by Tim Chaffey
“Are you saying that your people no longer worship the Serpent?” Zain asked.
The king shrugged. “There are probably some who still hold those beliefs, but it wasn’t too long after that ceremony that we stopped promoting them.”
Noah studied Garun’s face, but the guard sat perfectly still, his pose hiding any emotion.
“That would be a step in the right direction.” Zain leaned his elbows on the table.
Ara cleared his throat. “I have a question that pertains less to your ability to run your city and more about the way you run your family. As anyone here can testify, Tubal-Cain is a fine young man. Many of us had the opportunity to meet your daughter as well when she visited, and she seemed to get along well with folks. But I’ve heard many disturbing things about her since she’s returned to Havil.”
The king held up a hand. “If you’re referring to her role in the ceremony as priestess, I can assure you that this is another area where things have changed. You’re correct, Ara, my daughter should never have been involved in something like that.”
Ara took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I was not referring to her role in the ceremony, but to her actions just prior to it.”
The king opened his mouth to speak and then tilted his head to one side. “What actions?”
“She used your guards to arrest Noah, and they even detained Zain for a time. When Noah was brought to her chambers, she attempted to seduce him, though she knew he was a married man. Why would your daughter act that way?”
“I have not heard of this until now.” The king slowly shook his head and looked at Zain. “You were really arrested by my guards? Did they mistreat you?”
Zain’s eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded. “After they stormed into the guest house, threw Emzara on the ground, and said they were going to execute Noah.”
“What?” Lamech turned toward Noah. “This is true?”
“It is.” Though he wasn’t thrilled about being brought into the conversation, Noah twisted halfway around so that both the council and audience could hear him. “I’d rather not discuss all the details in this setting, but it is true that Nivlac barged into our quarters, made false allegations, and threatened to execute me. After the soldiers dragged me to the courtyard, they acted like they were going to sacrifice me to the Great Deceiver. And that’s when Naamah stepped in. She stopped Nivlac, but I have reason to believe that was part of the setup to have me brought to her room.”
Lamech tilted his head back and closed his eyes as if coming to a realization. “I had no idea, but that explains much. When I found out that our dock had been damaged, I asked around and learned it was because she sent guards to detain you after the ceremony. She never gave me a straight answer about why she had done it, but now I understand.”
Lamech faced Noah. “If she really did all that you said, then I’m very sorry for her behavior. I’d have put a stop to it immediately, if you had let me know, but I will certainly deal with this upon my return.”
“I’m glad to hear it, sir.” Ara sat up straight. “However, the fact remains that her actions reflect negatively on your leadership. Since you’re the one who put her in a position of authority, which she abused, it calls into question the decisions you make as a leader. All the more reason for us to be reluctant to establish an arrangement with your city.”
“Holding one person responsible for the actions of another is a harsh standard, council members. However,” Lamech sighed, “I don’t believe in blaming others for what happens under my watch. What my daughter is accused of doing is clearly wrong, and as I said before, I’ll certainly deal with it upon my return. I’m afraid there is little else I can offer at the moment. If Noah had brought it to my attention at the time, we might have avoided this whole unpleasant conversation.”
Ara strummed his fingers on the desk, his scowl deepening. “Not to belabor the point, but your daughter said it would make sense for Noah to have two wives because you, her father, also have two wives. The Most High created marriage to be between one man and one woman. What makes you think it’s acceptable to violate the Creator’s standard for marriage?”
Lamech sighed. “I do have two wives, but I only took a second wife after her husband died. She needed someone to care for her. Before I was made king, there was considerable violence around Havil. I helped bring an end to that.” He rubbed his eye. “One of the many unfortunate consequences of such violence is that when married men are killed, many widows are left without a means of support. You may not agree with my decision, but I believe this was a way for me to care for a woman and her family.”
Ara stroked his beard and then leaned forward. “Intentions, no matter how good they may seem, do not justify disobedience to our Creator.” His face reddened slightly and his voice rose in volume.
“Oh, Baba, be careful,” Emzara said under her breath.
“Zain told me that you also eat the creatures of the sea.” Ara looked unflinchingly at the king. “Another direct violation of the Creator’s standards.”
Lamech held Ara’s gaze. “Who’s to say that those old stories about the first man and woman are even true? I’ve heard other myths about our origins that included no such prohibition. Are you really willing to negate what could become a very profitable trade agreement between us for the sake of your religious traditions? This would just be a business arrangement and has nothing to do with what the Creator may or may not have commanded us to eat.”
Ara hit the table with his fist, making more than one person in the hall jump. “These things are never just business!” He rubbed his eyes with the fingers of one hand, and said more quietly, “In any trade agreement, ideas are exchanged, and it’s precisely the types of ideas that you’ve admitted to that we don’t want in our city.”
Akel stood and held up both hands. “Please, everyone pause for a moment.” He glanced at Ara and then the king. “There’s no need to let our emotions, no matter how justified, get in the way of reaching a well-reasoned conclusion.”
“My sentiments exactly,” Lamech said.
Ara let out a deep breath. “Forgive me if I’ve allowed my feelings to color the council’s decision.”
Akel slowly shook his head. “There is nothing to forgive because there’s nothing wrong with being passionate about these matters.” Akel turned to address the crowd. “However, I question whether we’re right to require adherence to our rules from those who do not share our view of the Creator.” He shrugged. “Why should we expect someone to hold to our standards if they don’t believe in our God?”
During a prolonged silence, Noah’s insides twisted. We might not hold them to our rules, but I wonder if we should trade with them so that we can try to help them understand the Creator’s ways.
“Are there any more questions for the king?” Akel asked his colleagues. When no one spoke up, he continued. “The council has no further inquiries. However, I’ll now allow others to speak.”
Murmurs spread through the audience, but no one spoke up.
Akel rubbed his forehead. “If there are. . . .”
“I have a question.”
Noah and Emzara exchanged glances and turned to look toward the back of the room.
Aterre stood near the door, barely visible in the crowd standing behind the rows of benches. “I’m sorry it’s not directly on point. I was going to save it until later, but since he mentioned the violence from several years back, I decided I’d ask now.” Aterre stood on tiptoe so he could look at Lamech, but the king remained seated. “I’m from the land of Havilah, not very close to your city, but in the region.”
“Yes. I figured that out right away.” The king grinned but only turned his head enough to see Aterre from the corner of his eye. “It’s good to hear familiar speech. Well, almost. You sound like you’re from the western lands.”
“Indeed, my accent usually gives it away.” Aterre chuckled. “Anyway, my question has to do with my family. You see, about ten years ago, my vi
llage was raided in the night. My family was taken, and, from what I saw before fleeing, many people were killed. But I’ve never stopped wondering what happened to my mother and sisters. Do you know if there are slave traders in the region? And if so, would there be anyone you know who could help me find my family, if they are still alive?”
Lamech bowed his head. “I’m sorry to hear about this. What’s your name?”
“Aterre, sir.”
The king’s back rose as he inhaled deeply. “Aterre.” He said the name as if savoring the taste of a fine drink. “I know there’s been some slave trading, particularly in the west. We’ve been trying to put a stop to it. I will look into this matter for you.” He put a hand on the shoulder of the guard to his left. “Talk to Bachamel here and give him all the details you can. In fact, you’d be welcome to return with us to search for them.”
“Thank you, sir. Maybe I will be able to go soon.” His head popped up over the crowd again, and he smiled at Noah and Emzara. “But I have some important matters to take care of here first.”
Akel waited for a few moments before speaking. “Thank you, Aterre. I pray that your search will not be unfruitful.” He cleared his throat. “Regarding the matter of official relations with Havil, I suggest that we refrain from making a decision at this time until we can see for ourselves that the reforms Lamech mentioned are moving forward. Any objections from the council?”
The council members offered their agreement, although Ashur failed to hide his displeasure.
“Then it’s decided. King Lamech, I appreciate your willingness to endure our questioning.”
The king nodded. “I fully understand your decision. You show much wisdom in not rushing into these matters without all the necessary information. If you’d like to see Havil for yourself, you’re welcome anytime.”
“Thank you.” Akel sat up straight. “Now, regarding the other matter. I think there’s an easy solution. You say that you’ve sent scribes throughout your land to record information.”
“Yes.”
Akel put his palms together and pointed his hands at Lamech. “Then I assume that you’ve brought a scribe with you on this journey.”
“Yes, we did,” Lamech said. “Bedin is our most gifted scribe. I’m sure you could learn much from him, just as he could learn from your citizens.”
“For the sake of clarity, are you simply seeking to leave him in Iri Geshem for a certain amount of time to record what he learns from us?”
“That’s mostly correct. I’d like to leave one of my guards here as well.” Lamech looked at Garun, seated to his left at the end of the bench. “Garun would be perfect for the job. He was here before, and I believe many of your citizens already know and like him. And you won’t have to provide for them. They’ll cover their own expenses.”
“Please give us a few moments.” Akel stood and motioned for the other elders to gather around him.
Noah looked at Garun, still practically motionless, as if he were a statue. He leaned close to Emzara’s ear. “It’d be great to have Garun here again.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “Do you think they’ll agree to it?”
“Not sure. Four of the five elders don’t like Havil, but this request doesn’t seem to be asking a whole lot. However, I’m not sure Lamech truly has the best intentions.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“May I have your attention.” Akel eased himself down in his chair. “The council has unanimously granted the request of the Havilites to leave Garun and a scribe in Iri Geshem until the scribe completes his work.”
Lamech stood and bowed slightly. “Thank you. It’s my sincere hope that you’ll soon see for yourselves the changes being made in Havil and that we might trade openly in the future.”
“We shall see.” Akel leaned over and spoke briefly to Oban.
Oban stood and raised his voice. “At our normal council meetings, we’d ask if anyone has any new business to bring up, but this was a special meeting to address the requests of the Havilites, so no further business will be discussed tonight. Evening peace to you all.”
Chapter 7
The sea breeze ruffled Noah’s hair as he watched the vessel from Havil drift out of view on the right side of the bay. Hidden for much of the morning by gray clouds releasing a steady drizzle, the sun peeked through a clear patch in the sky, hinting that the afternoon might grow warmer. Sea birds squawked and screeched as they glided over the coast, dipping and rising in their chaotic flight patterns.
Noah folded his arms as his eyes traced the movements of one of the larger birds. “I’m glad that’s over.”
“I am too.” Emzara smiled. “I’m surprised they left so soon. I thought he’d at least stay until Tubal-Cain and Adira returned.”
“I thought so too. Perhaps Lamech was more annoyed about the council’s decision than he let on.”
Emzara pushed a stray lock over her ear, and the wind immediately whipped it free again. “Well, I’m happy they aren’t here anymore.”
They stood there in silence for a moment while Noah studied her face, a half smile creeping over his lips as his mind wandered back to the day nine years ago when they had stood in this very place and he had finally worked up the courage to tell her how he felt about her. After a time, she looked at him, her delicate brows puzzled. “What?”
“Nothing.” He sighed. “I suppose I should go do some work on my day off. Thanks to our unexpected and uninvited guests” — Noah cast an exaggerated glance at Garun — “I’m behind on my work.”
Garun chuckled. “And I was beginning to think you were just lazy.”
“Not me, but that describes him pretty well.” Noah nudged Aterre, who stood beside him, digging one toe into the sand.
Aterre looked up from the ground. “Huh? What did you say?”
“Were you even listening?”
“Sorry, no.”
“Is everything alright?” Emzara asked.
Aterre bit his lip and stared at her for a moment. “Yeah, I’m fine. Listen, I need to get over to Cada’s.”
Emzara tilted her head. “I thought you had the day off too.”
“I do, but I need to. . . .” Already walking away, Aterre turned and called over his shoulder, “there’s something I need to check on.”
“Will we see you later?”
Aterre just raised a hand in reply, and Emzara turned to Noah with a questioning smile. “Is he alright?”
Noah shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s been distracted like that for a little while.”
Bits of metal clinked as Garun shifted his position. “Maybe he’s thinking about finding his family. King Lamech did say something about helping him.”
Noah’s pulse quickened at the thought of a rescue attempt, but his excitement rapidly dampened. “But if I’m going to help him, as I promised I would, that would mean. . . .”
Emzara looked down and fidgeted with her bracelets. “Another trip to Havil.”
“Maybe I can go in your place,” Garun said. “When I get home, I can do some checking around. Do you know his mother’s name?”
Noah stared across the bay at nothing in particular. He slowly shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever asked him before. I’ll find out.”
Emzara pressed her hands together. “Forgive me for changing the subject. Garun, I never had the chance to thank you for warning Noah to get us out of Havil immediately.”
Garun turned toward her with a small bow. “It was the least I could do after learning what Naamah planned. I was relieved when I heard that your group escaped.” His prominent cheekbones rose as he smiled. “One thing’s for sure. You’ll never need to question Noah’s love for you. The way he withstood Naa —”
“I know.” Emzara’s features softened as she glanced at Noah. “He told me what happened.” She stepped forward and lightly kissed Garun’s cheek. “But thank you for the reminder of my husband’s faithfulness.”
Noah smiled at Garun
and gestured to Emzara with his chin. “I knew I was married to the most wonderful woman in the world.”
Emzara drew back and pointed at him. “And don’t you forget it.” She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I have to check on Baba. He wasn’t feeling well this morning. Enjoy the shipyard. I’ll see you at evenfeast. Garun, would you like to join us?”
“I’d love to, but I need to get back to Ashur’s soon. Maybe tomorrow night?”
“I look forward to seeing you then.” Emzara held Noah’s hand against her cheek for a moment, then sighed and let it go. “Until this evening.”
Noah watched her walk down the hill toward the trail through the milknut trees. As she moved out of sight, he joined Garun close to the edge of the hilltop. “Tell me something.”
“What is it?”
“How can your king be so likeable at times?” Noah scratched the back of his neck. “He’s been so nice to me, and offering to help Aterre. . . .” He shook his head. “But then there was the serpent ceremony and Naamah . . . and every now and then, I would catch this look. . . .”
After scanning every direction, Garun’s eyes met Noah’s and his countenance turned serious. “Because he’s very good at what he does. He tells people what they want to hear, and when they’re not paying attention, he uses his power to do whatever he wants anyway. By the time the thing is done, people rarely challenge him.”
Noah held up a palm. “So was he just telling the council what they wanted to hear?”
Garun nodded and frowned. “Much of the time. He told several outright lies last night, but I couldn’t say anything then. He would have exiled me and my family, sold us into slavery, or worse.”
“Executed?”
“Possibly. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s gotten rid of someone who disagreed with him.” Garun looked down. “He lied about the serpent ceremony. He hasn’t put an end to it. If anything, it’s grown larger each year. And he hasn’t stopped Naamah from participating.” He pursed his lips. “She’s more involved in Nachash worship now. Ever since . . .” His gaze drifted to Noah and his eyes glinted. “Ever since that night you were there, she’s been following the teachings of a strange man, a seer.”