“It’s worse than a fireman’s hose at full pressure.”
“In a week you’ll be O.K.”
“Thank you, Anna. That is the first kind word today.”
But Anna was right, and soon Judith found herself actually enjoying arms drill, with its challenge to the sure eye and steady hand.
One day Rose Fox, the psychologist, said to her:
“The Agency has told us to mount an operation. There is to be a large-scale landing — illegal — in ten days’ time. They’re asking for volunteers from several of these camps. I was wondering whether you would put your name down. I have. It will mean perhaps two nights on the beaches south of Haifa, and perhaps the danger of being shot at by the British. The boat is coming in from Salonika. At least — we hope it is. There will be a lot of children aboard. How do you feel?”
“I should like to be of use,” said Judith slowly. “Yes, put my name down.”
“Very well,” said Rose, “I’ll send it up to Aaron with my own. He is organizing it with the Central Committee.”
Because she had arrived so recently, and presumably lacked experience, the committee were doubtful, but agreed to put her candidature to the vote. Sholem scratched his hairy ear and said in a growling voice:
“Well, Aaron, though you are the operational commander, it is, after all, the Committee that decides.”
Surprisingly, Aaron stood up and set his jaw.
“The Committee will give me the opportunity of choosing my own troops from among the volunteers or else accept my resignation.”
Peterson looked sardonically across the table, cocking her eyebrows.
“A declaration!” she muttered, and on her pad drew a heart with an arrow through it.
Aaron stood like a cornered bull with lowered crest.
“Well, shall I go or do I stay?” he said gruffly.
Sholem’s face broke into a sudden grin. He rose, pulled in his drooping boy-scout belt around his sloppy waist and, putting his arm around Aaron, coaxingly said:
“Aber, habibi, mein kleiner Aaronchick, let us not quarrel. You will get your Miss Roth…
It was Pete who later recounted the scene to Judith, who listened in incredulous silence. But as she went down the staircase and across to the children, she had a sudden new feeling of belonging and of pride. Astonishingly, she found herself humming a tune as she walked.
That evening she found herself among fifty or sixty others assembled in the gaunt refectory. She sat in the back, dressed as well as her humble wardrobe allowed, her hair neatly brushed back behind her pretty ears. She listened intently to Aaron giving a precise and detailed account of the operation he planned. He assigned roles to each group and he charged several individuals with precise responsibilities. It came to Judith’s turn and he said in a terse, dry, parade-ground voice:
“You will be with me, Roth.” She nodded solemnly.
“Yes, yes.”
But under the cold, unflinching gaze of his eyes, she felt herself flush.
In the interim she worked hard, and learned a great deal about the life of the kibbutz. And for her, too, the rewards of leisure were sweet, as always to those who do hard physical labour.
She had discovered a shady spot up-river, where she could bathe naked. Here she spent some of her scant free time, feeling the sweet river water wash away not only the sweat and callouses, but something more important — the interior stresses and anxieties which were the legacy of her experiences. She had always adored swimming, and indeed swam like an otter, lightly and effortlessly. One day she saw, reflected in the swift-flowing but still green waters, the reflection of a mounted man riding along the bank towards her private nook. He rode lightly and easily on a white Arab and, as he turned his head, she saw that it was Aaron. She took refuge at once in the deepest part of the reeds, in order to let him pass. But he rode up to the tree apparently by design and, noting her clothes hanging from a willow twig, reined up and let his horse lower its head to drink, while he looked about him keenly.
“Miss Roth,” he called in a hoarse voice, and she shrank back among the reeds. “Miss Roth!” After a moment she called back:
“What do you want?”
He smiled with relief.
“Oh, it is you. Good. I have a message for you. Liebling has sent the books for you. I also have a note for you from him which he asked me to deliver.”
Judith bit her lip.
“Thank you,” she said. “Could you please leave it with my things? I’m naked.”
He looked surprised.
“Good Lord, I didn’t understand. Sorry to embarrass you. I’ll walk along the bank until you have dressed. I want a signature for the books.”
Judith sighed. “Very well,” she said. He dismounted and walked away along the bank, only to be riveted by her wail as she called out: “Oh! Your horse is eating my clothes.”
The animal showed every disposition to do so, and he started to run back towards the tree — too late. The clothes had fallen into the swift-running river and gradually fanned out. “Damn!” she cried. Ineffectually he tried to reach them and then to poke them up with a stick. Further concealment was impossible if she were not to be forced to walk naked back to the kibbutz. In a couple of strokes she was in midstream and had retrieved them. She was furious.
“Wherever you turn up there is trouble!” she cried. “Why don’t you go away?”
He was abashed and turned his back, saying, “I am dreadfully sorry.”
“So you should be.” She was struggling into her knickers in the water. “One can’t even swim here without interruption.”
He bit his lip but said nothing. He had grasped the bridle of his horse, which was showing some disposition to rear and kick. She crawled out of the water and donned her other bedraggled clothes in a silent fury.
“Now,” she said, “What do you want me to do?”
“The note asks you to sign for the books and instruments. They belong to the University.”
“Very well.”
He turned to tender her a slip of paper and a card. Their eyes met, and irresistibly laughter sparked up in his, which she had difficulty not to echo.
“I really am dreadfully sorry,” he said, but he was shaking with laughter now; for a moment she managed to remain icily cool and then she, too, could not resist.
“You look so funny and so beautiful,” he said, roaring with laughter.
9. Operation “Welcome”
It was an autumn night of no moon when they arrived in different groups at the point of rendezvous on the coast. It was a lonely and desolate place, an area of shallow sand-dunes which supported little life beyond thorn scrub and tamarisk. The first premonitory lightening of the eastern sky had begun, though it would yet be two or three hours before sunrise. The sea was running relatively high, and the waves burst on the shallow sand to form great pools of phosphorescent bubbles which reflected back the stars. There was a wind blowing which chilled them as they crouched among the dunes.
Aaron cursed his inability to smoke. He himself had given the order, for they were only a few hundred yards away from the main road, and from time to time they could hear the rumble and whine as a British convoy passed on patrol. There was some anxiety as the ship was rather late, and Aaron expressed the fear that perhaps the British naval blockade had managed to intercept it. He stared at the phosphorescent hands of his watch and said grimly:
“I can’t afford to give them more than another hour. It will be broad daylight soon.” But, even as he spoke, Judith pointed out to sea, licking her salty lips, and said: