by Tim Chaffey
“Yes, and I believe I’ve already thanked you a hundred times. Isn’t that enough?”
Aterre grinned. “Once more would be nice.”
“Thank you for embarrassing me in front of Em.”
Tubal-Cain stroked the short beard on his chin. “You know, you should open up a shop where you find matches for people. You could call it, You’ll Thank Me Someday.”
The three men laughed as Noah and Tubal-Cain tried to outdo one another over names for the proposed store.
Noah sat up straight and looked at Aterre. “Wait, I have a better idea. A much better idea.”
“Well, it can’t be any worse than the last one.” Aterre dramatically dropped his head into his hands.
Noah pointed at his friend. “Since you played such a key role in helping each of us find a wife, I think we should return the favor.”
Tubal-Cain bolted upright. “That’s a great idea. It’s our turn to play matchmaker.”
Aterre shook his head. “I was wrong. It could be worse.”
“No, this is perfect.” Noah squinted as he pretended to size up Aterre. “Let’s see. I’ve got just the right person in mind.”
Aterre feigned disinterest. “Who?
Noah tried to stifle his amusement. “How about Pohal?”
Aterre crinkled his nose. “No thanks.”
“Why not? She’s a good baker,” Tubal-Cain said. “You’d be well fed and. . . .”
“Not interested.”
“Why not?” Noah asked, knowing full well the answer. Aterre frequently complained about her squeaky, high-pitched voice. “Just think, she could sing you to sleep every night.”
Aterre snorted. “No, thank you. I’d rather listen to Taht sing a lullaby.”
Through momentary breaks in his laughter, Tubal-Cain said, “I’ve got one.”
Aterre rolled his eyes. “This ought to be good.”
“What about Bakur’s niece, Ehiluel?”
Aterre folded his arms. “Nope. Not interested.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Tubal-Cain asked. “She’s nice. She’s pretty. She’s intelli — oh, that’s the problem. She’s smart.”
“No, that’s not it.” Aterre folded his arms across his chest. “I’m just not attracted to her.”
“Fine, so you’re not interested in the pretty type.” Tubal-Cain looked at Noah and shrugged. “Picky picky.” He stared at the floor before shifting his gaze back to Aterre. “I know!”
Aterre rolled his eyes. “How long do I have to put up with this?”
“As long as it takes,” Noah said, enjoying the chance to tease his friend.
“Fletti, the stonemason’s daughter.”
“Are you crazy?” Aterre asked.
Tubal-Cain feigned offense. “What? I think she likes you.”
“Yeah, she asked about you the last time I saw her.” Noah leaned in and winked. “She said she wanted to kiss you.”
“Ah, I knew it,” Tubal-Cain said. “She’s the one.”
Aterre shook his head. “Right, like she’d say that to either of you madmen.”
Noah angled his head to one side and challenged his friend. “But what if she did?”
Aterre yawned. “I’d rather kiss a grendec.”
All three erupted in laughter.
After several moments, Noah tried to catch his breath as an idea came to mind, but it only made him laugh harder. Finally, he held up a hand and fought to put on a serious face. “Alright, I found your perfect match. Last one.”
“It’d better be.” Aterre’s expression showed that he had grown weary of this game.
“Who is it?” Tubal-Cain asked before taking a drink of his leaf brew.
Noah strained to keep his composure. “She lives close by.”
“Who?” Aterre asked.
“You’re comfortable around her. She’s got several qualities to make the ideal wife and . . . she’s not too much older than you.”
Noah waited to allow the tension to build. When he could no longer hold it in, he blurted out, “Nmir!”
Aterre stared at Noah in disbelief. “She’s probably 600!”
Tubal-Cain sprayed the contents of his mouth all over the table as he keeled over in raucous laughter. Stoically, Aterre crossed his arms until he cracked and joined Tubal-Cain’s merriment.
Noah reared back and howled until his stomach hurt.
The cacophony almost drowned out a knock at the door. Being closest to the entrance, Noah barely heard the sound and pulled himself up, desperately trying to gather his wits.
Another knock sounded, followed by a woman’s voice. “Hello? Are you still open for business?”
As if he had been bitten, Aterre jerked to his feet and pushed his fingers through his hair. “I’ll get it.”
Tubal-Cain blocked his path. “She’s asking for the blacksmith. That’s me.” Tubal-Cain walked to the door and opened it. “May I help you?”
“Evening peace.” The woman’s soft voice stood in sharp contrast to the male jocularity moments earlier. “I’m sorry for disturbing you this late at night, but the latch to our bovar pen broke, and we need it repaired as soon as possible.”
Tubal-Cain took the damaged copper part from her. “Certainly. Please, come inside.”
Noah started to introduce himself, but then he recognized her as Jitzel, Cada’s daughter. No longer the little girl who brought water to her father’s farmhands on hot days, Jitzel had transformed into a beautiful young woman. Standing nearly as tall as Aterre, her braided brown hair dropped to the middle of her back beneath her broad shoulders. Her strong, dark arms reminded Noah of his mother’s arms — arms that had labored outdoors for countless days.
Her light brown eyes blinked. “Oh, hello, Noah. I haven’t seen you in so long, but Aterre talks about you from time to time.”
Noah nodded. “It’s good to see you again.”
Jitzel looked past Noah and quickly glanced away. “Aterre. What are you doing here?”
Aterre hurried to join them near the door. “Evening peace. It’s um . . . I, uh . . . what happened to the gate?”
Jitzel peeked up at him and blushed. “I’m not sure. All I know is that Father wants it fixed right away. And I . . .” She looked at Aterre again. “And since I was already planning to head into town, here I am.”
“You came to the right place.” Tubal-Cain bent down to tie on his sandals. “I can bend this piece back into shape, and that should last you for a little while. But give me a few days, and I’ll make one that’s much stronger.”
“Wonderful.” Jitzel turned away from Aterre and faced Tubal-Cain. “Father will be so grateful.”
“I like when the boss is happy,” Aterre said. “Jitzel, what . . . why were . . .” He took a deep breath.
Noah had never seen his friend flustered like this before. Is this what I was like around Em? Oh, this is going to be amusing.
“Why were you planning to come into town tonight?” Aterre finally asked.
Jitzel smiled and looked away again.
A knowing grin crept across Noah’s lips, and he wished his friend would look over to catch his expression, but Aterre was too absorbed to notice.
“I wanted to pick up a few supplies.” She gestured to the small pack slung over her shoulder. “And I haven’t been across the river in a long time. I guess I missed seeing different faces.”
Tubal-Cain stepped past her into the doorway. “The tools I need are in the shop. Anyone want to join me?”
Although longing for some playful revenge, Noah decided not to embarrass Aterre. At least for now.
“I’d like to see your workplace,” Jitzel said before following him outside. She glanced over her shoulder. “Are you coming too?”
“We’ll be right there.” Noah put a hand on Aterre’s shoulder to prevent him from rushing after her. Keeping his voice down, he asked, “Would you rather continue stammering in here, or do you prefer to make a fool of yourself in the shop?”
Aterre tensed. “Don’t you dare say anything.”
“No wonder you weren’t interested in any of the women we mentioned.” Noah grinned.
“I mean it, Noah.”
“So now you know how it feels to be on the other side. It’s not easy, is it?”
“I hate it. I wish I could say the right words around her.”
Noah chuckled. “I could do it for you.”
“Don’t. I work for her father, and. . . .”
Noah raised his eyebrows. “That didn’t stop you from embarrassing me in front of Em.”
Aterre’s eyes widened. Noah had rarely witnessed this level of desperation in his friend. “Please. I’m begging you.”
Sighing, Noah held the door open. “I’ll behave.”
Aterre eased his shoulders. “And in return for that, I promise never to set you up with anyone ever again.”
“Haha. Deal.”
They stepped outside, into the fading light, and Noah spotted Tubal-Cain and Jitzel close to the forge. “Come on, Aterre. Don’t let her get away.” He jogged to catch up to them, Aterre on his heels.
“Jitzel,” Noah said, “it’s already getting pretty dark, and this will take a little while.” He grinned at Aterre. “I think one of us should make sure you get home safely.”
“Thank you, Noah,” she said. “That’s very sweet of you, but . . .”
“I’m sure Aterre wouldn’t mind, would you?”
Aterre scratched the back of his neck and looked at her. “No, um, I mean, I’d be happy to walk you home.” He inhaled. “That is, if you don’t mind.”
Jitzel blushed. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
Aterre flinched and bit his lip.
“I think that’s his way of saying, ‘You’re welcome,’ ” Tubal-Cain said.
Jitzel looked away. “I know. He doesn’t talk much.”
“Who? Him? He talks all the time.” Tubal-Cain paused and then slowly lifted his head as he seemed to grasp the situation.
“Does he?” A bemused expression crossed Jitzel’s face, and she laid a hand on Aterre’s forearm. “You’re so quiet at work when I bring you your midmeal.”
“That sure is strange.” Noah caught Tubal-Cain’s attention. “Any idea why he’d be so quiet at work?”
Tubal-Cain looked straight at Jitzel. “I can only think of one reason.” He held up the broken latch. “I’d better repair this so you two can enjoy your evening together. Just the two of you. Walking and talking.”
Aterre froze and Jitzel stared at the floor. But she didn’t let go of his arm.
Chapter 4
Ara’s shoulder and arm muscles flexed as he strained to pull the recently secured beam out of position. Shifting his stance, he grunted as he pushed against the wood. Finally giving up, he sat down on the deck and looked at his son-in-law. “These new brackets from Tubal-Cain are much better. The joints are as strong as a superglider’s bite.”
Noah nodded, eyebrows raised. “Didn’t I tell you that?”
Ara stretched his fingers before curling his arm up to show off his bicep. “You did, but they needed to be tested by a strong man.”
Noah snorted. “Hmm. When Tubal-Cain gets back, I’ll ask him to check. You’re getting too old for this.”
“Too old? I’m not even 300. Just reaching my prime.”
“That’s good timing then. If these new joints hold up in the water, I think business will really take off.”
After guzzling his drink, Ara set the jar down and stared across the beach toward town. “We might be able to double, even triple the size of our boats.”
“And what about crossing the sea?”
“I think it might be possible for our next model.” Ara turned to Noah. “But I’m not sure anyone here is anxious to do that anymore.”
The image of the massive serpent idol on the platform in Havil flashed through his mind, followed by a memory of Naamah in her room. Noah shook his head to banish the recollections. In spite of the inauspicious trip to Havil, he still craved adventure. He wanted to take Emzara on a long voyage to explore the world’s unknown wonders. “Perhaps not anywhere near Havil,” he said, “but I think the world might be a bigger place than we’ve imagined. I want to see it.”
Noah stood and jumped from the boat onto the sand. He thumped the partially constructed hull with his palm. “So how big do you want to make the next one?”
Ara joined Noah and they walked toward his office. “We’ll need to do a lot of planning, but we’ll probably start with something about 50 percent larger, and if that works, we’ll gradually increase the size. We have to work with the ratios still to make sure it’s as sturdy as possible. You aren’t the only one who’ll want to cross the sea. We’re going to have trouble filling all the orders once word gets out that the ships are strong enough.” Ara stopped and looked back at the water, saying nothing for a long moment as he stared off across the waves.
“Is something wrong?” Noah asked.
“Maybe. Speaking of stronger boats, Zain told me that Bayt is back in town.”
“Bayt? Is he the man who wouldn’t listen to you and nearly drowned?”
Ara nodded. “Then he came back here and tried to destroy my business. Hopefully, time has calmed his anger.”
“That would be . . .” Noah broke off as he spotted something out in the bay, far beyond Ara’s ship anchored in the shallows. “A boat is heading this way.” He pointed to the vessel. “Who do you suppose it is? Not Farna — he would come from the river.”
“And he’s not due for another week at least.” Ara held up a hand to block the glare. “Could be from one of the coastal towns I’ve worked with in the past.”
The men continued watching as the ship steadily came nearer. At last Noah could make out a yellow banner above the sail. A sinking feeling hit his stomach. “That’s the boat we made for King Lamech.” Noah sighed. “And just when I hoped we were finished with that wicked place.”
Ara narrowed his gaze at the boat. “Should we be worried?”
Attempting to count the number of people on board, Noah squinted. The light from the morning sun reflected spectacularly off the water, making it impossible to discern individuals yet. “I’m sure there’s no threat of attack. But I’d definitely be concerned about the influence they might have here. And if Naamah’s there, I’d rather not stick around.”
“Emz told me about that.” Ara put a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you. Thank you for honoring my daughter and the Creator.”
Noah nodded. “I believe the Most High protected me that night.” He shuddered and looked Ara in the eye. “Thank you for raising Em to follow the Creator.”
Ara tightened his grip. “If our trust in the Most High is to be tested by the Havilites, I’m glad to have you by my side.” He looked up and down the empty beach trail. “I think we’re going to have to be the welcoming party. Stay with me?”
Nodding, Noah walked toward the point on the shore where the boat would likely land. Using a hand to shade his eyes, he strained to make out the figures on board. “I see the king, and it looks like he has about four guards with him, as well as some women. But I don’t recognize them.” He let out a deep breath. “That’s good.”
As the ship neared, about a dozen curious townsfolk arrived on the beach. Noah motioned for them to come over and then spotted Emzara leaving her office. He waved to get her attention.
Emzara hurried to join him. “What’s everyone doing?”
“Looks like King Lamech decided to pay us a visit.”
“If Naamah is here . . .” Emzara balled her hands into fists.
Noah stepped close to her and rubbed her shoulder tenderly, lowering his voice. “I don’t see her. But no matter what happens, we need to stay calm and treat our visitors with respect.”
“With the same respect she showed us?” Emzara mumbled under her breath before slowly turning to Ara. “Baba, you’re on the council now. Can’t you just tell them to leave?”
/> He shook his head. “Not without consulting the rest of the elders. And I don’t think it would be wise to make enemies. We’ll greet them and be respectful. Let’s take this opportunity to show them how followers of the Most High live.” He put an arm around his daughter. “Imagine what could happen if their king started following the Creator.”
Relaxing her shoulders, Emzara nodded.
Noah and Ara approached the water as the craft reached the shallows. Noah raised his voice and held up a hand. “Morning peace, King Lamech. I’m surprised to see you.”
Dressed in a blue-trimmed golden wrap, the king smiled broadly from his place at the bow. “Ah, young Noah. Morning peace to you. How good to see you again.”
Noah stepped into the water and caught the rope a guard threw down as the vessel slid to a halt. He looked up at the king and pointed to his left. “Our pier is over there on the river. But this should be fine here until the tide rises late in the day.” He held a hand out to the king. “Let me help you.”
Ignoring the proffered hand, Lamech leapt down with a splash that sent water halfway to Noah’s chest. He stretched his arms out and yawned, making the scar on his right cheek bunch into a knotty red line. “It feels good to be on land again. Took me three days to get used to all the motion.”
“I know what you mean.” Noah chuckled.
Lamech glanced back at the Havilites on the boat. “Do you mind if they come ashore as well?”
“Of course not.” Spotting Garun among the group, Noah gave him a quick nod. It settled his heart a bit to know at least one person on board followed the Creator. He hoped for an opportunity to talk to him soon.
A half-dozen splashes sounded as several men jumped into the shallows, each holding a bundle above his head. When Garun and another guard had debarked, they turned to help a slight, middle-aged man and the three young women hop from the deck. Even wading through the shallow water, the girls moved with a grace that reminded Noah of the dancers who had performed with Naamah in the king’s dining hall during his first visit to Havil.
One of the remaining guards stepped to the bow. “Sir, do you want me stay here with the boat?”