People of the Ark (Ark Chronicles 1) (19 page)

Deluge

1.

A duke inspected the Ark
. He had seen it once before years earlier, with a slave collar riveted to his neck. Then Noah had struck off the bronze collar and preached to the former slave. “Let Jehovah strike off your yoke of sin so you can join us aboard the Ark.”

The ex-slave had listened politely
, for his sister Europa had looked on. Her agent had found him in the mines of Havilah, and had paid for and freed him. That had been then. Now he had returned with an escort, a tall sword-bearer in clean felts. Due to his sister Europa’s efforts, the duke had married well and had thus been able to lay out a heavy sum for an army of sell-swords, which in turn had gained him a dukedom in their father’s former kingdom.

After listening to Noah
’s warning and inspecting the zoo, the duke spoke privately with Europa. “Our brother the king wavers, but he will ally in the end with Chemosh.” The duke hesitated as worry marred his fine features. “Your situation here is untenable, Europa. To Queen Naamah you are a fly in ointment. Eventually Noah will fall to her. What then of you, my sister?”

“
If that happens, I’m doomed,” Europa said. They strolled outside the Keep, the tall sword-bearer following at a discrete distance.

The duke halted
. His shifting glance seemed to take in the Keep, the nearby apricot grove and the workers pruning branches. “You did me a good turn years ago. Now I will return the favor.” He lowered his voice. “Naamah will pay for Noah’s death.”

Europa eyebrows rose.

The duke watched her sidelong. “Noah is doomed. That is a certainty. But why fall with him? You are wise, Europa. Yet what have you gained from it? You’re a drudge here, wife to a fool and daughter-in-law to a maniac. Help me in this and I will split this purse with you.”

Europa
struggled to hide her astonishment. “You want me to help you murder my husband and father-in-law?”

The duke scowled
. “No, no, certainly not. You may save your husband, but for the father there is no hope. In the past you were unable to profit by our brother’s victory, which was terribly sad.”

“
One might almost say it was unjust.”

“
Perhaps, perhaps, but on that score you mustn’t be bitter. Fortunes change. You were up when most of us were down. Now we are up and you are on the wane.”

She scowled
. “Most of you are ‘up’, as you say, because I either purchased your freedom or brought you into profitable marriages.”

“
I suppose that’s one way of viewing the matter.”

“
What other way is there?” Europa asked, outraged.

“
It’s no use getting upset over past history. The future is the thing. I’m here offering you a place in that future, to stand in the sun as night descends upon these fools.”

Europa stared at her brother
. “Do you realize that one of these fools that you refer to so glibly gave me the money to buy you out of slavery?”

“
Of course I realize,” the duke said with growing irritation. “As I told you, that’s why I’m here, to pay back old debts.”

“
Is that what you think you’re doing?”

“
What would you call it?”

“
Treachery, duplicity, conniving, insulting—”

“
Insulting?” he asked. “How have I insulted you?”

“
Brother dear,” Europa said. “You think me so base that I’d stoop to help slaughter my father-in-law? I, at least, am not an ingrate.”

“
And I am?” he asked, his voice rising.

“
Answer me this,” Europa said. “What title has any of my brothers or sisters offered me?”

“
How could you expect rank when you hadn’t paid any money for hiring sell-swords? There was only so much to go around.” He adjusted his cloak, visibly regaining control. “One has to be reasonable about these things.”

Tears threatened, forcing Europa to turn icy lest she cry, which she refused to do
. She resumed walking, increasing her stride and making her brother hurry.

“
Europa, is this your answer?”

She didn
’t bother looking at him, although out of the corner of her eye she saw him glance slyly at the sword-bearer, signaling him perhaps.

“
Europa.” He grabbed her arm.

She twisted her arm free and walked faster, frightened now.

“I’ve spoken to you in confidence,” he panted, trotting to keep up. “You mustn’t breathe a word of this to Noah.”

She whistled as
Japheth had taught her. Hounds appeared, huge brutes wagging their tail. She halted, facing her brother and the tall bearer that had a hand on his sheathed sword.

“
Go away,” she said.

“
Go away?” her brother repeated.

The hounds
reached her.

“
Go before I set these beasts on you,” she said. “Go before you order your hireling to murder me, and force me to kill you both.”

“
You wound me with words.”

“
You’re a liar. I see calculation in your eyes. Go. It is your final warning.”

The duke flushed angrily
. The tall sword-bearer half-drew his blade.

The hounds growled, their hackles
rising.

The two men exchanged glances, the duke shaking his head
. The sword-bearer rammed his blade back into its scabbard. The duke bowed stiffly. “By your leave, sister.”

“
You are no relation of mine.”

“
Those are proud words. I hope you live long enough to regret them.”

She wept that night and
she wouldn’t tell Japheth why. In the morning, she began a long missive to her brother the king, using up all her gold ink. She skipped breakfast, lunch and begged off dinner.

In the evening
, Gaea knocked on her door.

Worn, her hair in disarray, with ink stains on her fingers, Europa opened the door and slumped onto the bed.

Gaea sat beside her.

Europa wanted to cry
, but she refused. Perhaps the duke had been right. She was too proud. She told Gaea about the duke and his plot to assassinate Noah. And she told Gaea about the letter she had penned, warning her brother the king to stay at arms length from Chemosh or its cunning queen would swallow him too. Ally with Arad. That alone was the logical choice.

“
Europa, Europa,” Gaea said, patting the ink-stained hands. “You love your brothers and sisters, your family. That is a fine thing, noble and right. Yet now Jehovah bids us to let them go.”

“
What do you mean?”

“
Worry and woe will be your lot as long as you strive to build in this world. Soon all the striving, plotting and evil schemes will come to nothing. Only those who board the Ark shall be saved.”

“
Do you truly believe that?”

“
Don’t you?” Gaea asked.

Europa swallowed
. “I don’t know what to believe.”

Gaea took a deep breath, squeezing Europa
’s hands. “Send the letter if you must. But think well on what the duke proposed and how evil this world has become. Jehovah will save you out of it, but you must have faith in Him. It is imperative that you believe.”

“
I’m trying to, Mother. I really am.”

“
Good,” Gaea said. “Now please, come with me and let us find something to eat.”

Europa hesitated
—at last nodding, rising and leaving the unsigned letter on the stand.

2.

Ham rolled the wheelbarrow up the Ark’s ramp and to the entrance bigger than a barn door. His father had never said how he planned shutting the door, the only one to the Ark. Ham had suggested by a pulley system, but his father’s reply had always been no. If it weren’t in the blueprint, his father wouldn’t do it.

With a
grunt, Ham drove the wheelbarrow over the threshold, turned left and trundled the grain-sacks into the middle deck. There were three decks altogether. On each were hundreds of stalls, pens, cages, feeders, water bins, manure pits and a labyrinth of narrow passageways. All the windows were on the top deck, built in a row just under the ceiling. However, enough light filtered down here so he could see, at least once his eyes adjusted to the gloom.

Methuselah had died a month ago from his head injuries
. They had a quiet funeral and Noah had warned them of the old prophecy, that “it would come when Methuselah died.”

Ham squeezed around the corner and trundled to a latched door, opened it and began to wrestle the grain sacks onto those already in the storage room
. Everything had been constructed so eight people had enough hours in the day to take care of thousands of animals. For that reason, they had built a storage bin or room near every area of pens. They wouldn’t waste time or effort carting food from one central location to faraway animals.

A strange feeling tingled in his hands as he settled the last sack
. He brushed his palms on his pants and took the empty wheelbarrow with him. He snorted, shaking his head, and he couldn’t rid himself of the tingling.

He stopped as he passed a row of bird pens
. A giggle escaped him so he clamped a hand over his lips. Each of the birdcages was made of crisscrossed lathes. So when a bird relived itself the guano would fall between the lathes and land on a slanted board. The boards of twenty cages would deposit the manure into a narrow chute. A scoop hung on the wall. During the journey, one simply wheeled a barrow into here, scooped out the manure and rolled the barrow to the moon pool, the access to the sea inside the Ark.

He rolled the wheelbarrow down the ramp
. His hip ached and his stomach roiled, but he kept his face blank, devoid of emotion as he approached his father.

Noah had his big hands on his hips as he regarded the Ark.

Ham stopped beside his father.

After several heartbeats Noah turned, raising bushy eyebrows.

“That’s it,” Ham said.

“
It?”

“
As far as the Ark goes. All the supplies are loaded.”

The lines in Noah
’s forehead deepened. His shoulders slumped. He exhaled.

Ham couldn
’t hold it in any longer. He laughed. “We’re done, Father. After one hundred and twenty years it’s over.”

“
Over?” Noah shook his head. “Now comes the hard part.”

“
The hard part? Father! You’ve been jeered at, catcalled and sneered at for as long as I’ve been alive. All that is over. We’re done.”

“
No. I must go to the people one last time. While there is yet a chance to repent I must warn them.”

“
You’ve been doing that for one hundred and twenty years. Why will they listen now?”

“
Don’t you understand?” Noah said. “The Flood comes. They’re doomed. They will no longer be able to turn to Jehovah in mercy, but only face His holy wrath. On that day it will be too late.”

Ham frowned at the Ark.

“News!” shouted Shem, sprinting through the north gate. “I’ve news!” Dripping sweat, panting, Shem stumbled to them. “Father, the army of Chemosh comes. The outriders say they have come to burn the Ark and impale you so they can watch you die in agony.”

3.

The army of Chemosh trampled the wheat, oats and millet fields. Spearmen of Nod marched in the forefront. The light chariots of Kedorlaomer and his sons followed. Next came the heart of the army as they flew the Raven Banner. Ymir, in glittering armor, dwarfed everyone. Last creaked the wagons, among them the pavilion of Queen Naamah and King Laban, by their banners.

The host took up a belligerent station before the construction-yard
. Hours passed. Finally, a crowd of notables detached themselves from the army and moved toward the north gate. The philosopher Par Alexander and the Prophet Zohar urged them on, with Kedorlaomer, the slave Bera and proud Ymir.

Noah appeared on the parapet and urged them to repent, to turn from sin and the coming
judgment.

“
You’re a fool, Noah,” Par Alexander thundered in his silk toga.

“
A lunatic!” screamed the skyclad Prophet Zohar. “Jehovah loves those you call wicked. Who are you to judge?”

The Spellbinder of Ymir joined them
. “The world has grown weary of your babbling, old man. We have come to impale you and your lackeys and show the world that Jehovah is dead.”

“Which is it?” Noah asked. “Does Jehovah love everyone or is he dead?”

At a signal from Ymir, mockery arose from the nearby spearmen. They roared with laughter and the army of Chemosh seemed to press in.

Suddenly the laughter ceased
. Ymir turned and paled. Par Alexander groaned.

Noah rubbed his eyes before shouting to his sons
. “Open the gate.”

“
What?” Ham asked, like his brothers beside the inner gate, holding weapons.

“
Hurry,” Noah said. “Open it.”

“
Father’s mind has snapped,” Ham told his brothers. “Don’t do it. Don’t let in the army of Chemosh or we shall all die horribly.”

Shem sheathed his sword and stepped to the heavy bar
. He glanced at Japheth.

“
Are you sure of this?” Japheth asked.

“
Help me,” Shem said.

The two wrestled with the bar as Noah hurried down the parapet stairs.

“What is it?” Ham asked. He still gripped his spear.

Noah tried to speak
. His lips opened. It seemed he sleepwalked.

“
What happened?” Ham asked, shaking his father’s arm.

“
The animals...” Noah whispered.

“
Yes?”

Noah shuffled to Gaea, taking her hand, smiling.

“What has happened, husband?”

Ham ran up the stairs and peered over the wall
. He froze. His skin prickled. From the menagerie marched mammoth calves, otters, gazelles, zebras, donkeys, gorillas, skunks, pythons, rabbits, opossum, crocodiles; all the various beasts collected over the years filed in pairs or if clean animals, by sevens. They came in an orderly line or queue, without shoving, without pushing, quietly. Ham squinted. Who had opened the cages? Who had told them to march like this? Who could make them obey?

The army of Chemosh parted
in amazement; the mercenary spearmen, light and heavy charioteers, Slayers, all of them.

“
Impossible,” whispered Ham.

From a sunflower field marched other beasts, those they had never captured or dared
to try. There were the young of dragons and behemoths. The terrible predators that in latter ages would be known as tyrannosaurs, raptor and phororhacos, an eight-foot, meat-eating beast that was kin to ostriches. Young triceratops followed, and a pair of stegosaurus calves and trachodon, bracheousars and glyptodons. They joined the menagerie of animals heading for the Ark.

Ham clutched a wooden post
for support.

“
Ham,” Noah shouted. “It’s time to enter the Ark.”

A rush of sound caused Ham to look up
. Peacocks, pigeons and hawks, eagles, vultures and parrots, they came from everywhere. Ham moaned as archaeopteryx, pterodactyls and rhamphorhynchus flew to the Ark, no doubt seeking a berth against the coming doom.

Not since th
e day in Eden when Adam had first named the animals had so many different creatures been in one place at one time. Ham felt vomit burn the back of his throat. This was supernatural, the awesome power of Jehovah. No wonder the army of Chemosh gaped as if dead men, terrified of the awesome might surely arrayed against them.

Ham turned and stumbled down the stairs.