“Are you about the king’s interests, Rahab?”
She glared at him purposely. “What do you think?”
“Be careful, then. Israelites show no mercy, even to women and children.” His dark eyes were filled with fear, but not on her behalf. “I’ll tell the king.”
“Wait a while. You don’t want them to leave before we can find out why they’ve come.” She knew him well enough to sense his tension. He was silent for a moment, undoubtedly calculating what would please the king most. She planted a suggestion. “Give me time with them, Cabul. They’ll be easier to take if I fill them with good wine.”
“You may be right.”
“Of course I’m right.” She toyed with his tunic. “Besides, I know the king better than you.” She looked up at him through her lashes. “These men could bring me a fat pouch of gold, and if you allow me more than an hour with them, I’ll give a portion to you.”
His jaw clenched and unclenched. She knew his greed warred with his sense of duty. Would his desire for money outweigh his fear of failing to report immediately to the king? “I’ll give you as much time as I can,” he concluded.
When Cabul walked away, she looked at the two men trying so hard to appear inconspicuous among the bustling Jerichoans bargaining in the gate. She motioned to them. Perhaps they hesitated now because they’d seen her speaking with Cabul and thought she was setting a trap.
Cabul was watching them. He glanced at her and jerked his chin. Go on, he was saying. Take advantage of the opportunity. She could imagine what he was thinking. Better she risk her life than he risk his. So be it!
Smiling boldly, she strolled over to the two men. “Welcome to Jericho.”
* * *
Salmon followed the woman along the walkway. He’d thought her disturbingly beautiful even from a distance, but close up, she took his breath away. He hadn’t expected to face any kind of temptation on this mission, but he was having a hard time keeping his eyes off her hips and his mind on his business. How old was she? Thirty? Thirty-five? Her body didn’t show it, but her eyes did.
She opened a door and entered quickly, standing just inside and beckoning them impatiently.
Salmon entered first, Ephraim following.
“Look at this place,” Ephraim muttered under his breath as he stood, gaping, in the middle of the room. Salmon glanced around at the carpets, cushions in all colors, and red curtains held back by thick crimson cords. He tried not to look at the bed that dominated the room. The air held the fragrance of incense and cinnamon. He looked around. Evidently her profession paid well.
Closing the door behind them, the woman threw off her shawl. “I’ve got to hide you!”
“What are you talking about, woman?”
“Don’t pretend ignorance. You’re Israelite spies. If it wasn’t written all over you before, it is now.” She went for the ladder against the back wall.
Ephraim looked at Salmon. “What do we do?”
Salmon stared at her. “How did you know?”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You mean aside from the way you studied the walls and battlements?” She dragged the ladder across the room. “There’s a bloodstain on your tunic. I imagine the man who wore it before you died in it.”
Salmon blocked her way. For one brief instant, he considered killing her so he could complete his mission. She lifted her head and straightened, her brown eyes clear and intelligent. “The soldier you saw speaking to me? He knows who you are.”
“You told him?”
“He guessed.” She grew impatient. “You came for information, didn’t you? It would be better if you lived long enough to get it.” She thrust the ladder at him and pointed at the hatch door to the roof. “Hurry! What’re you waiting for? The king’s executioner?”
Ephraim protested. “The roof is the first place the soldiers will look!”
“They won’t have to look if you’re still standing in the middle of the room!”
Ephraim looked around. “There must be a better place!”
“Fine.” The woman put her hands on her hips. “If you don’t like the roof, how about my bed?”
Horrified, Ephraim went up the ladder.
Her expression became pained as she watched Ephraim’s hasty retreat. “I thought he’d feel that way.” She looked at Salmon. He thought she had the most beautiful dark brown eyes he’d ever seen. No wonder Joshua and Caleb had given so many warnings about foreign women. “Now, how about you?” she said, her mouth tipped ruefully.
Salmon put his foot on the bottom rung, then looked at her again. “What’s your name?”
“Rahab, but we haven’t time to talk now. Move!”
She followed him up the ladder. Pushing him, she gestured to Ephraim. “Lie down over there, and I’ll cover you both with the bundles of flax.”
Salmon did as she instructed and watched her as she worked with quick efficiency, stacking the bundles carefully over them. Finishing the task, she leaned down and whispered, “I’m sorry I’m unable to make you more comfortable, but please be still until I return.” She hurried back to the ladder, pulling the hatch over the opening as she went down.
“We’re putting our lives into the hands of a harlot!” Ephraim said in a hoarse whisper.
“Have you got any better ideas?”
“I wish we had our swords!”
“It’s a good thing we didn’t, or we’d be in the hands of that guard at the gate who spoke with Rahab.”
“Rahab? You asked her name?”
“It seemed appropriate under the circumstances.”
“What makes her important?” Ephraim said. “You know what she is.” His tone dripped with contempt.
“Keep your voice down!”
“Should we huddle under these bundles of flax like cowards? Better if we kill her now and get about our business.”
Salmon caught hold of Ephraim before he could throw the bundles off. “Better if we finish what we were sent to do! Or have you forgotten the mission Joshua assigned us: get into the city, get information, get out! He didn’t say to shed any blood.” He released his friend. “Who better to know the pulse of Jericho than a whore who’s broken bread with the king?”
“I’d rather die by the sword than be caught hiding behind a woman’s skirts.”
“We’re not hiding behind her skirts,” Salmon said with some amusement. “We’re hiding under her bundles of flax.”
“How can you laugh? We have only her word about the king. Why should we trust the word of a harlot?”
“Didn’t you look at her?”
“Not as closely as you did.”
“She’s beautiful enough to attract a king’s attention.”
“Perhaps, but did you see how familiar that guard was with her? She’s probably broken bread with every man in the city and hundreds who’ve come to trade, besides.”
“Then she’ll know the pulse of the city.”
“And probably have every disease known to man.”
“Be quiet! We’re where God has placed us.” Salmon wondered why his friend’s words had roused such anger in him. Rahab was probably everything Ephraim said she was. So why this strong desire to defend her? And why was he trusting her with their lives?
He let out his breath, forcing himself to relax. “We’d better rest while we can. I have the feeling, one way or another, we won’t be inside these walls for long.”
* * *
Rahab knew the king’s men would come soon. The moment she departed the gate with the two Israelites, Cabul would have run to his commander to give a report on the two strangers who’d entered the city.
She descended the ladder, grasped it, and swung it down.
“Rahab! Open up!”
Pulse jumping, she ran her hands over her face to wipe away any perspiration. Patting her hair and straightening her dress, she went quickly to the door and opened it wide, pretending relief at the sight of the men standing outside. “I wish you’d come sooner, Cabul
.”
Flushed and tense, Cabul remained where he was standing. Other soldiers were behind him, armed and ready for a fight. She could see the fear in their eyes, a fear that matched her own, though for different reasons. If Cabul conducted himself properly, he would enter her house and make a complete search, including the roof. And if he found the spies, she was a dead woman.
“The king’s orders are that you bring out the men who have come into your house. They are spies sent here to discover the best way to attack us.” His gaze darted past her. “Produce them.”
“The men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. They left the city at dusk, as the city gates were about to close, and I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.”
“Where did they go?”
“I don’t know,” she repeated. Cabul would have more to face now than two spies. He would have to answer to a frightened, angry king for failing to take them into custody. “Quick! Go after them. You still have time to overtake them if you hurry!”
He didn’t question her. Why should he suspect her of treason when she had proven herself loyal to the king so many times? Hadn’t she made a prosperous living gleaning information from strangers so that she could report to the king and receive a reward? Her word was enough to send him on his way. Turning on his heel, Cabul shouted orders and headed straight for the gate.
Rahab stepped out of her house and watched them depart in the deepening twilight. As soon as they rounded the corner, she went back into her house, closed the door, locked it, and ran to her window. Her palms were sweating, her heart pounding wildly. By now, Cabul and the others were at the gate. She could hear him shouting for the guards on duty to open it so they could pursue the spies. If Cabul paused long enough to speak with the men on duty, he might learn that the men fitting the strangers’ description had not left the city.
She breathed easier when she saw Cabul appear outside the wall. The others followed him as they hurried away from the city. They were heading east for the Jordan, running now, spears in their hands, certain they could overtake the spies before they crossed the river. And the gate was closed behind them.
Rahab shut her eyes and smiled. She waited several more minutes to be sure Cabul and the others were far enough away. Then she gathered a jug of wine, bread, and a basket of dates and pomegranates and dragged out the ladder to set it up once more.
The men on the roof were silent. Could they have fallen asleep? Setting down the food she had brought with her, she crossed the roof quietly, took up a bundle of flax, and set it aside. She didn’t want to startle them.
“The soldiers are gone now. It’s safe to come out.”
The taller man sat up first. When he looked at her, she felt the impact of his gaze. He was curious about her, and he was disturbed by his attraction to her. He said nothing as his companion stood up and brushed himself off. “We heard shouting.”
She wanted to put them at ease. “The soldiers have left the city in pursuit of you.” When she stretched out her hand, she realized she was shaking badly enough for them to notice. “I have bread and wine.”
She understood their hesitation. She was a Jerichoan and a harlot. Why should they trust her? They must be wondering why a Canaanite would protect them. They might even wonder how she’d managed to get rid of the soldiers so quickly, without their even searching the house. Why should these Israelites believe anything a harlot had to say? But believe her they must. So many lives depended on it.
Rahab lowered her hand and lifted her chin. “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear!”
She wondered why they’d even come here. Surely they knew better than she that the land was theirs! Why should they come to spy out a land the Lord had already given them? Did they doubt? Did they need encouragement?
“No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.” Her eyes filled with tears, for her heart ached deeply to be counted among the chosen people of this God.
Swallowing hard, she stepped forward and spread her hands. “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.”
The taller man glanced at his companion, who stared at Rahab. There was enough moonlight that she could see his consternation. The taller man looked at her again, his expression curiously excited. “My name is Salmon, and this is Ephraim. We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety.”
Her heart soared with relief and thanksgiving. She looked at the other for his response.
“I agree,” Ephraim said with less enthusiasm, giving Salmon a disgruntled look. He looked at her again. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise when the Lord gives us the land.”
She smiled broadly, elated. She would trust these men with her life and the lives of those she loved. She had made them swear to her by the Lord. They wouldn’t dare break such an oath. The faith they had in their mighty God would make them uphold it.
“Please,” she said, extending her hand toward the cushions in one corner of the flat roof. “Sit. Make yourselves comfortable. You’re my guests.” She busied herself with the food she had brought with her. “What can I serve you? I have dates, almonds, honey and raisin cakes, bread, wine . . . ”
“Nothing,” Ephraim said coldly.
“But thank you,” Salmon added, as if to ease the rejection.
Rahab turned and studied them. Though they had promised to save her life and the lives of her family members, it seemed all too clear they wanted no part of her. Especially the man called Ephraim. He made her feel like a bug that had crawled out from under a rock. The other young man studied her with open curiosity. She sat down on a cushion and looked at him. “Ask whatever you want.”
He looked into her eyes intently. “How did you come by your faith in our God?”
“I’ve heard stories about Him since I was a girl.”
“So has everyone else in Jericho.”
She blinked. “I know that all too well, and I can’t explain why I believed when everyone else didn’t.”
“Your people are afraid,” Ephraim said. “We heard enough at the gate to know that much.”
“Yes, they’re afraid of you, as they would be any conquering army. But they don’t understand that it is your God who gives you victory.”
Salmon’s eyes shone as he studied her face. Then his eyes moved down over her and back up again as though taking her in all at once. She could see plainly enough that he liked what he saw. So did she. He was a very handsome young man.
Ephraim seemed determined to keep her in her place. “You have gods of your own.”
“Wooden statues of no earthly use,” she said disdainfully. “Did you see any in my chamber?” Ephraim looked uncomfortable. “Go on down,” she said, gesturing toward the ladder. “Open the cabinets. Look behind the curtains, under the bed. Search anywhere you wish, Ephraim. You will not find any idols or talismans among my possessions. I lost faith in the gods of my people long ago.”
“Why?”
The Hebrew seemed intent upon testing her. So be it. She was more than willing to comply. “Because they couldn’t save me. They’re just things made by men, and I know how weak men are.” She spread her hands in a gesture of appeal. “I want to live among your people.”
Ephraim frowned slightly and looked at Salmon.
Salmon leaned forward slightly. “You must understand that we have laws, laws given to us by God Himself.”<
br />
“I would like to know these laws.” She had felt some message pass between the two men and sensed it would affect her greatly.
Salmon considered her for a moment and then said quietly, “There are laws against fornication and adultery.”
Ephraim was not so gentle in his condemnation of her profession. “Prostitution is not tolerated. Anyone found practicing it is executed.”
Rahab remembered how she had hung out her window and called down to them as she had a hundred others before them. The heat poured into her face. Never had she felt such self-loathing. No wonder they had hesitated. No wonder they wouldn’t eat food from her table or drink so much as a drop of water. She was filled with shame.
“I didn’t choose this lifestyle,” she said in quick defense. “I was presented to the king by my father when I was a girl and had no say—” She stopped when she saw Salmon’s grimace. What did it matter how she had come to be what she was? She had sensed from the beginning that it was wrong. What did it matter that she had been just a girl and had to do what she was told? Did that excuse continuing in her profession these past years and gaining wealth from it? No! She frowned and looked away, feeling the Hebrews’ perusal. She looked at them again, calm and accepting. “If God loathes prostitution, then I’m done with it.”
Salmon rose and walked to the edge of the roof. He stared out across the city for a long moment and then turned and looked at her again. “It’s time for us to leave,” he said. “We’ve served our purpose in coming, Ephraim.”
Rahab rose abruptly. She knew they had to act quickly now. She hurried down the ladder into the house, followed by the two men. Crossing the room, she untied and yanked free the crimson rope that held her curtains back from her bed. “You can’t go by way of the gate. I can lower you from the window with this.” Looping it up, she went to the window, brushed Salmon aside, and dropped one end over the sill. She peered out as the crimson cord snaked down the wall. “It reaches to within ten feet of the ground.”
“Close enough.” Salmon took the rope from her hand and set her aside. “You first,” he said, nodding to his friend. Ephraim lifted himself up and swung his legs out the window.
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