The Last War

Chapter Seven

Alan Rashbi was looking outside his window at the busy market. This is the exact spot where the merchants of Jerusalem were selling their merchandise for centuries. Now, at the threshold of the
21st century, the merchandise itself has changed, but the noise and the entire atmosphere of the
market remained. Jews, Arabs, tourists, new emigrants, cops, soldiers, Hasidim, monks - all were mixed and intermingled in this colorful sea of people. Jerusalem became a Babylon. Does that mean
it will fall as well? Alan turned away from the window. Yesterday he was finally released from the army, after serving almost four years in the Israeli Air Force. During the last months he got even closer to connect the parts of the extremely vast puzzle, the existence of which he was initially hinted in his dreams and trances. There is something going on on both higher and deeper levels of the Israeli paramilitary and certain governmental bodies, a preparation of sorts, the final answer seemed to be within a reach of his hand, and yet it always managed to elude his conclusions. Is this the reason he was so suddenly fired from the army? Did they sense there is a pattern in his interest of the things that extend far beyond his originally assigned job? Was he, as the cliche goes, getting too close? Now whatever sources he has carefully established within the army are terminated for him - his only a citizen today. Let it be then, he was getting sick of the army anyway. Whatever happens, happens for the best, isn't it one of my mottos, he pondered. The mysterious preparations aside, there were other lines of the net of the global consciousness that
weren't at rest. In fact, MOST of the lines weren't at rest. There were vague yet enormous things
moving both under the surface and near the horizon of all events, moving toward each other, moving with a purpose, with a reason, but, exactly like the military conspiracy he ran into, he wasn't able to fully comprehend that purpose. Perhaps, other can... Here it is again, the others!
"I must find you, my allies," Alan faintly whispered, "but how?" His glance absently fell on a video cassette he rented today. "The Net", it was titled. It was the answer. Outside, a winter rain began, shyly at first, gently knocking on the glass, other drops pinning the dust and the litter of the old streets of the Holy City. Then the rain was reinforced, as immense and ominous dark clouds were formed above the roofs. Alan returned his attention back to the window... then he blinked and rubbed his eyes in disbelief. For a sole moment it seemed to him that it wasn't raining the cold water of the much delayed winter of 1999-2000. For a moment Alan Rashbi got the impression that it was raining blood.

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