken her eyes from Ari. Sutherland walked over to Dov quickly and led him from the room. “Now, Major Landau, you’ve got to tell me just how you chaps plan to drop the Huleh Lake into the Sea of Galilee. That’s a bit of doing ...”
Ari and Kitty were alone.
“You look well,” Kitty said at last.
“And you.”
And there was silence between them once more.
“I ... uh ... how is little Karen? Is she coming?”
“Yes, she will be here. We are expecting her at any time.”
“Would you ... would you like to take a walk? It is quite fresh outside.”
“Yes, why don’t we?” Kitty said.
They walked wordlessly past the fence and along the edge of the fields and past the olive orchard, until they came to the Jordan River. The rebirth of springtime was in the smell and the sight of everything. Ari lit two cigarettes