“Did many people see me yesterday on the beach?” Israel asked quietly.
“Some,” the man said. “And everybody will tell you the same thing. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”
“No,” Israel said. “You’re not sorry at all.”
“All right, I’m not. Now go away.”
“Okay,” Israel said. “But you can at least do one thing for me. Tell me who spread the story around.”
“Do you know the name of the prettiest girl in town?”
“No.”
“Then ask your friend’s brother,” the man said. “He’ll know. He married her. Now go away.”
Israel went out into the sun and stepped up to Ursula, a smile on his face. She didn’t see him; she was looking toward the bay and the white houses of Aqaba.
“Ursula,” he said, “we won’t get any coffee in this bar. But I have some news for you. I’ve decided to leave on the earliest plane possible.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Nothing happened. But the owner of this bar convinced me I ought to study. There are many things in life I still know nothing about. And I should.”
“Tell me what happened,” she said. “Something must have happened if even a fool like me can feel it.”
“It’s a long story,” he said. “My head begins to spin when I think about it. Dov lost his wits when his wife left him and he started getting into trouble. The last time it happened, in Tel Aviv, we decided I’d take the blame, because otherwise they’d have put him away for a few years.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“That word isn’t very precise, you’re right,” Israel said. “Well, to start, Dov came home one day and found his wife with a man. He later told the court he had to defend himself because the man attacked him.”
“What happened to the man?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “Whatever it is that happens to people after death. There are many theories. Anyway, that last time in Tel Aviv, I told the judge I was the guilty one, but he didn’t really believe me. He gave me a suspended sentence and once again warned Dov. And so we came here, where Dov’s brother is a fisherman, and things got complicated again. Dov’s brother has competition: three guys who fish from motorboats and make ten times more money than he does. So when Dov arrived in Eilat, his brother expected Dov to help him. But Dov’s got to keep out of trouble.”
“So that’s why you didn’t defend yourself yesterday?”
“Yes,” he said. “I couldn’t.”
“Does Dov know about it?”
“No. I was afraid he’d want to settle the matter in his own way. And that would have been very bad.”
“So he is the strong one and you’re the weak one? And when they beat you up, he can’t know? Is that it?”
“Yes,” he said. “You got it. Let’s go, now. I don’t want everybody to hear us.”
“It’s only six,” she said.
“Go back home. I’ll come over later. I want to talk to Dov first.”
She rose from the table and left; he watched her until she disappeared around the corner, then he went back inside.
“What do you want?” the owner asked, getting up and moving in his direction. “Didn’t I tell you not to show your mug around here again?”
Israel didn’t answer; he took off his sunglasses and slipped them into his pocket. Then he picked up from the floor a heavy, iron-legged chair and smashed it into the coffee-maker, jumping away from the clouds of steam.
“I just wanted to tell you that you were right,” he said. “There’s no coffee in your place.” He threw the chair on the floor and walked out into the street.
THE TWO YOUNG, SUNTANNED COPS SAT HEAVILY IN their chairs, their elbows propped on the table, their caps in front of them. It was past sunset, but the heat still hung heavily in the air; the scorched earth resisted the wind, which was slowly coming to life over the bay — its soft rustle could be heard now and then through the agonizing clatter of the electric fan.
“Would you like some coffee?” Dov asked.
“In Eilat nobody can live without coffee,” one of the cops said. “You’ll find that out if you stay here longer.”
“How long do you plan to stay, Dov?” the other cop asked.
“Why do you ask?” Dov said. “Are you going to write down my answers?”
“We’re off duty,” the cop said, indicating his cap lying on the table. “You’ve met cops before, haven’t you?
“Right,” Dov said. “I’ll tell my sister-in-law to make us some coffee.”
He went to the kitchen. One of the cops got up with an effort and stepped up to the wall.
“Me and the younger Dov were in the army together,” he said.
“You never told me you were a paratrooper,” the second cop said.
“Didn’t I?”
“No.”
“Well, now you know. And let me tell you, I didn’t enjoy all that parachute jumping one bit. The last jump was as scary as the first, even though our instructors claimed we’d get used to it. I never did. And I’m sure he didn’t either.” He returned to his chair, again propped his bronzed elbows on the table, and leaned his chin on his fists. “You should tell us why you did it,” he said to Israel. “That was a foolish thing to do, you know.”
“I already told you.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“The coffee-maker was rusty,” Israel said.
“What a strange guy,” the cop said, turning to his partner. “He keeps answering me like he’s Dov Ben Dov.” He looked at Israel. “But he’ll never be Ben Dov, right?”
“Right,” the second cop said. “He’s not Ben Dov’s size.”
“You should think it over,” the first cop said. “If you apologize to the owner and agree to pay for the damage, he may withdraw his complaint.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“The case will go to court.”
“And how much am I gonna get?” Israel asked. “Is there a special law against smashing coffee-makers? What’s the usual sentence? Getting shot seven times in the ass with sour milk? Will you two be part of the execution squad?”
Dov came into the room and placed two cups and a coffeepot in front of the cops.
“I’ll get myself a chair and be right back,” he said.
“These two will be free in a moment,” said the first cop. He gestured at Israel. “Dov, you should explain to your friend that it’d be better if he apologized to that chap. And you should tell him he’s himself, not you. It’s time he knew that.” He got up and put on his cap. “We’ll be going now,” he said.
“You wanted coffee, didn’t you?” Dov said.
“Your friend is doing his best to insult us,” the cop said. “It’ll be better if we go. He has no right to act this way, Dov.”
“Have a cup,” Dov said.
“No. Your friend is making fools of us.”
Dov walked them to the door and stood there for a moment until he heard the engine of their car start; then he returned to the room.
“Why didn’t you tell me anything?”
“There was no time,” Israel said.
“How much time does one need to say he had a row in a bar?”
“We weren’t alone.”
“We were sitting here alone for an hour before those cops arrived.”
“No,” Israel said. “We weren’t alone. Your brother’s wife is always listening at the door. She is also listening to what we are saying now. We haven’t been alone for one minute.”
“You won’t tell me why you smashed that coffee-maker?”