âThe important thing is that you came. We havenât been waiting long.â
The stout man didnât look at him.
âWhen do you want to start work, Dov?â he asked.
âTomorrow.â Dov finished off his warm brandy and placed the glass gently on the table.
âDo you know what the pay is?â the stout man asked.
âNo,â Dov said. âBut I know you. It canât be good.â
âWhatever it is, itâs fine with us,â Israel said, but the stout man didnât look at him this time either. His gaze was fixed on Dovâs face and the joined eyebrows.
âDov,â he said, âyou had ten years to find yourself a good job and settle down. Why didnât you? Lots of people were ready to help you.â
âWhen can we start?â Dov asked.
The man didnât say anything for a moment. Then he said, âYou, Dov, can start tomorrow.â
âThatâs not what I asked. When can the two of us start?â
âDov, this is not a job for him. I never told you Iâd have work for both of you. I said Iâd have work for you. And only because itâs you. â
âYouâre wasting your time,â Dov said. âWeâll find something else. You have a garden by your house, donât you? So go home and water your flowers.â When the stout man didnât answer, after a while Dov said again, âYouâre wasting your time sitting here.â
âWhy do you insist on towing him along, Dov? Heâs not your girlfriend. And he canât work at the jobs you can. You should know that.â
âYeah,â Dov said. âLike I said, youâre wasting your time. Just get up and leave, okay? You havenât ordered anything, so thereâs no reason for you to stick around. They wonât charge you just for sitting down.â
âYouâre like a pretty girl, Dov,â the other man said slowly. âWhenever two girls are inseparable friends, one is pretty and the other so ugly it makes your eyes hurt. You insist on taking this guy along wherever you go, even though you couldnât find a less likely man to team up with in the whole world.â
âGimme a chance,â Israel said. âBelieve me, Iâm strong.â He leaned toward the stout man. âAsk Dov. Yesterday we had a fight with some men in a bar. Ask him how I managed.â He touched the stout manâs shoulder, but the man shook off his hand and turned to Dov.
âStrong men always think they can do something for the weak. And wise men think they can improve the minds of fools. It never works. In the end strong men go down because of weaklings and wise men go mad because of fools. Itâs always been like that. How come you decided to ask me for help?â
âIâll tell you,â Dov said. âI came to you because I was sure all honest and respectable men would turn me down. The way you did. And I know you well and know youâre a scoundrel.â
They looked at each other and suddenly the stout man burst out laughing.
âHey, lover boy!â he shouted at the waiter. âGet us a bottle of brandy.â He gave the waiter a shove with his heavy hand sending him halfway across the room. Then he turned to Dov. âMark my words. There were once two wise guys in this world; one was named David and the other Goliath.â
âRight,â Dov said. âIâll remember that.â He was looking straight ahead, at the sea, where the first lights were beginning to blink, then he turned his head to the left and looked toward the lights of Jaffa. âBut itâs better to be Goliath and die from a stone than to be David who became king, but was the cause of many tears.â
âYou said that, Dov, I didnât,â the stout man said. He picked up a glass and held it in his hand. âYou have a brother in Eilat, donât you?â
âYeah. Why?â
âWhen you were