Steinberg leans closer to the screen. Reads a passage. ‘It seems fine to me. How about if we set up a time to study together. I can teach you the Hebrew alphabet and—’

‘It’s the spaces between the words. It’s screwing everything up, scrambling things, making it harder to see the patterns. Computer, close all spaces between words and sentences.’

The text on the screen recycles.

‘Whoa …’ Jacob’s brilliant azure eyes widen as three-dimensional patterns form among the letters in the text. ‘See! Things jump out better now!’

Steinberg’s heart races. ‘What things?’

The boy points to a line. ‘Like these letters. Does this say anything?’

‘.’ The Rabbi looks at him, slightly pale. ‘It means, “End of Days.” How did you manage to select—’

‘Now these letters.’ Jacob points his index finger at a letter, then skips down three lines and one to the left, then continues the pattern until he forms a word.

. Atomic holocaust. Jacob, how did you—’

‘And these letters here.’

‘I get it, you’re playing one of your famous mind games on me. Very clever.’

‘Just tell me what these four letters mean!’

The rabbi looks at him, unsure. He squints at the screen. . It’s a year: 5772.’

‘In the future?’

‘No, in the Hebrew calendar. The date equates to the year … 2012.’

Jacob closes his eyes, reciting, ‘End of Days. Atomic holocaust. 2012. It’s all here …’

‘Okay, Jacob Gabriel, fun time’s over. Who put you up to this?’

‘No one.’

‘You read about the Bible Code in class, didn’t you?’

‘The Bible has a code?’

‘That’s enough, I’m not falling for this nonsense.’

Jacob jumps off his lap. ‘Tell me!’

The rabbi sees desperation in the boy’s eyes. He’s serious …

‘Hidden within the original Hebrew text of the Torah is a cryptogram—encoded messages that pertain to man’s history. Isaac Newton was the first one to suspect it, but it wasn’t until the late nineties and the advent of the computer that an Israeli mathematician was able to figure it out.’

‘Then the Bible Code’s real?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘You’re lying. Tell me the truth.’

‘I don’t lie. According to code breakers—yes, it’s real. According to religious scholars, it’s all nonsense.’ Steinberg searches the boy’s face. ‘You really didn’t know, did you?’

‘But if it predicts the future, then why don’t—’

‘It doesn’t predict the future. According to the Talmud, “everything is foreseen, but freedom of action is given.” In other words, what has been encoded within the Bible’s text may be a warning about a possible future. What we do, what action we take is what determines the outcome.’

‘But still—’