It would be easier if he were a sole agent in the world, but he has a family, people he cares for… he could not forgive himself if—
As dawn breaks, Felix leaves the printing shop and walks out onto the streets of Prague; right, left, through streets that grow narrower until he finds himself by the Altneuschul. He strolls around the side.
In the watery light, he can see the top rungs of the ladder that lead to the sealed-off attic. As children, he and his friends would lob stones at the sealed door, vying to reach it. They called the game Waking up the Golem.
The rav had caught them once, during Krias HaTorah. The lecture he had delivered was one of the longest in Felix’s life. Now, he tips his head back and looks at the darkened space. The wind blows bitterly, and he turns and walks inside the dark, empty shul.
It is warmer inside, but not much. In the dim light, the brass candelabras glow and the furniture is simply deeper shadow. He rubs his eyes.
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