THE END OF THE WORLD

Bring the sheep in, Papa said. It looks like a storm.

The weather had been funny for the past couple of days, brooding like, as if something was going to happen. And every bird, every sheep, every tree and living thing, brooded along with the sky, as if they knew something that man had yet to comprehend.

Yascha and I grabbed up our herding-sticks and waded in among the woolly backs. Here, Sheep! Yascha shouted, swinging his stick above his head like a centurion's sword. But the sheep did not need much urging today. Heads down, they went meekly into the barn, as they went to shearing or to slaughter.

Done so soon? Mama asked.

I dunno, Mama, I said. The sheep almost seemed glad to be indoors today. Papa thinks a storm is coming up.

Go and wash, she said. Above our heads, she looked at Papa and frowned. You don't think

I'm going down there, Papa said. I've got to see for myself.

There was a note of alarm in Mama's voice. You stay away from there! I don't know what is going to happen, but it isn't going to be good. I don't want you getting hurt.

Well, I'm hardly thinking about myself. I mean, after three years

I think it's all over. For him and for anybody connected with him if they turn up there. She set the water jug down on the table with a bang. We knew it could come to this. I told you that the first time I heard about him. 'Stay out of it, David', I said. The rabbi said the same thing. And now the government's involved, and it's all a big mess. We have the children to think about, and our land. What if they link us to this mess? What if we can't sell anything anymore? What if they come after us?

Papa sat down heavily on the bench. I haven't done anything with them for almost a year. Look, I'm a sheep farmer, okay?

You'd do well to remember that, Mama said, plunking a bowl in front of him.

Papa looked up with angry eyes. You were just as into it as I was, he said. You took the boys, for goodness sake! You said you wanted them to witness history.

I sighed and went to wash my hands. They were having that argument again. Papa had stopped going to Temple a couple of years back. He'd started following some of the desert preachers: that fellow that got killed in jail last year, and then that other man that wandered around talking about God being a loving God and heaven being something we could all achieve in our lifetimes if we just lived right. I thought the Rabbi would be able to tell me what he thought about him; after all, I was just a

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