P2

P2

The door to the interrogation room opened just then  and a flag officer blerted,  "Ten-HUTT!" Margolies and Gavish  stood  at attention from where they sat, while Jashen remained seated.

A very short elderly man with a bald head ringed by a wild tuft of white hair walked into the room with the chief of Mossad and two general officers of the Israeli Defense Force.

First he went to the one-way mirror to stare  at Doctor Mengele sitting at a table with his hands cuffed to  either side of his chair. The Prime Minister was  silent for  at least  a minute, looking at the prisoner, before he finally spoke. "So there he is, eh?" Then he turned to examine the room he was in, with his glance settling at last  on the face  of Judith. "Seren Judith Margolies, is it?"

"Yes sir."

"We never met, the last time you made such a delivery."

"No sir, but I am fully aware that you are very busy man."

"Did you find the administrative token of my appreciation to be acceptable recompense  for my  failure to  thank you  in person, Seren Margolies?"

"Yes sir. The promotion was a very welcome surprise, but I would have brought Mengele here today even if I was  still a sergeant in the  reserves." While she spoke she rolled up the  sleeve of her uniform so  the Prime Minister could see the  tattoo she had received in the satellite camp of Buchenwald where her life came very near to being snuffed out.

Ben-Gurion saw the six numerals  there and a dark  cloud passed briefly over his  face. Then he said,  "The same  rate applies today, Seren  Margolies. I brought  these army officers  with me today to take  note you are hereby brevetted to  the rank of rav seren.  And should  the Arabs  choose  to get  into yet  another tussle  with us  I'm certain  you will  distinguish yourself  in battle once more,  which will make that full rav  seren with all the pay and privileges that go with the rank."

Jashen cleared  his throat  and  addressed  Ben-Gurion at  that point. "Sir, I'd like to  inform you that Michael,  whom you've already met once before, is of the opinion the country will have at least ten years of relative quiet."

"I see. And may I ask your name?"