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In fact； for all his and Lydia's sophistication； the Ochs clan sprang from Pentecostal roots； snakes； tongues； and all。 Nathan Lee hadn't known the depth of it。 It was no wonder an abortion had been out of the question。 The Missouri wedding had been like something out of the Civil War； all lace； black broadcloth； and raw bones。
〃Which are you then； sir？〃 asked the engineer。 〃The believer who doesn't believe； or the nonbeliever who doesn't care？〃
Ochs evaded him。 〃Ask my student here。 He claims Jesus is a sausage。〃
The engineer's black eyebrows rose into the brim of his hardhat。
In Arabic； Nathan Lee said； 〃My tongue runs away from me sometimes。〃
〃A sausage； though！ What an image。〃
〃A human skin；〃 Ochs supplied； 〃stuffed with myths and prophecy。〃
The engineer enjoyed that。 〃And yet you dedicate yourself to Year Zero？〃
〃The professor borrows me now and then；〃 Nathan Lee said。 〃My doctoral focus is seventh…century northern Syria。 I'm exploring the disappearance of Roman families from the so…called Dead Cities。 They were prosperous and deeply rooted here。 Their villas had mosaic floors and windows that looked out onto the oases。 Then suddenly one day they were gone。〃
〃Was there a war？〃 asked the engineer。
〃There are no signs of violence； no layers of ash。〃
The engineer gestured at the landscape beneath them。 〃An earthquake； perhaps。〃
〃The villas were left standing。 Herders use them to shelter their goats。〃
〃What happened then？〃
〃Some small thing； probably。 A gap in their rhythm。 Maybe a crop went wrong。 Or an irrigation canal ruptured； or they had a cold winter or a dry summer。 Maybe insects came。 Or a rat with a flea with some exotic flu。 Civilizations are such fragile things。〃
Someone across the aisle called out； 〃Damascus；〃 and they all looked out the windows。 It was no different from Halab and Hims and other cities along the way。 From this height； except for the outer ring of refugee camps； Nathan Lee would have guessed the city had been extinct for centuries。 It resembled a thousand other Levantinetels； one more gray pile of history and dust。〃Allah irrahamhum；〃 one of the Iraqi physicians declared。May God be passionate to them。
They left the sight behind。 The engineer resumed。 〃Why e at this time； when the catastrophe is so fresh？〃 he asked。 〃And why Jerusalem？〃
Nathan Lee shifted his eyes away。 Ochs answered。 〃The awful truth is；〃 he solemnly confessed； 〃opportunity。 With the city turned inside out； the past lies bared。 In a sense； we're here to conduct an autopsy。〃
〃You intend to go into the remains？〃 the engineer asked。 〃It will be very dangerous。 The aftershocks。 The outbreak of disease。 It's been over seven days。 By now； the dogs will all be rabid。 It won't be safe until the engineers have leveled it。〃
〃Precisely why we're racing to get there；〃 said Ochs； 〃before you acplish your work。〃
The engineer took it as a pliment。 〃Of course；〃 he said。 〃And the body bags？〃
〃Our small gift；〃 said Ochs。
〃But you mustn't feel guilty；〃 the engineer said to Nathan Lee。
〃Guilty？〃
〃It is written on your face。〃
〃Never mind him；〃 Ochs said to the engineer。
But the engineer was a passionate soul； and now he liked Nathan Lee。 He gestured at the other passengers。 〃Each of us bears a special talent。 Some go to feed the people； some to heal； some to handle the dead。 I go to plete the destruction with bulldozers and plastique so that the rebuilding may begin。 And you are here to find meaning in the bones。 Be strong； young man。 It takes great love to make sense of God's revenge。〃
Nathan Lee wasn't sure how to respond。 〃Thank you；〃 he said。
NEARINGISRAEL； THE FLYING CHANGED。 Wild thermals prowled above the desert sands。 The pilots tried in vain to evade the worst of it。 Their blades chopped at the thermals。 The thermals chopped right back at them。 The helicopter shuddered and bucked； pitching savagely。 Far below； spontaneous whirlwinds leapt about； writing wild； cryptic letters in the sand。
They dodged to the side； the pilots searching for a slipstream through the thermals。 No dice。 When the thermals weren't hurling them sunward； they were plunging into troughs and crawling for altitude。 Strapped tight； the passengers suffered their brutal entry into the Holy Lands。 Ochs vomited on the floor。 Nathan Lee offered no sympathy。 They didn't belong here。 This was the professor's idea。 Soon the floor was slick with last suppers。
Nathan Lee pressed the wire rims onto the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes。 He thought of Grace。 His seasickness ebbed。 Who would she take after？ Honey…haired Lydia for looks； he prayed。 He saw himself as a plain man。 His face was thin； his eyes were narrow。 He still could not reckon why Lydia had chosen his tent that night。 Maybe it had been the full moon； or she'd just wanted to add a nomad to her list。 Even among the eccentrics camped out in the anthro department； Nathan Lee was notorious。 He'd been known to hunt and butcher game with neolithic flints。
Nathan Lee did hope their daughter might acquire something from his side of the equation； a bit of pig iron to temper Lydia's mercury。 Or acid； as it were。 The honeymoon was over。 His hot…blooded desert lover had turned cold； and modern。 She required 110 volts twenty…four hours a day； it turned out； for everything from her hair drier to her cellphone。 Their wedding night had been invested in a discussion about money。 She was going for her MBA。 He was going for。。。Jerusalem。
At last they topped the Golan Heights and left behind the desert thermals。 But as they entered the great； long trough of the Dead Sea Rift； Nathan Lee saw the destruction was only beginning。 By this time every schoolchild knew from television that 800；000 megatons of energy had been released by the quake； 1；600 times more than all the nuclear explosions in war and peace bined。 Tsunamis had erased the Gaza Strip。 Like ancient Alexandria； Tel Aviv lay submerged beneath the Mediterranean。 The Sea of Galilee had emptied； flooding the Jordan River。 The floor of the Dead Sea had dropped fifty feet。 Its waters reached halfway to the Gulf of Aqaba。
The cargo bay had no air conditioning。 They steadily descended below sea level between raw limestone walls。 To their right and left； roads and pathways terminated in midair。 It was spring。 The trees were budding green。 Lambs bounded to their mothers。 Finally they turned west and climbed out of the depths。
The wreck of Jerusalem lay before them。 Unlike the Syrian cities； it was still in its death throes。 Inky smoke hung above the ruins。 Where gas lines had ruptured； columns of flame lanced the sky。
Ochs thumped Nathan Lee's knee with an immense bear paw。 He was elated。 Nathan Lee was shocked。
〃Haram；〃murmured Nathan Lee。 The term was universal in this part of the world。 It meantforbidden orpity。 More classically； it meant tomb。
The engineer heard him。 Their eyes met。 For some reason he gave him a blessing。 〃Keep your heart pure in there。〃
Nathan Lee looked away。
The ship flickered from place to place along the wracked perimeter。 White tents flashed beneath them bearing Red Crosses and Red Crescents。 Roofs of baby blue U。N。 plastic fluttered in the rot