“Don’t worry about him. We’ve enough to think about just taking care of Nathan. Let’s go.”
We walked back around to the front of Jacob’s Inn to get Baruch, the donkey. I told Shale to wait. “I need to get something from Doctor Luke. I’ll be back in a minute.”
She reached out and snatched my arm. “Like what, what do you need to do?”
Was she afraid I would leave her again? “Potion, so Scylla will sleep like a baby.” I left Shale standing by Baruch.
CHAPTER 29 WANDERINGS
I rummaged through the medicines and found what I needed but Baruch’s whinnying interrupted my thoughts. When I went outside, I saw Baruch but Shale was missing.
I searched the front portico, along the street, and checked inside the shops. Scary ideas went through my head. Where was she? I glanced across the walkway. There I saw her standing in the flowerbed. When I reached her, she stood in front of a dancing cobra. His menacing eyes looked ready to strike.
“Shale, give me your hand.”
She half-heartily extended it. I tugged. She resisted. The cobra hissed.
“Shale, come to me,” I urged. Out of the sky a white dove descended. The movement caught her attention and broke the spell. Shale backed away and collapsed in my arms. I held her tightly as she sobbed.
Several men who had witnessed my distress rushed over. Once they saw the snake slithering away in the grass, they set about to kill the viper. We left them to the task—Shale had been traumatized enough.
We journeyed back to Galilee without much conversation. The solitude gave me time to think. I replayed in my mind all the weird things we had both faced. Were we battling demons?
Perhaps I was as shaken up as Shale. I wouldn’t have believed such a thing could happen. Did I still believe honor was more important than love?
I walked beside Baruch, longing to return home, but I didn’t know how to make that happen. Shale didn’t know how to get back either. Were others stranded in a twilight zone battling demons? Where was God and why hadn’t he revealed himself?
We arrived in Nazareth in the early evening and stopped just short of the house. How would we get Nathan out of the house without Scylla knowing?
“Shale, what about that crow that follows you around? Could he create a distraction with Mari, and you sneak in and put the potion in her wine?”
Shale was skeptical. “Mari promised she would do anything for me if I ever needed help. I don’t trust Worldly Crow. In fact, I don’t trust any crow.”
I couldn’t argue with her, but whatever we did was going to require creativity or luck—maybe even some divine intervention.
I walked over to a rocky outcropping and sat. My legs burned from so much walking. I studied the potion in the flask and shook it. “We only get one chance. If Scylla catches us, it’s all over.”
Shale nodded. “Mari cares about Nathan. Knowing we’re helping him to be healed will be enough.”
I agreed, but I was worried Mari could be persuaded to tell Scylla if confronted. I didn’t want her to feel threatened. I also didn’t trust Scylla, especially when she drank. I remembered the time she slapped Nathan.
“We need to make sure Scylla doesn’t find out that Mari knows anything.”
Shale slid off Baruch, walked over, and sat beside me. “As long as we’re back by the time Scylla wakes up, everything should be fine.”
I leaned back on the ledge stretching my legs. “You know better than me.”
Shale turned towards me and smiled. She lingered on my face as if pondering a deep thought. “Do you think we will ever make it back?”
I sighed. “I’m still wondering why we are both here. Why us? Have you met anyone else that’s from the future?”
Shale shook her head. “I think God brought us together.”
“Why?” I asked. “What’s so special about us? Why here? Why you and me?”
Shale leaned back and placed her head on my shoulder. “Maybe when we meet the king, he will give us answers. By the way, did you find out where the king is?”
“Me?” I asked.
“Yes,” replied Shale.
I shook my head. “And you mean teacher.” I set the flask in the grass and gazed out over the golden field. Sunsets were my favorite part of the day. I didn’t know how to say it any other way than to be blunt. “I refuse to call him a king.”
Shale shrugged. “How about healer—or rabbi?”
“Rabbi might be better.” I was too tired to debate it further. “You better go and ask Mari. I want to get started. I hope God grants us success.”
I liked the way that sounded.
Shale stood and brushed the dirt from her dress. “Wish me luck.”
“No, not luck. I’ll be praying. Don’t forget this.” I handed her the potion.
“Thanks.” A grin crossed Shale’s face.
For someone who had rejected God, freedom washed over me unexpectedly. Why had I waited? I should pray before I talked myself out of it.
I closed my eyes. “Grant us success in helping Nathan to be healed.”
My first prayer in two years. How long would I feel this way? Maybe it was the moment, watching the sunset, Shale’s presence beside me once again, admiring the fertile valley. The golden hues of the field had darkened. Clouds drifted by in a mass of swirling reds beneath the setting sun, as if a great artist had left his imprint on the sky.
I was excited and afraid. Would we be able to find the rabbi? I lay on my back, closed my eyes, and dozed.
It seemed only minutes later that I heard footsteps. When I looked up, I saw Shale.
“We’re all set,” she said excitedly.
“You gave Mari the potion?”
“Yes, she was fine with it. It was easier than I thought it would be.”
“Great. Now that we’ve taken care of that, where are we going?”
Shale’s countenance fell. “You didn’t find out?”
I shook my head. “I didn’t have time to think about it. I assumed you knew. I found the potion and then became distracted with you and that cobra.”
Shale bit her lip. “I have no idea where the king is.”
I had just prayed and now we didn’t even know where to go. “I thought you had this figured out. This was your idea.”
Shale remained quiet, although I could tell she was disheartened. She sat beside me and put her head on my shoulder. “Daniel, it seems more natural for you to ask the men than for me.”
I didn’t have any answers though I liked her being close to me. Then she stood and walked over to Baruch, sat on the log, and crossed her arms.
We stared at each other in silence.
I heard Much-Afraid’s yelps first. She ran over and greeted us.
“How did you get here?” Shale asked the dog. She scratched Much-Afraid behind the ear.
Darkness would arrive soon. We needed to know what to do. I tried not to sound too critical. “Why didn’t you ask me earlier?”
“I did,” Shale quipped.
“No, you didn’t.”
A couple of minutes passed. It was too late to go into town and ask.
Shale’s eyes focused on something. I turned. A sheep approached from the nearby field.
Why would a sheep be walking all alone? “I should take it back over to the field—to the other sheep.” I stood.
Shale said, “No, wait.”
“Why?”
She held up her hand for me to be quiet. “The sheep is talking to me.”
Then the sheep walked back across the street to rejoin the herd.
“Don’t tell me you were talking to that animal.”
“But I was,” Shale said.
“How can you do that? I didn’t hear anything.”
“Like you can talk to Nathan and I can’t.”
I stared at the ground. Shale’s ability wasn’t tainted like mine. I remained silent, wishing I were as good a person as she thought I was. She would be devastated if she knew the truth.
>
“So what did the sheep tell you?”
“You know.”
I wasn’t going to call on the medium. The more I used it, the more it controlled me. Should I confess to Shale that I was a fraud? My ability to read minds was wicked and wrong now. Even though it started out as something good, I had substituted a counterfeit.
I felt a strong sense of a supernatural presence. Perhaps I should pray. I closed my eyes. “Abba Father, you once helped me to read minds. Tell me where we are to find this man Shale believes is a king.”
Nothing happened. I prayed again, this time more fervently. “Please, show us the way.” Suddenly, the words appeared in my mind—miraculously.
“We’re to go to the Decapolis area,” I said.
Shale nodded.
How did that happen? I glanced up at the darkened sky.
Shale interrupted my thoughts. “Let’s not wait until the morning. I want to go back to the house to listen now.”
“I’ll stay here with Baruch. Take Much-Afraid with you.”
Shale slapped her thighs urging Much-Afraid to follow her. “Come on, you can keep me company while I wait.”
CHAPTER 30 DECAPOLIS
It seemed only minutes later when I heard Shale’s voice. For a moment, I had forgotten where I was. How long had I slept? The moon had moved across the sky.
“Scylla is asleep. Let’s get Nathan now,” she whispered.
“Great,” I mumbled. “Let me sleep a little longer.” I turned over on my other side.
“No, I don’t want to wait. Let’s go now. Who knows how long the sedative will last.”
I willed my eyes to open. “Right now?”
“Yes.” Shale’s insistence jarred me. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. It seemed strange to be out in the field at night kidnapping Shale’s brother from a place I used to call home.
Sleep deprivation made me see things differently. It seemed too risky. Why had I agreed? Did I really believe it would make any difference to Nathan? He’d never been able to speak.
I glanced at Shale who was so wide-eyed I was annoyed. She stood in my shadow with her hands on her waist.
I motioned for her to back up. “Give me some space, okay?” At least I was sitting. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Her white teeth glistened in the moonlight. “Of course I’m sure, and the sooner the better. Imagine what Nathan’s life would be like if the king—I mean, the rabbi—healed him. And he’ll be so thrilled to see you. Please get up.”
“Okay. Give me a second.” I stood and stretched my back and arms, and rubbed my eyes. My contacts were bothering me again, but I was afraid to take them out in the dark.
“Let’s go.”
“Should we take Baruch with us to the house?” Shale asked.
“No, he might make too much noise.”
Shale told him we’d be back shortly. “And you, too, Much-Afraid, stay here with Baruch.”
The dog lay down beside Baruch.
I rubbed my hands to warm them. Hot chocolate would have tasted good right now. We arrived in front of the house a few minutes later.
“Well, here we are,” Shale said, stating the obvious.
“Are you sure she’s asleep?” I didn’t want to run into Scylla in the hallway.
“I heard Mari singing and I’m sure she doesn’t sing in the middle of the night.”
I walked around to the back and tried to open the door, but the latch was either stuck or locked. I didn’t want to bang on it. I tried it again. This time the door moved.
Once inside, I snuck into Nathan’s darkened room. I hated to disturb him. I waited for my eyes to adjust.
Then I crept over to his bed, feeling my way so as not to trip over anything. A flashlight would have been nice. When I knelt in front of him, I could hear his restful breathing.
I gently shook him on the shoulder. “Nathan, it’s me, Daniel.”
He grunted, but didn’t move.
“Nathan, it’s Daniel.”
His eyes popped open. When he saw me, he smiled.
I put my finger over his mouth. “Shush.” He couldn’t talk, but he could make noises.
I was surprised I could read his thoughts.
“Shale is out front. We want to sneak you out of the house and take you to a rabbi. Shale believes he can loosen your tongue. Would you like to be able to talk?”
Nathan nodded eagerly.
“We don’t want to wake up Scylla. She would worry.”
He nodded again.
I helped him out of bed.
“Be quiet,” I cautioned.
He needed to change into something warmer. “Where are your clothes?”
He pointed to the corner.
“Good. Do it quickly.”
While he changed, I made sure everything looked clear.
“Shush,” I whispered.
His thoughts told me he was nervous.
“Don’t be afraid.” He’d never traveled far from home. I didn’t know if he had ever been anywhere after dark.
After we left through the front door, I hurried him along. My heart felt as if it would thump through my chest. Leaving the house, knowing the most dangerous part was over, gave me an unexpected buzz.
Shale appeared from behind some bushes.
No sooner had we reached the street than I heard a crow screeching.
“We’re going to see the king,” Shale said. “Shush.”
“Your favorite crow?” I asked.
Shale nodded.
I shrugged. We headed back to where we had left the animals.
Shale took a moment to hug Much-Afraid goodbye. “Go to the house and wait for us to return.”
The dog whimpered. I felt sorry for her, but she couldn’t go with us.
Shale patted Much-Afraid on the head. “We won’t be gone long.”
The dog yelped and ran back to the house, her tail bobbing as she crossed the field.
How nice it would be if we could all talk to animals, but if the animals argued, like kids, maybe it wouldn’t be good.
I turned to other matters as I prepared Baruch for the journey. Soon we were ready and I lifted Nathan and Shale on Baruch’s back.
We traveled through Galilee in the darkness but daylight would arrive soon. I’d check occasionally to see how Shale and Nathan were doing. I caught Shale slouched over Nathan. At least Nathan and I caught a few hours’ sleep earlier—Shale didn’t get any.
We entered the Decapolis area and arrived on the shore of the Sea of Galilee mid-morning. Crowds had already gathered on the hillside. The lay of the land made it a natural amphitheater.
Now that we were here, I was glad we had brought Nathan—as long as I didn’t have to get too close to the rabbi. I’d hang out at the back of the crowd.
I argued with myself. Why was I afraid of him if he were a false prophet? I also feared the ventriloquist. Had I made a pact with the devil? I didn’t know where I stood with God.
I was glad for Shale, that she had found a person to fill her spiritual needs. Maybe Yeshua was a good man, even a religious man, but what about the Jews? Would Yeshua be for the Jews also?
Shale jarred me out of my musings. “We’ll need to leave Baruch here and walk down.”
Shale and Baruch were talking. Some people stared. I pretended I didn’t know the young woman.
When Shale finished tethering Baruch, I guided her and Nathan down the mountain. The rabbi’s popularity had grown and it was difficult to catch a glimpse of him.
“I see him,” Shale said excitedly. She pointed to the rabbi.
“Do you want to take Nathan? I don’t want to go any closer.”
“Why not?”
How could I explain my doubts about his identity? I kept it simple. “I just don’t want to go any closer.”
Shale clutched my hand. “You must lead us,” she said. “You are head of the household, the oldest. You must go with us.”
I relented despite my misgivings. We picked our wa
y through the crowd, careful not to step on the small children. The scene reminded me of the summer concerts in the park in Jerusalem in 2015.
Fear gripped me—I began to think of reasons why we shouldn’t ask the rabbi to heal Nathan. Perhaps it was the wrong time. The crowds were waiting patiently for the teacher to speak.
One of Yeshua’s followers came up and asked, “What do you need?”
“We have a young mute man who needs to be healed,” I said.
The man waved his hand at the crowds amassed on the hill. “The Master is busy. Can’t you see?”
I imagined his day filled with curious onlookers and naysayers following him everywhere, making demands on his time. I was exhausted thinking about it.
Shale spoke up. “Please, let us take Nathan to the healer. We have come a long way.”
It appeared as though the rabbi heard Shale, even though he was a good distance from us.
Shale continued, “If the teacher could touch Nathan, I know he would heal him.”
The rabbi’s assistant nodded. “Wait here,” he said. He left to speak to him.
A couple of minutes later, the healer approached us. Yeshua’s eyes showed tenderness. “Peace be with you.”
Shale responded, “And to you, too, Master.”
The rabbi smiled. “Follow me.”
We left the crowds and he led us to a secluded spot. I lagged, still nervous. The rabbi motioned for Nathan to sit. Nathan sat on a flat rock in front of him. Great anticipation covered the boy’s face.
The face of Yeshua was different from anyone I had met. He didn’t strike me as a lunatic or a fraud. He didn’t seem impressed with his popularity—or lack of. Some people appeared to oppose him, but he seemed not to care.
The rabbi said a Hebrew prayer, spat into his hand, and touched Nathan’s tongue. Looking up to heaven, he cried, “Ephphatha!”
Nathan opened his mouth wide and moved his tongue. Once he realized he could speak, his eyes grew bright. He laughed as if surprised by joy.
Nathan dropped to his knees before the rabbi. “Thank you, my Lord.”
I stared at the healer—mystified by what I had just witnessed.
Yeshua acknowledged the boy’s thankfulness.
Nathan turned to the crowd that had followed us. They wanted to see the miracle the rabbi had performed.
Seventh Dimension - The King - Book 2, A Young Adult Fantasy Page 13