“Whatever they were, those cuts need to be cleaned.” Naomi said. “Come. Sit over here, Father.” She led him to a place with cushions on the floor before disappearing into another room to retrieve some water and clean cloths. While she dressed his wounds, he told them the story of how his soldiers had been annihilated by the Preacher’s army of animals. Several times during the telling, he noticed several raised eyebrows and a tightening of the lips on the men’s faces. Naturally, he left out the part about Elisheva.
“That’s quite a story,” Channah said when he was done.
He surmised they hadn’t believed a word he’d said, but out of respect for him as their father, they weren’t about to challenge his story. “Unfortunately, it’s true.”
Naomi and Channah exchanged glances. “Father,” Naomi said.
Shechem put his hand up. “I know, I know. It all sounds crazy. But the fact is, I didn’t come here to tell you about the battle. I came here to warn you.”
“Warn us about what?”
If they doubted his reason after hearing about the battle, what would they think when he told them about the flood? “Don’t ask me how I know this, but there’s a possibility this whole plain may soon be flooded.”
“Fath—” Channah said.
“Two days from now.”
“That fable’s a hundred years old,” Naomi’s husband said. “It was started by some farmer to the south, right?”
“I thought so, too,” Shechem said. “But now, I—I just don’t know.”
“Why two days from now?” Naomi said.
“I can’t tell you. You’ll just have to trust I know what I’m talking about.”
“Say we do,” Channah’s husband said. “What do you expect us to do about it?”
“I don’t know, exactly. Maybe take a trip to the mountains for a few days. Anything to get you off this plain until the threat is passed. Then, in about a week, if nothing happens, you can come back and make fun of your delusional father-in-law.”
“We can’t leave now. We have crops of peas and spinach that will spoil if we leave them in the ground another week.”
“Then send my daughters—just for the week. Please.”
Naomi’s soft look of concern disappeared, replaced by a firmly set chin. “We’re not leaving our husbands.”
Channah shook her head.
“You know the closest river large enough to pose that kind of threat is the Eden?” Naomi’s husband said. “One hundred sixty furlongs away. Where is this flood supposed to come from?”
“I don’t know that either. But however it comes, whether by an overflow of rivers, an expulsion of groundwater, or rain falling from the sky, it’ll be enough to wash this all away.” He swept his arm in front of him.
“After such an ordeal, you must be hungry,” Channah said.
That was his daughter’s not-so-subtle way of changing the subject, which was probably a good thing since it was obvious he wasn’t convincing any of them.
After the meal, while the women cleared and cleaned the dishes, Naomi’s husband pulled him aside. “Forgetting about the flood for the moment, what about this battle?”
“What about it?”
“Well, it’s obvious something attacked you. But from what I know of Malluch, you’re going to have to come up with a better excuse for how you lost five thousand men.”
“What would you suggest?”
“A huge party of Marauders. An earthquake swallowed them up. They drowned crossing the Eden. Anything but that story you told us.”
Shechem wasn’t offended by his son-in-law’s skepticism. On the contrary, he appreciated the concern and his decision to voice his doubts privately. Moreover, what he said made sense. “You may be right.”
An hour later, his family walked him outside, where he hugged and kissed his daughters and shook the hands of his sons-in-law. Just before riding away, he leaned over the front of his saddle. “Just promise me one thing. In two days, if it starts to rain and doesn’t let up after five, or you see water accumulating in the valley, head for the mountains.”
“Agreed,” Naomi said.
* * *
Noah rose from sleep before dawn on the seventh day with a sense of urgency. They’d made good time the past two days, having ridden all through the first night and deep into the second with the aid of torches. But they’d been slowed by Japheth and Elisheva having to share a horse and still had a long way to travel to reach the ark.
Not wanting to worry them, he hadn’t told them of the instructions he’d given Shem. And despite his history of recalcitrance, this was one time he had faith his son would obey him without reservation. Holding two pieces of bread, he kneeled to rouse his children. “Here, eat this. We need to get moving.”
Noah packed his horse while the sun rose more clear and bright than he’d ever seen it. He remembered his words to Miryam a few nights ago and closed his eyes, letting the rays wash across his face.
He climbed aboard his horse, turning to his son and daughter-in-law mounted to his right. He looked past them. “What is it?” Japheth said.
To the west, storm clouds gathered.
Chapter 60
Shechem watched a red-faced Malluch stride up and down the great hall dressed in a purple tunic trimmed in gold. He hadn’t seen him so angry in sixty years, not since the destruction of Eden’s first idol. At that moment, he wished he’d taken his son-in-law’s advice, instead of opting for the truth.
“Your whole army?” Malluch said in a low tone exuding rage. “Five thousand men wiped out by some animals and birds?” Cords popped out on his neck.
“More than some, my lord. A lot more.”
Malluch stopped pacing to stare at him. “I don’t care how many there were. They’re just mindless animals? It’s preposterous.”
“And serpents.”
“How many serpents?”
“Who knows? We couldn’t see them all in the grass. Hundreds, maybe thousands.”
Malluch moved in for a closer look at the wounds on Shechem’s head, face, and neck. He lifted his arm, exposing the two talon marks. “Uh huh. And Bohar?”
Shechem wasn’t about to tell him what he knew of Bohar’s fate, or how he knew it. Better to let him think he died a hero. “The last I saw, he was heading for the ark with a torch.”
“Good. If I know Bohar, he will have burned it down or died in the attempt.”
Shechem nodded.
“But we must be sure. First thing in the morning, Commander, I want you to begin recruiting new soldiers for our replacement army. In the meantime, I’ll travel to Enoch to try to get Ramalech to support us with his.”
“What makes you think he’ll agree this time?”
“Because I’m not asking him to accompany us to the garden.”
“But—”
“Look, we know Ramalech fears the invincibility of the guardian. But he also knows the guardian poses no threat to Enoch while he remains posted as sentry at the garden.”
“So what’s your plan to convince him to join us now, another tribute?”
“Something simpler and more visceral than that. How do you think Ramalech would react if he knew the creatures that wiped out our army were headed for Enoch?”
“I see. An incentive.”
“Exactly. It’s easy to say no when there’s no consequence for it. It’s a different matter altogether when the threat is headed your way.”
“Very shrewd, my lord.”
“But for now, my son’s getting married in a couple of hours, and I need to put this tragedy behind me. I don’t want him to see fury in my eyes on his wedding day.”
Neither did he.
* * *
Somewhere close to midday, Noah, Japheth, and Elisheva rode hard for home. Of course he couldn’t be certain, not with dark clouds blocking the position of the sun, but he was fairly sure of the time of day. He was pleased with the progress they’d made, and that the lioness had been able to keep up with the horses
.
Coming to a small stream, he raised his hand to slow them. “We should rest the horses a few hundred parts.”
Japheth kneeled to fill a wineskin, while the horses and the lioness drank from the stream. Elisheva’s long hair blew in a wind that had increased throughout the morning. With a look of concern, she approached Noah. “It’s coming, isn’t it? The rain?”
“Yes.”
“Will we be able to make it home?”
Elisheva jumped when a flash of lightning lit up the sky in the distance, followed by a clap of thunder that sent the horses running off in opposite directions.
Japheth turned quickly to his wife, “Stay here!” and raced off after his horse.
Noah and the lion splashed through the stream chasing the other one. As he ran, doubt entered his mind for the first time that they’d make it home in time. He quickened his pace, running faster than he thought capable, but still the sight of his horse’s backside grew smaller with each stride. “Go ahead girl,” he said to the lion between panting breaths. “See if you can catch him.”
Noah continued to run, but slowed to a jog while the lion sprinted ahead. Anxiety grabbed hold of him when his horse crested a small rise, receding on the other side. Stay straight. The lion vaulted over the rise after him.
Facing exhaustion, he stomped the last few strides to reach the top of the hill, bending over and placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Ahead lay a grassy plain, dotted here and there with small groups of trees, brush, and a small forest to the left.
He searched for signs of movement. Other than the grass and trees swaying in the blowing wind, the plain provided no trace. The lion and his horse had disappeared.
What now, Lord? He filled his lungs and started down the rise. At the bottom of the hill he lost his sightline, forcing him to rely more on his hearing. Every hundred cubits or so, he stopped to listen, hoping to pick up some cue that would direct him. But the wind buffeting his ears made it difficult to hear.
Five hundred cubits past the bottom of the hill, Noah lost sight of the tracks, the imprints in the grass erased by the breeze. He continued along the same heading until his attention was drawn to the soft growl of the lion off to his right. He stopped to listen. Again, the wind brought the lion’s howl to his ears.
He moved to his right, toward and around a small crop of trees. On the other side, his horse trotted back and forth in short bursts, bobbing his head toward the ground and whinnying. He appeared skittish and ready to bolt at the next clap of thunder. But at his feet walked the lion, mirroring his gait in a herding maneuver intended to confine him to his present path.
He approached his horse slowly and took the reins. “Easy boy.” He patted the side of his neck.
He slid onto the saddle and headed back to the stream where Elisheva waited. “You’ve been gone so long, I was beginning to worry.”
“Japheth?”
Elisheva pointed west in the direction her husband had taken. “He hasn’t returned yet.”
“Daughter, stay here in case we miss him on his way back.”
He and the lion headed along the path he’d last seen Japheth pursuing the other horse. After about a furlong and a half, he spotted him walking on the prairie. He returned his father’s wave and jogged toward them.
“He get away?” Noah said as they met.
“It’s been nearly an hour since I lost sight of him.”
“Well, climb aboard. We need to pick up Elisheva and start for home.”
“The three of us can’t ride one horse. Shouldn’t we use this one to help us find the other?”
A wicked crack of thunder followed another lightning strike that creased the southwest horizon. Noah’s horse stirred beneath him, and he stroked his mane. “You just said you haven’t seen him for an hour. Now maybe we could find him using this horse, and maybe not.”
“But Father, one horse will slow us down. Even with Elisheva riding, it will still take us another three or four hours to make it back on foot.”
“Take a look at those clouds, son.” He and Japheth lifted their eyes to the thickening slate gray quilt covering the sky. “How long do you think they’re going to hold off?”
“Which is exactly why we should go after the other horse.”
“Suppose we found him right away, what then? We might be able to cut our time in half. But if we don’t find him, all the time we spent looking will have been time we could have been on the road.”
“It seems like a gamble either way.”
“It is. But at least this one starts marking time with us headed in the right direction.” Had God abandoned them? Under most circumstances, the loss of an hour during a long journey wouldn’t make much of a difference. Only they hadn’t only lost an hour, they’d lost a horse too, which would cost them more time. Getting Elisheva back from Shechem was supposed to be the hard part, not getting home. Now, even if they made it, would they arrive in time to make it into the ark?
Chapter 61
Noah raised his arm, turning to Elisheva in the saddle behind him and to Japheth and the lion running off their left quarter. “There she is!” he shouted above the pummeling wind. Five furlongs ahead and barely visible against the blackness of the southern sky, the tip of the ark’s prow pierced the horizon.
Another clap of thunder and Elisheva tightened her grip around his waist. They’d traveled nearly three hours from the stream where they’d lost Japheth’s horse. But the wind had only grown stronger, biting their faces and bending the trees above them like swaying wheat fields. Flashes of lightning and claps of thunder grew closer together, and Noah fought to maintain control of his horse. To their right, several trees crashed to the forest floor.
Up ahead, hundreds of birds swirled about, lifted by winds blowing from west to east before dropping back to the ground. At first glance, their flight appeared somewhat whimsical, until they rode close enough to see what it was. “Oh, what’s that smell?” Elisheva said, burying her nose deep in his back.
Noah wrinkled his nose at the putrid odor, but recognized it immediately. “Death. Don’t look.”
As they came upon the battlefield, thousands of birds had gathered to feed on the rotting corpses of soldiers. Mostly vultures, buzzards, and crows. They were joined by dozens of jackals and hyenas in harvesting the carrion. Not even the coming storm appeared to deter them.
Four hyenas dining closest to them raised their heads when they passed, blood and saliva dripping from their chomping snouts. Japheth reached for his sword. “No need, son. They won’t bother us unless they perceive we’re a threat to their food.”
Directly in front, a tree bent over onto their path by the wind began to fall. Indecision seized him. Dare he pull back on the reins or continue forward? He shouted, slapping his horse’s rear.
“Look out!” Japheth yelled.
Noah spun his horse to the sound of the tree striking the ground behind him. Japheth appeared uninjured on the far side of the great poplar, but the lioness had been trapped beneath several of its upper branches.
“What happened?” Noah said.
“She tried to follow you,” Japheth said.
Father and son hurried to assist the distressed lioness, her howls barely audible above the roar of the wind. She’d been pinned by two branches, one pushing onto her hips, and another holding down her tail. Even with his son’s great strength, the two men could not budge the massive trunk.
Two more flashes of lightning and their accompanying cracks of thunder preceded the first rain drops striking Noah’s scalp and forehead. With them, he remembered his instructions to Ham. Close the door.
Japheth looked at the helpless lion, then reached across one of the branches to touch his father’s forearm. “Father, I know how you feel, but we have to go.”
He shook away the emotion thickening his throat and set his eyes. “We’re not leaving her behind.” At that, the heaven’s opened. He turned to Elisheva. “Go to the house. Bring back the two-man sa
w.”
With rain pouring down his face, Japheth held out his palms and gestured around him. “Father, we must get to the ark.”
“Do you want me to bring back Shem and Ham?” Elisheva said.
“There isn’t time. Just bring back the saw. Quickly, daughter.”
Elisheva ran to mount the horse. “Bring my axe,” Japheth said. She nodded and headed off, returning in less than 180 parts.
In the driving wind and rain, her husband moved about inside the tree top pruning away branches so he and Noah could have a clear cutting field. Again, Noah marveled at his son’s power, which he used to cut away more than twenty quarter cubit branches in less than forty parts. Not one took more than a single stroke.
When he was finished, he moved to the other end of the saw over the lower branch securing the lion’s tail. “Shouldn’t we get that big one off her hips first?” Japheth said.
“When that one comes off, she’s going to bolt. And if her tail is still trapped, she might really hurt herself.”
His son nodded and they began to cut, slicing through the half cubit branch and freeing the lion’s tail in under eighteen parts. Halfway through the larger branch, it started to bow downward at the cut, drawing a series of louder howls from the lion.
Japeth motioned for Elisheva to take his place on the saw. He positioned his shoulder beneath the branch on the lion’s side of where they were cutting. With clenched teeth and a shout, he lifted the limb to straighten the bow while Noah and Elisheva continued cutting. Near the end, Japheth ripped through the last bit of tree flesh and bark with a final upward thrust of his legs.
The lion bounded from beneath the limb, soaked but uninjured. She took a moment to nuzzle her head against the legs of her three rescuers before joining them as they mounted the horse and dashed off for the ark.
With one hand holding the reins and another shielding his brow, Noah strained to see through the storm. Now less than 250 cubits away, he feared something was causing him to hallucinate. He’d looked at the ark several times during their final run for safety, and each time his eyes had given him a different picture. Was the door to the ark open or closed?
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