N4

N4

Che said, "I am named Elin, a servant of one who is known to the people of this farm.  Michael would have  me speak  with Judith Margolies, one of the kibbutznikim here."

Judith was relieved of teaching her class and brought to one of the empty houses in the  kibbutnikiyot section to meet Elin. She saw how the short-haired newcomer  was at least a  foot shorter than Michael, yet che was still loomed like a tree over Judith. And being this close  to hem,  she was  entirely unsure  if the visitor was male or female. It was Judith's first encounter with a nephil.

The ambe said, "Peace be with you, Judith Margolies. I am called Elin. I serve the  one who met  you on a  beach of  the English Channel  and  asked  if  you  would hunt  the  enemies  of  Jews throughout the world."

"And it is proof of your sincerity, Elin, that you know exactly what Michael said to me on that early morning."

"Michael sent me, first of all, to ask if you were well."

"Apart from my trusty British-made rifle," Judith began, "I have very little in  the way  of  personal possessions.  I own  some clothing, I 'own' a radio I share with the others in the Women's House, and  I have  other such  simple things.  There are  a few tractors and jeeps, but they  belong to the whole community. All the profits of the kibbutz are  pooled together for the needs of the laborers. I have a little pocket money from my reserve duty. I have good health. In fine, apart from the occasional firefight with the Arabs, you may tell Michael I am living in utopia."

"That is good to hear," said Elim, "because it clears the way to my next question. Have you heard of a man named Horst Wagner?"

Judith wanted to spit, but  caught herself as she  realized she was indoors. She said, "What Jew doesn't curse the  name of the German  diplomat  who was  instrumental  in  the deportation  of hundreds of thousands of European Jews to death camps in Poland? I  know he  was  arrested by  the allies  and  testified at  the Nuremberg trials  as a witness.  But what happened to  him after that I know very little."

"Then Judith, allow me to pick up his trail  where it runs cold for you.  Late in 1947 Wagner  was placed in an  internment camp for Nazi  war criminals  called Nuremberg-Langwasser but  it was guarded very  weakly. He managed  to escape to Austria  and made contact with a rat line."