The Requiem Collection: The Book of Jubilees, More Anger than Sorrow & Calling Babel: Novel Set

by Eric Black

  And so Adahy did; and he saw what Juan spoke was true.

  “I will trust Morgan, as you do,” Adahy agreed.

  Juan started to speak to Morgan but was interrupted by the sliding of the lock that barred their cell. At the open doorway stood the man responsible for their imprisonment: McKale.

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

  “My people once had a village on this land,” Morgan said in the quiet of the night. “We’ve been here for generations beyond memory.

  “When I was a child, the army came north and took our lands. This jail was built on top of our temple. The caves that ran under our temple are still there.”

  The comment garnered the attention of Juan. “Are the caves still accessible?”

  “The entrance is a hole in the store room of this jail. The cold air from the caves keeps the store room cool.”

  “Where do these caves go?” Adahy asked.

  “There are a series of caves that come out many miles to the north.”

  “Why are you just now mentioning this?” Juan asked.

  “Because you were not ready to leave.”

  Juan left the comment alone and turned focus back to the layout of the caves. They discussed until Juan was comfortable with the plan, which was to make their break the next morning and with the first light of the new day.

  The guards came just after dawn to administer the first round of that day’s beatings. As the first guard approached, Juan touched him and his body fell lifeless to the ground. The other guard came to his aid and met the same fate.

  They stole the keys and clothing from the guards and moved stealthily to the store room were they found a third guard; Juan disposed of him as well. Inside the store room, just as Morgan said, was the hole.

  The store room contained several barrels of dried corn and salted meat and they filled their pockets with as much as they could carry. Juan lifted a lantern hanging from the wall and followed Morgan and Adahy into the caves by way of a crude stairway of rocks that jutted from the cave wall.

  Light from the lantern illuminated the burial tombs of Morgan’s people: a half a mile of clothed skeletons lined the walls on both sides. From there, the ground began to slope downwards and they found themselves going deeper into the ground.

  “Morgan, how long do these caves go on?” Juan asked.

  “They stretch for nearly forty miles. They exit near an old village site of my people.”

  They ran for four hours and Juan estimated they had traveled at least half the distance of the caves. “We’ll make camp here. We need to find water if we’re going to survive.” They searched and gathered water dripping from the roof of the cave. They were not certain the water was good but had little choice.

  They settled in around the frigid cave to get some semblance of sleep. “Who is McKale?” Morgan asked Juan.

  “He’s not who he says he is. And he’s very dangerous.”

  “What does he want of you?”

  Juan half-smiled. “He would like to kill me. But that is not likely to happen and he knows that. Instead, he chooses to make life difficult for me when he can.”

  “Why does he want to kill you?”

  “He and I are alike in many ways. But while I only kill when absolute necessary, he kills because he can. I’m a challenge for him. And so, he will continue to try to kill me; just because he can.”

  “Why don’t you kill him?”

  “I have more to worry about than killing McKale. Besides, it’s complicated.”

  Morgan let it go at that and drifted off to sleep.

  The next morning, they began their trek not knowing the time of day or if they were pursued. They walked for several hours and soon sunlight began to fill cracks in the ceiling. The air began to smell fresher.

  The cave narrowed and up ahead, they noticed a bend to the left. As they made their way around the bend, brilliant sunlight blinded them: they had found the mouth of the cave.

  They waited for their eyes to adjust to the light before exiting, not wanting to leave the cave and fall into a ravine. With their eyes restored, Adahy crept to the mouth of the cave and looked out. He did not see anyone but could not be sure. The land surrounding the mouth of the cave was mostly flat desert but there were several rock formations and clusters of scrub brush where one could hide.

  They waited a few more minutes and surveyed their surroundings. Finally, Morgan commented that they could not stay in the cave forever and they left the cave, come what may.

  They walked out into the open and found the land around them deserted.

  “Do you know this land?” Adahy asked Morgan.

  “It has been many years since my people lived in these lands. I was only a boy when we left. There is an ancient village near here but little is left.”

  “If one direction is no better than another, then I suggest we travel north,” Adahy offered.

  Juan agreed and they set out.

  They traveled slowly, keeping an eye out for people as well as animals. Jaguars were prevalent in the area and they did not want to fall prey. As they traveled, Adahy seemed to grow weaker. He never complained and worked to not slow them down but in truth he was.

  Juan was confused. Adahy was normally vigorous but now grew lethargic. They hunted for mule deer and Adahy’s spear bounced off the shoulder of the deer. That’s not like him, Juan thought. Adahy was one the best hunters he knew.

  Then, Juan remembered the snake bite Adahy received in the prison. Juan pressed him to see it and at first, Adahy refused; but at Juan’s insistence, Adahy relented. The unclean wound oozed with puss and the skin around the wound had begun to turn grey. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Juan demanded.

  “I was sure we would come across plants that would heal the wound but they have not yet been seen. I cleaned the wound with water in the caves but it did little good.”

  Juan looked at Adahy seriously. “We need to get you somewhere where we can clean the wound properly and keep it clean.”

  Adahy agreed and the following day, they came upon a ranch.

  Juan approached the house and as he did, he heard guns cock. He kept his hands in plain sight.

  “Who are you, stranger?” a voice from the house asked in English.

  “My friends and I are looking for a place to lie up for a few days. My friend is injured and sick. He needs to rest.”

  “Where did you come from?”

  Juan saw little point in lying. “We were taken prisoner by some vigilantes to the south. They’d planned to sell us off as slaves but we escaped.”

  “How many of you are there?”

  “There are three of us.”

  “What’s wrong with your friend? Why is he sick?”

  “He was bitten by a snake. Not a poisonous snake but the wound was not cleaned properly and now infection has set in.”

  “How do you know we won’t take all three of you back to the prison where you came from?”

  Juan smiled. “Because you’re a good man.”

  The voice didn’t answer at first. “I’m John Weathers. You can call me Cotton. Welcome to my home.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

  “From there, we rested a week and then headed back to Tennessee,” Juan finished his story.

  “Did you see McKale again?”

  “We did. We saw him again in Missouri. He killed Adahy and there was nothing I could do about it. He just appeared and with the death, he was gone again.”

  Diego was familiar with the methods of the man who sometimes called himself McKale. “I’m sorry about Adahy. He sounded like a good man.”

  Juan nodded sadly at the memory. “He was a good man. He didn’t deserve to be slaughtered by a coward. I knew it was going to happen but I couldn’t stop it.”

  “What did McKale say to you at the prison?”

  “Nothing important. He stared at Adahy for a long time and I knew he was considering how best to kill him.”

  “What about Morgan?”

&nb
sp; “He stayed to make sure that Adahy was well and then traveled south back to his people.”

  “Do you know who his people were?”

  “I think they must be descendants from some of the other great people we have met. Whoever they are, I’m sure they are a mysterious people.”

  “More mysterious than us?”

  Juan’s smile broke his seriousness. “There’s no one more mysterious than us.”

  “What did you do after you returned to the village?”

  “There I lived and have remained. The war was over and people of that area needed help. The war had damaged the economy and families were deeply affected by the death of those they loved. There were many people for me to assist.

  “Over time, the world slowed and then grew fast again. We traveled to the moon and technology took over our lives. I kept up with everything and embraced the changing culture but stuck to the fountain. It was at the fountain where I found peace.”

  Diego let Juan’s words linger for a moment before changing the discussion. “Why don’t we head to the gardens while we wait? It would do us both good to get outside.”

  Juan agreed. In the previous days, they had spent many hours in the serenity of the gardens surrounding Solomon’s house and it was in these gardens that Juan did much of his thinking. He knew what must be done and continued to carry out the conversation with Solomon in his mind. All of the created universe relied upon that conversation going as planned.

  They left the house and entered the gardens where they remained for several hours. Footsteps broke the silent peace and they saw Menelik approaching. “I’ve been looking all over for you. If you’ll come with me, my father would like to speak with you.”

  They were led to the throne and as they approached, gave the required kneel and rose to face King Solomon.

  “Welcome, one again. I apologize for the delay in us speaking further.”

  “Thank you for seeing us again, King,” Juan offered.

  Solomon looked closely at Juan and Diego. “I am very interested in your land of Tarshish. I have been to the land of Tarshish, albeit many years ago. Remind me, what brings you so far from home?”

  “We are here with a purpose, King,” Juan answered.

  “Under whose application?”

  “The King of Tarshish. He asks we serve as ambassadors to your land to learn more of your mighty kingdom.”

  Solomon looked at Juan and Diego suspiciously. “What does your king hope to learn?”

  Juan opened his palms as he spoke. “He has heard of your great deeds from those who travel and trade between our lands. Our king wishes to learn from such an able ruler as to how he might better Tarshish.”

  Solomon studied Juan for a few moments. Juan was convinced that his words had pleased Solomon but was forced to wait for the verdict. As they were studied, Juan could also feel the eyes of the Solomon’s advisers and warriors that lined the side of the rooms. Juan knew that with a simple nod, both Diego and he would be struck down there in the court.

  Instead, Solomon smiled. “I will be happy to host you in my home a while longer. Is there anything else I can offer you while you are here?”

  Juan knew this was the moment to progress on their intentions. “We thank you for your generous hospitality, King. If we may be so bold, we would also ask that we be allowed to look upon the Ark of the Covenant. The stories of the Ark have inspired many and those stories have made their way to our land. It would mean much to our king if we were allowed to pray in the presence of the Ark.” Without giving Solomon an opportunity to rebut, Juan finished his request, “We would be honored if you personally show us your temple and the Ark.”

  Solomon studied Juan for a long time. He could tell that the true intentions of the men from Tarshish had been left unsaid. Juan had spoken sufficiently to be allowed view of the inside of the temple and the Ark. The Ark, after all, was not his but God’s. He was merely the keeper of the Ark and it was not his place to deny such a heavenly gift to any man.

  All the same, he did not want to be made a fool in his own temple. He was not concerned with Juan and Diego stealing the Ark as the temple was heavily guarded. He was not worried about either man harming him. I may be old, he thought, but I was once the greatest warrior in Israel. I can take on these two men until my guards join my side.

  After some time considering, he realized that the only way to discover their true intentions was to go along with their request. “Very well. Tonight you shall dine with me and in the morning, we will go to the temple. There, you will be allowed to pray to God as you see fit.”

  Juan and Diego thanked Solomon for his graciousness and were dismissed.

  Juan was anxious but also eager. He would use that evening’s dinner to get to know Solomon and erase the doubts that Solomon had about them.

  After a short period of time, tailors came to their room to fit them in new clothing for the evening: gifts from Solomon. Within an hour, their new wardrobe was complete and Rehoboam knocked on their door. He took a few moments to make sure they were satisfied with the style and fit of their clothing and when he was confident all was in order, he asked them to follow him.

  He led them to the Hall of King Solomon where dinner would be served and where they would begin the process of convincing the king to assist them in changing the future.

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

  The aroma of roasted meat ensnared Juan. They spotted the table that hosted Menelik and Rehoboam motioned to the empty seats next to him. Menelik waived them over.

  The table before them was an assortment of food with the centerpiece a roasted ibex surrounded by a range of roasted nuts and fruits. “I see we finally found you some decent clothing,” Menelik commented as they were seated.

  “These are very fine. Thank you for your hospitality,” Juan replied and Menelik nodded appreciatively. “Where is your father?”

  “He likes to make an entrance,” Rehoboam answered.

  Juan looked out at the room that seemed to buzz with a life of its own. The men were dressed in a variety of styles which reflected their region of the kingdom. Women in loose silk garments served the food and expertly avoided the wondering hands of the drunken attendees.

  One of the women brought over mugs of ale crafted from honey. Juan took a drink and reflected back on the similar ales of the Northlands. “My compliments.”

  “It’s Rehoboam’s own recipe,” Menelik noted.

  Diego drained his first mug and a second mug was handed to him before his empty mug hit the table. He nodded appreciatively at the woman and she returned a smile that Juan had seen other women give Diego before.

  Diego watched her walk away before turning his attention back to the room. If nothing else, feasts were always good for a few brawls and he expected this one to be no different.

  No weapons were permitted inside of the banquet room but that did little to prevent men from being severely hurt or even killed. Diego knew that an ale mug could make an efficient weapon. So far, however, men were content to idle in conversation (or they weren’t drunk enough to fight).

  After some time, horns blew announcing the arrival of King Solomon. Rehoboam leaned towards Diego, “I told you he likes to make an entrance.”

  Solomon slowly made his way around the room and ultimately to the table that contained his two sons. To be king was also to be a politician and Solomon made sure no hand was unshaken and no comment left unanswered.

  Finally, he arrived and looked at his sons. “If one wants to be an effective ruler, one treats dignitaries with hospitality. You must learn from me and take care of those who are guests at your table. That said, where’s my ale?”

  Menelik smirked. “I’m afraid that Rehoboam’s ale is too strong for one as old as you. We do have some goat milk that may not be so hard on your stomach.”

  Solomon smiled at his son. “You have learned much. Now let me teach you what happens when one disrespects his elders.” Solomon reached out with unbelievable speed
and grabbed the mug of ale from Menelik. Within moments, the mug was properly drained and Solomon called for another. The King’s beverage was ushered and Solomon wasted no time in draining the second mug as well. When he was done, he looked at the four men. “Am I caught up yet? I do not prefer to fall behind in the Game of Drink.”

  “You are doing quite well, King,” Juan answered. He was enjoying this side of Solomon, outside of the formalities of the throne room.

  They drank and conversed until Solomon’s top adviser signaled it was time for the speeches to begin. It was customary that the King would give the first speech, followed by the person the King mentioned in his speech. The second person would then give a speech mentioning someone else in the room and then that person would give the next speech. This would continue for hours.

  The purpose was to obviously embarrass the subject of the speech (which is why the King went first as no one wanted to embarrass him). Often, the stories had been heard before but many of those were very good and the crowd didn’t mind.

  One particular favorite was of a noble who found himself naked inside of a chicken house. The actual situation was overall harmless but the story had become so embellished that the particular noble would cringe when he was brought up; which was all the more reason to bring up his tale in the first place.

  The speeches continued for hours until the audience was quite intoxicated. At that point, a story would get too personal for someone and a challenge would be issued. That challenge would be returned and then the fighting would begin. Juan and Diego had been to dozens of feasts and no matter what country or culture, they all ended the same. They were pleased that this feast was no different.

  A tale had just been told of a young man who was mistaken for a woman. That particular young man did not look back on that moment so lightly and challenged the speaker to a sword fight. When the intoxicated young man realized he did not have a sword, he grabbed the leg bone of an ibex as a club and the first fight of the night began.