The waters flow silently in the narrow channels of Venice. An old fisherman sits in his room, black smoke from his pipe rises in the air. Why isn’t Omberto writing to me? he tortures himself. It isn’t like him to worry me like this. In a moment of resolve, he jumps into his famous gondola and sails toward the open sea. The seat next to him is empty. There were times when Omberto, the boy he loved so much, sat there. Where is he now? Where is the orphaned boy with no one to look out for him? What has become of him? Who is Giovanni, the old Italian fisherman who cares so much for Moshe Chaim? And how did he end up in the distant olive grove? Why does the person who pretends to be the kibbutz’s secretary worry about Moshiko, the orphaned boy, and burden him with difficult work? Who watched over the children at night when the terrorist entered the compound? And how does Kofaleh organize the office and uncover a situation that brings the kibbutz into turmoil? Above all, how are Dudi and Udi — the characters familiar to us from the Dudi and Udi Comics — connected to the story? A fascinating story that begins in Venice, Italy and ends up at the Yarden River in Eretz Yisrael. Illustrator: Sarah Leon Publisher: Shchakim Pages: 184