Conjuring Darkness

by Melanie James

  “Yes, let him in. That is Rabbi Abraham Pearlman. He’s a specialist in archaeology and history.” Ryan opened the door, and a smiling man entered. He was short, portly, and about sixty years old. His glasses were round wire frames over smiling blue eyes. Lexi looked at him and thought, if he traded in his black suit for something red, he would have made an excellent Santa Claus.

  “Welcome, Rabbi Pearlman!” Jakub said loudly. “Please meet Lexi Salenko, she is the sister of Kate Karnstein and this is either her boyfriend or bodyguard, Ryan Kidd.”

  “Hmmm. Bodyguard and boyfriend to such a pretty lady? Not a bad job to have my boy. From the looks on their faces I would say that he really gets into his work.” Abraham laughed at his own crusty demeanor. “I’m sorry. Forgive an old man.” He smiled and shook his finger at them. “I recognize you from last night. I was walking through the plaza and I remember seeing you both. I thought to myself. Ah to be so young and in such love. It makes me happy to see that, you know.”

  Ryan shook hands with Abraham. Lexi started to get up, but Abraham put his hand on her arm. “Please, don’t get up for me.” He smiled at her. “You look like a younger twin of your sister. Although with those eyes, my dear, you certainly are your mother’s daughter.”

  Lexi stood up anyway and excitedly asked, “Rabbi Pearlman! You knew my mother?”

  “Yes, yes I certainly did. I knew both of your parents. We first met before you were born. I think it was at a conference in Ankara, Turkey. After that, I would occasionally run into them at various archaeological digs as well as some lectures. We corresponded on our research as well. As a matter of fact, I also met your sister at a lecture I gave. Duke University, I believe. I was on a lecturing circuit about Babylonian archaeology and mythology at that time. In any case, please dispense with calling me Rabbi and just call me Abraham. Jakub insists on calling me Rabbi, although I have extensively studied Hebrew texts, I was never a rabbinical student.”

  Jakub immediately refuted his dear friend, “Yes, you are certainly a Rabbi. You are a teacher, and you have dutifully kept on with your Hebrew studies well beyond what many people have. Close enough for me. Besides, it makes me feel better when I can brag to people that my friend the famous Rabbi was here.” Jakub surprised Lexi and Ryan with a laugh.

  Ryan chimed into the conversation in order to glean more information about how Jakub, and the archaeologist that knew Lexi’s parents had met. “So, how do you and Jakub know each other?”

  Abraham looked ever at Jakub and they both appeared cautious about how to answer Ryan’s question. Finally Abraham spoke out, “Yes, well Jakub met me a number of years ago when he approached me about learning more about an old amulet that had come into his possession. He was with the Mossad at the time. He said that much of the story surrounding it was classified as secret. I looked at it briefly, but because I couldn’t take it to study it, I really had nothing to offer in regards to it. All I can say is that it is very old, and I have seen nothing else quite like it. He recently contacted me and told me that Lexi Salenko would be visiting him with the amulet. So of course, I had to see the daughter of my old friends as well as to see this amulet again. Jakub promised that he would be spilling all of his secrets. I am intrigued! Perhaps we should let Jakub tell us the very interesting story associated with it.”

  “Forgive me, but I am very old. With age I have realized that it is time for me to say what must be said, and to do what must be done. I also believe it is time for me to tell my entire story, as I never have done that before. I feel that I must do this, before I leave this life.”

  Jakub addressed Lexi directly. “So, if you would like some water or tea please, there—the kitchen, you may get those. It is rather difficult for me to move about and be a good host.”

  Lexi looked at Ryan, who smiled back at her as they acknowledged Jakub’s old fashioned personality. Of course, it would be the woman’s job to get the drinks. Lexi walked over to the little kitchen counter and while she looked around she asked, “Jakub, would you like something? Ryan, Abraham?”

  Jakub made a slight smile, “Thank you Lexi, tea for the Rabbi and me.”

  “Just water for me Lex, thanks. Doctor Meier, forgive me for asking this, but we would like to know about how you knew Kurt Karnstein. We know that he visited you in the past.”

  Jakub answered, “Yes, I met him and I will tell you about that after I give you my story.” Lexi returned to the table with the drinks.

  “Thank you, Lexi. I want you to be comfortable, because I am going to tell you a story now. Your sister was here. You could say that I compelled her to write the letter to you. I needed her to have you bring the amulet here. That thing she called a coin is actually an ancient amulet.”

  Everyone eagerly awaited Jakub’s tale.

  Chapter Ten

  “Now listen to me, this is the story of why the amulet is important, and why you must take it to your sister. Again, humor me by saving your questions until after.”

  Ryan and Lexi looked at each other and Ryan answered, “Of course, we’re all ears.”

  Jakub took a cigarette from a pack on the table and lit it. He inhaled and blew swirls of blue grey smoke into the ceiling light. His eyes seemed to be looking into the distant past.

  “My story starts in Warsaw, Poland. It was 1941 and I was fourteen years old. I lived with my parents and my two little sisters in a flat that was located above a closed down bakery. This was in the Jewish Ghetto that you are undoubtedly familiar with. You know the history well of how this happened. It was a terrible place those Nazi monsters created.

  Not only did they treat us like we were animals, they enforced a particular cruelty on us. Those were the days of heart breaking decisions of who would be chosen to be sent to the labor camps, whenever the SS ordered deportations to be carried out.”

  Ryan pointed out an observation. “They were making sure that nobody could trust each other, particularly the leaders.”

  “Exactly. In order to control us they sometimes made Jews make those heart wrenching decisions. They needed to pit us against each other, keeping us in a state of mistrust and fear. They knew that by doing this, it would make it very difficult for us to organize a resistance.

  The Nazis created what they called the Judenrat, or Jewish Councils made up of Jewish community leaders. The SS held all the councilmen responsible for ensuring that the Nazi SS orders were carried out. If the council failed to obey them, the SS threatened to liquidate the entire Ghetto by killing everyone. They also established Jewish police to uphold their rules.”

  Jakub paused while he finished his cigarette. He squashed the butt down in an ashtray and pushed it aside.

  “My father was council leader, and he was certain the Nazi’s would collapse on themselves, due to the constant pressure from other countries. My father was convinced it would all end soon. We just needed to survive. He set strict rules for us to live by. His greatest fear was that I would be overheard in speaking out against the Nazis. So my father always told me—never to talk to any strangers, and to only come to him about things that were happening around us.”

  Jakub paused and drank his tea as if he were trying to steady himself for the rest of his story. “So now you know the type of place this was.”

  “Now, I want to tell you about Shandor, the Magician. One day, I met a very old man who was on the street with the beggars. This man had been staying on our street for many days. Sometimes he hid himself in crates or barrels. I was very curious about how he lived, because he was never seen begging. I assumed that he was probably a thief of some kind.

  In those days we were very poor, and my old shoes were falling apart. I sat on the step by our door and I tried to fix them by binding them up with a string. The old man looked at me and he motioned with his hand for me to come over to him, which I did. He held out a pair of shoes. They were not new, but they were in good shape. He said that they were too small for him, and that I could have them. I was very reluctant to acc
ept something so highly valued because I was sure they were stolen. In times like that, it is very easy to allow necessity to trump morals, and that is exactly what happened. I took them, but only once he would tell me they were not stolen.”

  Jakub took a drink of his tea and lit another cigarette. “Sometimes a person wants to be lied to, in order to do what is required. I am sure you would agree.” A circle of smoke snaked through the air above him as he laughed.

  “He told me that he was not a thief, but a magician. Now imagine how I reacted. I was just a boy, who is told by a mysterious old man that he is a magician! I was fascinated. Every boy wants to have some sort of special power, especially when one is at the mercy of such an evil like the SS. So, I became friends with him in the hopes that he truly was some sort of wizard.

  He told me his name was Shandor, and that he was a Roma. Those are the people that are sometimes called Gypsies. The Roma people were persecuted by the Nazi’s, just like the Jews. That is why Shandor lived in the Ghetto.

  I begged him to tell me about his life as a magician. He must have truly trusted me, because the Roma never speak to any outsiders about their secrets. Anything they would tell outsiders, were often just a bunch of made up tales. At least, that’s how it was for the old Roma. If they gave away their secrets, they would be shunned by their people. They would also be subject to attacks by evil spirits. Shandor told me that since he had nobody left in this world, he agreed to make me his apprentice.”

  Jakub paused again, and closed his eyes as he remembered the mysterious Shandor.

  “I remember exactly how he looked. Shandor was a very impressive man to meet. His eyes were like deep black pearls set into a face that may as well have been sculpted from brown clay. It had permanent deep lines that told of his long, hard life. His hair was long and dark. He had a heavy moustache and beard that hung down to his chest. He seemed so mysterious and intense to me. I couldn’t help but stare at him, and think that long ago he had been someone very important. His clothes were dirty and frayed, but you could tell that they were of good quality.

  He wore a wide brim hat that was the color of sand. It was made of a stiff felt and had a dark red ribbon for a hatband. His long wool coat was crafted in the same light color of his hat. I remember how wide the lapels were and how large the collar was. He could pull them up and completely cover his head with the coat. There were only two of the silver buttons left on it, but you could see that at one time, they were decorated with a design in red enamel. He wore black pants and a black shirt with a dark red neckerchief. This is how the old Roma men like Shandor looked.

  I don’t know how old he was, but he said that he had traveled throughout Europe as well as places that are now Turkey and Syria. He told me many wonderful stories of the places he traveled through. I knew enough from what he said that he must have been a hundred years old, perhaps even older. I could not imagine how a man could live so long. It convinced me that he was truly a magician.

  My father had seen me talking to Shandor one day and he was very upset with me. He pulled me away and he warned me once again not to talk with any strangers, especially the Roma. I continued to disobey him. I would still go to see Shandor, who would teach me his magic tricks.

  One day I went to my father, he was seated at our little table where he liked to read. I can still see him. His hair was short and starting to turn from black to a little gray. He was always dressed in his black suit coat and white shirt. My father always dressed like he still taught at the university. I wanted to know why I couldn’t see Shandor. After all, he wasn’t part of the underground resistance. My father pulled me close and whispered in my ear. I learned then, that my father was in fact a resistance leader. He knew if the truth was discovered it would be the end for us all. Suddenly, I was full of admiration for my father and from then on, I obeyed him. I stayed away from Shandor and any other strangers.”

  Jakub’s lips began to tremble, he rubbed his head. Lexi noticed that Jakub was upset. “Are you okay Jakub?”

  “Yes. Yes, I’ll be alright. What I’m about to tell you is my saddest memory. I have to talk about it you see, because it really is the whole reason everything happened to me with the amulet. About a month after my father told me about his work with the Polish Underground we were all sitting together in our little apartment.

  It was late in the afternoon when suddenly there was a very loud pounding on our door. It was the SS. They were outside shouting angry demands that we open the door. As you can imagine, we were all terrified. My mother rushed around and tried to hide us, but they kicked the door in and dragged our parents into the alley. My little sisters ran out behind them screaming and begging the soldiers to stop. I tried to pull them away, but they got away from me. The soldiers beat my father, and accused him of collaborating with criminals.

  My father did not say a word. One soldier began talking about the differences in killing Jews and Roma. I thought they were only trying to frighten him. Then one of the monsters took out a pistol and shot my father. Just like that. No warning at all. He shot him dead right there in front of us. We all screamed, and then they grabbed my mother and sisters. A hand came out of nowhere behind me. It grabbed my coat and pulled me around a corner and in through a door.”

  Lexi and Abraham’s eyes welled up with tears. Lexi wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to console him. “Oh, Jakub! How awful! I am so sorry. Who saved you? Was it Shandor?”

  “Yes, it was Shandor. He pulled me away and saved me, but as for the rest of my family...” Jakub became silent for a minute, “I never saw my mother or sisters after that day. When I hear people say they doubt if such things as demons exist, I can say that I know they are walking among us, just like those soldiers.

  At first I was in such shock, I couldn’t even cry. Shandor grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me in the eye. He told me to feel the anger inside of me, and to let that anger grow. He told me to feed it with my hatred for those monsters, to taste the bitter desire for revenge. Shandor promised that my hatred would become my power. Of course, I had no idea what he meant at first.

  That very night, he showed me what he could do with black magic. I learned that Shandor was indeed the powerful sorcerer I had once imagined. This next thing I am about to tell you—I have not shared with anyone before.”

  Jakub looked at Lexi to address her directly. “You can believe, or not believe the story I am about to tell you of Shandor the Magician.” He lifted one crooked index finger and pointed to Lexi and then to Ryan.

  “As incredible and as frightening as it may seem, this is something you both will need to know. Take out the amulet and place it here, on the table.” Lexi dipped her hand into her backpack and pulled out the heavy gold disc. With a very cautious hand she carefully placed it onto the table.

  “Shandor had used his magic tricks to save his own life before he arrived in Warsaw a year before we met. This happened when the SS were transporting Shandor and his people to Poland from Hungary. Once they stopped at the Polish border the Nazis told them they needed the Roma to dig drainage ditches, in order to prove that they were worthy of labor. Shandor had correctly suspected that the SS didn’t care at all about drainage ditches. He knew the Roma were actually digging their own graves. Shandor came up with an idea to save his family, by using one of his old tricks that he called his resurrection spell.

  When the ditch was completed he noticed the Nazi’s had taken away all of the shovels. They were ordering all of the Roma to start lining up at the edge of the ditch. It was time to act quickly. He took a special powder and mixed it with water. Each of his grown children and their small children took some of the potion, but Shandor did not take it himself. This powder made them completely unconscious and they appeared to be dead. He laid them down and when the Nazis called on him to bring his family, he cried and told them they had all died of sickness in the night. This was a very believable story. In fact, many people did die from various diseases that easily spread in the
poor living conditions. He was certain the soldiers would leave the dead family there in order to avoid catching something.

  He went with all of the other Roma to the ditch. There was a spot that Shandor had picked when he was digging, and that is right where he returned to. When the people realized they were about to be murdered many screamed and tried to run away. The soldiers started shooting those people first. In the chaos, some of the Roma jumped into the ditch and pretended to be dead. Shandor jumped into the ditch and like a spider crawling into its lair, he crawled into a hole he had secretly dug into the side of the ditch.

  The shooting had finished, but Shandor waited until he heard the trucks finally leave. He ran back to his unconscious family. Now, it was time to give them all a different powder to awaken them.”

  Everyone had become absorbed by Shandor’s attempt to save his family from the Nazis. “What a great way to save them from the firing squad. Brilliant!” Lexi exclaimed excitedly.

  “The plan was brilliant. However, the Nazis had bayonetted both of Shandor’s sons to see if they were indeed dead.”

  “Oh God.” Gasped Lexi in horror.

  “The rest they left alone, presumed to be dead. Shandor quickly placed small amounts of the powder onto the tongues of the others in order to revive them with the remedy, but the resurrection never came.”

  “Shandor was too late.” Ryan said in a mournful tone.

  “You are correct. The remedy needed to have been provided much sooner, to prevent the sleeping powder from killing them.”

  Abraham shook his head as he imagined how Shandor must have reacted. “He must have been devastated to know that he personally gave them the poison that killed them.”

  “Yes, imagine his grief. Imagine his guilt. He cursed himself. He called upon God to bring them back, but to no avail. He said that he fell into insanity, and then it happened. He remembered an old magic spell that he was taught. It was forbidden black magic that conjured the night demon.”