The Schliemann Legacy by D.A. Graystone Read Free Book Online Page B

the drive and desire of the special breed of Israeli who followed Ben Gurion's wisdom.
    At David's request, the pilot had reluctantly veered off course to fly over the Palmach Brigade Memorial, Dani Karavan's enormous sculpture. The huge dome, split and riddled with shell holes, reminded David of his life. As Dani himself had said, the creation evoked "the memory of the dead at the same time as the fight for life." David understood and appreciated the words. He had fought in the wars - though not behind a gun or mortar. David's battle was within the enemy's camp. He used cunning and craft rather than artillery and armor. The Israelis had never underestimated the value of intelligence although even they were using technology over human intelligence all too often.
    David felt the helicopter tip as they began a gentle arc into Tel Aviv. Following flight regulations, the pilot approached from the Mediterranean Sea. David studied the rough surface below. Small swells dotted the waves with foamy caps and a near black patch of water marked a school of feeding fish. Commercial fishing vessels surrounded the area and prepared their nets. Over fifty small sailboats raced through the water near the shore, their colored sails swelled by the brisk wind. The tourists were taking full advantage of the early summer heat.
    As always, David's first sight of the sprawling city both warmed and depressed him. The skyline stretched back for miles from the sandy coast and reminded him of a miniature Manhattan. Tel Aviv represented the development of Israeli commerce and the abandonment of the desert communities. As in so many countries, urbanization had consumed much of Israel's population.
    Made up almost exclusively of white cement buildings, Tel Aviv might look sterile if not for the thick haze of pollution that hung over the hot metropolis. Tall, haphazardly placed complexes broke the monotony of the squat buildings. As they neared the rooftop heliport, David's eyes traced the narrow streets leading to the wider, modern avenues carefully planned by urban developers. This combination of roads illustrated the essence of the Israeli people; a lack of fear of the high technological present set beside a love and respect of the ancient past.

    * * * * *

    Still wondering if he was about to have his butt kicked, David knocked on the plain wooden door and heard a familiar voice tell him to enter.
    Assi Levy sat behind his desk, a stack of papers in front of him. He ignored David while he finished reading a report from one of the Mossad stations. A quick glance told Morritt the report was from a base in Southeast Asia - a small grocer in Saigon, if his memory served. He avoided the secret documents and walked to the large picture window to gaze at the spectacular view of the Mediterranean. The bulletproof glass gave an added blue tinge to the glaring water. Leaning on the sill, David felt slight vibrations in his fingertips and glanced down. Since listening devices could translate the minute window vibrations into recognizable speech, this wall was equipped with speakers to vibrate the glass and distort the reception of any bugging equipment. A simple but effective precaution.
    Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined the remaining three walls of the office. Assi was a voracious reader and an avid collector of both ancient and modern books. One entire row of the east shelf displayed religious texts of dozens of religions in various languages. The shelf below held books on major historical battles. An ancient copy of the Talmud occupied a position of honor on the north wall. Across the room was a collection of manuals on exotic poisons, weapons, and hand to hand combat techniques, many written by Levy. This was Assi Levy. He was devoted to both religion and to the defense of his country. To him, they were the same.
    The sound of shuffling papers brought David around to face the desk. The Director had completed his reading and was carefully locking the files in