Rebekah's Treasure (50 page)

I watch him scramble so stealthily over rocks and walls that he raises little dust. Then long after he disappears from view, I pull the bell from the pouch at my waist, remove the rag that swaddles the clapper, and ring it.

Even before I see Lamech, I smell him coming. Odors like that of rancid fat and rotting fish fill the air. When I finally see him, there’s a grin on his face. His costly blue robe flaps around his legs as he approaches. His large ornate dagger is conspicuously belted at his waist. Behind him are eight men. As expected, Rebekah is not with them.

“So, where is this treasure of yours?” Lamech asks, rubbing the large scar on his cheek and looking around eagerly.

Both Benjamin and I are standing in front of the jar, obscuring it from view. “Where is Rebekah?”

“All in good time, my friend. All in good time.” He cranes his neck this way and that, then frowns. “Young Aaron is missing. Laying in ambush, eh? It would not go well for your wife if he tried anything.”

“He wouldn’t be so foolish. But he’s safely away. One of us had to be in case you rewarded our good faith with treachery.”

“Hmmmm, no doubt I’d be his first target, eh? Oh, come, come, Ethan, we both know you’d betray me, too, if you could. But fortunately for me, there’s a blade at your wife’s throat. If harm comes to us, to
any
of us, if the slightest misfortune should befall us, that blade will do its worst.”

“This is not our agreement. You were to bring Rebekah while I was to bring the treasure. You have not kept faith with me, Lamech.”

The grinning pig bursts out laughing. “Nor you with me! Otherwise you would not have sent young Aaron to . . . what? Attack us from behind? Lay a trap? Follow us back to our hiding place?”

“He’s not planning any of these things.”

Lamech strokes his bearded chin. “You’d swear to that? You’d give me your word?”

“Why should I give my word to someone who breaks his? You promised me my wife. Where is
she
?”

“And you promised me treasure. Where is
it
?”

I motion for Benjamin to step aside while I do the same, revealing the large clay jar behind us. Lamech’s eyes widen, obviously surprised by its great size.

“I see only one jar,” he says after regaining his composure. “You promised two.”

“And you shall have it, when I have Rebekah. But this time I name the terms.” I point to the summit. “The second jar will be waiting for you up there. But not one coin will you get unless Rebekah is with you, and unharmed.”

Lamech frowns. “That’s your territory, Ethan. It will be easy for you and your sons to set a trap. Your terms are unacceptable.”

“You outnumber us three to one. Surely you’re not afraid? But before you answer, come see what you are giving up, for this jar is yours, and another like it could be as well.” I beckon him to step closer, knowing the draw of treasure would be too difficult for him to resist.

He hesitates, then signals his men to be alert before walking over to the jar. As soon as he removes the top, I know I have him. He rakes the coins with his fingers as though they were a woman’s tresses, and I think of what he has done to my Rebekah. My hand moves to the hilt of my dagger. Only the look on Benjamin’s face restrains me from using it.

Lamech jingles a few coins in his hand as he studies me out of the corner of his eye. “You will let me take this jar and leave without a fight?”

I nod.

“And if I bring you Rebekah, you’ll give me another just like it?”

Again I nod.

“Perhaps we can come to some agreement after all. I will think on it and let you know.”

“And in the meantime? Will you give me your word you won’t hurt Rebekah?”

Lamech snorts like a pig as he laughs. “If I did, would you believe me? Ah, Ethan, you are soft. No woman should mean that much. It makes you desperate. It makes you
foolish
. I will take this jar, and come back tomorrow for the second. And I will come here, to this spot, and no other; otherwise you’ll get your wife back in pieces! The matter is settled. Do not test me in this.”

My eyes narrow as I stand looking at this butcher of merchants and women. Lamech’s eyes follow my hand as it moves toward my dagger.

“Draw blood and I swear you’ll lose what is most precious,” Lamech says with a sneer. Then he snorts with laughter. “You should never have let me know your weakness, Ethan. A man with a weakness can be conquered.” Lamech motions for his men to pick up the jar. “It would have been better for you to have let your wife perish.”

Benjamin and I watch as three of Lamech’s men carry away the jar. I still hear Lamech’s laughter as he and the rest of his men round the bend. But as soon as he does, Benjamin and I scramble to the top of the aqueduct. Soon, Lamech and his men will be near a patch of rough, sloping terrain where footing is difficult and made worst when carrying
a heavy jar of silver. That will leave only six able to react with any speed to an attack. It’s the place we have chosen for our face-off.

We move quickly across the top of the aqueduct, scattering a few stones as we go. I fear our noise will alert Lamech, but no, when I look down I see he and his raucous men just ahead, talking and laughing. Once again Lamech’s laziness and pride work in our favor, for he has not posted lookouts or ordered his men to be cautious.

With daggers in hand Benjamin and I carefully shadow the cutthroats, and just as they reach the designated spot, we let out a fierce cry and leap upon them as if we were lions. Within minutes, four of them are dead on the ground. Only Lamech and the tall, toothless man remain. The three carrying the jar have dropped it and run. Now it’s one on one. Benjamin takes the toothless man while I take on Lamech.

“You dare do this, knowing your wife will die?” Lamech backs away, though he has a dagger in his hand.

“You underestimated my weakness or the length it would drive me,” I reply, lunging forward and slicing his upper arm. The blade cuts deep for he can barely hold his weapon. Another cut, and he drops it. Then his face is one of utter surprise as I finish him off. But as he crumbles to the ground I do not feel the satisfaction I anticipated. Rather, I feel relief that such a man will no longer be a scourge to others, and I feel sadness, too, that once again, Jew has slaughtered Jew.

“Father, we must hurry. The three who got away are bound to head for the cave. We must make certain they don’t encounter Aaron and Mama.”

I nod. Knowing Lamech would never honor his word, it was decided that Aaron would go to the cave and rescue Rebekah, then bring her back. It was doubtful that Lamech would leave more than two men to guard Rebekah, an easy match for Aaron’s abilities. But if he was wounded in the process, the three men that just escaped could present a problem.

So we make haste and sprint in the direction of the cave.

The cloud of dust ahead tells me we’re not far behind the three jackals we pursue. My only thought is to reach them before they encounter Aaron and Rebekah. My feet fly over the rough terrain. Benjamin keeps pace beside me. And as we scramble over rocks and hard-mud ground, eating dust and dropping sweat, something inside me keeps urging me to run faster. My breathing is heavy, my muscles quiver with fatigue as I close the gap between us. Benjamin is now running ahead, his young body showing little strain.

We’re nearing the cave and still there’s no sign of Rebekah or Aaron. This troubles me. Surely we didn’t pass them on the way? Even if they were hiding, they would have made themselves known to us as we passed. When I hear shouting, then a scream, I quicken my pace, not caring if I raise dust and reveal myself to our enemies. Benjamin also quickens his. As I get closer I see a woman holding a dagger and fending off two men. Nearby, two others lie on the ground, motionless.

“Rebekah!” I shout, racing ahead of Benjamin.

When the two men see me, they turn and run, but I follow. Benjamin is soon beside me, and in no time the last of Lamech’s men lay dead at our feet. Then I race back to Rebekah. She’s kneeling beside one of the bodies and whispering softly.
Aaron
? Is that Aaron lying in the dirt? I stop. I just stop. Nothing moves, not my feet, my legs, my arms, my hands. I’m as stiff as marble. Even so, from where I stand I can see the blood covering Aaron’s tunic. I groan, but it sounds more like the growl of a frightened dog.
Is my son dead
? I fear so. Oh, how can my heart take it? How can I bear any more loss? At that moment I was tempted to curse God and die. It seemed preferable than stepping closer and seeing if what I fear is true.

Benjamin, too, hangs back, breathing heavily and shaking his head in disbelief. I muster all my courage and go to my son. Aaron’s face is as white as lime dust. His chest is motionless, his lips look like wax. I hear Rebekah whispering. Prayers? I think so. Slowly, she removes the patch
over Aaron’s useless eye, then places one hand on the badly scarred lid, the other on his blood-stained tunic. She drops her head, while I drop to my knees and pant silently beside her. She remains like this for a long time then finally lifts her face and
smiles
.

“Our son is brave. He fights like a lion. But he sustained a grievous wound at the cave, and lost much blood. Even so, he managed to bring down this one before collapsing.” She gestures with her chin to the body lying nearby. “But he’ll live. Not to fight, Ethan.
Not to fight
. God has heard my clanging, and healed Aaron; healed him for
His
service.”

As I look at my son’s lifeless body, a new fear comes over me.
Has Rebekah lost her mind from grief?
“Rebekah . . . surely you see that life has gone from . . . .”

Suddenly, Aaron’s fingers move, then his hand. A sigh escapes his lips. His head turns, his eyes open. Yes, two eyes open. Two perfectly normal eyes; for the eye that was white with scarring is now clear and bright and staring at me! My body trembles. Can this really be true? I bend over my son and lay a shaking hand on his shoulder as I stare into his face.

“Praise
Hashem!
” I say in a quivering voice. “He has restored your sight!” My own eyes fill with tears of gratitude until I look at the blood on his tunic. What good is the healing of an eye when the heart has been ripped in two by a dagger? Yet . . . he breathes normally. Could it be . . . could
Hashem
have healed his chest wound, too? And for the first time in a very long while I dare hope for a miracle.

Aaron looks dazed. His forehead crinkles in confusion as he brings both hands up to his face. He holds them there for some time before blurting, “I can see!” He laughs and turns his hands this way and that, as though viewing them for the first time. Finally, he sits up. “I feel no pain,” he says, answering my silent question as he runs his hands over his blood soaked tunic. Then he pokes his chest. “It’s gone! The wound is gone!”

When Benjamin and I help him to his feet I notice the joy on Aaron’s face, in his eyes. He has the face of an angel, with peace covering him like a
talith
. And he is smiling.

Has God healed the wounds in Aaron’s soul as well?

“I can’t remember when I’ve felt so good!” Aaron says, his voice full of wonder and joy. Then he spots the dead men lying on the ground. “Praise God that you came in time, Father. Is Mama hurt?” He looks at Rebekah anxiously.

“Be at peace. No harm has come to me,” she says, not looking at Aaron but at me. I see gratitude in her eyes. She fingers her headscarf nervously. “Your father is still formidable.”

“You are well, then?” I say, going to her, still dazed and not knowing what to make of all that has happened to Aaron. I try to put my arms around her but she pulls away.

“The only thing hurt is my pride. You might as well see for yourself.” Her face reddens with shame as she pulls the scarf from her head revealing short chopped hair. “You might as well see how abhorrent your wife is!”

I take her chin and tilt her face upward as I search her eyes. They will tell me just how much Lamech has taken from her. When I see that unmistakable sparkle I laugh and hug her to my chest. “Oh, Rebekah, you are still as beautiful as ever!”