When the Angels Left the Old Country

The dybbuk insists on killing Mr. Boaz, and the spirit also wants to kill Essie for helping him. However, she relents when Little Ash suggests that she give them until sunset on the next day to use the ledgers to settle her family’s debt and have them say Kaddish for her. Uriel and Little Ash then search for the ledgers but struggle to find anything worthwhile in the disorganized office. Uriel is upset that Little Ash didn’t consult with it before presenting such a plan to Mrs. Shulman. Little Ash responds by expressing jealousy over Uriel’s relationship with the rebbe. Uriel reassures Little Ash of its commitment to him and admits to taking its name so that it could stay with Little Ash. When they hear footsteps, Little Ash goes out to distract whoever it may be, giving Uriel the tools to break into the desk. Little Ash tells Uriel that it is teamwork to play to each other’s strengths in these situations. He makes Uriel lock the door behind him.

In the servant’s attic, Rose searches for Essie and finds her behind a locked door; Mr. Boaz did not want Essie talking to the guests. Rose picks the lock. As the two girls talk about their families and journeys to America, Rose’s heart flutters. Little Ash finds himself confronting Mr. Sullivan and his brother Jamie in the hall. To distract the pair, Little Ash pretends to be Essie’s brother and claims to be looking for her. Sullivan sees through the lie and recognizes Little Ash from the factory and the bar. He tells Little Ash that Isaak is not dead. Jamie holds the demon while Sullivan breaks into the office.

Essie and Rose see the confrontation between the Sullivan brothers and Little Ash. Rose decides that she will scream while Essie escapes. The Sullivan brothers are now holding Little Ash, and after breaking down the door, they soon apprehend Uriel as well. They plan to bring the two to the river to dispose of them. When Rose screams and draws the guests’ attention, Sullivan tells Mr. Boaz and his guests that he and Jamie are security and that Little Ash and Uriel are thieves. When the Sullivan brothers bring the angel and the demon to their car (a police wagon), Essie and Rose attack. Sullivan ends the struggle by putting a gun to Rose’s head, and then he and Jamie throw all four into the police wagon.

In the wagon, Little Ash feels like a failure. He admits to having no plan to help them escape. Uriel reveals that although it didn’t find the ledgers, it did find a small book listing the people that Mr. Boaz and Reb Fishl exploited. Because Mr. Boaz’s activities with Reb Fishl are illegal, Essie claims that Rabbi Wolf will help them if they can show him the ledger. Soon, the four are taken to the headquarters of Sullivan’s gang, Sullivan throws them into a dark cellar along with Isaak. Isaak is unconscious and has a serious fever. Both Rose and Essie try to cool him down, but Little Ash knows that Isaak won’t survive if the dybbuk continues to possess him. Little Ash knows that he can save Isaak by eating the dybbuk, but Uriel wants him to save both Isaak and the dybbuk. Little Ash wakes the dybbuk and makes a deal, saying that the dybbuk can survive and get revenge by possessing a new, strong body that is not dying like Isaak’s.

Little Ash offers the dybbuk his own body so that the dybbuk can kill Sullivan. The rebbe agrees despite protests from Uriel. The dybbuk and Little Ash plan to go after Sullivan while the girls escape with the book and Isaak. Uriel refuses to leave Little Ash, and Little Ash does not argue because he prefers not to be alone. The rebbe possesses Little Ash and speaks Holy Names to get through the door, burning the demon’s tongue. In the hallway, Little Ash plucks the soul out of the first man they encounter. When Jamie fires a shot at them, Uriel jumps in front, getting hit in the shoulder. Jamie and Sullivan see the dybbuk in its true form and run in terror, with Uriel and Little Ash in pursuit. Rose and Essie bring Isaak to the police wagon, and Essie drives them home.

Sullivan runs to the river and wonders what to do next. Hiding behind crates in the shadows, Little Ash and Uriel watch. Uriel is bleeding profusely, and Little Ash stops to bandage Uriel’s wound despite the dybbuk’s insistence on attacking Sullivan. Finally, with a plan in mind, Little Ash throws one of his boots into the river to distract Sullivan and throws the other boot directly at him. Sullivan shoots wildly, and Little Ash tries to wrestle the gun from him, but in their struggle, they both slip and fall into the river. Uriel does not see them come up.

Essie and Rose make it back to Hester Street and reunite Isaak with Malke. A doctor tells them that Isaak should make a full recovery by morning. Rose and Essie go up to the fire escape, and Rose finally realizes what her feelings for Dinah and Essie mean. Before she can express them, Essie kisses her.

Uriel cannot find Little Ash. Sitting on the steps of Sullivan’s headquarters, Uriel once again feels the angelic pull to begin morning prayers. Suddenly, Little Ash appears and tells Uriel that Sullivan is dead at the dybbuk’s hands and that the dybbuk is gone as well. They sit together and express their love for each other. They also commit to staying together in whatever form they like. As Little Ash stitches them up with his little bit of magic, Uriel finds that it is once again able to summon a holy book. Uriel says that its angelic powers are returning because the rebbe’s dybbuk is gone.

Just before dawn, Mr. Boaz wracked with guilt, writes a full confession of his crimes. As dawn arrives, Rabbi Wolf, Little Ash, and Uriel visit Mr. Boaz’s office. That morning, Uriel and Little Ash meet Rabbi Wolf and show him the book from Mr. Boaz’s office. They also explain the circumstances of the dybbuk. Rabbi Wolf tells Mr. Boaz that he is worried for him, and Mr. Boaz asks for guidance in making amends. The dybbuk of Mrs. Shulman is now happy. She smiles at Uriel and Little Ash. Uriel and Little Ash leave hand in hand, leaning on each other.

Essie and Rose write letters in Café Krakow. Rose writes to Dinah about her adventures in America, while Essie sends money home to Shtetl. Later that day, they plan to attend the bris (ritual circumcision) of Malke and Isaak’s twins. Little Ash and Uriel will hold the infants at the ceremony, and their identities will be made known to everyone. The angel and the demon now study in the Shulmans’ bookstore. They argue earnestly with one another and hope to do so forever.