Chapter 8

Lev woke Bill up again the next morning. It was not nearly as gently as the day before, but that was only for practical reasons. Because they were staying in a hostel, they were not the only two travelers in the same room. Nor were they the only two waking up.

"It's still dark outside," whispered Bill.

"Of course it is," said Lev, "To do it right, you need to reach the top before sunrise. It's a rite of passage."

"But why do I have to pass?" said Bill as he got dressed.

"Because," whispered Lev, "This is the desert and it's going to get very hot very quickly. Climbing Masada now and getting our hiking done before the afternoon is practical."

They checked out of the hostel together. Lev tossed Bill a bottle of suntan lotion. "You'll need it," he said, "It's going to be a long day."

They walked toward Masada together. As they approached the base of the mountain, Bill looked to his left and stopped Lev.

"There's a cable car," he said, "Why don't we take that?"

"There's always a lot of people taking it," said Lev, "Besides, it doesn't start running until well after dawn. We're climbing the Snake Path." He pointed to a barely visible path that zigzagged up the side of Masada.

"You've done this before, right?" asked Bill.

"Nope," said Lev.

Bill's jaw dropped.

"Just kidding," said Lev, "Of course I have. It's an intense, unforgettable experience."

"Why is this mountain so special?" asked Bill as they started walking along the Snake Path.

Lev's voice was distant. He was somewhere else. "Long ago it was ancient fortress of the king. When the Romans destroyed the Great Temple in Jerusalem, a group of zealots who opposed the Romans, about a thousand of them, fled here. For years the Romans unsuccessfully tried to conquer the mountain. When they finally were able to break through, they found all the zealots and their families dead. They chose to die free rather than live as slaves." His voice returned its normal tone.

In the dark, it was hard to see the path, so Bill used his wand to illuminate the way. Looking down the mountain, they saw other travelers also making their way up the Snake Path.

Lev felt exhilarated walking up the trail. Each breath cleared his lungs and his thoughts. In a strange way he felt holy. He also felt extremely close to Bill as they pulled each other along, like they were the same soul. In what seemed like no time, they reached the stairs leading to the summit of Masada.

"I'll race you to the top," said Lev.

Bill agreed.

"No magic and no cheating," said Lev.

"Alright," said Bill with a mock sigh.

"Readygo!" shouted Lev, and he ran up the stairs before Bill even realized that he was supposed to move.

Atop Masada, Bill caught up to Lev and grabbed him.

"You cheated, you cheated," puffed Bill. He tapped his empty water bottle with his wand and it filled with water. He started to chase Lev.

"Stop! Stop!" shouted Lev, "Look!" He pointed to east where the sun's first rays peeked over the horizon.

"Isn't it beautiful?" said Lev, "Listen."

At first there was quiet, but then the sound of voices became distinguishable. The singers were a group of young men who had preceded Lev and Bill up the mountain. The tune they sang was fast-paced, but hauntingly beautiful.

"What is it?" asked Bill.

"They're singing a hymn called ‘Adon Olam', which means ‘Lord of the World'," said Lev, "But the tune is from an Israeli song called ‘Sharm-E-Sheikh'."

"Sharm-E-Sheikh? That's in Egypt," said Bill.

"It's a beautiful song," said Lev, his attention competely focused on the singers.

Suddenly he felt an icy wetness on his head and back. He gasped and turned around. Bill's water bottle was empty and there was a satisfied grin on his face.

"You are so dead," said Lev, and he splashed water from his bottle on Bill.

Bill started to run. "I can refill my bottle anytime I want," he taunted.

Lev caught up to Bill and poured out the rest of his water over Bill's head. Bill refilled his bottle, but Lev grabbed it. Bill caught him in a tight embrace, nearly tackling him. Lev turned around to face Bill, still wrapped in his arms.

The air around them was different, electric. Bill and Lev were both fully drenched and breathing hard, nearly panting - their faces mere inches apart.

Lev grabbed Bill and passionately kissed him. Bill responded with the same intensity. The world around them seemed to disappear as the light of the newly risen sun enveloped only the two figures.

Lev pulled away. He looked horrified, nearly in tears. "I'm so sorry," he said, and ran away across the summit.

Bill wandered around the top of Masada and found Lev sitting in the reconstructed remains of the old synagogue. His eyes were red. He did not look up.

"I'm so sorry, Bill," he said, "I was wrong. I shouldn't have done that."

Bill sat down next to him on the stone bench. He said nothing for a while.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said finally, "And I don't want you to feel hurt. So we can forget this happened if it upsets you so much. Now, is there anything else to see, or can we take the cable car down?"

Lev shook his head. "No, we can go. It's just ruins up here. There's some more hiking we have to do at Ein Gedi. And then we'll go to the Dead Sea." There was only a dull tone in his voice.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The hike around Ein Gedi was tense. Bill and Lev hardly spoke to each other - Lev out of shame and Bill for fear of making things worse. They only briefly rested at the Ein Gedi spring before moving along through the mountains.

By the end of the hike, they were in better spirits. The trail passed by a waterfall and it was there that the two of them started to feel more comfortable in each other's presence. The sight of water pouring down the cliffs sent them into fits of giggles.

By the time they reached the Dead Sea, they were joking around like friends again. After checking into the hotel, the two of them went to the sea to swim.

The Dead Sea (or to the Israelis, "The Salt Sea") is one of those few marvels of nature with no logical purpose. Nothing can live in it, and one is best advised not to spend too much time in its waters. Swimmers do not sink no matter how hard they may try; they merely float. On one side is the colorful Israeli desert and on the other side the Mountains of Moab stand sentry in neighboring Jordan. It's the lowest point in the world and a source of immense natural resources, leading to both a thriving tourist industry and ubiquitous refinery plants. After a visitor's ears pop from the drastic atmospheric pressure change, his nose is attacked by the overwhelming smell of sulfur. And yet, despite all common sense, few pass up the chance to swim in the Dead Sea.

"Be careful," said Lev while they changed into bathing suits, "It's an amazing experience, but if you have any cuts, no matter how small, it will hurt like hell. And don't let the water get in your eyes."

Lev waded in and, after struggling to maintain balance, managed to float on the water. A man reading a newspaper drifted by him. Bill walked into the water. As soon as he was in waist deep, he clenched his teeth in pain.

"Told you," said Lev, "Don't worry, the pain will pass soon."

After spending an hour in the Dead Sea, Bill and Lev rinsed and dried themselves and headed toward the hotel. Both were physically spent and looking forward to the relaxation that they would find on the beaches of Eilat.

When they got to the hotel room, one bed greeted them. In the Jerusalem hotel and the Masada hostel, there had been separate beds. The morning's tension returned and they were not able to look each other in the eye. Lev called the hotel lobby for a cot. An hour later he called again. They went out for dinner, but when they returned the cot had still not arrived. By the time they were ready to go to sleep, there was no cot, and they resigned themselves to the knowledge that it was not coming.

"You take the bed," said Bill, "I'm tagging along with you. I'll take the floor."

Lev sat on the bed and watched Bill as he spread out a blanket and pillow on the ground, covered himself and closed his eyes. There was a sad look in his face.

Lev dragged him off the floor and onto the bed. Then he lay on top of a very surprised Bill so that they were staring face to face.

"There's one bed and two of us," said Lev, "Now either we both take the bed or we both take the floor, but neither one of us is sleeping alone tonight."

Bill looked startled, but said nothing.

Lev continued. "I don't know what's happened between us over the last few days, but something's wrong. I want us to be friends, and we need to see if this friendship can survive. The way we're headed it won't. If sleeping together and getting it out of our systems is the only way, then so be it. I trust in you, and I trust in us. But after tonight, there's nothing else but friendship, fond memories, and a really nice trip. Is this acceptable?"

Bill put his hands behind his head, looked into Lev's eyes, and said, "Yes. Just please be gentle."

Lev smiled. "Don't worry," he said, "We already swam in the Dead Sea."

Then he leaned down to kiss Bill's mouth.