Lily nodded, doing as he asked, and looked at Tom as if He were a fool to laugh at her. Lily stood with wet hair, wiping her face, which was dripping cool drops, shivering from the cold.

«Now say it again, but don't take off your dress and don't listen to what they tell you.»

They went down different corridors. Tom climbed a small flight of stairs, standing next to his uncle, who was preparing the Torah, prayers, and everything necessary for the incarnation of giyur, pulling on his glasses. Lily entered the room and was surprised to see all four of them standing on a small raised platform and looking at her.

«Isn't she pregnant?» One of the rabbis asked in a whisper, to which Thomas shook his head, not at all offended by the question. After all, if the pregnancy occurred before the adoption of the faith, it means that the fetus was conceived in uncleanness, hence the conclusion that the Goy will be born. If a woman becomes pregnant after immersion in the mikvah, then her child will become a full-fledged Jew. It's very simple.

«Enter the water, my child.»

The girl waded into the water, shivering. The rich fabric of her dress let in the sacred waters, taking with it her sins and past life. During the immersion procedure, her uncle explained the basics of faith, the meaning of the Sabbath, and some other commandments. «You must unquestioningly and conscientiously observe the laws of family cleanliness, light Sabbath and holiday candles…» he said, looking at the girl, who only looked at Shulman with fear, not understanding what was happening. Uncle David began to say the prayers one by one, and Tom joined in, glancing at Lily from time to time.

Perhaps the girl became a real Jew only because she unquestioningly observed the commandments, which means that Lilia will follow the instructions of Jewish traditions. Thomas hid all this under the insincerity of omission, although there was real insincerity and even denial. She became a Jew, although there is very little chance that she will keep the commandments. Fortunately, Thomas's uncle accepts this principle: «he who has accepted Jewishness among non-Jews is already a Ger.»This principle applies to those who have accepted Judaism with very little knowledge of its laws, especially the laws of the Sabbath. Lily falls into this category, so Shulman's conscience seems to be clear, or nearly so. Yes, Lily is sure that the Jewish laws I observe are purely ceremonial and not enforceable. Based on this, it can be attributed to the category of people who accept Judaism on the basis of very little knowledge. So, again, everything he does is basically correct and doesn't contradict Thomas. In General, he prepared her for Judaism, introduced her to the traditions, food, and laws that he followed, and she followed them all the time. Lily dived into the water three times while Tom checked the accuracy of the Dive. The bright sun that illuminated the pool was hidden by the darkness, and Tom looked up in the darkness, hearing only her loud sigh with a sob and the splashing of the water. It was too quiet, no birds singing, no people outside, no rustling of leaves, nothing at all. Only darkness and echoing silence. An Eclipse covered the sky.

«Blessed Are You, Lily.» The Rabbi finished in a low, husky voice.

Wednesday is an unhappy day in itself, which became even more unfortunate when Thomas Schulman did not see his name on the list of examiners. If Lily hadn't been in her senior year, he would have been minding his own business in the pub right now, and would have made a large and short sum for all this nonsense. Meanwhile, Thomas was walking down the empty corridor to the Director, who sometimes seemed completely broken. One of her pink styles spoke of a brain malfunction. The woman stormed out of the office, nearly knocking Tom off his feet.

«Oh!» she exclaimed in a raspy and unpleasant voice, as if she had been given a job in an operetta, looking up at Thomas, «Mr. Shulman, welcome!»

As if in a fit, she insisted on the absence of a «teacher supervisor» in the fourth year, who would make sure that very cunning and quirky girls, including Lily, took the exam conscientiously. Shulman smiled with satisfaction, glad that the day had started in his favour. Ten minutes later, Thomas reached the right floor and noticed Lily sitting on her bag, her eyes darting nervously over her notebook, repeating the material. Thin legs, high white socks, and a black skirt. Tom didn't like the way she sat there, flashing her charms. This is inappropriate behaviour for a decent, even newly minted Jew. There were fourteen of them, talking and shuffling their notebooks. Klutz-Lily didn't even look up, trying to memorize the information, but you can't get enough air before you die. It was Shulman's fault that she didn't have time to prepare, because he took her to Jerusalem and arranged a mini-vacation. They didn't return until Monday night, tired, but Thomas thought they were happy. Everything would be fine if it weren't for one small "but".

«Tommy, can you give me back the cross and chain?»

The Jew was not going to give her the goods, so he pointedly rummaged in his pockets, spread his hands, and lowered his head guiltily, expressing maximum regret.

«I'm very sorry, I think I lost it… So sorry. How much does it cost?» Lily sighed.

«Yes, I don't need money.»

Tom gave her ten pounds. Too much for such a thin and flimsy weave, the cross darkened with salt and sweat, slightly bent and scratched. Soon the ladies were in the study, standing at the entrance, which met them with pale turquoise walls, gleaming Board, open Windows, and a warm summer wind that fluttered the snow-white curtains. Lily walked over to the teacher's Desk and smiled when she saw Tom, and he winked at her, jokingly threatening her with a metal ruler. Tom took two steps, pulled the girl to him by the cardigan, and came close to her ear:

«This ruler will kick your ass if you fail the exam, okay?»

Lily blushed, turned pale, and giggled nervously as she pulled out her ticket and took her seat. Five teachers, three specialized and two General-it is simply impossible to write off. Besides, getting a metal ruler on your fingers isn't that much fun. Shulman walked around the office, occasionally glancing at Lily, who was scribbling on a large sheet of paper without much effort. Midwifery is really her calling, but she's stuck in chemistry, nervously glancing at her watch. Tom stood over her, looking down. A thin finger pointed at an equation she couldn't solve. Shulman memorized these substances and sat down, rummaging in his pockets and finding a piece of paper with a number on it. He turned the piece of paper over and smoothed it out, then began writing an answer, blowing it off the answer book. Lily tapped her fingers on the table. The Jew came up to her and slid the answers under her elbow, tapping the ruler lightly on her bare thigh. The girl almost laughed when she finished her work. Soon she was defending her answers, making excuses and proving them, getting a well-deserved rating.

«Great as always, Lily!» said the teacher of the midwifery cycle, smiling at the groin.

Tom went out into the corridor with the girl, feeling her warm and happy hands on his neck.

«Without you, I would not have passed the exam,» she whispered, her plump lips gently touching his plump lips, leaving a tremulous and uncertain kiss that tingled his trimmed beard.

«Do you want to thank me?» Shulman flashed lustful eyes, lighting up the girl with a roguish and slightly crooked smile.

Lily licked her lips, then bit her lower lip, playfully replacing the positive response.

«In order…» he grabbed her hand, quickly climbed to the second floor, ran down a narrow corridor, and finally unlocked the door to his office.