This Scarlet Cord (12 page)

While he had been standing in front of the inn meditating, the street had been waking up. Shops were opening their front doors and women were carrying water jars to fill at the spring. The smell of bread baking drifted to his nose. His father would be wondering where he was.

Feeling no better for this extended talk with himself, Sala went slowly back into the inn.

Mepu and Shemu were also early risers. They washed their faces and hands in the kitchen basin and went outdoors to buy some bread from the bake shop at the end of the street. There was no courtyard at the back of this tiny house, only the city wall, and Kata had refused to try to bake in the miniscule kitchen. In consequence they had become regular customers at the bake shop.

There were a few people before them, and they waited patiently, wearing their shawls against the cool morning air. The day of the festival of the New Year, when the hours of light equaled the hours of darkness, was quickly approaching, and the weather was warming. The flax had already been harvested and soon the barley crop would be ready. The winter rains were gone and the heat of summer had not yet set in. It was the best time of the year.

“It is a shame to be cooped up in a city on such a day as this,” Shemu murmured to his father.

“I know. But it will be worth it if we can get Rahab settled.”

“Another good thing has come out of our visit. We found out about those greedy nobles trying to sell our crops out from under us,” Shemu said.

Mepu nodded, looked around at the other customers, then gestured for Shemu to hold his tongue. His son nodded.

They bought bread and nut cakes and took them back to the house. There was a small room just inside the front door that served as the family gathering place, and Mepu put the basket of breads down on the single low table. The seating in the room consisted of cushions on the floor, and the two men each lowered themselves with the ease of long practice to a cross-legged position.

Mepu said, “I have been thinking. I do not like it that those two Israelites are here in Jericho. The boy was glib enough about their business scheme, but the more I think about it the more I do not like them being here.”

Shemu, who was waiting for his father to take the first bite of food, replied, “I thought their reason for coming sounded plausible enough. It was our own scheme, remember, and it was a good one.”

Mepu took a bite of nut bread and chewed reflectively. “It might be plausible, but it still makes me uneasy. There is an Israelite army less than twenty miles away, and we all know what they have done to the kingdoms south of us. No one has been able to stand against them. And now they are poised at the very entrance to Canaan and we have two Israelites walking around Jericho. Disguised as Canaanites.”

“It could be coincidence that they decided to come at this time.”

“Perhaps.” Mepu did not look convinced.

Shemu bit into his own crusty slice of fresh baked bread. “What do you think we should do?”

“We could turn them in to the authorities, I suppose, but Rahab was right. I cannot forget the debt I owe them. Without that young man’s intervention . . .”

Shemu nodded. “They were good to her. The son saved her from the slavers and the father kept her safe. No one molested her. And he sent for us to come and get her. There was no reason except for kindness for them to have been so careful of her welfare.”

Mepu looked glum. “I know.”

“They are rich too, Father. I saw their house in Ramac, and Rahab said the father owns many ships. Families like that might hesitate to throw in their lot with a group of barbarian invaders. The Israelites have lived in this country for as long as we have. Why should their loyalty be to this foreign group and not to us?”

Mepu took another bite of bread. “Perhaps you are right, Shemu. In truth, I do not know what to think about them.”

Shemu said, “Let us look at this situation differently. If they are here as spies, they will be planning to report whatever they find out to the Israelite army. Is this not so?”

Mepu nodded agreement.

“But what is there to report? They will have to inform the Israelites that the walls of Jericho are unassailable, that the city is stocked with grain, and, finally, that one of the finest springs in all of Canaan lies within the safety of our walls. Even if the whole of the surrounding countryside moves into the city, we can withstand an extended siege.”

“They would be spies who bring only bad news to their people.”

Shemu smiled. “Perhaps it would not be a bad thing for them to carry that news to our enemy.”

“Clever thinking. Very clever.”

Shemu looked pleased. “And there is always the possibility they are not spies at all. They might be here for the reason they gave us. They might want to do business with us.”

Mepu’s jaw tightened. “If that is the case, we must be certain they deal with us and not with the greedy nobles. Those bloodsuckers would buy up all of our produce and sell it at an inflated price.”

“They said they had already spoken to a few nobles. We must act quickly if we are not to lose out.”

“Yes. I said I would be in touch with them. After breakfast you must go to their inn and see if you can set up a meeting.”

They both turned their heads as they heard the sound of steps on the stairs. It was Kata. She gave them an approving smile as she came into the room. “I see you have been to the bake shop already.”

“We have, Mother.”

“Did you sleep well, my husband? Did you sleep well, my son?”

Both men assured her they had.

“Good. I will get the water and the fruit from the storage room. Rahab and Atene will be down soon.”

As she left the room, Shemu said softly, “What are you going to do about Rahab, Father?”

“What do you mean?”

“The prince noticed her yesterday.”

Mepu didn’t reply at first. Finally he said, “I don’t want Rahab to have anything to do with the prince. He will not be looking to marry her, and I do not want your sister to be some man’s courtesan. She was not brought up for that.”

“We need to find her a husband without delay then. Otherwise there will be little we can do if royalty wants her.”

They both turned their eyes to the staircase. Rahab’s voice could be heard from the second floor. Mepu said, “We must not be here if the prince’s messenger comes. If she is unavailable he may forget about her.”

Shemu agreed as Kata came back into the room with the jug of water and some cups. As she was putting them on the table beside the basket of bread, Rahab and Atene came into the room.

Mepu looked at his daughter. It always amazed him that he could have produced so beautiful a child. She was his treasure.

She smiled at him. “Good morning, Papa.”

“Good morning, daughter,” he returned.

“Will you have some fruit, Rahab?” Kata asked and Mepu watched as she took the platter from her mother. She deserved a rich husband, he thought, and it was his duty to make certain she got one.

Eleven

W
HEN BREAKFAST WAS FINISHED
K
ATA SET
R
AHAB AND
Atene to work cleaning. This house would never be the same as her house in the country, but she was determined to get every speck of dirt that had accumulated over the years out of the floors and the walls.

Her mother liked to clean but Rahab did not. As she worked, her thoughts were far away. What was Sala doing today? Would she get to see him? She hoped her mother wouldn’t want to stay home and clean all day or she would never have a chance of running into him in the city.

They had only been at work for an hour before Mepu came to tell his wife that the women should get dressed, they were going out. Rahab’s heart leaped at this news.

Kata put her pail down with a thump. “We are cleaning the house, my husband.”

“You can clean the house anytime, Kata. It’s a beautiful day today—not hot, not cold. A day to be outside.”

“Where are we going, Father?” Atene asked, looking up from the floor she had been scrubbing.

“We are to meet with the Israelites in the same place where we saw them yesterday.”

Rahab’s heart jumped.

“The Israelites?” Atene was surprised.

“Yes. We have business to discuss. Don’t take forever to get ready. Shemu and I will be waiting for you in the front room.”

As Mepu disappeared down the stairs, Atene said to Rahab, “That’s odd. Why would the men want to take us with them if they are going to talk business?”

Rahab didn’t care if it was odd or not, all she cared about was that she was going to see Sala. She began to gather up the cleaning rags and tried to think which of her tunics would be most flattering.

Her mother said, “It is not for us to question your father. Go and get ready, girls, and don’t take too long.”

Rahab put on a freshly washed long tunic of white linen and gathered it at her waist with a wide blue sash. She took her favorite blue shawl downstairs so Atene could drape it gracefully over her left shoulder. Then she asked Atene to braid her hair. When Atene was finished, Rahab asked anxiously, “Do I look all right?”

Atene laughed. “You never ask about your appearance, Rahab. What’s gotten into you?”

Rahab turned away to hide the flush that colored her cheeks. “Nothing.”

The midday weather was cool and pleasant as the family made its way up the cobbled street. The wine shop they were heading for was located in the Lower City but only a few feet away from the walls that divided it from the Upper City. The street was busy but Rahab hardly noticed the people who crowded around her as she followed in the wake of her father. Her heart was beating fast and her stomach was fluttery. She had never felt like this before. She wanted to smile until her cheeks hurt, but she contained herself and trailed along behind her father and Shemu, trying to look unconcerned.

When finally they reached the wine shop designated for the meeting, Mepu went inside to see if the Israelites were there while Shemu waited outside with the women. When Mepu came back out, Sala was with him. Rahab could not contain her smile.

Mepu said to Kata, “It is too crowded inside for all of us, so Sala—
Arut
, I mean—will escort you to the south garden to wait for us.”

“Yes, my husband.”

The smile died away from Rahab’s face. Sala’s eyebrows were drawn together, forming a crease over his nose. Clearly he wanted to stay in the wine shop and not have to go with the women.

Kata said timidly, “I am sorry you have been inconvenienced by us.”

At Kata’s words the line disappeared from between Sala’s brows and he looked embarrassed. “I am sorry if I seemed ungracious. I am delighted to be of service to you ladies. I believe the garden is this way, so if you will come along . . .”

He began to walk toward the wide, shallow steps that led into the Upper City.

Rahab’s chin was up. He didn’t want to be with her. And she had been so joyful at the thought of seeing him! Angry and hurt, she let Atene step forward to walk beside him while she remained behind with her mother.

The garden was a charming spot of green in the midst of the great stone buildings that comprised the Upper City. It was situated on the south wall, a half-acre pocket of linden trees with stone benches set under their softly rounded canopies. A flagged walkway set the park off from the city streets.

Rahab spread her skirts and took a seat on one of the benches. Atene and Kata sat on a second bench to discuss a recipe. That left the seat next to Rahab for Sala.

Sala sat. Rahab stared straight ahead and ignored his existence. After a long silent moment he said, “Are you angry at me?”

“No.”

Silence again.

“Well then, why won’t you look at me?”

“You don’t want to be here with me so I thought you would appreciate it if I didn’t bother you with my chatter.”

More silence. A boy with a small wooden sword in his hand ran down the path in front of them. From the park area near the wall they could hear the sound of children’s voices.

Sala sighed. “Rahab, it’s not that I don’t want to be with you.”

She turned her head fractionally. “Then what is it?”

He looked back at her and a muscle jumped in his jaw. “It’s just . . . well, I am learning the business from my father and I thought I should listen to the discussion.”

“Oh.” She returned her head to its forward position. He had no interest in her, she thought dismally. What a fool she had been to think he might want to marry her. He didn’t even want to talk to her; he’d rather talk about business. She blinked hard and told herself fiercely she would not cry.

Two young men, obviously noble, were strolling toward them. One of them glanced at her casually and stopped.

Rahab looked at him in surprise.

He smiled. “I beg your pardon, I know it is rude of me to speak to you when we haven’t been properly introduced—”

Rahab didn’t care for the condescending note in his voice and was about to say so when Sala cut in. “You’re right, it is rude. I suggest you be on your way and leave the lady alone.”

Affronted, the young man turned his eyes to Sala. Rahab looked at him too. Her breath caught. He looked . . . dangerous.