People of the Flood (Ark Chronicles 2) (4 page)

7.

The years passed, and Kush turned into a sturdy-limbed fifteen-year-old, a handsome youth with a square jaw and a stubborn way of carrying his shoulders.

Ham spied him one afternoon in an apricot grove arguing with Gomer, Japheth
’s tall, fair-haired boy. The two youths shouted, gesticulated and almost seemed ready to shove one another.

Ham retreated, strolled with his head down to the sheep pen and laid his forearms on the gate, staring thoughtfully
. Rahab, with two-month old Libya in her arms, joined him fifteen minutes later.

“
Why so solemn?” Rahab asked. “You’re like a statue.”

“
Hmm?” Ham asked.

“
What are you brooding about? Couldn’t you find Kush?”

“
He’s in the orchard.”

Rahab rocked Libya, cooing to her
. “I thought the two of you were going to sheer sheep this afternoon.”

“
Later, maybe.”

“
Ham. What is it? What has you so occupied?”

He told her about Gomer and Kush.

“Why didn’t you stop them?” she asked.

“
Break up their argument?” he said.

“
Yes. They might come to blows.”

His brow contracted
. “That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking about.”

“
You don’t have to worry about Japheth and Shem,” Rahab said. “They’ll support you for breaking up a fight. And if they don’t, Noah and Gaea will.”

“
You think I was too scared to break it up?” he asked, amused.

“
Isn’t that what you’ve been brooding about?”

A smile touched his lips
. “Look at that ram.” He pointed at the sheep milling in the stone corral, at a big ram with curled horns that bleated louder than the others did.

“
He’s a young one,” Rahab said.

“
Young, and my best breeder. The other rams don’t like tangling with him, and do you know why?”

Rahab shook her head.

“Because he learned how to fight like his old father. I swear, he uses the same moves and has the same determination.”

Rahab stared
Ham as she cradled Libya. “You better be careful, Ham. Don’t start something that will ripple throughout time.”

“
What?” She had his attention.

“
Gaea said it, and it makes sense. We’re like pebbles thrown in a pond. The ripples keep going long after the stone has sunk out of sight.”

He lofted his eyebrows.

“All I’m saying is that you better be careful what you teach your son. Rams are supposed to butt heads. Jehovah wants people to live in peaceful.”

“
Ah, of course,” he said.

“
Ham.”

“
Don’t worry. I want to live in peace just as much as the next person.” He leaned over the bundle in her arms and wriggled Libya’s pouting lip. His tiny daughter opened her eyes and flailed clenched fists.

“
She looks hungry,” he said.

“
You should go back to the orchard and make sure they’re not fighting.”

“
That’s right,” he said. “I should wage my boy’s battles for him. Turn him into a weakling so Europa’s boy can walk all over him later. Do you know she teaches them to think of themselves as kings?”

“
Ham!”

“
Oh, don’t fret. I’m only teasing.”

But nine days later
, Ham secretly took Kush into the woods. As they walked, Ham told Kush a fable he remembered from Methuselah: “So many people trod on a snake that it went and complained to Jehovah. ‘If you had bitten the first man who trod on you,’ Jehovah said, ‘the next one would have thought twice about doing it.’”

Kush pondered that, glancing now and again at his father.

“Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

Kush licked his lips
. “That I should pray to Jehovah more?”

Ham rolled his eyes
. “No. Well…yes, I suppose that’s a good idea. But that isn’t the story’s moral.”

Kush kept silent.

Ham couldn’t decide if mulishness kept the boy’s mouth closed, that he didn’t know the answer or that he had the wisdom to hold his tongue. “The moral is that those who stand up to the first assailant make others afraid of them.”

“
Ah,” Kush said. “You mean Gomer.”

“
Perhaps, perhaps,” Ham said. They walked in silence the rest of the way to a hidden forest clearing. There, Ham wrapped long, leather straps around his knuckles and bid Kush do likewise. Then he hit a heavy bag filled with sand hanging from a branch. He taught Kush the jab, the right cross and the upper cut. He also showed him how to block with his shoulder and keep his fists in front of his face.

“
The untrained fighter flails wildly,” Ham explained. “There isn’t any force in his fists because it’s just arm-power. It’s as you twist your torso, your hips, that you generate force. And notice how I place my feet.”

Kush paid close attention
. Soon, he thudded heavy shots against the bag, the thwack of his fist hitting leather satisfying both father and son.

“
Remember,” Ham said, “a wise fighter doesn’t let others know what he can do until he knocks them down.”

“
I understand.”

“
Now put this on.”

Kush slipped on a thick leather helmet padded with wool, tying the knots under his chin so the cheek-guards fit snug against his face.

Tall trees rustled their leaves, while the sun shone golden in this hidden clearing.

“
Are you ready?” Ham asked.

Kush nodded.

“Hold up your fists.”

Kush did, while Ham eyed the stance.

“Move your left foot back. There. Raise your right hand higher so it covers your chin. Excellent. Now, we’ll spar. It’s useless to be able to hit and not be unable to take a blow.”

Kush nodded, although his eyes widened, perhaps in fear.

“Protect yourself,” Ham said, jabbing straight-armed, half-speed shots at Kush’s face. Still, that evening Kush walked into the family tent with puffy circles under his eyes.

“
What happened to you?” Rahab asked.

“
We had an accident,” Ham said, taking his place at the head of the mat. “We ran after a deer. Kush turned and shouted back at me and didn’t see where he was going. So he ran full tilt into a tree, using his face to stop himself.”

“
Kush,” Rahab said. “You must be more careful.”

Mari laughed from where she ladled stew
. “That was stupid of you, brother.”

Kush readied an angry retort.

“Hush, girl,” Ham said, perhaps harsher than he’d meant too. “I don’t want anyone to speak about it. Do you hear me?”

Rahab frowned, while Mari bit her trembling lip
. His oldest daughter seemed abnormally sensitive about his tone of voice. But at least she didn’t tease Kush anymore and thus inadvertently cause him to blurt out the secret.

Io sewed quietly in the corner, but Menes pestered Kush about the hunt
. Finally, Ham promised Menes he could tag along tomorrow with his sling if he quit jabbering about Kush’s accident. Menes shouted joyfully. For the rest of the evening, he told his sisters how he could hit anything with his sling, even flying crows.

Several days later
, Kush and Ham found time to slip away again. “Do we have to spar, though?” asked Kush, as he slipped on the padded helmet.

“
Until you get it right, yes.”

The sparring developed into the rhythm of Ham turning to face his nimble son, who stepped in to launch swift assaults but found himself confused by the jabs licking his face
. Finally, Kush roared and waded in flat-footed, trading toe-to-toe blows.

“
No!” Ham said. “Not just by arm strength. Snap your torso. Put power into your punches. You’re not going to hurt me like that.”

Tears leaked from Kush
’s eyes. He panted and rained blows like a windmill, his fists bouncing harmlessly off Ham. Ham scowled and snapped a hard jab, accidentally catching Kush as he walked into the swing. Kush’s eyes rolled up as he crumpled to the ground.

Ham let his arms drop
. A moment later, he exhaled and began to unwind his leather straps. Maybe he pushed the boy too hard.

“
Ooohhh,” Kush said, his eyelids fluttering.

Ham squatted beside him
. “How do you feel?”

“
What happened?”

“
You walked into my jab.”

“
My jaw hurts,” Kush said, testing his chin with his fingers.

Ham sighed, holding out his hand.

“No! I’ll stand up myself.”

Ham rose with a secret smile, approving of the independence.

Kush pushed himself upright, swaying, his eyes glazed. “Let’s do it again.”

“
Not today,” Ham said, taking Kush’s arm and leading him near the heavy bag. “Sit. Gather your wits.”

Ham considered camping out, but Rahab would worry
. Another deer story…he decided to say it was a man thing and bull it through on that.

T
wo weeks later, Ham learned more. He strolled near the family tent after putting up the oxen. The bloated sun sank into the horizon, and a cool breeze dried his sweat.

He walked behind the tent and overheard eleven-year-old Io inside
: “I think there’s going to be a fight, Mother.”

“
Oh?” Rahab said also from within the tent.

Ham stopped, glanced about, moved closer and knelt as if tying his sandal
. His ear almost touched the back of the tent.

“
Deborah teased them again,” Io said. “She was flirting, the hussy.”

“
Io! I don’t want you talking like that about your cousin. Slander is evil in Jehovah’s eyes.”

“
But it’s true, Mother. The way Deborah laughs and tosses back her head, letting her curls flounce. She bats her eyes at Gomer or smiles slyly at Kush, and she praises one or the other. She told Gomer today what a
huge
catfish he caught.”

“
It was nice of her to compliment him,” Rahab said.

“
You should have seen what a pitiful little fish Kush had just caught,” Io said. “The others made fun of him, and he called everybody names.”

“
I’ll have to talk to your father about that.”

“
Deborah laughed louder than any of them, Mother. She teased Kush, saying that if his fish was small, other things of his must be small, too.”

“
She said that?”

“
Uh-huh. And that’s when she told Gomer he was a great fisherman. Kush clenched his jaws so his cheeks bunched up like they always do.”

Rahab sighed.

“Then, Gomer started telling us his secret to fishing, how to pick the right deep spot and how to jiggle your line just so. Kush said that had nothing to do with it, that everyone knew it was just dumb luck. Gomer swung his catfish near Kush’s face, asking if maybe he
did
know what he was talking about.”

“
What happened then?”

“
Kush pushed him so hard that Gomer almost fell.”

Outside the tent, Ham grinned.

“Then Gomer told Kush he was jealous,” Io said. “But Gomer told him not to worry. He’d teach him how to fish. Deborah clapped her hands and slid down from her rock where she’d been tossing her curls and batting her eyes. She put her hand on Gomer’s forearm, pretending to study his catfish. But I saw her, Mother. She glanced at Kush sideways, to see if he was getting mad.”

“
Quiet, Io. I hear your brothers coming. Your father probably isn’t too far behind. I don’t want you talking about this during supper. We need to let Kush cool off. Do you hear me?”

“
Yes, Mother.”

“
I mean it, Io.”

“
I said yes.”

“
You remember that, too, unless you want a switching.”

“
Oh, Mother, please.”

8.

The next morning, Noah quizzed several children. Then the white-bearded preacher—who hadn’t had anyone to preach to for a long time—hitched oxen to his wagon and lumbered to the woods, returning with pines and heavy branches. Perhaps he had baggier eyes and deeper lines in his face than before, but he still possessed raw-boned strength. Splintering the logs and heaving them into a crude teepee, he pitched mats around them and set a tree-stump chair to the side. He washed his hands and face in a basin outside his tent, changed into clean clothes and marched to each dwelling, there informing his sons’ wives that after supper, after sunset, he wanted everyone at his fire.

“
Did he give a reason why?” Ham asked later.

Rahab shook her head.

Ham peered out his tent. Gaea marched with a plate to Noah, who sat on the tree stump and drummed his fingers on the staff across his knees. They whispered as he ate, and then mother hurried away with the empty plate. Noah got on his hands and knees, using tongs to extract coals from a bronze cage. He set the glowing coals under the logs. As the log teepee began to burn, Noah resumed his station on the tree-stump chair.

“
Don’t fuss while we’re there,” Rahab told her eight children. She nudged Ham.

“
That’s right,” Ham said. “Or…” He slapped the back of his hand against his palm.

The children bobbed their heads
in understanding. Then they marched out to the fire, sitting on mats and listening to the crackling flames.

After everyone had found a place, Noah said, “
Tonight, I will tell the children a tale.”

Ham sat straighter, while Rahab soothed their youngest child
. Ham hadn’t heard Noah’s preaching voice since he’d last used it on Kedorlaomer, Ikkesh and Ymir just before the Flood.

The children watched their grandfather in awe.

“In the beginning,” Noah said, “the first father and mother had two children, Cain and Abel. They taught their boys to honor Jehovah and to sacrifice an unspotted lamb in blood atonement for sin. The blood of animals couldn’t take away sin, but it was and is a symbol of the One, the Redeemer, who by His blood will someday take away mankind’s sins and allow us a way back to Jehovah. Cain and Abel were to take the offering to the fiery sword waving back and forth in front of the Garden of Eden, the one wielded by an invisible cherub who guarded the way to the Tree of Life. The offering wasn’t to the cherub, the sword or even to the Tree of Life, but done near Jehovah’s representative of judgment, the one who had driven humanity from Eden lest they eat the fruit of the Tree of Life and live forever in their sins.

“
Cain and Abel grew strong just as you children are growing stronger and wiser.”

The children squirmed under Noah
’s gaze.

“
Cain became a farmer, just like some of you boys: Kush, Elam and Gomer. Cain worked hard, and the ground burst forth with its goodness. His brother Abel was a shepherd, with flocks and hounds to help guard them—just as you, Assur, Magog and Menes, run after the sheep and watch over the goats and cattle. Abel worked hard, and many sheep were born to his herd.

“
Then one day, when they were grown men, Cain brought a basket of his best fruit to Jehovah. He beamed at the work of his hand. Oh, how he had sweated to grow such fine apples, oranges, mangoes and pineapples. They were huge pieces of fruit, spotless and wholesome. Cain was certain Jehovah would enjoy such bounty. By the sweat of his brow, he’d weeded every day so that this basket could be filled. Out of the cursed ground had grown each piece of fruit and sheaf of wheat.

“
Abel tugged a small young lamb, pure and spotless as Jehovah had commanded them to bring. Abel butchered the lamb and put the blood and fat of the beast on the altar. It was messy, bloody and it stank, just as it does today when we do such things. But there is a reason for that. It shows us that sin is costly. Someone must lose his life for it. Jehovah hates sin. It fires His wrath, which is holy, just and pure. So, to keep His wrath at bay, to bring justice to the world, blood must be shed. Eventually, Jehovah Himself will send His perfect lamb to die for man. And then it, too, will be bloody and messy and no doubt, not smell very nice. Then all of mankind’s sins will be swept clean by the blood of the Most High. So Jehovah wished then and now to show us this truth by the sacrificing of lambs to Him.

“
Abel obeyed Jehovah. He did exactly as Jehovah had taught him through his parents. But Cain, ah, he had become proud and thought he knew a better way. He thought he could work his way to Jehovah. But no one can do that. Only if a person was perfect could he or she approach Jehovah. But no one is perfect, so only by the blood of an innocent, in payment for what the sinner can never pay, can any approach a pure and holy Jehovah.

“
From heaven, Jehovah watched, and fire consumed the lamb but left the fruit. With his head bowed, Abel turned and left, glad in his heart that he had obeyed Jehovah, but fearing for his proud brother.

“
And fear he should. For Cain grew angry with Jehovah and even angrier with his brother. He had worked as hard, maybe harder, and he was firstborn. Finally, Jehovah spoke to Cain. ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.’

“
Cain left Jehovah and approached his brother, saying, ‘Let us go out to the field.’

“
Abel did, and he counseled Cain to beg for Jehovah’s forgiveness.

“‘
Why should I?’ Cain asked.

“‘
You tried to work your way to Jehovah, and you cannot. But if you ask for forgiveness, Jehovah is gracious, and he will surely give it. Then, your sacrifice will also be accepted.’

“‘
Where will I get this perfect lamb?’ Cain asked. ‘I raise no animals.’

“‘
Buy one from me.’

“‘
Buy?’

“‘
What good is a sacrifice to Jehovah if it doesn’t cost you anything?’ Abel asked.

“
‘Those are fine words,’ Cain shouted. ‘But admit that what you really want is that I crawl on my hands and knees to you, to beg you, the younger, for your favor, so I can purchase one of your stinking lambs!’

“
Abel drew back from Cain, who had grown red-faced.

“
Cain roared, spittle flying from his mouth, and he picked up a rock and dashed it against Abel’s brow.”

Ham scowled as the younger children moaned
. He leaned near Rahab. “Why is he telling them a story like that?”

“
Shhh,” Rahab said.

“
He should wait until they’re older before loosening such a bloodthirsty tale,” Ham said.

“
Jehovah came to Cain,” Noah said. “Jehovah asked him, ‘Where is thy brother Abel?’

“‘
How should I know?’ Cain asked. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’

“
Jehovah said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the Earth.’

“
Oh,” Noah said, “Cain wailed that his fate was too harsh, but he did not fall on his face and beg for forgiveness, nor did he say that he was sorry for killing his own flesh and blood, his very own brother.

“
Now,” Noah said, “what did Jehovah mean when he first told Cain that sin crouched at his door? Why, that Cain plotted harm to his brother, and that envy and rage hid in his heart. You, my grandchildren, and you especially, Gomer and Kush, must make certain that rage and envy and other such sins are not crouching at your heart. Do not hate your brother or your cousin. Do not stir up wrath and rage among yourselves. For if you do, then sin will choke you and cause curses from heaven to fall on you. I brought you here tonight to warn you of the terrible thing that is ready to be unleashed among us. Nothing will ever be the same if it does. So beware! Take heed from the lesson of Cain and Abel. Do not think that you will escape the judgment of sin if you harbor it and cherish it like some sweet fruit. Take the advice of Abel, and do what is right, so Jehovah will accept you, and so you may have peace with your brothers and with your cousins.”

Noah swept his fierce gaze over them
. “Do you understand?”

The children nodded solemnly, while Gomer blushed and Kush stared at the ground.

“Do you hear me, Kush?”

Kush whipped up his head, his eyes wide
. “Yes, Grandfather.” But as soon as Noah looked away, Kush shot a look of hatred at Gomer.

“
And you Gomer?” Noah asked.

Gomer nodded, ashen-faced.

One more time, Noah scanned his grandchildren and his sons and daughters-in-law. “Good. That is all I have to say.”