Babes in Toyland II

by Aspen Mountain Press Authors

  Turning, he bolted for the doorway, clutching the bag of gold trinkets and wishing that tonight was Shabbat, where he could find solace in the bosom in the closeness of his family. In a home where Saka would have her own pallet and separate sleeping quarters.

  * * * *

  After Jacob left, Saka stared at the water in trepidation. “Jacob's God, if you can hear me, if you do not let me die of this bath or lose my sword arm to this wound, I will serve him well and through him, You.” She took a deep, steadying breath and stepped into the water. It was surprisingly cool after the heat of the day and she sank into the hip-deep tub, wishing it were deeper.

  "From top to bottom,” she muttered, remembering her mother's admonishments on the proper way to cleanse the body during their yearly baths. Squirming, she managed to submerge her head, wetting it. Gingerly, she dipped fingers into the Egyptian clay pot. The material was thick and sticky but had a pleasant smell. Saka was delighted to note how it slid through her hair, allowing her fingers to dig into the persistent itch at her scalp. Her hair was so thick and coarse it was impossible to work the combs through, which was why she resorted to braids.

  Sitting up, she was dismayed to see just how dingy the water had turned. On a table near the bathing vessel was a small table with another ewer. Carefully she stood and peeked, it was full of clean water. That decided her. Saka remained standing, working from her neck down she scrubbed as hard as she could, sluicing off layers of skin and dirt. Dutifully she attended her legs one at a time then wondered how to rinse without staying in the murky water.

  * * * *

  In record time Jacob stopped by the goldsmith and traded away the smallest of Saka's charms. The amount of money the older man put in front of Jacob nearly drove his mind blank. Just the bits holding her braids had been worth that much. But the thought of a wet and naked Saka spurred him onward. Not that he wouldn't trade something precious to look his fill at her wet body, but he couldn't allow her to go naked.

  Across the street from the jewel trader was a stand with hair coverings. He had never appreciated the sheer choice in styles and covers and felt overwhelmed. Towards the back there was a long bright blue cloth with tan ties that reminded him of her eyes. Jacob probably spent more than he should have, buying the head scarf but it was worth it if it made Saka smile. Smile. That reminded him, he would have to take her to see the Arab doctor dealing with ailments of the mouth. No more flinching.

  The seamstress his mother favored to handle her woven swathes of fabric to fashion dresses and undergarments frowned but sold him some simple articles befitting a new female bond servant. However, she pointed out that if Saka were as tall as indicated, she might need a proper fitting in the future. With an eye on the setting sun, he plowed on noting that the sandal maker had closed. It was pure fortune that he could drop off the leather clothes with the tanner for proper attention. The sum the man named seemed steep and nearly depleted the staggering pile of money he'd begun the short shopping adventure with.

  Walking back to his house, Jacob took a roundabout way to give the young woman ample time to finish, as well as to get safely covered by the soft bath rug. The path was warm under his feet, the heat of the day slowly seeping out of the stones and the sky was a beautiful spectacle, layers of color from the palest gold to the darkest violet with a lone star shining in the heavens. Before he realized it, Jacob stopped and simply enjoyed the splendor of nature, a gift to man that God created, and one he rarely stopped to properly appreciate.

  "Truly a beautiful sunset, is it not young scholar?” Sitting on a recessed stone step was a man long past his prime, sipping a cup of unknown dark fluid, sweetened with date honey by the smell.

  "Yes sir, it truly is.” Jacob turned and looked at the old man, watching as the colors of the sky painted his wrinkled craggy face with the colors of youth. “I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage, sir, you know me, but I don't know you."

  A dry, wheezing chuckle met his polite refrain, “As a man who lives alone, I'd be surprised if you did. I'm Laban.” He extended his hand in greeting. “I make sleep pallets."

  Clasping hands, Jacob admitted with a rueful smile, “If I had known sooner, I would have made your shop the first stop.” Keeping details to a bare minimum, he told Laban of the generosity of his father, carefully omitting the woman's background of violence.

  "No need for a second pallet,” the old man winked, “you're both young. Or is the woman not appealing?"

  Jacob swallowed thickly, “She is indeed appealing, but I'd prefer to treat her with honor and respect, not as a thing to slake my lusts on."

  "True to your bloodline,” the man nodded turning to his shop and gesturing Jacob in. With a lewd wink he added, “But then, the prostitutes do need their coin the same as the rest of us.” Knowing it would be a losing battle to decry his innocence of such transactions, Jacob glumly followed the man inside to see what the reminder of his money could buy.

  Chapter Six

  With great concentration, Saka drizzled fresh water through her hair, over her face, down her throat, splashing her chest with a twist of her hips to run the rivulets of water over her hips, buttocks and pelvis before stepping first one foot from the tub, then the other, rinsing away the dirt. Satisfied she'd done her best she turned to the drying wrap and spotted Jacob standing wide-eyed and open-mouthed inside the dwelling's front entrance.

  Feeling somewhat self-conscious, she stepped away from the bathing tub and lightly wrapped the drying sheet around her shoulders. Like a dog shedding water, Jacob shook before dropping paper wrapped parcels at her feet. As he bustled about the house, Saka got her first real look at her new home. There was the rear entrance, sealed with a heavy wooden door, and a row of tall narrow windows marching along the west side of the structure. Where the animals sheltered there were no windows, just an indent to mark their location. It felt odd to not be surrounded by the scent of her horse.

  Grunting, Jacob hefted the tub of dirty water and made for the wide front portal. Curious, she followed and watched as he lifted the vessel and slowly poured the water into yet another clay gutter—this one running to a small garden area on the east side of the house.

  "Why have the windows open on the street where an enemy can pass, see you and do you harm when you could have them on this side to see growing things?” It seemed such a strange thing to do if the rumors she had heard in the slave market were to be believed. War was coming for these odd people.

  It was intriguing to watch Jacob's expressive face as he thought, lips moving as if he debated himself. He looked red-faced, then guilty followed by harried.

  "I waken before the sun and leave for work, so I do not miss the sunrise through my windows. For any morning duties I light small oil lamps. The sun can be the hottest from rise to zenith so no openings keep the heat from entering. When the sun passes overhead it warms the roof enough that the house holds heat through the night, even in the winters. Late day sun is what I truly need. After I return home from lessons and work, I study. By having the late day sun I burn less oil or candles while I read."

  Ah, that made sense, Saka nodded. “This war that comes, it comes for you all?"

  He turned and looked at her in an odd way. “You mean does it come to claim all who live in Judah as a people?” He contemplated the answer, holding the rim of the tub as he stared into the night sky. “In a way, yes and no."

  "I do not understand.” She followed him inside, walking past the wooden table and bench, between two rows of counters with a niche for an indoor cook fire to the rear of where the bathing and sleeping area was.

  "The Hellene leaders have no problem with my people so long as we bow to their gods. Elokim forbids such a thing.” Picking at a twine knot, he bent to unroll the new, albeit thin, sleeping pallet he'd bought for Saka.

  "If your god desires you to live, why be so unbending?” The new bedroll and sleeping cloths fascinated Saka but she didn't miss the shocked look on Jacob's face.

&nb
sp; "Hundreds of years ago, this was our land. We lived as we do now, in peace. Then another nation came and declared war, wanting not just the ground but the strength of our backs to build huge structures to house the dead."

  "Ah, the Egyptians,” she nodded. This was a bit of history even she knew. The drying garment slipped and he saw her upper arm. Grasping her shoulder, Jacob moved her into the last of the light. Cleaning the wound had done wonders; the fouled scab lifted away leaving raw skin with fresh clotting blood. Even the surrounding flesh had lost much of its redness. “It will heal now. You were right about the bath.” Her voice sounded husky, causing Jacob to flush and lift his eyes determinedly to her face.

  "To return to the Egyptians, the Hebrew people labored as slaves for many years and for many years we prayed for deliverance. God heard us and sent Moshe who set plagues on the Egyptians until they released us from bondage. God even gave Moshe the power to part the Red Sea so we could flee our pursuers.” He graced her with a wry smile, “They decided they missed their slaves. In the desert we became lost but He didn't abandon us. Food fell from the sky.

  "Then God spoke with Moshe and the people rejoiced—but not according to the ways of our people. They celebrated as they had seen the Egyptians do and Elokim became angry and kept our tribes lost in the desert as a lesson."

  Saka was confused. “And the Hellenes, they don't like you worshiping a single god because he is mean?"

  "Oh no!” Jacob stood and opened one of the packets of clothing. By focusing on other tasks, he found it easier to look past the paler skin of Saka's stomach and legs, though he refused to look higher. “They are discontent because we want to keep our God, refusing to worship their many. Remember, as slaves we prayed for deliverance but we repaid our God poorly and he clouded the eyes and minds until we were again ready to go home. He isn't ‘mean’ He was teaching us a lesson. For us it was many years, for Him, merely the blink of an eye."

  "I see.” She held up a shift that went under the dress and studied the odd shape. It was a single piece of material with a hole in the center for her head and each corner had a bit of knotted string. Slipping it over her head she continued, “They took over and told you what to do, because in their minds you are now a part of them, not separate. By keeping your one-god, you are here with them but keep yourselves apart."

  "Yes,” he sighed, helping tie the stays at the side of her shift despite the way his eyes wandered to the pale mounds of her breasts as they flashed in and out of view under the thin material.

  "So,” she wriggled into the finely woven gown, hiding the delight of her body from his view. “The people are not really threatened. No Hellene knows what citizens do behind closed doors. It is the religious leaders who are in danger. To the soldiers they represent the symbol of what incites the people to rebel. And they have the knowledge to continue teaching the way and the will of your one-god. It is the shamans of your people that need protecting.” Satisfied, she nodded and turned to Jacob, lifting her arms for approval.

  "One last thing.” He smiled gently, tugging her to the front of the house to perch on a bench as he tried to comb her hair. “Your hair is rough from exposure to the sun and wind. It reminds me of the hair of the wife of my younger brother Ephraim, she is Nubian."

  "A dark-skinned warrior woman?” Fascinated, Saka kept trying to turn and look at Jacob but he held her in place, smoothing an odd ointment in her hair.

  "Yes, her family is of the warrior caste and her skin is an exotic hue of blue-black. She is a great beauty. I hope you can meet her. It is the wish of my parents that all of my brothers and their families attend Sukkot this year.” Slowly pulling the beautiful comb through Saka's snarled hair, he realized he enjoyed talking to her. Between the Rabbi and his family, he never had a chance to speak. But it is good to listen as well, he chided himself.

  "Why is this year so important?” She sat still but he felt the tension stiffening her body.

  "My mother is due to deliver a babe late in life, we hope to celebrate a new life, not mourn but it is in God's hands."

  "Mothers are very important to your people?” The news astonished Saka. Women had very little use. There were few such as herself with an aptitude for battle, the rest were sold as brides to forge new ties with other nations to strengthen their faltering numbers. Wives and mothers were nothing more than servants. Slaves had more value, they cost money and could be sold. Women could be beaten, whipped or stoned to death—or in some cases driven from the clan circle and forced to live apart as scavengers.

  "Yes, mothers have great value.” The sound of his soft laughter, full of amusement and the simple joy of living floated over and around her, easing tense muscles. “They are the true font of our faith."

  "Greater even than your shamans?"

  "We call them Rabbis, but yes, mothers have such power."

  Saka gave a woebegone sigh. “I do not understand, the priest talks to god, knows the mind of god. How is a mother greater?” Her hair was combed and nearly dry, despite the slightly greasy ointment. Jacob turned Saka to face him and presented the head scarf.

  "This is a kishy saarot, a covering for your hair. It would please me for you to wear it.” Solemn tawny eyes met blue. “Now, as I put this on so you know how to do it, I will explain the role of mothers as it was told to me as a child.” Respectfully, he lifted the curly pile of dark brown hair and placed it in the blue material.

  "When Elokim first revealed Himself to our people, He asked for worthy candidates for His secrets. Great leaders went and were turned away. Politicians, scholars, merchants—it made no matter, all were turned away. Then a woman walked before God and he selected her. Women bear and raise our children, they teach the stories, histories, prayers, and tales so that each generation that comes after will know how to praise God, even if a priest is not available."

  "Do your enemies understand this?"

  "No.” Saka stared intently at the serious man and nodded, slipping off the hair covering.

  "The correct answer to the question I asked before then is yes, you are all in danger. You for being a man of power and faith and the women,” carefully she folded the bright blue material, brushing it with yearning. “Women will have value to your enemies if for nothing more than a way to keeping you in line. They will be separated off and sold as slaves, raped or killed. All it will take is the notice of a shrewd guard. The Seleucids have been here long; it is folly to assume they haven't noted the worth women have in your culture."

  Saka turned and smiled with her lips, keeping her teeth carefully from view. “They may see your women as having worth but not as warriors, I am well placed to protect you and your family."

  Chapter Seven

  Long into the night Saka lay awake, thinking. Her owner treated her better than she ever dreamed and here she could be of value and have a sort of power. Even better, she'd bathed and didn't feel a twinge of illness lurking. What she did feel was a lack of time. She needed to learn the languages of these people and of the Hellene soldiers. Closing her eyes she drifted, senses alert.

  Morning came and Saka woke with Jacob. Hearing the change in his breathing she opened her eyes on darkness. He didn't seem concerned with the inky blackness, just endearingly clumsy as he stumbled around, lighting candles. Feeling under her pallet, Saka felt the hilt of her dagger and relaxed back into a realm of half-sleep. She must have dreamed because she woke with the oddest memory of Jacob standing over her watching, but for what reason?

  As he said prayers, she tied the dagger to her shift stays and walked into the pre-dawn gloom to feed the animals.

  "I would have done that.” For one so clumsy, Jacob could move quietly. Saka hadn't heard him approach.

  "We always feed our horses and see to their needs before our own,” she mumbled.

  He beamed. “That is good, it is the same with us.” They returned inside for a small meal of bread, juice and cheese. Absently, he explained that one side of the food preparation area was for meat, the
other for cheese and milk as he adjusted her hair covering. Before she could ask why, let alone where she should store bread and fruit, it was time to leave.

  They walked past the stoned well where a pretty woman was drawing water. Jacob looked at his feet, averting his face, but the woman addressed him. Something about the cadence of the words and his lack of response put Saka on the defensive and she moved between Jacob and the smaller woman, forcing the other to retreat. She had to learn his language—fast.

  Upon arriving at his family's shop, Saka was handed a broom. It gave her time to think as well as to observe. Many people entered, some purchasing dried fruits and spices from distant lands, others to chat with the newly returned patriarch. As the hours passed, one thing became clear—everyone treated Jacob as if he were a small child. He was a man studying to be a religious leader, yet all from the father down through the store patrons acted as if he were somehow less than others.

  He slouches and scurries to do as he is told without pause, Saka frowned. People didn't talk to him but rather over him. At lunch, she made careful pains to kneel as they did and follow their prayers before beginning her lunch. A plan was forming in her head, but she was still uncertain of her place and duties.

  Following lunch, Jacob left and Saka followed. They traveled past two shop fronts before he noticed she was with him.

  "Where are you going, Saka?” He was honestly confused.

  "I go where you go, to protect you. That is what I was purchased for,” she'd had her fill of sweeping and sorting food items. The added insult of how Jacob was treated had her hoping for a thief to disembowel.

  "You can't, only men can hear the contents of the scrolls I study,” Jacob frowned.

  "I cannot understand what is said, it will make no difference."

  "No,” he grew agitated, “you don't understand. Only men can take part in these lessons."