Light (13 page)

Whilst Jake could see that the scroll was
open near the middle which would indicate the Book of Leviticus he had no way
of knowing what passage was being read.  He may have learnt some Hebrew at
Hebrew classes when he was a child but that had been almost twenty five years
ago and he had forgotten everything.

Finished at last, Lapski turned to an
ancient tome that was waiting at the corner of the desk.  He opened it upon a
place that had been clearly marked and read the words that Jake guessed had
been written in the twelfth century by Abraham Abulafia.

Then Lapski called Jake to him.

‘Now it is your turn.  Do not be nervous. 
I will tell you exactly what you should do.  Hold out the crystals in the same
hand you wear the ring and repeat everything I say.

‘Shema...

‘Yisrael...

‘Adonai...

‘Eloheinu...

‘Adonai...

‘Echad...

‘Poteach...

‘Et...

‘Yadecha...

‘Oomasbiah...

‘Lechol...

‘Chai...

‘Ratzon.’

There came a faint rumble.  The sound of distant
machinery.  A throbbing that was slowly approaching.  Gathering momentum. 
Coming closer.

A rustling of a gentle breeze.  A wind,
building in strength.  A rushing, a hurricane of impossible magnitude.

Before them in the open doorway of the ark
a light fog seemed to form.  Mists began to fold and swirl, gathering together,
caught in the vortex of the whirlwind that held everything together in a
spiralling cloud of pure gold that grew to obscure the remaining scrolls.

Nothing that Jake had been told by Ben
Tiferet could have prepared him for the sheer wonder of the spectacle before
him.  It was not just an experience of sight and sound, for every one of his
senses were able to share in its magnificence.  To call this beautiful was
meaningless.  This vision transcended beauty.  This was the ultimate and Jake
knew what it meant to be in the presence of the Almighty.  He felt extremely
small, humble.

At once it seemed that they were staring
into a gleaming tunnel into heaven and Jake knew that the gateway to the worlds
of which Tiferet had hinted was now open to all who might pass through and that
was just what he wanted to do.

‘Thank you, Jacob Tranton.  Now give me
the crystals.’

‘No!’ but it was not Jake who replied.

It was from the back of the hall and to
Jake’s relief there stood Ben Tiferet accompanied by Cherry.  What was she
doing there?  Unfortunately the hired muscle were standing immediately behind
them.

‘Mitch, deal with them.’

And Mitch descended the steps of the bima
to approach the intruders.  He was holding a pistol.

‘I am glad you could join me Professor,’
taunted Lapski, ‘I have been expecting you and you brought me the lovely Miss
Linford, how kind.’

All Jake’s thoughts of rescue evaporated. 
This had been just as the enemy had intended.  Tiferet had fallen right into
the trap.

‘You see.  I have succeeded.  I have made
your dream reality.  Look, the door is open.’

‘You do not know what you are doing.  ‘The
forces with which you are playing are too dangerous.’

Lapski laughed, ‘You think so.  I gave you
the opportunity to help me five years ago but you refused.  Now I shall have
everything.  That was why you had to be prevented from interfering.  If I had
allowed you to come with Jake you would have used your knowledge to frustrate
me.  Now it is too late.  I will pass through and see the wonders of God’s
creation and you will see my triumph just as I had intended.’

‘But that creature you have allied
yourself with; he is evil.’

‘Evil.  How can he be evil?  The Lord
created him before good and evil had even become concepts.’

‘Then he is unformed, of the void.’

‘Of course.  I knew that you would
understand.  Now Professor, watch my triumph.  I will enter the void and all
will be mine.’

‘No wait.  Think of what you are doing. 
If you give the creature what it desires then what happens?  Do you think it
will need you once you have granted it life?’

‘Oh, Professor, do you think that I have
not considered that.  I have made a deal that gives me complete safeguards.’

‘And what of those who follow you.  What
deals have you made for them?  How will they be safe in the world controlled by
that abomination?  Those two businessmen, for example.  Your financiers, I
presume.  What part do they have in your plan for the future?’

Jake could see that Tiferet had managed to
attract everyone’s interest.  All eyes were upon Lapski and Jake could imagine
the doubts passing through their minds.  If there was a time for him to act it
had to be now, but what could he do?

And then it clicked.  He was still holding
the crystals.  He had seen for himself the powers that the Professor had
released with just two of the stones but he now held seven of them and he knew
that he was the one destined to use the forces.  It was he and he alone who
could end this evil.

Of all the words that had been spoken in
the earlier ceremony one sentence stood out.  The first line of the Shema.  It
was the prayer every orthodox Jew used to reaffirm his belief in the oneness of
God and Jake knew then the direction in which he had to place his trust.

Despite his acceptance of the occult Jake
had only believed in God in a very abstract general sense, now he would just
have to hope that the God, in whom he had barely had faith, would accept his
prayers.

‘Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai
Echad.’

And he could feel the energy flowing up
from his ring finger through his arm, warming him, sustaining him; providing
strength and vigour.  He was becoming immortal; a whole bank of power, and Jake
knew that he could do anything.

‘No!’ he screamed in a voice of absolute
command.

And all eyes turned to him.

……………………………………

Ben looked towards the Bima.  He had
always known that Jake was the one who could control the power and now he was
seeing the proof of his belief.  The only question was whether Jake was dominating
it or the reverse.  The young man had so much to learn before he could truly be
said to be the master and Ben wracked his brain for a conjuration that could
assist his protégé.

Already Jake’s form was changing.  A light
seemed to be glowing from deep within him shining out with beams of golden
effervescence across the five people that were standing close to him.  Ben knew
that it was a part of the primordial light that Lapski sought but just a small
part.  It was the same light that had shone from the face of Moses when he had
seen the form of the Divine on Mount Sinai; the same light that the Prophet
Elijah had experienced throughout his miraculous life and ascension to the
heavens in God’s fiery chariot; and now it was here.

Ben could feel the irony.  This was the
very force that Lapski had wanted and now that it was here he was not in
control.  Somehow Ben had no sympathy for his former student whatsoever.

He could understand what was happening. 
It was as if the pressure within a volcano was about to erupt but here the
volcano was Jake.  Any instant now the power would explode from him and tear
apart all that stood in his way indiscriminately.  No-one could possibly
withstand the force.

And then Lapski started chanting.  An
invocation to subdue the Light and Ben knew that he had to assist.  Mitch,
however, was still guarding the way; his gun at the ready.

‘Quick.  Let me through.’

‘No.  Stay there, where I can see you.’

But it was clear that despite his calm
demeanour Mitch was terrified.  He had been from the first moment that Ben had
denounced Lapski.  Now, driven by fear, he could do anything.

‘Listen to me.  The power that has been
released.  It will kill us all.  I can stop it.  Let me go to Alex.’

Mitch seemed to waver and Ben seized the
moment by rushing forward.  He was not impeded but he knew that he was too
late.

Already Jake had erupted like a Roman
candle in a whoosh of sheer energy that spread in a fiery ball from his body. 
It engulfed the two businessmen, then spread towards Shmueli, the woman and
Lapski who continued his invocation.  There was only one thing Ben could do and
that was to join with Lapski’s prayers in the hope that this could stop the
conflagration in its tracks. 

And then, as the corona enveloped the
remaining three on the Bima something happened.  The force seemed to accumulate
into one place that was drawn towards Lapski.  It was as if he was using
himself as a counteragent and that was indeed what had happened.  Even as
Shmueli and the woman sank to the floor the entire energy flowed into Lapski
who screamed as if he was being devoured by demons...and then it was over.

………………………………………….

It was as if a curtain had been lifted
from Jake’s mind.  One minute he had raised an invocation to God, there had
been a blinding flash and then he was here, standing alone and lost in the
centre of the bima surrounded by bodies.  He was amazingly still alive and
quite unscathed.  At his feet lay what remained of the two businessmen.  The
force had ripped through them, tearing at their flesh, snapping their bones,
shredding their organs.  Bits of squirming intestine like so many bright little
worms mingled with things that might once have been the heart, the liver, the
kidneys.  Who could know what was left.  Just a mixture of colours, of sickly
pink, the deep dark purple of  freshly pumped blood, the browns and blues of
the main arteries, the waste from their stomachs.  It was all just a disgusting
mess.

Fiona and Shmueli were lying there but
they appeared unhurt.  Lapski, on the other hand, was covered in blood and gore
but he was still alive and it was possible that the stuff could well have
belonged to his two erstwhile colleagues.

‘Jake,’ came a voice and he looked up to
see that Mitch had taken action.  He was holding Cherry in a tight arm lock,
his gun thrust at her temple and Jake felt something snapping inside, ‘Give me
the crystals.’

He looked down at his hands and saw the
six stones he was holding.  He had almost forgotten that they were there.  He
looked uncertainly at Mitch and then towards Ben Tiferet but he could see no
inspiration there.  There had to be a way of saving Cherry.  There had to be.

And then to his amazement, Alex Lapski
like some Frankenstein monster rose from the floor.

‘No!’

Even Mitch seemed stunned by the
apparition.

Then Lapski turned about and looked down
at the unconscious form of Shmueli.

‘Arise.  I command you.’

Like an automaton the boy’s form began to
stir and, as if on strings, he stood, facing Jake.

‘Take the stones.’

‘No,’ screamed Mitch desperately but
Shmueli took no notice as zombielike he reached out to grab Jake’s wrist.  Jake
tried to pull away but the boy’s strength was fantastic.  There was nothing he
could do.  Shmueli forced his hands open and took the crystals.

‘Now bring them to me.’

‘Shut up,’ shouted Mitch in a frenzy of
hate as Lapski laughed at him, ‘I’ve had enough of your lies.  You tricked me
into helping you.  Promised me power, promised me everything I’ve ever wanted,
and now he,’ he nodded at Tiferet, ‘tells us the truth.’

‘No, Mitch.  Tiferet was just trying to
confuse you.  You will be safe, I promise.’

‘I don’t believe you.  Just give me the crystals
and I’ll leave.’

‘And do what?  Without me those crystals
are nothing.’

‘I’ll take that chance.  Give them to me.’

And Mitch moved forward, his prisoner
before him, towards the bima.

‘Stop him.’

The two thugs acted at Lapski’s command
and raised their weapons.  It was obvious that Mitch’s options were limited. 
He slowly backed away from the muscle towards the glowing doorway into
whatever; Jake wished he knew.

‘You cannot go through.  Only one who has
been prepared may do so.’

But it was clear that it was Mitch’s only
escape route.

Then he was standing there a silhouette
surrounded by the coruscating halo from the fabulous gateway.  The hired hands
waited for orders but Lapski just smiled.

‘Let him try.  He cannot pass.’

But Mitch wasn’t listening.  With Cherry
clasped tightly to him, her eyes, alive with fear, he took two steps backwards
and became enveloped in a golden shroud.

Even as they vanished from sight lightning
flashed in the vortex and there came a thunderclap such as no normal storm
could produce.

Now it was Lapski’s turn to despair, ‘The
doorway, it’s closing,’ he cried, ‘It is rejecting us after allowing them to
pass.  He has ruined everything.’

But Jake knew what he had to do.  He had
to save Cherry.  With barely time to think he vaulted over the high wooden wall
of the bima...and then he ran...straight towards the maelstrom of colour that
formed the beckoning but shrinking gateway through the dimensions.  He closed
his eyes and charged.  The last thing he heard as the forces of power took him
was a scream of ‘No,’ from Tiferet but it was too late.  Jake had gone to meet
his destiny.

Ben was not completely surprised to find
that their destination proved to be Jake’s home.  Fiona Tranton had the key for
a start and it was an easy place to contain a prisoner.

Once the portal had collapsed behind Jake
there was no point whatever in remaining in the synagogue.  The zombiefied
Shmueli had been given the unenviable task of clearing up the remains of the
two financial backers and then the two hired thugs had driven them back here. 
Fiona, who had been unconscious from the moment that Jake had released the
Light, had only come round in the car and had gone straight to bed.  Lapski
also was pretty much the worse for wear and had taken a bed for himself.  Ben
obviously had no choice in the matter and he found himself locked in Jake’s
study with Shmueli.

The room was a clutter of loose papers,
books and cuttings, quite devoid of a feminine touch and there was no obviously
comfortable place to sleep.  In the end Ben sat himself in the only chair, an
executive-style swivel job on casters, but at least it was padded.  Shmueli,
however, followed orders from deep within his trance and sat on the floor.

The toughs remained downstairs on guard.

Ben found it impossible to sleep.  It was
unnerving enough to know that Shmueli was in the room with him but the real
difficulty was in exorcising the night’s events from his mind.  He had lost;
that he knew.  Lapski had the six stones including his.  The only one Lapski
had missed was the stone upon Jake’s finger and that was beyond anyone’s reach.

Lapski had been the one who had been
intended to make the journey.  It was clear that he had expected Jake, as
Aaron’s descendant, to accompany him.  Somehow Mitch had gone through, but
how?  He was not in any way prepared for the transition.  Indeed it was likely
that the reason that the doorway had closed was that Mitch was not the one to
enter.  Why then had it not rejected him entirely?  Cherry had been with him. 
Did that make any difference?

That was when Ben remembered something
that had bothered him at the time but that he had put from his thoughts.  When
he had used the power of the stones to awaken Shmueli’s house-mates from their
trance, Jake as the Chosen One had not been the only person affected.  Hester,
Cherry’s mother, also had been.  Could that mean that Cherry was also a Chosen
One?  They could not be descended from Aaron.  They were not even Jewish
unless...  It was something that Ben knew that he would have to investigate but
not whilst he was a prisoner.

Could he escape?

Shmueli was certain to give the alarm if
he tried to leave and there were the two armed goons to consider.  In any case
it did not really suit him to leave just yet.  Lapski still had the stones.  If
he was going to escape it would only be sensible once he had the stones in his
possession.

No, he would try to sleep.  There was no
point in speculating.  In the morning he would speak with Lapski.  Maybe (and
it pained him to think this) together they could come up with some answers.  In
the meantime poor Jake was on his own.  He just had to hope that his protégé
was up to it.

…………………………………………

The ache in his shoulder and neck
manifested itself from the moment that Ben opened his eyes.  In fact he felt
stiff all over; the penalty for spending the night in the office chair; and Ben
stood to stretch away the tension in his muscles.

Shmueli was still immobile on the floor. 
It was impossible to say whether the boy was asleep or within the trance.  Ben
wondered for the umpteenth time whether he could restore him to normality but
he had no chance to do anything as he heard the key turning in the lock,
followed by the entrance of one of Lapski’s toughs.

‘You, out,’ was all the man said, confirming
his words with an aggressive gesture of his wrist.  Ben passed his jailer and
waited for directions.

‘Downstairs.  They’re waiting for you.’

Breakfast with a bit of luck.

Lapski and Fiona Tranton were already
sitting in the lounge.  Considering what had happened to them they did not look
that bad if one could forget the sallow complexion that Lapski sported.

‘Professor.  I think it is time that you
and I talked.’

‘I have nothing to say to you.’

‘Oh, come on.  Don’t be ridiculous. 
Everything that has happened derives from your researches.  Surely you are at
least a little bit curious.’

‘Curious; curious.  You have taken
everything that I have taught you and subverted it for your own ends.  The
disaster tonight is due entirely to your meddling with forces that you do not
comprehend.’

‘And you do?’

‘More, it seems, than you.’

‘I see you’re as arrogant as...’

But Ben was not prepared to allow the
other to finish.

‘What did you hope to achieve?  Did you
really think that Jake would do your bidding?’

‘But that wasn’t it at all.’

‘No, and what of your lunatic associate;
Mitch, if I understood correctly?  You’ve lost all control of him.  He’s like a
loose cannon; without any certainty where he will explode.’

‘An interesting metaphor.  Yes, Mitch has
proved to be a problem.  He will have to be dealt with.’

Fiona looked up, startled.  ‘What do you
mean?’

‘Mrs. Tranton.  Your friend Mitch is a
danger to everything I planned.  I have to find a way to neutralise that
danger.’

‘No!’

‘Well, well.  And I thought that you might
be more concerned about your husband.’

For a second the woman appeared flushed
but she quickly recovered her composure.  Ben tried to hide his amusement.

‘I’m concerned about both of them.’

‘Are you?  I’m glad to hear it.  Now, be a
good girl and make Professor Tiferet a nice cup of coffee and then leave us
alone.  We have much to discuss.’

‘You patronising bastard.  I suggest you
remember whose house this is.’

‘Just do it will you?’

Ben could see that it was time for him to
intervene.

‘Please, Mrs Tranton,’ he began, ‘Alex is
right.  We do need our privacy if we are to do anything to help either your
husband or Mitch.’

‘Well!’

But she stood up and left the room
anyway.  Ben smiled at his former student smugly.

‘Now, young Alex.  I think it is time that
you gave me some answers.  I may abhor what you have done but I accept that it
is too late now for recriminations.  Both Jake and Mitch are trapped in the
Tevel
and we must find them.  Tell me about your supernatural ally.’

Lapski smiled.  ‘My ally.  Yes.  I thought
that you had guessed.  You might call it a by-product of Yaacov Cordozo’s
original attempt to release the Light.  You remember when we used to discuss
your theories about how the stones had been scattered throughout the seven
Earths.’

‘Of course, but you found that they went
further didn’t you?’

‘Exactly.  One crystal was cast beyond the
current dimensions to a time that no longer exists.’

‘So
Midrash Rabbah
on
Bereishit
is correct?’

‘Yes.  Was it such a leap of faith to
accept it?’

Ben shook his head.  Knowing that Alex
Lapski was the enemy made it so difficult to reveal his doubts to him but of
all people Alex was the one who could best understand his dilemmas.

‘All right, Alex.  You’re right.  It
always seemed sacrilegious to say that the Almighty could make mistakes.  That
he had created thousands of Earths before ours; all of which he had rejected
for whatever reason and destroyed.’

‘I know and I thought like you but in my
search for the stones I encountered the creature (it has no name, yet) or
rather it encountered me.  It is the soul, if you can call it that, of the very
first Earth and was cast into the limbo of infinity.  There it would have
remained save for the fact that one of the stones was propelled back through
the ages before time itself and stirred the creature’s intellect.  Awake at
last, it searched for the life it had been denied.’

‘And you have offered that to it.  You
must be mad.’

‘Oh Professor.  I am disappointed in you. 
Do you really think that I am so foolish as to allow the creature free rein?’

‘But, once it truly lives?’

‘It will still be within my power.’

‘How can you be certain of it?’

‘Because I will control its birth.  I will
use the Light to meld it with a human and they will live as one.’

‘A human, which human?’

‘Mitch Mitchell, and the process has
already begun.  I summoned the creature to possess Mitch so that I could
capture the Isaacson boy.  That must be how Mitch was able to pass through the
gate.’

But Ben knew that Lapski was wrong.  He
was certain that there was a quite different explanation for that phenomenon
but now was not the time to reveal what he suspected.

‘All right.  Presumably you can contact
this creature.’

‘Yes.’

‘Then, if it is connected with Mitchell,
you may be able to get a message to him.  Does he know what you plan?’

‘Of course not.’

Which was when they discovered that they
were no longer alone.  The two men turned to see Fiona standing there in the
doorway in stunned silence.

‘I asked you to leave.’

‘You bastard.  You complete and utter
bastard.  You were using him, just using him.’

‘And what do you think he was doing with
you?  The only reason he showed any interest in you was to gain your
co-operation in getting your husband.’

‘No!  I don’t believe you.’

Lapski grinned and Ben just looked on.  If
there was division amongst the enemy it could only be to his advantage.

‘Oh, please, please, Fiona.  You’re an
intelligent woman.  You were excited by the adventure, admit it.  You helped me
because you wanted to not because you were being manipulated.  Come on, all you
wanted was revenge against your husband for your abortion.’

‘No!’

‘No?’

‘Who told you about that?  I even kept it
a secret from Jake.’

‘Of course, and resented him for it ever
since.  Oh, Fiona.  I can read you like a book.’

‘You fucking bastard.’

‘So you have already told me but where
does that get us.  Both your husband and your lover have crossed into another
world.  No amount of recriminating will bring about their return.  Professor
Tiferet and I are the only ones who can possibly do that.  So I suggest that
you leave us in peace.  All right?’

Fiona just glared.

‘And, Fiona.  Don’t do anything rash. 
No-one outside of here can help.’

With a gesture of misery Fiona turned
about and headed up the stairs.  Lapski just laughed.

‘She’s right, Ben commented, ‘You are a
bastard.’

‘Professor.  Do not stoop to her level. 
I’m surprised at you.  Now, you were saying that we could use the primordial
creature to reach our friends.’

‘Yes.  Surely, we can have a name for it.’

‘A name, hmm.  All right.  We’ll call it
the En Sof.’

‘No.  That’s hardly fitting.  That is an
aspect of God, the Infinite.’

‘And what better title for a being that
has existed since before time itself.  Yes.  The En Sof; I like it.  Now tell
me your plan.’

‘Plan.  No, it’s no more than an idea. 
Contact the...En Sof and send it to contact Mitch.’

‘But...?’

‘Oh, I see.  It is already an independent
force.  You fear that if it unites with Mitch now you will lose control.  Then
we must work at limiting its freedom.  In our world it has little more than the
power of illusion at its disposal.  It is here that it must be contained.  All
right.  I think I know what we have to do.

‘Now, Alex.  Should you not release the
boy, Shmueli?’

‘Not yet.  He is useful to me.’

‘But, he will be missed.’

‘Those who live with him will remember
nothing of what occurred.  If they go to the authorities there is nothing to
lead them to me’

‘No.  You are probably right.  And Mitch. 
He is the editor of a newspaper?’

‘Ah, but that is easy.  Our friend Fiona
will make an excuse for him.  She is his lover.  No, it is you who are the
problem.  Your visit to this country included a few lectures doesn’t it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then Professor, perhaps you would let me
have your itinerary and contacts.  I am sure that we can provide a ready
explanation for your absence.

‘Now, you and I have work to do.  Let’s
get on with it.’

…………………………………………

Ben sat in Jake’s office working his ways
through the texts for a clue how Jake might be reached.  Despite what he had
discussed with Lapski he was not happy to use the ‘En Sof’ as a go-between. 
The creature was an unknown and it might well have an agenda of its own. 
Whatever deal Lapski had struck with it Ben was not convinced that it could be
trusted.

In the meantime Lapski had gone out with
one of his henchmen to check-out from his hotel and collect the remainder of
his things.  Ben was quite content to be working alone.  His only chance was to
go along with Lapski.  That way he might find something to give him an advantage. 
He was not going to reveal his suspicions about Mitch and Cherry yet.  For the
moment that was his only good card.

There was a knock at the door.

It was Fiona.

‘Do you mind if we spoke a while?’

He agreed.

‘Look.  I know that the only things you know
about me are what Jake told you and that must be very one sided but you must
understand that there are things that happened...’

‘Please, Mrs Tranton...’

‘Fiona.  There’s no point in your being
formal.  I need to talk.  I want to explain.

‘I think I made a mistake when I married
him.  I wanted him to have a career, income, prospects.’

‘I know, he told me.  He also felt he made
a mistake.’

‘Yes, but there was more.  I wanted a
family.  He didn’t.  Then, when my younger sister Diana found she was going to
have a baby, I decided that was the time to broach the subject with Jake.  God
I wish I’d left it alone.  All that did was to make him mad.  I’d never seen
him like that.  He was furious; it was like the thought of having children was
the most hateful thing that could’ve happened to him.  I think that was when
things really started going wrong for us.’