His father-in-law pursed his lips. “You’re too late,” he complained. “Judas and his band of thieves came and stole James away while you were out gallivanting. And now I’ll have to pay a king’s ransom to get the infernal boy back.” The prim man passed his empty dinner plate to the slave standing at his side. “More bread and olives, Goda.”
Nathan shook his head in disgust and glanced at the main tent. “Where are the others?” he asked, uneasy no one had come outside to greet them.
“Judas took the girls,” Simeon said nonchalantly. “He is welcome to keep them, as far as I’m concerned.”
Nathan hugged Timothy closer. “Girls? Who...who did Judas take?”
The slave returned with a full plate of food. Simeon inspected the dish and plucked up a plump olive and waved it at Nathan. “The fool fiend took them all. My wife, your wife, your sister, that incompetent slave maiden.”
Nathan looked heavenward. “No! No! No!”
Timothy cried harder.
A hand shook Nathan’s arm. “Give me the boy.”
Nathan collected himself and passed his brother over to Kadar. Timothy wrapped his arm around the big man’s neck. Anger wouldn’t get Lex and Mary back.
The giant sheathed his sword. His blue eyes iced over. “Find out what that puffed-up peacock knows before I wring his neck.”
Simeon opened his mouth to complain. Nathan bent down so he was at nose level with his father-in-law. “How long ago did Judas leave?”
“I was at Synagogue when they came. They were gone by the time I returned.” The spiteful man’s mouth curved with a smile. “I do have one piece of information you might find interesting.” Simeon raised his stone goblet and waved it. “Goda, fetch me more wine. And, bring a cup for my son-in-law. He’ll need it after he hears his wife offered to play the harlot with Judas.” Nathan growled. Simeon smiled primly. “Alexandra begged Judas to take her. She promised to please him.”
Nathan knocked the cup out of his father-in-law’s hand. “Stop with your lies you horrible old man.”
Indignant, the Pharisee sniffed. “If you don’t believe me, go ask your stepmother.”
“I’ve heard enough.” Nathan stood. “I’m going to go talk to my father. He’ll tell me what I need to know.”
Simeon plucked a piece of lint from his expensive robe. “Your father won’t be any use to you. He’s dead.”
The world went dark. Nathan braced his hands on his knees. “What did you say?”
“Your father is dead,” Simeon repeated matter-of-factly.
Nathan drew back his arm and punched the hateful man in the face. A loud crunch was followed by blood spurting in all directions. Simeon howled and fell over backward, clutching his nose.
Nathan stared at the big tent. My father is dead...my father is dead.
Kadar squeezed his shoulder. “Do you want me to go find Rhoda and offer to help?” Help prepare Joseph’s body for burial—that’s what Kadar meant.
Nathan’s stomach knotted. “No. It’s my place to bury my...” his voice wavered. He cleared his throat. “I’ll go to Rhoda. She will be expecting me.”
Kadar patted Timothy’s back. “I’ll take care of what needs doing out here.”
Nathan turned toward the main tent. He took one faltering step. Then another. And reached the tent entrance far too soon. Teetering on the edge of a bottomless pit, a place bereft of his good, kind father, he took a deep breath and eased the flap back.
Joseph was laid out in the middle of the floor. Rhoda knelt next to her husband, lovingly washing the pale, lifeless body. She sang softly as she worked. The tender affection underpinning her rough, uneven voice added poignancy to the hymn of love.
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons, I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
Others saw a careworn woman in Rhoda. Not Joseph. The sentimental song would have pleased his father to no end.
Nathan squeezed his eyes closed. Lord, I’m not as strong as my father. I don’t want any wife but Lex. Have mercy. Keep her safe.
“Nathan.” Rhoda straightened. “Thank heaven you’re home.”
He kneeled down beside his stepmother and dragged the wet cloth from her hand. “Let me help.”
Rhoda held her hand out for the rag. “Leave this to me and go after my Mary and your Lex.”
“How long ago did the devils leave?”
Rhoda sighed. “Shortly after the morning meal.” It was almost evening.
Nathan twisted the wet cloth into a tight knot. “Everything in me is crying to go after them. The fiends must have left a trail as wide as a herd of elephants. But I wouldn’t get far enough for it to matter before the light gave out. I’ll ask Kadar to follow the tracks as far as he can, so we can start from there at dawn.”
Rhoda’s lip wobbled. “My Mary ought to be here. It’s not right. She should be here for her father’s burial.”
Nathan felt weary to the bone. “I’ll go hire a wailing woman and the flutists, so we may bury Father.” His voice caught. “You and Timothy will have to observe shiva for all of us. Lord willing, Mary, Alexandra, and I will be home before the end of the seven days, to mourn with you.”
He patted Rhoda’s hand. “Rest assured those demons will pay for their sins.” When Nathan caught up with the damnable madman and his conscienceless followers, he planned to annihilate every last one. Kill them for touching his wife and sister. Kill them for murdering his father. Kill them for not allowing Joseph of Rumah to be properly mourned.
Rhoda nodded. “Go quickly. There will barely be enough time for the people from Rumah to come and walk in the procession and to go home before dark.”
“I can’t believe my ears.” Nathan’s teeth gnashed. “You want to invite all of Rumah here? After the way they treated Father?”
A sad smile crossed Rhoda’s careworn face. “I don’t like the idea any more than you do. But what would your father want?” She pressed her fingers to her lips. “Look at him. My Joseph is as happy and peaceful in death as he was in life.”
She spoke true. Joseph wore a serene smile. He would want his neighbors to attend his funeral. And he would want Nathan to forgive the men who killed him.
The rage burning in Nathan’s stomach backed up and stung in his throat. He picked up his father’s lifeless hand. I wish I possessed your love and forgiveness, Father. But all I feel is hate and rage.
CHAPTER 24
Huddled in the corner of the damp cave, Alexandra stared into the blackest darkness she’d ever known. The rebels had hustled her and the others into the rocky hole moments after they’d arrived in the camp. Two guards watched over the entrance. The rest of raiders lay fast asleep.
“Alexandra,” Mary whispered.
“What do you need, dear?” The girl’s head was pillowed on Alexandra’s lap. She would have given Mary a comforting touch, but James was tucked under one of her arms and Sapphira under the other. Her cousin Elizabeth, not quite as needy as the others, slept stretched out on the floor beside Sapphira.
Mary nuzzled closer. “I am glad you are here.”
The awfulness of their situation reared its ugly head. Again. Alexandra stifled a moan. “Try to go to sleep, sweet lamb.”
Lex flexed her stiff back against the cold cave wall. This is a mere inconvenience. Come what may, the Lord will see us through. The faithful saying conjured up the memory of Joseph’s still face. She prayed for the thousandth time that her father-in-law still lived. If only James hadn’t panicked. Terrified of the bandits, James was like a small, frightened bird, ready to burst from the brush at the first sign of danger. She’d have to keep a close watch on him. Any more of his rashness, and they could all end up dead.
A shiver went through her. She’d give anything to be in her husband’s arms. Nathan would be home by now and wild with worry. He was coming to rescue them. She knew it. But it could be weeks and weeks before he tracked them down.
After all, Lydia had been a captive for five months.
What has Judas done to you, my dear, dear Lydia? Alexandra rested her head against the hard stone and squeezed her eyes closed. She’d clearly need to proceed with caution where her sister was concerned. Lydia hadn’t even acknowledged Lex or the others when they’d arrived in the camp. Instead she’d run into the zealot’s arms and disappeared into the back of the cave with him.
The cold seeped deeper into Alexandra’s bones. Help me, Lord. Give me the courage and strength to do whatever it takes to keep us safe and whole until Nathan arrives.
Lex woke with a start. A shaft of morning light cut across the craggy opening of the cave. The thin, long-faced raider who continually stared at her stood over her with his legs spread wide, his leering eyes wandering over her body. A sour taste filled her mouth. Then Mary and Sapphira stirred and the raider moved on. Alexandra woke her brood and coaxed them out of the gloomy den.
Men moved slowly about the campsite. Lydia was kneeling next to a small fire, stirring a steaming pot. Lex pushed the girls and James toward the warm flames. Lydia looked up. Her brow furrowed.
Alexandra offered her an encouraging smile. “Lydia. I’ve missed you terribly. How are you?”
Her sister ducked her head and moved the wooden spoon through the kettle with added vigor. “I wish Father had heeded my messages,” her soft whisper barely reached Alexandra.
Lydia had always been so lively and full of fun and ready to laugh. The jittery, cowering woman across from Alexandra was a stranger. Lex’s heart broke. She leaned forward and spoke gently, “What messages, dear?”
Lydia’s shoulders dropped. “The ones telling him to stop searching for me.”
A black hole opened up inside of Alexandra. “You can’t mean that.”
Judas stepped up behind Lydia and put his long, narrow hand on her head. Her sister flinched.
Fright careened through Lex. Judas’ dark eyes bore down on her. “Lydia is my wife. Say otherwise and you will force me to teach you a lesson.”
Alexandra swallowed and nodded.
“I am happy with my husband,” Lydia rushed to assure her.
Husband? Alexandra couldn’t believe her ears. Her lively, caring, loving sister couldn’t actually consider the violent zealot a true husband, could she?
Tears clouded Alexandra’s vision as she thought of Nathan. If Lydia had spent time with a man as kind and good as Nathan, she would know better. Of course, Alexandra’s expectations for marriage had also been abysmal. It made sad sense, given the fact that the only example of a man they knew was that of their joyless, sharp-tongued father.
“It’s time for the morning prayers,” a deep, steady voice said.
All eyes turned to the thin, long-faced raider, who stood next to the mouth of the cave.
“I know,” Judas said tightly. He clapped his hands. Prayer mats were brought forth.
The men gathered around Judas. Facing Jerusalem, they went down on their knees. The raider named Silas stared at her for a long moment before putting his head down to pray.
Alexandra leaned forward and pressed her face into the ground. She wanted to pray but her strength deserted her. Tears welled. Her body shook. The time of prayer ended too soon. Gathering back her courage, she sat up.
The men stayed on their mats. The raider next to Judas removed a small scroll from a cloth bag. Handling the sacred text with extreme care, the man passed the rolled scroll over to Judas. The dour zealot unfurled the parchment, cleared his throat, and read the words of the prophet Daniel. “Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplication, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate.”
Judas recited a long portion, then began to preach. He spoke eloquently about the beauty of the Lord’s Temple, raged with righteous indignation against Rome, lamented the sinful practices of the Sadducees and High Priest John Hycranus. Enthralled, Judas’s men nodded and said amen. Lydia divided her attention between the preaching and watching over a steaming kettle. Alexandra wished she could denounce Judas’s teachings as vile or foolish, except she agreed with much that he said.
Finally the scroll was put away. The rebel leader and his followers fell to eating and talking. Some of the men suggested breaking up camp and moving higher into the hills, but then someone would ask Judas a question or say something that didn’t sit right with the rebel leader, and he would launch into another lengthy speech.
Alexandra and her stoic cousin, Elizabeth, took turns comforting Mary, James, and Sapphira. Alexandra watched for an opportunity to speak to Lydia again, but her sister stayed close to Judas. Around midmorning the man the girls called Bear approached Alexandra carrying a skin of water and two wheat loaves.
The large, hairy man squatted on his haunches next to her. “Pay attention. I’m only saying this once. Some of us are not happy about the raid on your husband’s farm. We plan to part ways with Judas. My friend...” Bear nodded in the direction of the cave entrance. The thin, long-faced raider stood framed in the black, craggy entrance. “...sent me to invite you to escape with us.”
Alexandra’s heart sped up. A revolt was afoot in the rebel camp. How appropriate. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves,” she lectured.
Bear blinked and turned red-faced.
In no position to be picky over where help came from, she asked, “How do you plan to get us past Judas?”
“Leave that to us,” Bear said.
“Will you take us back to the farm?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“We will be nothing but trouble for you,” she warned.
The hairy man smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “We need wives. So we’ll risk it.”
“Wives?” Her loud cry earned a scowl from Bear. She lowered her voice. “Sapphira and Mary are too young to marry. And my cousin and I are already married.”
“We don’t mind.”
She ground her teeth together. “We mind.”
“You better get used to the idea. Judas plans to give these plump doves...” he pointed at Mary, Elizabeth, and Sapphira “...to his right-hand men.” Then jabbed his thumb in her direction. “Our greedy leader plans to make you as his second wife.” Bear wiggled his bushy brows. “So will it be us? Or them?”
Lex glanced between Judas and the thin, long-faced man and groaned.
Bear stood. “Decide quickly. We go tonight.” With that he lumbered off.
Hands trembling, Alexandra broke up the wheat loaf and passed out pieces to the girls. She made James sit up. “Eat. You need your strength.” She nibbled at the stale crust and watched Lydia go about her work.
Her sister lifted the cover off a steaming pot and the earthy smell of cooked lentils drifted through the campsite. She poured the small, brown beans into a bowl and brought it to Judas. Tall and willowy, Lydia moved with an ease and grace Alexandra had always envied. Then she noticed a small round bump showing beneath her sister’s tunic. Lydia was with child. Alexandra flinched. Father had said so, but the sight of her sister’s distended belly brought the awful truth home.
Lex pressed her hands to her flat stomach. What if Nathan came too late and Judas married her and forced himself on her? Her skin crawled. She’d rather die than have that happen. The thin, long-faced raider walked past. What if the menacing man forced her go with him when he made his escape, and then took her for his wife, and put his dirty, groping hands all over her? She shuddered.
A commotion arose as two raiders arrived in the camp leading a pair of donkeys burdened with giant jars. The other men whooped for joy and crowded around the sway-backed beasts. A mesh sack filled with clay cups, passed hands. The covers came off the pottery jars. “Judas. Judas,” the men chanted.
The rebel leader stood a short way off. Lydia had a hold of his sleeve, urging him to listen to her. Alexandra wasn’t close enough to hear what her sister was saying, but the alarm on Lydia’s face was edging toward panic.
“Enough, woman,”
Judas barked, shaking off Lydia’s hand. “No more of your nagging.” The color drained from her face, and she sank to the ground and hid her face in her lap. Judas joined his companions, grabbed two cups, and banged them together until the men quieted. “I promised you wine for the weddings. Come and drink.” The men cheered.
Alexandra broke out in a cold sweat. She wanted to jump to her feet and race away and never stop running.
Bear elbowed his way to the donkeys. “Hold up,” he roared good-naturedly. “I have a wager to make.” He dipped his cup into one of the jars and lifted it high. Wine sloshed over the rim. He opened his mouth and poured. Wine splashed against his tongue and dribbled down bushy beard. Draining the cup, he took a mug away from the man standing next to him, filled both cups, held them aloft, and waggled his brows. “I’ll kiss the feet of the man who can guzzle half the wine I can. Do I have any takers?” Nearly every raider raised a hand. Bear laughed raucously. “Drink up friends! Drink up.”
A blast of cold air ruffled Alexandra’s tunic. She shivered and rubbed her arms.
Several sets of dice appeared. The men tossed the ivory cubes at the base of boulders, calling out bets before the die crashed to a stop.
James moved closer to Alexandra. The scar crossing his pale face pulsed. “What if they make me throw the dice again? What if someone suffers a horrible fate because of me? What if they make you cut me again?” He gagged. “I can’t do it again. I can’t.”
Wine flowed like rain from a black sky.
Dice mashed against stone.
The demon named Judas danced about the camp.
CHAPTER 25
The clean smell of the dried myrtle and olive flower covering the burial cloth followed Nathan out of the tent. He blinked against the harsh sunlight and walked toward the well where Kadar and Timothy were drawing water for the horses.
Royal spotted him and nickered. Nathan stopped in front of his warhorse. “There’s a good fellow.” He patted the soft muzzle brushing against his chest. “You’d ride your heart out if I asked, wouldn’t you?” He squeezed his eyes shut. Lex and Mary were suffering unthinkable atrocities and yet, here he was, talking to his horse. The good Lord knew he wanted to be off after them, running Royal and himself into the ground.
The Warrior (The Herod Chronicles Book 1) Page 22