Chapter 7

"Rise and shine, sleepy head," Lev whispered into Bill's ear.

"Lemme alone. I wanna sleep," said Bill, rolling over.

Lev got onto the bed and bent over the sleeping form. He gently licked Bill's earlobe and blew on it.

Bill sat up. "I'm awake," he said irritably, "That was a dirty trick."

Lev shrugged his shoulders. "I slept next to you for months. I know how hard it is to wake you up in the morning. I can't afford to play fair."

Bill looked directly into Lev's eyes and grinned. "I give you credit, you certainly knew what worked."

Lev uncomfortably turned away. "Get ready, we have to catch a bus to Haifa."

"Why so early?" asked Bill.

"Because I want to show you the Baha'i Gardens and it's not open all day. And I don't want to have to spend a night in Haifa to see it."

Bill managed to get ready very quickly and they made their way to the Central Bus Station. Shortly afterwards they were on a bus headed toward Haifa.

Because he was still tired, Bill lay his head on Lev's shoulder, though he did not fall asleep.

"Lev," he said dreamily, "Did you travel much growing up?"

"Not really," said Lev, "I never liked the idea of leaving home. How about you? I mean before Cairo."

"No, we were always too poor. When I was born, Dad was still working in a low-level Ministry position and Mum and Dad were only married for a year or so. And then Charlie came along so money was tight. When Percy came, it got worse. Then Dad got promoted to the head of his department, and it looked like there would be some more money, but Fred and George were born. Then Ron came and then Ginny. And then I went to Hogwarts, so that was another expense. And then Charlie went, and so on. I was supposed to go to Brazil once, to visit a pen friend. The trip never happened though."

"Why?" asked Lev.

"Mum and Dad didn't have enough money. I told him about that and he didn't believe me. He thought I didn't want to see him. So he sent me a cursed hat. It made my ear shrivel. I could barely hear for weeks until the curse was removed. Even Dad was getting upset."

Lev looked around to see if anyone else was listening, but everyone around them was fast asleep.

"Sometimes I think my ears never quite recovered. I look at my reflection and I think they're still a little shriveled."

"Poor baby," said Lev, kissing Bill on the crown of his head, "Your ears look perfect."

"Thank you," said Bill as he drifted into a light sleep. Lev leaned his head against Bill's, but stayed awake. He spent the ride watching the scenery go by until the bus approached the Carmel.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Jerusalem prays, Tel Aviv plays, Haifa works. Or so goes the saying. Lev had always been a bit ambiguous about Haifa. He considered it a dull city with little nightlife or character. The upper echelon lived higher up the mountain and the lower class lived near the port. It seemed to Lev that there was more Arabic and Russian than Hebrew or English, and his inability to understand frustrated him.

However, for its sheer visual marvel, Haifa held a special place in Lev's heart. There was no city in the world that he thought was as naturally beautiful. The way Haifa splayed over the Carmel reminded him of moss gathered on a stone. He felt a flush of pleasure every time he walked up the roads, and looked out into the sea.

The Baha'i Gardens was the most magnificent part of Haifa. The Baha'i buildings were wondrous and intricate, but it was the actual gardens that took Lev's breath away, the way the plants and flowers were arranged, the rocks - the subtle harmony. It was a solemn place. Even outdoors, no one spoke above a whisper.

And then there was the view. From a certain spot, one could see a full view of the port and watch the ships move in from and out toward the Mediterranean. He wanted Bill to see that, to be surrounded by the beauty. But if they did not get there early enough it would be closed to them.

Luckily the trip from the Haifa Central Station was quick and they made it to the Baha'i Gardens with time to spare. Lev led the way down the steps toward that wonderful view. A barge sailed toward the docks.

"So what do you think?" Lev asked leaning on the railing.

"It was worth waking up early," Bill answered. He put his arm around Lev's shoulders, and they watched the port for what seemed like an eternity.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the Baha'i Gardens, they headed toward the center of town. Lev was not sure why, but it seemed silly to just go to the gardens and leave the city.

When they reached the center, Bill noticed stairs that led underground.

"What's that?" he asked.

"That's the entrance to the Carmelit, the Haifa subway," said Lev, "It's kind of like an underground cable car. It makes a few stops up and down the mountain."

"Can we ride it?" Bill asked excitedly, "I've never been in one of those things."

"If you want," said Lev with a laugh, "I've never seen anyone that eager to ride a subway before."

"Well," said Bill with a shrug and a smile, "I'm my father's son."

Lev kissed him on the cheek and they descended the stairs. They rode the Carmelit several times. Bill was like a little kid with a new toy.

Finally it got late enough for Lev to leave Haifa without feeling guilty.

"Are we going back to Jerusalem?" Bill asked as the boarded a bus.

"No," said Lev, "We'd have no place to stay. I checked out of the hotel today. And my next reservation doesn't start for a few days."

"Where are we going?"

"South. Tonight we stay in a hostel. Tomorrow morning we climb Masada before dawn. Then we'll be hiking all day. That reminds me, we need to buy some bottles of water somewhere. We'll stay at one of the hotels near the Dead Sea. And then, off to Eilat."

"Did you say before dawn?"

Lev just smiled.