“What’s in your mouth?” I asked.
“Oh, Much-Afraid, that is disgusting,” Cherios chided.
I examined Much-Afraid more closely. “Are you going to eat that?”
The mouse’s tail dangled over her snout. She chomped it down and gulped a couple of times. The wiggly tail disappeared in her throat.
“I don’t need to worry about you starving,” I chuckled.
As we headed back to the cave, I admired the green rolling hills. The sheep grazed peacefully and the blue sky, dotted with white puffy clouds, stretched out past the horizon. Inhaling the fresh air lifted my spirits as I remembered Daniel and the good times we had together. Now that he was gone, I was on my own. My father was too busy to come home and Scylla did nothing but falsely accuse me. In Daniel’s and my father’s absence, I felt responsible for Nathan.
What did I want? If I knew, would I be willing to risk everything to obtain it? I gazed at the lake—where was the king headed? I wished I knew the lake’s secrets. If he was the king from the garden, how did he get here? He seemed powerful in some ways but not in others.
I was stuck at an impasse. I couldn’t get Daniel out of my mind. What would happen to Nathan? And why had I killed Judd’s dog when I was just a kid? Could the king help me to get over it? If he could, how could I meet him in the future?
I had been too fearful today to show my face, too guilty about my past to approach him. Now a plan formed in a secret place in my mind. Would I be willing to risk everything?
A gentle breeze touched my face, like the hand of God, energizing the desires of my heart. Yes, I could do it. My life depended on it. I held up my fist and shook it in the air. “If you are really a king, show yourself to me.”
Tears welled up in my eyes and I began to weep. Much-Afraid lumbered over and pawed at my dress. I scratched her behind the ear, “You love me, don’t you?”
She barked happily. “Of course I do.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Truth Exposed in Multiple Realities
Several weeks went by as I struggled with fear. Fear of approaching Judd. Fear of asking Daniel. Fear of facing the king. Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown. Fear of making a fool of myself.
I wrote in my diary today:
“Dear Dog, please help me to be successful, if this is your will. Why should Nathan be so miserable if you can heal him? How hard it must be not to be able to talk. Daniel said you could do anything. Does that mean you would heal Nathan if we brought him to you?”
I hid my diary and then headed downstairs to finish my chores.
Later, I waited outside the cave for Judd. I had seen him enter earlier. My heart raced and my dress felt sweaty as I anticipated my next step. I smacked at the gnats that hung annoyingly around my face. How much longer would he be? I didn’t know if he would go along with my plan, so I brought something just in case he needed convincing.
The door opened and Judd walked out. He was surprised to see me but quickly regained his composure. He glanced at my fisted hand.
“What do you want?” he asked.
I took a deep breath. “I need your help.”
He stepped down the stairs and strolled past me. “You come to me for help?”
“I need to go to Daniel.”
He laughed. “You seemed to be doing quite well with him without my help.”
“I need you to cover for me with Scylla.”
“Cover for you? What does that mean?”
“Must I say it more plainly—I want to bribe you.”
Judd laughed. “Are you trying to trick me to get him back?”
“I don’t think he would come back for me even if I had magical powers.”
“You don’t have any money, so what could you give me as a bribe?”
I exploded. “I do have something, but first, tell me, why did you lie about Daniel and me?”
Judd advanced towards me but I backed away. Much-Afraid ran up and growled at him.
“It’s okay, Much-Afraid.” I reached down and patted her reassuringly on the head.
“I didn’t lie about you.”
“Yes, you did. You told Scylla lies about Daniel and me, made up stories about us having a relationship. She told me what you said.” My anger grew and I couldn’t stop the poison.
“I didn’t need to tell her that.”
“What are you talking about? Quit talking in riddles.”
“You were given to me before you and your mother ran off.”
“What?”
“Prearranged marriage. You know what the custom is here. I thought you had returned to honor the contract. Didn’t your mother explain that to you?”
I picked up a fist-sized rock and threw it at him. “You perverted liar! How dare you say such a thing.”
“It’s true. I was glad you had returned. The contract is for the end of next year, when you turn seventeen.”
“Marry you?”
Judd smiled. “There’s a huge dowry for you—you had to return, to keep Scylla from getting all that money.”
I imagined becoming his slave and cringed. “Never!” I screamed.
Judd walked up to me and laid his hand on my shoulder.
“Get away from me, you animal.” I shoved him with my elbow as I stepped backwards.
He persisted, taking a couple of strands of my long hair and wrapping them around his finger.
“Stop it.”
Before I could do anything, Much-Afraid ran over and sank her canine teeth into his leg, tearing the flesh.
Judd winced, falling to the ground. “Get that dog off of me,” he shouted, “before I kill it.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I shrieked.
Judd grabbed his leg with one hand and flailed at Much-Afraid with the other.
“Let him go, Much-Afraid,” I commanded her.
Much-Afraid backed off though her curled lips still snarled. Judd scooted away, grabbing his injured leg. His torn skin displayed nasty puncture marks as the blood oozed.
“Why did you come to see me?” Judd covered the gash with his fingers to stop the bleeding. I felt woozy watching the red blood trickle. I glanced away. Memories from the hallway and bathroom returned. That seemed like ages ago.
“I want you to take care of the animals while I’m gone. I’m taking Baruch with me, and you must tell Scylla that I’ve gone to Jerusalem in search of my father. That way she’ll take good care of Nathan if she fears a bad report when my father returns.”
“Is that all?”
“That’s a lot for you.” I pointed my finger. “And if you do one thing to hurt Cherios, Lowly, or Much-Afraid while I’m gone, I’ll kill you.” I glared at him, inhaling deeply, as if I were ready to murder him with all the venom locked up inside of me.
Judd’s gray eyes steamed.
How many years had it been since I was now sixteen? How much of that hate was because of me?
“He’s with Doctor Luke, that’s all I know,” Judd said.
“That’s what Worldly Crow told me.”
“Worldly Crow?”
My face grew hot. A slip of the tongue. “Can you please get Baruch ready for me? I–I don’t know about all of those things.”
“Why shouldn’t I tell your stepmother the truth? Why do you expect me to lie for you?”
“You already lied once. What difference is it to you if you lie to her again?”
Judd’s hand was covered with blood and he winced with pain. “I told you, I didn’t lie to her. She didn’t know you were already given to me. She ran Daniel off. Or not, depending on your point of view.”
“You didn’t say one word about me and him having a relationship?”
“No. But—”
“But what?”
Judd looked away evading my question. “I think it was mutual.”
“What was mutual?”
“Daniel thought it was best to leave.”
“Why?” I glared at Judd, angry that he was stonewalling me.
> “Shale, as I said before, you were chosen for me. When Daniel heard about it, he said he needed to go.”
“Why?”
“Shale, are you blind? He likes you, for goodness sake, and he can’t have you. Now please let me clean up my leg before it gets infected or I bleed to death.”
I felt sorry for Judd. I was the source of much of his suffering, but I would not let go of my own pain to embrace his. “Is this all about the dowry that you want to marry me, Judd? Answer me that question. You hate me.”
“No, I don’t hate you. And yes, there’s a contract.”
“So that’s it, huh? Everybody wants my father’s money.” I slammed my foot in the dirt and particles flew up and hit Judd in the face.
“Why did you do that? You don’t throw dirt in a man’s face when he’s down.”
“You can’t have me, you hear that? Ever! Besides, I don’t live here and I plan to return home. Soon.” I folded my arms in front of me and added a “humph” at the end, to make the point.
“If you want me to help you, I want money in return, which you haven’t got. I’m putting myself out there lying for you. Your stepmother is evil.”
“What do you know? We agree on something.” I stood in front of Judd’s face, but far enough away that he couldn’t grab me. I held up the golden nugget. The stone dazzled in the sunlight. The attraction of the nugget was powerful. Judd stared.
“Where did you get that?”
I tossed it back and forth in my hands. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“That’s worth a lot of money.” His eyes followed the nugget as I flipped it like a pancake. “Careful, don’t drop it,” he cautioned, as if he were already claiming it as his own.
I laughed. “It’s not going to break.”
“You wouldn’t want to drop something so valuable, especially if you’re going to give it to me.”
I popped the golden nugget in my pocket. “You make up that story, take care of my animals, get Baruch ready, and I’ll give this to you when I return with Daniel.”
“Suppose he doesn’t return?”
“You better hope he does if you want your golden rock.”
“Why are you bringing him back here?”
“That’s for you to figure out. Give Nathan some love also. He’s depressed.”
Judd nodded. “Do you have any more of those?”
“I’m not going to tell you. I want to leave as soon as possible.”
“Can you help me get up?” Judd asked.
“No, but I’ll bring you some water to put on your leg and some cloths for bandages. So I can get out of here.”
“Do you know the way to Doctor Luke’s?” Judd asked.
“I need a map—if you have one you can give me.”
Feeling encouraged and thankful that I would soon be leaving, I ran back to my room and jotted in my diary:
“Thank you, Dog. I knew you would come through for me. Now please help me to find Daniel. Bring me success. May I call you Abba?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Can Shale Woo Daniel?
Within an hour, with a water-stained map in hand, Baruch and I set off for Dothan, passing through the terraced hills of Samaria. Despite the dangers of thieves and bandits, I’d find Daniel. Was it coincidental that I had seen Dr. Luke on the way to Nazareth?
Baruch moseyed along at a comfortable pace. “Miss Shale, I don’t think Daniel will come back.”
“We’ll have to make him. Why are you so negative about it?”
“It doesn’t work to have two men who are in love with the same beautiful young lady.”
“What do you know about such things? Besides, I’m doing this for Nathan.”
“Of course,” Baruch continued, “I don’t think Judd is in love with you. He wants your father’s money. Daniel is another story.”
I remembered the words from Shakespeare’s play we had been studying in English.
“All the world’s a stage.
And all the men and women merely players
They have their exits and their entrances
And one man in his time plays many parts
His acts being seven ages.”
It was time to make a dramatic entrance and assume my part. I must woo Daniel back—I’d never let Judd marry me for my father’s money. I didn’t want to be just a player. I wanted to be a heroine.
We traveled for a while and at last came to Dothan. I glanced down at my dress and remembered the young lady, Martha, who picked it out for me. A couple of years had passed since we had last been here.
We approached the merchant’s bazaar and I searched for Martha’s booth. I couldn’t remember where it was. If I used that as a landmark, though, I could find the inn more easily. I peered into the storefronts reminiscing as we crossed the street. Then I saw Daniel and started to rush over to him, but who was that woman he was talking to? Martha—was that her? Daniel’s mannerisms were flirtatious and too familiar.
Rage and jealousy consumed me. Hurt and anger, confusion and disappointment overwhelmed me. What was I doing here? Was I here to help Nathan or satisfy my own longings? The truth was painful. Martha laughed as he leaned over the counter. Then Daniel hugged her and stepped away, as if he were about to leave. I nudged Baruch before Daniel saw us—I was too embarrassed to approach him right now. My face would say it all.
Did Baruch notice? Should we turn around and go home? So Daniel had a girlfriend. Why wouldn’t he? After all, he was a good-looking dude. What was so wonderful about her? I made an ugly face towards them as we headed away from the area.
Would I give up now when we had traveled this far? “Keep going,” I ordered Baruch. I patted him on the back. If he saw Daniel and Martha, he wasn’t saying. Maybe I was a fool to be here, but even fools can help others, and I was here to help Nathan even if I had hoped for more.
A little later, we arrived at Jacob’s Inn. The same two men lay on mats as before—for the last year and a half to two years. Wow! It didn’t seem like it had been that long. There were also two new patients. Where was Dr. Luke? I’d pretend I hadn’t seen Daniel at all. Maybe Dr. Luke would inquire for me. I didn’t want to be embarrassed.
“Wait for me here, okay, Baruch?”
“I’m not going anywhere without you, Miss Shale.”
I tethered him to the post and patted him on the head. “I’ll be right back.”
Proper etiquette was tricky—who I could talk to, who I shouldn’t talk to. Manners back home were hard to remember but here it was worse. Everybody hated somebody. The Jews hated the Samaritans, the Romans hated the Jews, and who did the Samaritans hate? Maybe it was the Jews and the Romans. Shoot, who cared—I walked up to an elderly man with a deformed leg lying on a cot.
“Excuse me, sir, but have you seen Doctor Luke today?”
The old man eyed me awkwardly, squinting in the sunlight. “Be back soon,” he said. “He went off with a young man—let’s see, his name was Daniel, I believe.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I headed back to Baruch. “Doctor Luke’s patient said he would be back soon.” I fidgeted with Baruch’s reigns waiting. Just act normal, I told myself, dumb—I was good at that.
“I see Daniel now,” exclaimed Baruch.
“Where?” I spotted him, conversing with Dr. Luke. Daniel and the doctor were gesturing with their hands and walking slowly. I waited impatiently.
A couple of minutes later, Daniel was within earshot, but before I could speak, he saw me.
“Shale.”
“Daniel.”
He stared, surprised to see me. “I thought you were coming,” Daniel stammered, “but I dismissed it.”
Dr. Luke gazed at me, as if wondering if he should know who I was.
Daniel, realizing his lack of manners, spoke. “Doctor, this is my friend Shale from Brutus Snyder’s household, his daughter.”
He tipped his head. “Nice to meet you. How is Nathan?”
“Oh, Doctor
Luke, he needs Daniel to return.”
“Is he sick?”
I couldn’t lie to this kind doctor. “No, but he misses Daniel.”
Dr. Luke glanced at Daniel.
Daniel shuffled his feet and slicked his curly hair back off his forehead. “I’m sorry to hear that,” Daniel mumbled, not making eye contact with me.
The doctor reached over and rubbed Daniel’s shoulder in a friendly gesture. “The young lady has traveled far on behalf of Mr. Snyder’s son, in a country full of bandits and thieves. You should accompany her back and check on Nathan for her father’s sake. The work here will wait until you can return.”
I perceived that Daniel felt trapped and angry I had not addressed him privately, but he was too much a gentleman to show it. Of course, he also had a girlfriend and that meant he would have to leave her behind.
“Yes, Doctor Luke. Of course.”
Dr. Luke paused before walking over to his waiting patients, “Give my best to Mister Snyder when you see him.”
“Yes, sir. I sure will,” I replied.
When Dr. Luke was a respectable distance away, Daniel beseeched me for an answer to the unasked question.
“You can’t leave like that, Daniel. Nathan needs you.”
“I was fired. Doctor Luke doesn’t know it.”
“Who fired you?’
“Scylla.”
“She can’t fire you,” I said.
“She can do whatever she wants.”
“She’s not my mother.”
“She’s not my mother either, but that doesn’t mean I can do whatever I want.” Daniel stopped abruptly, glancing around. Our voices were too loud and a couple of nosey eavesdroppers were listening.
“Come.” He pointed to a path leading to the back of the inn and motioned for me to go in front of him.
“Keep going,” he prodded me. “There’s a table and we can talk in private.”
A few minutes later, we sat face to face, though things weren’t the same as before. What was different? That other woman, I felt sure.
“You shouldn’t have come.” His reprimand was annoying. He looked away from me, refusing to make eye contact.
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