Crown in the Stars (23 page)

By the time they finished pitting the dates, Adoniyram seemed genuinely interested, for Shoshannah was telling them of the Adversary, the Serpent. But Demamah interrupted by fetching a large trough of puffy dough. Then they had to show Adoniyram how to select and pat out bits of dough, which amused him. And Zeva’ah entered the kitchen then, disrupting everything with questions, commands, and complaints about the oil lamps—which Demamah quickly defended. Zeva’ah also threw a suspicious parting glance at Shoshannah, who remained silent.

The instant Zeva’ah left, Tabbakhaw announced that she was ready to steam the crabs. Immediately Adoniyram and Demamah went to help her. Evidently, putting an end to a bunch of scuttling crabs was more fun than subduing lumps of dough.

As she watched her mitt-protected cousins laughing and snatching at the doomed crabs, Shoshannah formed another oiled grain-speckled cake of dough.
At this pace
, she thought,
it’ll take me all spring and summer to tell them about the Promised One, the histories, and the Great Flood. I don’t want to be here that long. But I’m sure I will be
.

Disheartened, she reached for another lump of dough, longing for her home, her family, and Kal.

Twelve

SWEATING BENEATH the late-spring sky, Kaleb wedged a thick mud mixture in between the stones abutting his—and Shoshannah’s—new lodge.

“Here’s more,” Zekaryah told him, slapping another heap of mud-mortar onto the stonework.

Kaleb nodded, still unable to believe that Shoshannah’s father was helping him. Or that he had agreed that Kal should marry his daughter. He had expected resistance from Zekaryah, perhaps even some anger. Instead, Kaleb was dealing with Zekaryah’s intense determination that Shoshannah’s lodge be perfect.

I want the same thing, though, so this is good
, Kaleb reminded himself, beating the mud in tight with a padded mallet.

He rested briefly, wiping his mud-spattered face with his equally muddied forearm. Shoshannah would have teased him for looking messy—and he would have loved
her teasing. He longed to hear her voice again, ached to see her smile, her dimples… He was becoming dull and gloomy without her.

“That will do,” Zekaryah said, standing beside him, studying the small, handsomely built lodge.

That will do
. A high compliment from Zekaryah.

Kal grinned. “If it weren’t so rude, I’d go to the Tribe of Metiyl and bring her home now.”

Zekaryah grunted, still staring at the lodge. “Furniture.”

Kal almost said that furniture didn’t matter to Shoshannah, but that would be a serious mistake. Zekaryah would stare at him instead of the lodge.

“It’s wonderful!” Keren called out, approaching them now—her beautiful face bright with pleasure, the edges of her linen head scarf dancing in the breeze.

As they admired the lodge, Rinnah bounded up to them, her curls springing out like dark wood shavings. “Is it finished? Can I go inside?”

“Are
you
finished cleaning out the goat pen?” Keren demanded, eyeing her youngest child.

Rinnah shuffled and dug her leather-clad toes into the dirt. “Well, almost. The goats were playing and—”

“Tie them. And finish cleaning,” Zekaryah commanded, silently threatening dire punishments that made Kal want to protect his small soon-to-be sister-in-law.

As Rinnah ducked her head and escaped to the goat pens, Kal said, “I almost let her go inside. I’m going to be a terrible father.”

“You’ll learn,” Zekaryah said.

“But
we
didn’t have to learn—we’re perfect,” Keren added, so demure that Zekaryah flung her a suspicious glance. She laughed, and Zekaryah shook his head, his usual dignity failing as he smiled.

“My children will learn better manners if I pen them with the animals,” Kal decided aloud.

“Kaleb!” a voice cried, almost wailing.

He turned, alarmed, to see a bedraggled and weepy Mithqah trudging from the woods into the clearing with her mare, followed by a grim Metiyl and the exhausted Yelahlah and her family. And Father Shem. And I’ma-Annah. The sight of all these travelers terrified Kaleb.

Shoshannah …

Followed by Zekaryah and Keren, he ran to Mithqah. He had to hold her up as she cried.

The entire Tribe of Ashkenaz gathered in the central clearing. Kaleb sat between his parents and Zekaryah and Keren, all of them listening to Mithqah’s story. Then they stared at Yelahlah and her husband, Echuwd, who knelt with the hushed Rakal on the other side of the central open hearth.

Father Ashkenaz growled to Echuwd, “Our Shoshannah was your guest, under your protection; you should have listened to her fears. You deserve a beating!”

“I am also
your
guest, and under your protection,” Echuwd argued, lifting his head to stare at Ashkenaz.

Seething, Kaleb almost answered Echuwd himself, but Ashkenaz stood first. “You are nothing but a man with evil news, Echuwd, which was your fault to begin with! You’re not a guest until I’ve accepted you as one—and I haven’t! So don’t you dare answer me smartly, you whelp, or we’ll pound some sense into that thick head of yours.” Quieting slightly, he said, “It’s only for your wife’s sake that we haven’t whipped you already.”

Rinnah huddled against Kaleb, quivering like a trapped baby rabbit. As Kaleb hugged her, she cried out, “Is Shoshannah going to die?”

Her thin tremulous voice stopped everyone. Adah and Qetuwrah, kneeling beside Keren, burst into tears, while their brothers, Ahyit and Sithriy, sat and stared in shock, their bony, scraped knees drawn up to their chins.

Seated nearby with I’ma-Ritspah, Mithqah said, “They intend to keep her alive. As bait. Father Kuwsh said, ‘Her mother should suffer for her, as I have suffered for my son.’”

“I’ll go for her,” Keren said.

Immediately Zekaryah shook his head. “No.”

Mithqah said, “You can’t, I’ma-Keren. Shoshannah doesn’t want anyone coming after her. She meant it. She’s afraid someone else will die, and that would be worse for her—you know it.” Hesitantly she lifted her rounded chin. “But if anyone else
is
willing to go to the Great City to help her, I’ll accompany them.”

“No.” It was Ozniy who spoke, large and foreboding, like an echo of Zekaryah.

Kaleb stared over his shoulder in surprise at his usually calm brother. Ozniy was watching Mithqah steadily, and she looked back at him, seeming both pleased and distressed.

Mithqah’s father, Uzziel, cleared his throat. “You’ll stay here,” he informed Mithqah gruffly. “Your mother and I say you’ve done enough; Shoshannah would agree. And you have other obligations.” As simply as that, Uzziel confirmed that Mithqah would marry Ozniy.

Any other time, Kaleb would have laughed and tormented his brother, but now he was too worried about Shoshannah.

“Forgive me, Father Ashkenaz,” he said loudly, “but I must say that I’m going.” Certain he had everyone’s attention now, Kal turned to Zekaryah and Keren, asking, “Please, do you consider your Shoshannah to be my wife?”

His question was a risk. As head of his household, Zekaryah could declare his daughter married with a single word. He could also set conditions that had to be met before the marriage could take place.

Kaleb watched his prospective father-in-law closely. Would he take offense at being forced to make such a sudden and serious formal commitment? Kal could see the older man thinking. Planning.

Zekaryah looked up. “Yes,” he said firmly.

Beside him Keren nodded, smiling, though he saw tears in her eyes. And Kaleb heard his own tenderhearted mother, Pakhdaw, utter a choked, wistful, “Oh…”

Profoundly relieved, and married, Kaleb sighed. “Thank you.” Tousling Rinnah’s curls lightly, Kaleb stood and crossed to the other side of the hearth to face Echuwd.

Now the wild-haired Metiyl called out, “You take whatever he gives you, Echuwd! Remember, I warned you that you deserve this!” But rather than thrashing the unfortunate Echuwd, Kaleb merely spoke to him in a calm voice. “If you stand while I talk to you, Echuwd, I won’t touch you. But if I have to drag you to your feet, you’ll earn scars.”

Echuwd stood, looking up at Kaleb, who subdued his impulse to pound the man to dust. “You’d better pray for my wife’s safety, Echuwd, because if she dies,
your
wife will have to find a new husband. I will kill
you.”
Pausing for effect, he added, “And if I die while I’m trying to save
my wife, then my brothers will find you and kill you. So be sure you pray.”

Echuwd flinched and retreated in sullen, humiliated fear. Kaleb didn’t pursue him. He turned, intending to go sit with his parents again until the meeting ended, but nearly collided with his brothers, who were standing just behind him.

“We’re going with you,” Tiyrac said.

Kaleb stared at him, calculating. “No, you’re not.”

Before they could start an argument, the First Father Shem stood, accompanied by I’ma-Annah. Acknowledging his authority, Kaleb and his brothers quickly returned to sit with their parents and Zekaryah and I’ma-Keren.

Calm and deliberate, Shem said, “There must be no further quarreling. Echuwd, because of your willful disregard for Shoshannah’s safety, I assure you that Kaleb and Shoshannah’s families have the right to demand your life for theirs. However, for Yelahlah’s sake—for everyone’s sake—we pray that won’t happen.”

Echuwd knelt stiff faced beside Yelahlah, who looked ashen, as if she would faint.

Clasping I’ma-Annah’s hand protectively, Shem said, “Your Ma’adannah and I agree that we must accompany Kaleb to the Great City. Shoshannah is being held there because Kuwsh is determined to avenge his son’s death—despite the fact that I executed Nimr-Rada according to the will of the Most High, for being a murderous rebel. But the Most High will judge between us. Therefore, we’ll go with Kaleb.”

Metiyl shook his head, his nostrils flaring. Father Ashkenaz started to rumble words of protest, but beneath Shem’s unblinking gaze, he actually halted, then shrugged.
“As you say, Father Shem. We’ll keep watch over the Ancient Ones while you’re gone.”

I’ma-Annah spoke to Kaleb’s brothers, her gentle voice easing their tension. “You have obligations here, Ozniy, so you should stay. As for Tiyrac, if he wants to go with us to help his rascal brother—with his parents’ permission—then we welcome his company.”

I’m the rascal brother
, Kaleb thought, trying and failing to be indignant. He was grateful to I’ma-Annah—he had meant to take Tiyrac with him all along. His pretense at a quarrel was only to ensure that the stubborn Tiyrac wouldn’t change his mind.

Now, Tiyrac lifted his chin at Kaleb menacingly.

Kaleb glared at him, pleased.

With Ozniy’s help, Kaleb covered the lodge’s stonework with hides, matting, and rocks to ensure that it would dry evenly while he was gone. As they set the last stones in place, Kaleb said, “After you and Mithqah are married, move in and guard this place for us until we return. I’ll tell Father and I’ma that you have my permission. That will give you time to build your own lodge.”