The Celestial Gate by Avital Dicker (red white royal blue txt) 📗

feel her calming body warmth and her kisses on his cheeks. He smiled blissfully. Then the picture dissipated, and Mor opened his eyes.

“You know, it wasn’t all terrible,” said the old man mysteriously adding, “and we choose what to feel.”

For a second, Anise thought the old man was looking at her.

“So, wait, are you the king of the Mayans?” Yam didn’t want to drop the subject.

“We don’t have a king. We don’t believe in monarchies. We believe in tolerance. We have no property, and this palace isn’t mine. I serve the people. When they need me, they come to me for help.”

“Hang on!” Anise interrupted him impatiently. “You said there are two ways to go through the gate.”

The Mayan took a deep pull on his pipe. “Patience,” he said. He stood up and motioned them to follow. He led them through rooms and up staircases until they reached the very top of the palace, where he opened a carved wooden door leading outdoors. A dizzy Anise looked at a narrow rope bridge connecting the palace to the mountain across the valley. Far down below, the lost city was spread out in all its glory.

The old man crossed the bridge with surprising speed. Anise, on the other hand, clung tightly to the ropes, progressing slowly while trying hard not to look down.

The old Mayan waited patiently at the other end of the bridge. Once they were all across, he opened a narrow white door and welcomed them into a complex hewed out of the mountain. They started climbing several sets of stairs, which got progressively narrower, and kept at it for a full thirty minutes. By the time they reached the top, they were all sweating with effort, even Rae.

There they found a small door. The old man took out an iron key and opened it, and all of them bent down to be able to enter.

An enchanted Mor looked around. They were in an observatory. Rae, hypnotized, looked as if she was searching for something. The old man put his hand on Rae’s shoulder. “Look, there’s your planet,” he said, pointing to a low star near the horizon. A blue tear ran down her cheek.

Anise was astonished by the large wooden boards hanging from the observatory walls. They were covered in signs and symbols similar to those she’d seen earlier on the walls of the cave. She felt for the medallion around her neck. “It’s just like this,” she said.

“These are the Mayan calendars. They’re our way of calculating the days, months, and years,” the old man explained.

Mor touched the inscriptions with reverence. “Wait… Didn’t you people prophesize the end of the world? I read about it somewhere on the internet. But you were wrong. The world didn’t end.”

The old Indian smiled mysteriously and pointed to one of the boards. “Look here, Mor. We left signs on planet Earth and indicated the times when the gate would open this way. But human beings are so busy with wars and hatred that they misread the calendar. They thought the note meant the world was ending. Those who see only the dark cannot see the light.”

“We’re here,” said Yam.

The Mayan smiled again, his wise eyes gleaming. “Yes. You’re here.” He picked up a stick and used it to hit a certain spot on the wooden calendar while reciting something in an ancient tongue. Then, the room around them disappeared.

Chapter 31

The brigadier general shook his head no. “I can’t allow you to join our force. It’s much too dangerous,” he stated flatly.

“It’s our only condition. It’s either with us or not at all,” Amalia insisted, her face inscrutable.

A sergeant entered the room and whispered something to the officer, who immediately stood up and hurried out.

After the door closed behind him, Yoav looked at Amalia. “The gate is only a legend,” he said to her softly.

“Exactly. And the children still believe in legends, or at least believe enough to want to try to check it out,” she answered. “Who knows? Maybe the time has come for us to start believing again,” she added.

The officer came back into the room with a report. “Terrorists from the Jewish underground have taken some hostages and are threatening to blow up the tunnels.” The tension in his voice was unmistakable. “You’ve won,” he now addressed Amalia. “Ido is on his way. You’ll join his unit. You got what you wanted.” He walked out of the room once more.

Yoav felt his blood rushing to his brain. Ido, “the good friend,” who was always there to comfort Amalia and support her when the two of them fought. Ido, who’d been in love with Amalia since high school and was only waiting to take his place. “I’m coming too. It’s my son out there,” Yoav said in a tone that brooked no argument.

“But you’re still too weak,” Amalia said with concern.

“I’m fine,” he answered shortly and followed the sergeant to the equipment store. He wasn’t about to let Ido take the woman he loved or play the hero.

Ido was getting outfitted when the three walked in. Seeing Amalia, a smile of relief spread across his face. He took some steps toward her, but then noticed Yoav and stopped. “You survived,” he said, respect coloring his voice.

“Yes,” Amalia smiled warmly, then looked from Ido to Yoav and back with unease.

Ido was the first to refocus on the here and now. “Nobody has any idea what’s happening,” he said. “Terrorists are perpetrating attacks throughout the country. A few minutes ago, we found out that Arab terrorists kidnapped two Israeli politicians and are threatening to behead them. In response, the Jewish underground burned down a mosque and has kidnapped Sheikh a-Nussar.”

“Is it because of the Temple Mount?” asked Theo.

“Yes,” said Ido, putting on a bullet-proof vest.

“Fighting over rocks again,” said Yoav.

“It’s all your fault! You and your religious buddies,” Amalia burst out. “You sanctify rocks and reduce human life to nothing. That’s what happens when you follow rabbis blindly.”

“You’re right. I looked for