She felt guilty about leaving Michal alone in her black cloud of misery, but it felt good to be away from it. And at least one person close to Mara could find joy in recent events.
"Do you think Josiah will be happy to see me again?" Ayalah whispered excitedly as they walked outside the citadel. "Do you think his feelings for me are still the same?"
"I’m sure he’ll be searching the crowds for your face," Mara said, smiling. "You have absolutely nothing to fear."
"They say war changes men. I hope he hasn’t changed too much. I hope he doesn’t think I’ve changed and stop loving me because of it."
"Change is sometimes good. If anything has changed, it will probably be his love for you is stronger than it was before."
"I hope so. But I’m so nervous. I’m excited to see him again and frightened about it all at the same time."
"That’s understandable. He’s been away many days. But everything will turn out all right."
"Merab is nervous, too," Ayalah said, casting a smiling glance in her mistress’s direction. "I’ve never seen her this jumpy. I think she’s relieved it’s David who won her, but it was still a shock when she heard the news."
Mara glanced in Merab’s direction. Saul’s eldest daughter did look nervous. Her already pale complexion was whiter than usual and her thin hands trembled. But Mara also detected anticipation on her face. Perhaps Merab felt more for David than she was willing to let anyone know.
"I notice Michal isn’t here," Ayalah said. "I take it she isn’t handling the news well."
Mara shook her head. "She’s devastated. The moment she realized Merab would wed David, she locked herself in her room. I’ve been unable to get her to come out all morning."
Ayalah nodded. "Well, I guess it’s understandable. But, if you ask me, it serves her right. Michal was much too happy about poor Merab’s plight, and she wasn’t afraid to show it. This is divine justice. Maybe she’ll get a taste of how Merab suffered when she didn’t know which man she would be forced to marry."
Mara shrugged. She didn’t want to get pulled into a discussion about which of the king’s daughters deserved more suffering. If the situation had been reversed, Merab would have treated Michal just as cruelly. The two had jealously tormented each other for so many years they no longer knew any other way to interact. Mara was about to change the topic of discussion when something else interrupted it for her.
A chorus of happy trills split the air, and Ayalah pointed down the hill.
"Look!" she exclaimed. "They’re coming! They’re coming!"
Once again the women’s instruments struck up a cacophonous melody, and the spontaneous victory song rang loudly across the city. "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands! Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands!"
Mara winced. These words were an expression of joy – a song of praise for David and Saul. But one couldn’t live at Saul’s court and not learn something about the monarch’s prideful heart carried. The look Mara saw in Saul’s eyes as he moved slowly through the noisy crowd validated her growing fears.
He wasn’t happy with what he was hearing. He smiled back at his subjects, acknowledging their enthusiastic welcome; but his eyes told the real story. He was the king – the leader of Israel’s armies! He had fought his people’s battles since long before David was born. Yet more glory was being ascribed to David for this solitary victory than had been given to Saul for all his victories. David, smiling and waving, seemed oblivious to the dark demons of jealousy stirring right beside him.
Israel’s women descended on their returned husbands, sons, and brothers – showering them with kisses and enveloping them in warm embraces. But Ahinoam – Saul’s wife – and Rizpah, his concubine, approached their lord with more reserve than the other celebrating women. There was a certain stiffness in their approach.
"Welcome home," Ahinoam said, nodding slightly, lowering her green eyes, and kissing her husband once on each cheek. Rizpah, because she was a concubine and of lesser status, waited for Ahinoam to step back before giving the king her greeting.
It was uncommon to see these two women together. Their dislike for each other was well-known. Saul prevented trouble between them by lodging Rizpah in a small house outside the citadel walls. Today, however, was one of those unavoidable moments when both women must show their faces together.
Mara watched for a few moments before turning her attention to other reunions. Jonathan was here, embracing his own wife and children, and, when he greeted his mother, he Ahinoam gave him a warmer welcome than she’d given her husband.
Mara saw Abner, Saul’s general, standing politely to one side. Then her eyes shifted to a nervous looking group of men standing beside David. One of them looked to be a year or two younger than David, and Mara’s eyes lingered momentarily on him. He was a tall beardless youth with penetrating brown eyes and broad, muscular shoulders. His face was tanned, as were his neck and arms, and he spoke with David with the familiarity one would use with a brother or a close friend. She guessed he, like David, must be a shepherd from Bethlehem; but what he was doing in these soldiers’ midst was a mystery. She must have stared at the tall, dark-haired shepherd for too long because Ayalah finally nudged her, grinned, and asked, "Who is he?"
"Who? Him? I-I’ve never seen him before. I was just noticing how out of place he looks."
Ayalah’s grin widened into a knowing smile.
"Are you sure you don’t know him?"
"Yes. I’m positive. Why do you keep asking?"
"Oh, no reason in particular. It’s just that he’s now staring at you."
She tried not to look, but Mara couldn’t help herself. For a moment, her eyes and the tall young stranger’s eyes met. She looked quickly away but not quickly enough. Ayalah didn’t miss the warmth that spread across her face.
Ayalah laughed, Mara tried to regain her lost composure, and something fortunate happened to divert attention away from her.
"Josiah!" Ayalah exclaimed, a sharp joyous cry escaping her lips.
Forgetting her feelings for Josiah were a carefully kept secret, Ayalah grasped Mara’s hand and bounced up and down in unrestrained happiness. "Look, Mara! I see him! He’s back! He’s returned to Gibeah alive!"
Ayalah towed Mara away from the servants and royal family down into the crowd of celebrating townspeople, but Mara wasn’t torn away so quickly she couldn’t cast another sidelong glance at David’s tall companion. He was still watching her, and she was confused by the warm tingling feeling inside her.
She wanted to ponder the feeling. Wanted to explore the possibilities. But David’s brown-eyed companion disappeared from sight as Ayalah whisked Mara deeper into the jostling crowd.
—
Tobiah had felt quite certain at least some of David’s description of Michal must be exaggeration. As beautiful as he made her out to be, no girl – princess or not – could be as stunningly beautiful as David claimed. But he was right. She was beautiful. As delicate as a flower and as lovely as a warm sunrise. Tobiah felt envious and then guilty that he envied David for meeting Michal first.
"I don’t see her," David said, looking slowly around and wrinkling his brow with disappointment. "I was hoping to point her out to you, but she isn’t anywhere here."
"Who isn’t here?"
"Michal. Her mother and sister and most of the royal staff have come out to greet us, but she isn’t with them. I hope she isn’t ill."
"Michal isn’t here? Then who. . ?" Tobiah allowed his last sentence to trail off and stared again at the girl he’d assumed was Michal. She was speaking with another, older girl and her older companion was smiling as if she’d just told some funny joke. Then, without warning, the beautiful girl lifted her eyes and stared directly at Tobiah.
Tobiah smiled uncertainly, but she didn’t look his way long enough to see it. She turned her eyes quickly away, and a moment later was pulled by her companion into the noisy crowd. Tobiah turned back to David, inten
t on finding out who the girl was, but Saul spoke to David before Tobiah could.
"Judging by the reception we’ve received in all the towns we’ve passed through, it seems you’ve made yourself into quite the national hero. The people will expect a celebration in your honor, and I will certainly provide one tonight."
There was a smile on the king’s face, but to Tobiah it seemed false and somehow menacing. Tobiah looked cautiously around himself to see if anyone else felt as threatened by the smile as he did; but Seth and Joel were grinning at the prospect of a celebration, and David and his brothers seemed pleased by it, too. None seemed bothered by the flat, emotionless tone of Saul’s voice.
"Come," Saul said, motioning for them to follow him. "It’s been a tiring journey after a long and costly battle. Join me in my fortress where you can eat, relax, and refresh yourselves. My household’s hospitality is yours to enjoy."
They filed through the citadel’s front gates, watched by the guards in its towers; but Tobiah dropped a few steps behind the others so he would be the last to enter. He’d been watching Saul during the journey from the Valley of Elah to Gibeah. He’d seen the momentary scowl on Saul’s face each time they passed through a town and listened to the women praise David for slaying his "ten thousands." Tobiah knew jealousy when he saw it, and it shone darkly in Saul’s eyes.
In the fortress they were provided with small bowls of water to wash off the dust of their journey and the battlefield’s sweat. Then Saul’s own personal servants brought them towels before ushering them to a collection of hastily erected banquet tables in the courtyard.
Tobiah realized just how hungry he was when he surveyed the large bowls of raisins, shelled pistachios, and figs. He hadn’t eaten since leaving the Nahal ha-Elah, and he was famished after the brisk march to Gibeah.
David was seated in a place of honor next to Saul, and the king spoke with him in a congenial manner. Tobiah, however, still couldn’t shake the feeling that hidden animosity lurked beneath the king’s pleasant exterior. Maybe it was because he was an outsider – neither a soldier nor a member of Saul’s court – that he alone seemed to notice it, but Saul’s thinly veiled jealousy made it difficult to enjoy the meal.
Joel seemed to have no such problem. He tucked the food away like it was the last meal he was ever going to receive.
"Enjoy this while you can," Joel whispered, helping himself to generous portions of the fruits, nuts, breads, meats, and vegetables being brought to the tables. "You won’t eat like this in Bethlehem. Parched corn and mutton never tasted as good as this."
Tobiah nodded and took a fig from a platter. He looked around hoping to find the dark-eyed, dark-haired girl who had earlier captured his attention. She was nowhere in sight, but he did see the older girl who had been with her. This one was seated with several other young women at the table’s far end.
"The one sitting closest to the queen is Merab," Joel said, tilting his head in the direction Tobiah was looking. "She’s Saul’s eldest daughter. But don’t get any romantic notions. She’s to be David’s new wife."
"David’s wife?" Tobiah jerked his head around and stared at his brother. "But David’s in love with Michal. Doesn’t Saul’s reward give him the choice between Merab and Michal?"
Joel shook his head. "Like I said, Merab is the oldest. Saul won’t give Michal away until his oldest daughter is married. David should have asked a few questions before running out to kill Goliath."
Somehow Tobiah didn’t think thoughts of reward were on David’s mind when he challenged Goliath. David did it for his God and his people – not for himself. But his self-sacrifice would now lead to disappointment and sorrow. Michal’s face was the first face David looked for when they arrived at Gibeah. Tobiah didn’t want to think what it would do to David when he found out it was Merab who would be his wife.
But maybe it wouldn’t even come to that. Everyone was assuming Saul would honor the promise he had made, but maybe the reward would never materialize.
"Who’s the girl sitting next to Merab?" Tobiah asked. He needed to find some new topic to distract his mind. "Do you have any idea how she ties into Saul’s family?"
"Not really. She’s probably one of the royal servants, but most of Saul’s closest advisors and servants are somehow related to him. Why do you ask? Do you think she’s pretty?"
"I saw her with someone else today," Tobiah evasively replied. "I was just curious about who she and the other person were."
"And would this other person happen to be a pretty girl?"
"Just forget I said anything. All right? You always try to turn things into something they’re not."
"I haven’t turned your words into anything. I was just asking a simple question."
Tobiah shifted uncomfortably. Joel laughed but let the matter drop.
It had been a very long and confusing day. Images of a dying Philistine haunted Tobiah’s thoughts, and now the vision of a lovely girl haunted him as well.
It would be nice to get back to Bethlehem. Maybe there he could finally come to terms with all that had happened to him over the past two days.
Chapter Eleven
יא
And Saul was very wroth, and the saying
displeased him; and he said, They
have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and
to me they have ascribed but thousands:
and what can he have more but the kingdom?
And Saul eyed David from that day forward.
1 Samuel 18: 8-9
After the private feast with Saul and an ensuing public celebration that lasted deep into the night, Tobiah, his brothers, and David’s brothers gratefully accepted Saul’s invitation to lodge in his royal guards’ barracks. Normally Tobiah would have relished every moment of this experience. He was, after all, being housed with the very detachment of soldiers he’d so often longed to join. But the troubled thoughts now plaguing his mind took all the joy out of it.
He slept fitfully. He had nightmares about dying Philistines, visions of deranged monarchs, and occasional, hazy glimpses of a beautiful dark-eyed girl who kept slipping away from him in a crowd. When he finally arose in the morning, he felt like he hadn’t slept at all. He was grateful to see at least David was well-rested and cheerful.
"You don’t look like you got much sleep," David said when he met Tobiah and the others outside Saul’s fortress gates. "You must have celebrated until dawn."
Tobiah didn’t answer. He just allowed a half-hearted smile to cross his lips. How would it sound to say he’d tossed fitfully back and forth for half the night, wondering if David would still be alive in the morning?
"You’ll have to explain to Father and Mother how Saul insisted I remain here at his court," David said, turning to his elder brother, Eliab. "I’d return with you if I could, but Saul is the king, and it wouldn’t be wise to offend him. Father should be able to do without me so long as he has the rest of his sons home to help with the sheep."
"Yes, I’ll tell him all about it," Eliab said, sounding grumpy. "I don’t know who’s going to take care of my sheep while I’m watching Father’s, but don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll be far too busy playing your harp and lounging around Saul’s court to be bothered with petty concerns."
Eliab seemed to forget David, with only occasional help from one of Jesse’s hired workers, had been watching the combined flocks of Jesse, Abinadab, Shammah, and Eliab for almost all the forty days his older brothers had been away. But he refrained from reminding his older brother of this. Instead he simply said, "I’d come home with you if I could, but it’s out of my hands. Saul wants me to stay. What choice do I have?"
Eliab waved a hand at David and shook his head. "I know, I know," he muttered. "You’re the king’s new champion, and he wants to keep you near him. Just don’t be disappointed when the novelty of this wears off and no one wants to pay attention to you anymore. In case you haven’t yet noticed, it seems as if Saul has already forgotten something very impo
rtant. The reward for defeating Goliath hasn’t been mentioned once. Saul might soon forget about you as well."
"The reward is of little importance," David replied. "I fought Goliath for God’s glory – not my own."
Coming from anyone else, these words would have sounded false; but David sincerely meant every word he said.
"We know it," Shammah said, speaking up for his younger brother. "Eliab is just coveting the part of your reward that would have most benefited him. But I don’t think he or you or any of us have anything to worry about. Saul had to prepare a celebration. The people were expecting it. With that out of the way, he’ll have more time to consider your reward."
Eliab scowled. He didn’t like Shammah pointing out what everybody had already known. I will make his father’s house free in Israel, Saul had said. If the king kept his promise, Jesse and all his sons would be exempt from taxes and all required service to the crown. Eliab hadn’t forgotten those words even if Saul and David had.
"I suppose you’ll also want someone to come back for the giant’s armor once Saul is done displaying it," Eliab said.
"Saul wants to show Goliath’s armor for a few more days," David replied. "After that, it’s mine to do with as I please. Yes, I’ll need some way to get it home."
"I’ll bring it for you," Tobiah said.
Everyone turned to stare at him, and there was disapproval on Eliab’s and Seth’s faces; but Tobiah kept his eyes on David.
"I’m sure my father wouldn’t object to sending me with one of our pack animals to get the armor," he said. "If I come, your brothers won’t have to leave their families and their flocks. It won’t be a bother. Not at all."
David smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Tobiah. You’re always there when I need you."
Eliab blanched, thinking perhaps it was a negative comment aimed at him. Then he angrily said, "Well, David, now that we have that problem settled, we’ll let you get back to your glamorous existence as Saul’s personal harpist. As for the rest of us, we have our lowly shepherding to get back to. Just be sure to send us word when you finally decide to return home where you belong."
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