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‘Madam, I am called Jacob Tranton.  I am a
descendent of Aaron the first High Priest of the House of Israel.’

‘Your words are good, Jacob Tranton but
know this; there is one here who also claims to be a High Priest of the House
of Israel.  What say you to this?’

‘If this one is a man of my world who
calls himself Mitch then he is speaking an untruth.’

‘And...if he is not a man calling himself
Mitch?’

‘Then...(Was this a trick question?)...he
is not admitting his name.’

Malaka laughed, ‘You may be right but that
is exactly what he said when he warned of your coming.

‘So, Jacob Tranton.  There are two of you
in this world.  Both of you have arrived with the crystals of the Choshen
Mishpat and both of you seek the Yahalom that we keep.  One of you is telling
the truth and one of you is not.

‘Your companion, he is remaining silent. 
A man from Tevel and one who is injured.  What say you?’

‘Mitch is the one who did this to me.’

‘Of that I have no doubt but which of
these men is Mitch?’

‘Not this one.’

‘You are certain of this?’

‘Of course.  You think I do not know who
killed Daivish?’

‘In the normal course you would but there
is a dark force.  We have detected its presence and it has the power to mould
men’s minds.  You may be under its influence.

‘No.  We take no chances.  The decision
will be taken by One who knows all things.  I have called upon Metatron.  Soon
He will come and render judgement.  Now you will be imprisoned.  The man of
Tevel may remain.’

Jake knew that there was no point in
arguing.  He well knew that Metatron was the greatest of all of God’s angels
and would be the one to know the truth.  Yes, Metatron would judge between
Mitch and he but would he be found deserving?  How could a murderer be worthy
of carrying out the ancient rituals of Israel’s High Priests?

But, if his fate was to be chosen by
Metatron, Jake knew that he could not ask for a better judge.  Metatron had
once been alive, a mortal.  Once he had been known as Enoch the son of Yered, a
direct descendant of Adam, the first man, through the line of Seth.  But his
life changed.  The Torah in the book of Bereishit listed Adam and his immediate
descendants as having each lived for approximately nine hundred years the
verses referring to Enoch were most curious:

And Enoch lived sixty five years and
begat Methuselah.  And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three
hundred years and begat sons and daughters.  And all the days of Enoch were
three hundred and sixty five years.  And Enoch walked with God and he was not,
for God took him.

Just as had been Elijah in later times,
Enoch had been taken bodily to heaven where he had been transformed by the
cleansing fire of the Lord into the most powerful angel of them all.  According
to the mystics he had a throne that was placed to the right side of God’s and,
like God’s his throne was one that could become a fiery chariot, a
merkavah,
that could fly throughout the seven heavens and indeed, if he so wished,
through the seven earths.

‘I wish to stay with him.  Jake is my
friend.’

(Good for you, Faivish.)

‘Then, you shall remain together. 
Kastria, conduct our guests to their rooms.’

Kastria nodded but said nothing and
motioned for Jake and Faivish to follow her.

It was no particular surprise to find that
their route went downwards to an underground level.  Where better to have a
dungeon?  Still the passages were gaily decorated and not as forbidding as Jake
expected.

‘Here,’ Kastria indicated a door, ‘Your
suite.’

‘Our what?’

‘Your suite.  You expected something else,
maybe.  Typical male thinking.  Remember, in our world it is the female who
dominates.  Why should a prison be unpleasant?  Its function is to prevent
escape.  That can be done in pleasant surroundings just as well as in squalor.’

‘Tell me.  Has society always been
matriarchal?’

‘For as long as anyone can remember.  Our
ancestor Cain was a man and he committed an unwarranted murder.  His descendant
Tubal-Cain was also a murderer as were all the male line.  When El Shadai took
pity on us we, men and women alike, vowed to change our ways and we decided
upon the structure we have today.  Now there is no violence, no crime and
everyone is content.

‘I have seen the development of your
world.  Maybe ours is a lesson you should follow.’

‘But there have been women leaders.’

‘Yes, your great queens, Elizabeth and
Victoria.  Your prime ministers, Indira Ghandi, Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher. 
But they all were competing in a male world.

‘Tell me.  In your world how many serial
killers are women?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Well, I do.  None.  It is a purely male
aberration.  Just ask the leaders of your police forces and they will confirm.’

‘But how do you know all this?’

‘We can watch your world.  We can even
travel there if we have to.  Why else do you think that we post guards at the
boundaries of the other earths?  It is to warn us if travellers from Heled are
coming.  We have cast off your barbarous ways.  The last thing we want is to be
contaminated again.’

There was no point in arguing.  The human
race had produced so much; art, poetry, great works of literature; so much that
was worth preserving but then there was the dark legacy; the weapons of mass
destruction, the technology that polluted the atmosphere, the starving millions
that civilisation did so little to help.  Yes, he could well understand why
Cain’s descendants had shunned their home world and had tried to do things
differently.

He entered the room and saw that it was
indeed part of a suite and decorated accordingly.

‘You will be called when it is time to
meet with Metatron.’

And then Faivish and he were alone.

‘I don’t understand.’

The expression on Faivish’s bearded face
was funny to say the least.

‘What is it?’

‘Why do they not believe you?’

‘It isn’t a question of whether or not
they believe me.  They are mortal; they do not feel competent to judge me.’

‘But, Mitch is here.’

‘Yes.  I’m sure of it.  What I don’t
understand is how he has the Odem.  That’s Ben’s crystal.’

‘And the En Sof?’

‘No.  I don’t think it’s here.  These
people are too knowledgeable to allow it free rein.  Mitch is here, alone and
maybe this will give me a chance to make up for at least one of my mistakes.’

‘No, Jake.  You must not think like that.’

‘Please, Faivish.  I have learnt things
about myself that I do not like.  When I am judged by Metatron, I must be
judged on the truth.  That is the only way.’

‘But you are a good man.  You are the one
chosen to wear the Choshen Mishpat.’

‘Am I?  There are at least two others, or
there were.  Cherry was one.  Another who is gone because of me, and the other
is called Shmueli Isaacson.’

‘Who?’

‘It is an insight I have received.  I
don’t know how but it makes sense.  Like Cherry and me he owned one of the
stones and, like us, he was at the ceremony when Lapski broke through into your
world.  The problem is, he’s in Lapski’s control and that means that he could
be possessed by the En Sof.’

‘Thank you, Jake.’

They turned in unison to see who had
spoken.  The man was standing there in the open doorway to another room of the
suite.

‘Mitch.’

‘You always were a wanker, weren’t you?’

Jake could hardly believe his stupidity. 
It had not crossed his mind for one instant that Mitch would have been
incarcerated with them but, on reflection, he had not seen another door in the
dungeons and he realised and these women did not seem to have any need for
prisons.

Damn.

At least Mitch did not have any of the
crystals.  All was not lost yet.  Also, the En Sof was absent and that gave
Jake a chance to try and resolve things.  His time in Sheol had shown him how
he had first met Mitch and he now recalled everything with a remarkable
clarity.  Maybe, if he apologised it would help.  But where should he start?

‘Well Mitch.’

Mitch grunted.

‘Oh, come on.  We’re together.  Isn’t it
time to talk?’

‘Talk, talk about what?’

‘You hate me, don’t you?’

‘Oh, you’ve figured that out.  Bloody
brilliant.’

‘Oh, come on.  I remember what happened.’

‘Do you?  Great.  It’s a bit late for
that.  You didn’t know I existed before.’

‘That was then.  I’m sorry.’

‘Sorry.  Do me a favour.  Listen to me. 
I’ve made it.  I’ve got a job, I even got Fee and soon I’ll be ruler of
everything.  What do I need of your apologies?’

Fiona.  Yes, maybe that was the key.

‘Please Mitch.  You love Fiona, don’t
you?’

‘Love, Fee.  You must be fucking kidding.’

But?’

‘No, you wanker.  Fee was a sexy cunt, not
that you ever appreciated it.  I only wanted her because she was yours. 
Anyway, she’s dead.’

‘Dead!’  It was like a dagger through
Jake’s heart.  Fiona, dead.  How, why? How would Mitch know anyway?

‘Yes, dead.  I killed her.’

He said it so calmly as if he was talking
about having been to the shops or something.  Jake did not know how to cope
with the news.  It was a revelation.  It meant he was free to marry who he
liked but this was not the way he had wanted it to be.  It was a punishment. 
He had fallen in love with Cherry.  He had made love to her but at that time he
had been married.  He had sinned and yes, in his heart, he had wanted Fiona
gone.  Had his powers developed to such an extent that even wishful thinking
could result in her death?

He could not think like that.  He was
being stupid.  Mitch had killed her; he had admitted it.  So why blame
himself?  But it was so difficult not to.  It was his fault, it had to be.

‘Why, Mitch?’ but his question was so
feeble.  He could feel the bastard gloating.

‘Why not?  She was in the way and she had
one of the crystals.’

‘But?’

He couldn’t cope with this.  One
revelation after the other.  Did he really want to carry on?

‘You pathetic creep.  What she ever saw in
you.’

‘Get out!’

Even Jake jumped at the vehemence in
Faivish’s voice.  He had never seen him like this.  The man had finally lost
his temper and who could blame him?  Mitch had destroyed his world, after all.

‘And you’re going to make me.  I’ve done
for one of your heads; I’ll do for the other.  Come on; you wanker; hit me. 
Come on.’

And to Jake’s amazement that was exactly
what Faivish tried to do.  Only Mitch was far too quick and easily deflected
the blow.  He had to do something.  Mitch would slaughter the poor guy.

‘Leave him alone.’

‘Oh, now you’re starting.  I’ll take you
on if you like.’

‘Listen, Mitch.  This is not getting any
of us anywhere.  Metatron is coming.  How’s it going to look if we’re
fighting?’

Jake did not know if it would do any good
but he knew that he was right.  Malaka had called upon the most powerful of all
the angels and they would be as nothing before this being.  Couldn’t Mitch see
that for himself?

‘Okay.  So what are we going to do about
it?’

‘What?’

‘This Metatron.  What’s it going to do?’

‘I don’t know.  Decide which of us will be
allowed to possess the crystals I suppose.’

‘And then what?  There’s one more isn’t
there?  We still need that to do the ceremony.  Will this Metatron let us get
it?’

The questions Mitch raised had occurred to
Jake and so far he did not have any answers.  Metatron was effectively God’s
representative.  Surely God did not want the En Sof to win but then again would
the Lord take sides?  He remembered Kastria’s words about the Earth.  Mankind
had abused its planet; it had turned its back on religion or had distorted
religion into becoming a thing of hatred.  Throughout history wars had been
fought in the name of God and people still killed one another for committing no
worse a crime than that of following the wrong path to the Almighty.  Maybe,
this was the opportunity to start again.

The En Sof represented the first of the
prototype worlds.  Thousands of these worlds had been discarded before God
decided that ours would prevail.  It would be so easy to allow the En Sof to
undo God’s mistake and then begin the process of creation anew.

After all if God did object to what was
happening He could have interfered long ago.  The fact that He did nothing
seemed to imply that God had no interest in ensuring failure for the En Sof.  Maybe
if there had been a better champion.

God had given the Ten Commandments to
Moses.  How many of those had he already broken?

Thou shalt not kill.

It seemed to ring like an accusatory gong.

Sara.  He had killed Sara.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

And of course he had.  He’d made love to
Cherry whilst still married to Fiona.

Remember the Sabbath day.

The list was endless.  One breach after
the other and now Fiona was dead and he felt as if he had willed that fate upon
her.

No.  He had to stop going over this
ground.  The En Sof was out there.  Someone had to defeat it and that someone
was he, but what chance did he have if he did not have the Lord on his side.

There was only one thing to do.  Jake
began to pray.

He did not pray for himself.  He prayed
for the world, he prayed for mankind and he prayed for Cherry.  Cherry Linford
whom, in the end he had failed.  Where was she?

There’s a place that is evil.

……………………………………

Cherry looks into the eyes of the man she
has come to love.  She knows that she wants him so much and she knows that he
has rejected her.  Why today, of all days?

He did not even give her the chance to say
what had happened.  What her mother and she had learned about Dad.  Dad...Oh,
Dad.

It was all so senseless.  A boating
accident they called it.  Fifty people dead, drowned and Dad is among them.

Dad.

And now that she needs him, Shmueli tells
her this.  Their relationship seeming to be the one island of calm in a
turbulent sea and now that has been taken from her.

Shmueli gently touches his forefinger to
her chin.  He smiles sheepishly.

‘I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry.’

She wants to plead with him to beg him to
stay with her but she knows that he will not.  She cannot demean herself
further.

‘Oh, Sam.’

There is nothing she can do.  Everything
that could be said has already been said.

His hand drops.

‘Please.  I’ve got to do this.  I had to
make a choice.’

‘And you did not choose me.’

No, she is crying now.  She has to be
strong.  She cannot allow him to see her like this.

‘I’m sorry...’

‘Oh, stop telling me you’re sorry.  If you
were really sorry then this would never have happened.’

Again Sam looks at her.  His eyes are
tender but he is resolute.

He smiles again.

‘I’ve got to go.  I’m sorry.’

He tries to kiss her but Cherry pulls
away.  No, that would be the ultimate humiliation.  She says nothing and
watches as he turns about.

Damn him, and damn that Rabbi Tashlich who
has made him this way.  She loves that boy, she loves him with every ounce of
her being and he has thrown that love into her face, rejected her and her life
suddenly feels very empty.

Today not only has the man who has
inspired her throughout her life been killed but so the man she loves has left
her.

She wants to go home.  She wants to do
something reckless.  Anything.  She does not care what...and she is there.

Home.

(Surely.  That cannot be.)

She is alone.

The house is empty.  (Or is it?)

She pours herself a full tumbler of vodka
and drinks it as if it is water.

Her head swims and a thought surfaces. 
She does not want to live without Sam.  He is her life.  Without him there is
no life...

And she knows what she must do.

The bathroom, upstairs.  Dad’s shaving
tackle.  It is still there long after he left home and Cherry knows just what
she wants.

She opens the mirrored cabinet and stops. 
A memory surfaces.  She sees herself moving through these same motions before. 
No, it cannot be.  Must be déjà vu.  She puts the thought aside and removes the
leather case.  Inside, as expected, is a paper package and, within, three
unused razor blades.  She hardly thinks what she is doing as she takes one of
the blades and...

knows that if she dies she will never meet
Jake.

It is a dream that floats dimly on the
boundary of memory and, just like a dream, it fades away like fairy dust.

She tries to concentrate but the moment is
gone.  She does not want to die.  She wants Jake.

There it’s back. 

The dream is focused and she sees herself
as she swiftly draws the blade across the artery at her wrist.  It is so sharp
and she knows that there will be no pain other than a slight tingling.  Her
mental image flips back her wrist to open the wound and she watches the blood
spurt as if a tap had been turned to pour onto the floor.

Still in memory she sees Hester enter the
room.

‘Cherry!’

She binds the wound and Cherry’s life
begins anew.  At first it is filled with trauma.  The time in hospital, the
transfusions.  The hatred she feels for Sam.  She sees it all.  How everything
unfolds with an alarming inevitability until that moment when everything
changes.  The moment Jacob Tranton walked into her life; the moment the
adventure began.

Even then she had a death wish; taunting
that bastard Mitch; trying to push him into killing her and then too late she
realised that she loved Jake and soon afterwards she was swallowed alive to
find herself here, wherever here is.

There’s a place that is evil.

And then she understands.  She is in Hell,
of course.

Everything shimmers and before her lies
the painting,
the Anniversary.
  This is her attempt at discharging her
emotion, an emotion she no longer feels.  Now she feels something new.  It is
hatred but it is not directed at anyone, not even directed at herself.  No, it
is the painting itself that she hates.

She pulls it from the easel.  She rips at
it, tearing through the fibres of the canvas.  Shredding the thing.  No longer
must it be a window of her soul.

She must be free.  She will be free. 
Somehow, anyhow.

And she will find the man she loves.

………………………………………

Shmueli quietly inched through the gap. 
His enemy and the other man whose name he did not know were standing with their
backs to him looking at the floor.  He could not see what it was they were
watching.  He knew what to do.  The guard had told him.  The round was in the
chamber.  All he had to do was to release the safety and squeeze the trigger
and the Bent Ferret would be dead.  So why was he hesitating.

Thou shalt not kill.

Where did that come from?

He knew the voice.  It was American,
female.  Chava.  Rabbi Tashlich’s wife.  He had only met her briefly but he was
certain that it was she.  But she was dead; killed by the very man who stood
before him.

No.  It’s a lie.  He is not your
enemy.  Do not kill.  Do not...

No.

He had to put this insane voice from his
mind.  He knew what he had to do.  He had to act. 

He slipped back the safety...and...

The man turned about.

There was no look of shock on his face;
only a calm understanding that Shmueli found quite unnerving.  Now the other
one was turning.

‘Shmueli,’ the Ferret said in his Israeli
accent, ‘Put the gun away.’

All he had to do was squeeze the trigger.

‘Listen to me.  You don’t need to kill
me.  I’m not your enemy.’

‘You...you killed everyone.’

‘I’ve killed no-one.  Think about it.  How
could I have done so?  Was I anywhere near them when they died?’

‘No…?

‘Well then...?’

‘You’re lying.  You’re evil, evil!’

Shmueli felt his muscle clench.  He was
applying the pressure.  He could feel the trigger as it pushed against his
finger.  Soon the evil one’s lies would be no more.  He was going to fire the
weapon and it would be over.

………………………………………

The door opened and Kastria entered the
room.  Jake, Faivish and Mitch had been prisoners together for almost two weeks
and this was the first time one of the senior priestesses had visited them.  It
had to mean something important.

‘It is time.  You are to meet Metatron. 
Come.’