“A sumptuous story of exile.” — The World of Books
WINNER OF THE ANGOULÊME FESTIVAL AWARD FOR BEST FOREIGN GRAPHIC NOVEL
THE
RUBÉN PELLEJERO
JORGE ZENTNER
SILENCE
UNCLE ZELIK! UNCLE ZELIK!
PLEASE RETURN THIS BOOK TO MRS. SASLAVSKY AT THE COOPERATIVE SHOP. SHE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER IN EXCHANGE. PLEASE DON’T FORGET. . . I’VE ALREADY READ THIS ONE AT LEAST A HUNDRED TIMES!
UNCLE ZELIK, DAVID TOLD ME THAT YOU’RE GOING TO THE VILLAGE TOMORROW. CAN I ASK YOU FOR A FAVOR?
OF COURSE YOU CAN, MALKA. . . ALTHOUGH I THINK I ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT IS.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE A STORM. MAY BE YOU SHOULD WAIT ‘TIL TOMORROW.
DON’T WORRY, SON. THE SOONER I SPEAK WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR , THE BETTER.
HELLO, YOUNG MAN. MY NAME IS ZELIK FENDEL. I’D LIKE TO SPEAK WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR. IT CONCERNS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE.
I FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR SITUATION, SIR . IT’S SIMILAR TO THAT OF MANY OTHER EMIGRANTS WHO HAVE NEVER WORKED THE LAND.
ARGENTINA IS NOT THE PARADISE THAT ONE COULD HAVE IMAGINED. A DROUGHT IN THE FIRST YEAR...
...THE PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THE POOR QUALITY OF THE SEEDS. NONE OF THAT IS YOUR FAULT. I KNOW IT VERY WELL. WHAT CAN WE DO IN THE FACE OF SUCH MISFORTUNE?
IF YOU WILL GRANT ME A LOAN, NEXT YEAR I WILL BE ABLE TO...
MR. FENDEL, PLEASE. YOU KNOW THAT OUR ORGANIZATION HAS ALREADY PROVIDED YOU WITH A PARCEL OF LAND...
...A HOUSE, A PLOW, AND AN OX...NOT TO MENTION THE TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR YOUR VOYAGE AND A SCHOOL FOR THE CHILDREN...
THERE’S NOTHING MORE WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW. I KNOW YOU ARE A HARDWORKING MAN. I ONLY ASK THAT YOU HAVE FAITH IN GOD. THINGS ARE GOING TO GET BETTER.
I'M SORRY, LITTLE MALKA. TODAY I CAN NOT ASK FOR A BOOK FROM MRS. SASLAVASKY. TODAY, I HAVE NO MORE STRENGTH... I HAVE NO MORE WORDS... I CAN’T...
GOD! DEAR GOD!!
GOD, WHERE AM I ?!
ZELIK...
COME CLOSER, ZELIK. I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU, I AM ELIAS ...THE PROPHET, THE BEARER OF DIVINE MESSAGES. COME. HE WANTS TO HELP YOU !
BECAUSE IN YOUR WANDERING, LOST IN THE RAIN AND THE WIND, YOU HAVE UNKNOWINGLY, LEFT A TRACE.
BUT ME… WHY ME?
YOUR STEPS, SEEMINGLY AIMLESS, HAVE DRAWN THE LETTERS, WRITTEN THE NAME THAT CANNOT BE SPOKEN. HE HAS HEARD YOUR CALL.
HE SENT ME TO COMMAND YOU TO BUILD A GOLEM. FROM THE LAND OF THIS COUNTRY YOU WILL MAKE A MAN TO HELP YOU AT YOUR WORK.
YOUR HANDS, AND THE HANDS OF YOUR SON DAVID, WILL GATHER AND KNEAD THE EARTH, GIVE IT SHAPE USING THE AWL THAT IN RUSSIA SERVED YOU TO MAKE BOOTS ...
YOU WILL WRITE ON THE GOLEM THE WORD "EMET" * AND THE EARTH WILL COME TO LIFE AND WORK FOR YOU.
* “TRUTH” IN HEBREW.