The Olive Conspiracy (28 page)

She looked over at Aviva, and was surprised to
see open eyes. “Did I wake you?”

“
I don’t know,” said Aviva,
caressing Shulamit’s feet with her own. “It’s good to have you
back. Sometimes we slept in Ima and Aba’s room while you were
gone.”

“
I’m so glad to be back with you
two that I can’t even describe…” Shulamit sighed. “My dream just
now—it had something to do with the new infested farm, and how it
was somehow all my fault because I’d gone away for so long without
my baby, or because of my complicated history with
Carolina.”

“
That just proves that you’re the
real Shulamit and Imbrio didn’t capture you and send us back a
golem replacement.” Aviva kissed her shoulder lazily. “I’m sorry
that you’re stressed out, but it’s only because your heart’s in the
right place.”

“
I just have to trust in Aafsaneh
at this point, I guess.”

“
Let’s take it as it
comes.”

“
In my dream,” Shulamit added into
the silence of the night, “they were eating…”

They had been eating Naomi. She couldn’t bring
herself to say it out loud.

“
Shh… you have to think about other
things. Maybe pray a little?” Aviva was petting her
hair.

Together, they mumbled their way through the
familiar lines, until Shulamit was soothed back to
sleep.

***

Another day, another grove, another
infestation. Shulamit tried her best to keep her eyes away from the
afflicted trees, instead scanning the skies for any sign of the
great swan that was one of Aafsaneh’s shapeshifting forms. She
stood with the farmers, an elderly husband and wife, with Rivka and
the other guards they’d brought close beside. Over in front of the
farmhouse, the farmhands admired Isaac, who hadn’t bothered to
become human once depositing his ladies on the lawn. Not while
there were compliments to be had.

“
Will she be here soon, Majesty?”
asked the old woman, wide-eyed with anxiety. It was for good
reason. Her trees looked like someone was grinding peppercorns over
them, so thick were the bugs in the air.

“
Any minute,” Shulamit answered.
“We just got here first, because dragons fly so much
faster.”

“
Oh, she’s not a dragon too? I
don’t know, I guess I thought they were all like him.” She cocked
her head at the preening Isaac.

“
She does birds,” Shulamit murmured
distractedly. “Wait! Look!”

Her pointing finger toward the sky heralded the
approach of the Swan Lady. She was like a piece of sky come to
life, come down to them with blue feathers gleaming in the sun.
Shulamit heard gasps from everyone around her as they marveled at
the sight.

Aafsaneh transformed as she landed in one
graceful, coordinated motion and walked toward Shulamit, smiling
and hands outstretched.

Shulamit took her by the hand and led her over
to the landowners. “I present Her Royal Majesty Queen Aafsaneh of
the City of Red Clay. She’s the Prince-Consort’s stepmother,” she
added, in case they needed reminding how the great lady was
connected with Perach.

“
Your Majesty,” said the old woman
breathlessly.

The old man simply kissed her hand and
bowed.

“
Can you help us?” the old woman
asked earnestly.

“
I plan on it,” said Aafsaneh
serenely. She looked over at the insect-laden trees, cocking her
head to one side, then the other as she peered around.

With a flap of her arms she suddenly
disappeared into the form of a tiny songbird. Swift on the wing,
she was in the middle of the olive trees within moments, and was
off catching bugs.

A wave of panic rose in Shulamit’s gut. “We
tried that already. Aafsaneh! Isaac already—”

Then a hand squeezed her shoulder protectively.
She looked back at Rivka. “What’s she doing?”

“
Let maybe the expert work, all
right?” Rivka’s eyebrows were lifted.

Well, if Rivka had faith, maybe there was faith
to be had. After all, what virtue has faith when all is already
sure and comfortable?

Maybe birds have better stomachs than
lizards for these awful things
, she mused.

But then Aafsaneh was walking back toward them
in human form, pulling something from her mouth. It was the insect.
As everyone stared, she studied it in her hand.

Her face lit up. “Yes, I know these. They’re
just what I thought. Perfect.”

Perfect?

Aafsaneh stood back on the bare ground and held
her hands in the air in front of her. With palms outstretched
upward, she began to breathe deeply in solemn rhythms.

“
What’s she doing?” Shulamit asked
Isaac.

“
You are an impatient little
chipmunk,” he replied obliquely, and she fluttered her eyelids in
bewilderment.

Oh, wait, he has no idea either, and he
doesn’t want to admit it.
Shulamit grinned.
I love my
family!

Something tiny zoomed through the air. It came
from the east and headed straight for Aafsaneh. Another just like
it followed close behind, then a third from the north.

Soon, dozens were whizzing all about her head.
What
were
they?

“
What is that?” Shulamit called
out.

With a little smile and a nod, Aafsaneh sent
one of them over.

Shulamit held out her hand, and on the tip of
her middle finger alighted—a dragonfly. Two sets of translucent
wings glittered like sunlight on the stream in which it had
undoubtedly spawned.

“
I don’t get it. More
bugs?”

“
There’s our cavalry,” gasped Rivka
in wonder and appreciation.

All eyes were on Aafsaneh, with now at least a
hundred dragonflies crossing the air over her head around and
around, over and over. Then, with careful deliberation, she changed
the aim of her hands, flipping her palms down and aiming her
fingers straight at the olive grove.

The dragonflies followed her command and made
straight for the trees. The red-and-blue pestilence was like candy
to them, and they devoured the other bugs as if breaking the fast.
Shulamit’s mouth dropped open and she was unable to move. The whole
thing was so beautiful and so perfect that she could almost feel
the earth hum.

“
This is the best thing ever” was
the totally unintelligent thing she said when she managed to find
speech. “I am… wow.”

“
Queen Aafsaneh is a genius!” Rivka
bellowed, and the other queen smiled deferentially.

Isaac came up behind them as a human, folding
his arms across his chest. “Neat trick! I never would have thought
of that.”

“
Can she get more?” asked the old
woman who owned the farm. “There are so many more trees than the
ones they’ve reached.”

“
Aafsaneh!” called Rivka. “Can you
summon any more? This batch is doing great, but they’re staying in
that one area.”

Aafsaneh, her eyes wide in concentration, bit
her lip. “I’m trying. Maybe we’ll just have to work
slowly.”

Isaac marched over to her. “Can I
help?”

She nodded vigorously. “Oh, definitely! If you
give me a boost, I can reach every dragonfly in the
kingdom.”

“
Just stop if you get funny like
last time,” called Rivka.

Isaac knelt to the ground and pressed his hands
to the tops of Aafsaneh’s feet. Once again, she turned her palms
upward and regulated her breathing.

This time, with his powers magnifying hers, she
began to glow slightly, and even rose up off the ground. He
maintained contact with the tops of her feet, but she hovered four
or five feet in the air. With her face radiant in the morning
light, she performed her magic once again.

Soon, the air was thick with the angular swoops
of their tiny saviors. Shulamit stayed close to Rivka, out of the
way of their flight path, and wished for an idle moment that
Halleli were here so that someone could record this beauty
forever.

Aafsaneh cast the dragonflies over the olive
grove once again, and this time, Shulamit could tell that with so
many of them, the red-and-blue insects would be entirely
consumed.

The elderly farmers hugged each other, and the
husband kissed the wife on the cheek. “We’re saved,” she whispered
back.

Perach
is saved
, Shulamit’s thoughts
echoed.

Now Isaac and Aafsaneh were both in their
shifted forms, he a dragon and she a swan, flying over the grove.
“How does it look?” Shulamit cried out.

“
It’s working!” came Aafsaneh’s
call from the distance.

“
We’ll see you in a little
while—we’re taking this show on the road!” Isaac added.

Together, swan and dragon soared into the
distance.

“
Where are they going?” asked the
old woman.

“
To the other farms,” Shulamit
realized with a grin. “This mess is over.”

26. Time of Rededication

The courtyard of the Frangipani Table was alive
with conversation and the noise of happy customers enjoying their
food. Halleli stepped out into the perfectly cool, balmy night and
approached one of the outdoor tables. “Well?” she asked as she
cleared away plates. “Weren’t those
the
best
sufganiyot?”

“
They really were,” said the
customer through a hearty smile. “You know, I wasn’t even going to
get any—I was so full from that incredible chicken! But then I saw
them over at another table and I just couldn’t help
myself.”

“
I’m so glad. Come back again
before the holiday’s over and you can have some more.”

“
Oh, definitely! Here’s the money
for our dinner.”

“
Thank you! Happy
Chanukah!”

“
Happy Chanukah, Halleli! Tell Yael
I said the same.”

“
I will.” Halleli waved them off
into the tall palms, their path illuminated by outdoor
torches.

She hustled back inside the kitchen, knowing
there were plenty more parties to see to.

“
Table 3 outside really loved the
sufganiyot,” she told Yael as she burst into the kitchen, already
looking for the next set of plates to carry out.

“
Everyone
loves my
sufganiyot,” Yael snapped back with a grin. “You take some home to
Hadar, you hear?”

“
Wouldn’t dream of
forgetting!”

“
She reminds me of a girl I loved,
way back before either of you had a spark of life. Way before I met
my husband too.” Yael paused to concentrate on her plating. “You’re
really such a big help around here, Halleli. Anyone else would fuss
about missing the big menorah-lighting ceremony with the queen over
at the Square. Your counterpart already begged off.”

“
Well, I’m assuming you’ll let me
go at least on Shabbat,” Halleli pointed out. “She does it all
eight nights, right?”

Yael nodded. “But this is your first time,
since you just moved here. I’m just saying, I’m grateful you passed
that up to make sure all those wallets out there got
fed.”

Halleli giggled at the brazen mention of money.
“You’re not as hardened as that. I know better.” She was intensely
grateful to the older woman for making sure that her transition
away from the only life she’d ever known was easier than it could
have been. “So, what’s it like over there? What am I
missing?”

“
Sometimes people come up after Her
Majesty lights the candles,” said Yael, “and share the miracles
that have happened to them since last Chanukah.”

Halleli sighed poetically. “What a beautiful
tradition!”

Yael handed her the next plates to be taken
out. “Here are the tabouleh and bourekas for table 2.”

“
Outside or inside?”

“
Outside.”

“
It’s such a beautiful night
tonight. Not sticky at all. It’s… wonderfully cool and refreshing.
I feel like I could dance!”

“
Dance with Hadar when you get
home, child. Lord knows she’s got the energy,” said Yael. “For now,
that food’s getting cold.”

Halleli whirled off, careful not to spill her
fresh plates.

As she served the customers, she daydreamed
about what she might say on her night off, if she had the courage
to speak in front of that many people. Even in this season of
wreckage she was all too aware of the blessings she still
had.

Maybe I should just draw my miracles
,
she mused.
Then I won’t have to explain them in front of so many
people.

A busy night meant time ran swiftly, and soon,
the restaurant closed for the night. Halleli carried all the
outside tables in, one at a time. After they were all back in their
usual spots, she scrubbed them down.

“
Well, kitchen’s clean!” Yael
emerged from the kitchen carrying a chanukiah and two candles in
one hand. “You’ll stay and do this with me? You can do it again
with Hadar when you get home.”