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Cherry was waiting for them just inside
the hallway as Hester opened the front door.

‘Professor Tiferet,’ she gasped, ‘There’s
been a call for you.  Didn’t give his name.  He left a number.  Said for you to
phone it as soon as you returned.’

The two men looked at each other.  Here
was further proof that Lapski was one step ahead of them.  He knew exactly
where they were going to be.

‘All right, young lady, thank you.  I’d
better make the call.’

‘But, Professor.  Hadn’t we better decide
what we’re going to do first?’

‘There’s no time.  The boy’s life is in
danger.  I cannot risk delay.  I will do as they ask.’

As the Professor dialled the number Hester
and Jake told Cherry of the latest developments.  By the time they had finished
the girl was in no doubt as to the truth of what she had been told and for the
first time she was ready to put her trust in her new friends.

The Professor replaced the receiver.

‘It was Lapski.  He is sending a car.  It
will be here shortly.  He wants Jake to bring my stone and to go alone with the
driver.  He has made it quite clear that if I try to come along Shmueli will be
killed.’

‘But we can’t leave it at that.  There
must be something that we can do.’

‘Like what?  You are needed because you
are the most direct descendant of Aaron alive today.  Once they have our stones
there will be nothing to stop them finding the remainder.’

And then Jake looked at the older man, his
eyes twinkling.

‘But what if I didn’t bring our stones?’

‘They would just send you back.’

‘But, wait a minute?  Hester.  You wear
jewellery don’t you?’

‘Of course.’

‘Do you have anything in your collection
that could be mistaken for our stones?’

She looked at Jake vaguely.

‘Come on.  Mine is yellow and the
Professor’s is red.  They’re not that large.’

Hester shook her head, plainly confused.

‘But, Mum, what about your ruby ring. 
That’s about the same size.’

‘But…?  It’s worth...’

‘Mum, come on.  Don’t be petty.  It’s only
money.’

‘Yes, but...’

There was nothing else Hester could say
and she was duly sent off to retrieve the ring from her safe.  Indeed, the ruby
was an almost perfect match.  It was Tiferet, however, who had the most
pertinent objection, ‘You will never be able to fool them.  As soon as they see
the crystal they will know it’s a fake.  It’s not cut the same and there is no
engraving.’

And Jake smiled, ‘Then I had better not
let them see it too closely, had I?  Trust me; I know what I am doing.’

But for all that show of confidence Jake
had his doubts.  It was all very well if they did not examine the stone but
what if there were some supernatural way of testing it?  He voiced the
question.

‘It is possible,’ Tiferet replied, ‘But
from a distance I doubt it, unless...’ he paused, ‘That Beast is present.  I
cannot begin to guess at the extent of its abilities.’

‘Surely there is something you can do?’

‘What do you think I am, a magician?’

‘Well, you did demonstrate something
before.  If that wasn’t magic, I don’t know what else to call it.’

Tiferet smiled but made no comment.  He
seemed deep in thought.  At last he seemed ready, ‘You are certain that you can
keep the deception hidden physically?’

‘Positive.’

‘Then, there may be a chance.  I cannot
impart a divine spark onto an object that is in no way sacred but, if you had
the real stone with you as well as Hester’s ruby, it would not be possible to
tell from which the holiness emanated.  But that means that...’

‘I know what it means Professor.  I know
what I’m doing.  It’s very basic sleight of hand; my old party trick.  Don’t
worry.  Now, let’s see if we can prise Hester’s ruby from its mounting and then
Professor, you’d better hand over your pouch.  Lapski’s driver will be here
shortly.’

‘All right.  Leave me your car keys.’

‘But you’ll never be able to follow. 
They’ll spot you easily.’

The Professor scowled, ‘I am not stupid,
young man.  I have been studying Kabbalah all my life.  Lapski was able to
reach you through your dreams because he had an object that belonged to you. 
He is a mere novice compared to me.  Now, allow me to carry out a small ritual
and I shall be able to locate you wherever you are.’

And Tiferet closed his eyes and began to
concentrate.

‘Your hands, give them to me.’

Jake complied.

At first, there was nothing and then he
could feel a warm glow emanating from the tips of Tiferet’s fingers, as if the
man was a faith healer.  It lasted for only a few seconds but in that interval
Jake was provided with such a sensation of security that he could not help
feeling like a baby in its mother’s arms.

‘There, it is done.’

…………………………………………

By the time, a mere five minutes later,
the doorbell chimed, all was ready and Jake bade his farewells.

He answered the door.

The man outside was tall and built like an
elephant.  Obviously Lapski was not taking any chances.  Somehow, Jake thought
that he was just a hired hand, but there was no way of knowing.  If he was
right, however, it meant that someone was paying for Lapski’s research.  He
wondered with what thought of reward.

‘Good luck.’

He followed the man to the large Rover
where another tough was already waiting with the door held open.  He just hoped
that he was going to survive this night.  He was completely alone.

……………………………………….

As the front door closed Tiferet looked at
the two women.

‘I’m going, Jake’s car’s outside.’

‘Then I’m coming with you.’

‘No, Cherry,’ her mother insisted.

‘Don’t bother arguing with me.  You’ve had
all the excitement so far.  Now, it’s my turn.  Coming Professor?’

‘Your mother’s right, it’s too danger...’

‘The longer we stand here arguing, the
greater lead they get.  Come on, don’t waste time.’

And, as they heard the vehicle leaving,
Tiferet was already opening the front door.

‘There’s only one way they can go from
here,’ Cherry informed him, ‘They must be heading for the A41.  Any idea where
they might be going?’

‘No, but it must be somewhere they can
carry out a ritual.  A synagogue possibly.  It took about fifteen minutes for
the car to get here after my call but that does not mean anything.  There is no
certainty that they called from where they are going.  No, in a while I will
try to fix on Jake.  I cannot leave it too long.  Once they are with Lapski he
will be certain to mask any psychic emanations.’

…………………………………………

Jake, however, was surprised to find that
they did not join the A41.  Instead, they wound their way through the vast
interconnection of residential roads that reached from the main routes like the
veins and arteries of a giant.  The driver was not taking any chances about
being followed but what of Ben Tiferet’s psychic skills?  Surely these men
would be no match for the Professor?’

Less than ten minutes after they started
however, they had stopped before an unfamiliar sixties-built, red-brick,
structure in a sapling-lined cul-de-sac.  The building was surrounded by a tall
iron fence and, in the street-lit gloom, put Jake in mind of a prison rather than
any communal establishment which was what this place had to be.  Jake looked
around for a sign that would provide an indication of its nature but there was
nothing.

‘Go on.  Through the gate.  They’re
waiting.’

‘You not coming?’

The driver just scowled and, as Jake
lifted the unlocked latch of the main gate, leaned nonchalantly against his
vehicle, a cigarette in his mouth.

Jake slowly walked forward towards a
highly polished hardwood door that opened at his approach.  The gloating figure
framed in its arch was so familiar that Jake just wanted to hit him.

‘Mitch!’

‘Come on.  We’ve been waiting for you.’

Mitch shut the door behind his captive
which was when Jake saw where he was.  A notice board proclaimed this to be the
Crowndale Synagogue.  He should have guessed it would be a place of worship.

‘I don’t suppose you’ve got permission to
be here?’

‘Shut up.  Move.  Mr Lapski is waiting.’

‘So, what do you get out of this?  Besides
Fiona, that is.’

‘Shut your face.’

Another door was opened and they entered
the main synagogue hall down an aisle through the wooden pews.  Whilst the
architecture was modern the layout was traditional with a couple of rows of
cross-benches at the back, a central
bima
(on which the cantor stood to
lead the prayers) and blocks of central facing seats lining the aisle.  At the
very front was the magnificent focal point of the entire hall, the Holy Ark in
which the Scrolls of the Law were kept.  It was surrounded by a border carved
with a repeating pattern of the six-pointed star of David and was covered by a
royal blue velvet curtain upon which heraldic lions had been woven in gold
thread.  A very typical arrangement of this kind of synagogue.

Standing on the raised platform before the
Ark were four men and one woman, Fiona.  So she was not the innocent victim
after all.

Jake shook his head which was when he was
struck by the strangest thought.  He ought to have felt betrayal, hatred,
something; but no, there was no emotion whatever.  The truth was that he did
not care in the slightest. 

Two of the men were grey-haired and the
model of city businessmen in their dark suits whom Jake surmised had to be the
financial backers.  Indeed he had a feeling that one of them had been the man
bidding against Cherry at the auction   The third man was standing right behind
them, his face obscured but Jake guessed that this was Shmueli.

 ‘Move.’

The fourth of the men was so obviously the
person in charge.  Wearing an ornate flowing robe upon which were woven
intricate designs of stars and moons in all its phases the man gave every
impression of being a wizard from the fairy stories of old.  It was he who
moved forward to greet their guest.

‘Jacob Tranton, I presume,’ he said in an
Israeli accent so familiar from Jake’s dreams.

‘Alex Lapski?’

‘The same.

‘You put me to a great deal of trouble in
ensuring your presence here tonight.  But, no matter, it is past.  You are
wearing your ring I see.  That is as it should be.  Do you have my meddling
professor’s stone?’

‘Yes,’ but Jake made no move to produce
it.

‘Well?’

Jake just stood there.

‘We could take it from you.’

‘You could but you won’t.  Tonight, you
need me co-operative.  I will not be if you use force.’

‘All right, you want something.  What?’

‘Your prisoner; Shmueli Isaacson.’

‘Oh, I see.  How noble.  He is here. 
Stand forward Shmueli.’

And Jake watched as the young man behind
the two businessmen stepped into view.  His eyes were glazed but Jake could
remember him clearly from the Bar Mitzvah.

‘What have you done to him?’

‘He is fine.  When this is finished he
will be released.  Give me the Ferret’s stone.’

‘No.’

And Jake just hoped that Tiferet was not
far behind.  He was rapidly becoming convinced that he was not going to be able
to maintain his deception.  As if he could read his mind, Lapski spoke again,
‘Stop being foolish.  You are alone here.  The Ferret cannot help you.  From
the first moment you entered the gates of the forecourt of this
shul
you
entered my protection.  Any emanations you were transmitting to the Ferret are
hidden.  You have no hope of rescue unless I will it.

‘Now, give me the stone.’

There was nothing he could do but there
was no harm in trying.

‘I will let you have it but only if you
return it to me.  When I am satisfied that Shmueli is free then it is yours.’

‘Do not try my patience.  You are in no
position to demand anything.  But, for now, it suits me to comply.  Show it to
me.’

Jake removed the pouch and emptied Ben’s
true, genuine crystal onto his hand.

‘Bring it to me.’

Jake climbed the dais and held out the
stone.  Eagerly, Lapski took it.

‘Yes, this is the one.  I suspected the
Ferret of a trick but he has not failed me.

‘Here, Jacob Tranton, you will hold it for
me.  Let us begin.  Everyone knows what they must do.  Mitch, the stones
please.’

Jake watched as the two businessmen stood
to either side of the ark curtain leaving Shmueli alone before Lapski.  Mitch
meanwhile had joined them and had passed the handful of crystals to his master.

‘Jacob.  You shall hold the crystals.  The
ceremony can only work through you.’

So his proposed deception was a complete
waste of time.  No matter.  He followed the instructions.

‘Open the curtain.’

The businessman on the left complied
revealing six Scrolls of the Law in two rows of three.  All were bedecked with
silver breastplates and bells.  It reminded Jake of his Bar Mitzvah when he was
thirteen which, he recalled guiltily, (though why he should feel guilty about
it he did not know) had been the last time he had attended a synagogue for the
purposes of prayer.  Somehow, despite his prior lack of faith, he could not help
thinking of tonight’s ceremony as being quite sacrilegious.

Lapski began to sing and the still
entranced Shmueli joined in.  To Jake’s amazement he found himself singing
along in the ancient Hebrew language, his childhood memories awakened.

‘Viyehi binsoa ha’aron, viyomer
Moshe...’

And Lapski took one of the scrolls in his
arms to face the small assembly.

‘Godolu L’Adonai Iti, Uneromama Shemo
Yachdav.’

Lapski walked forward and indicated for
the others to follow.  Soon they were standing on the bima, the Sefer Torah
open on the reader’s desk and Lapski began to chant from it.