People of Babel (Ark Chronicles 3) (19 page)

25.

As Europa shook her head
, a profound sense of deja-vu settled upon her. Once, she had stood like a bulwark for her brothers and sisters—in Antediluvian times. They had been scattered after her father had lost his castle and had lost his kingdom to brigands, to Nephilim marauders. One by one, she had redeemed her brothers and sisters from slavery or won them husbands and wives, providing them the means to restore what had been lost.

Now, this night, after almost ten decades since leaving the Ark, she stood against cowardice, against craven capitulation to the sons of Ham, to the offspring of a peasant girl
. Only this time it wasn’t brothers and sisters she saved, but her very own children.

Gomer, Magog and Tubal huddled together on one side of a brazier
. The three were thick men bundled in furs and leather and with heavy beards, clan heads. They met in a spacious hall, with the rafters swathed in shadows, with cold winds howling outside. On the other side of the brazier whispered Madai, Meshech and Tiras, also clan heads, also thick-limbed men with blue or green eyes. Tiras was their spokesman, and he had said that trouble with the sons of Ham must be averted. They wanted Beor to leave Magog Village, leave Japheth Land altogether, and to take his hatreds, as they called it, elsewhere. They predicted that otherwise Beor would bring Japheth Land nothing but continuing trouble.

Japheth frowned at the flames, standing, stroking his blond beard
. He was lean and tall, and he was the patriarch of this land, not at all heavy like his sons.

“
No,” Europa said. She sat in a throne-like chair, closest to the brazier, wearing fur gloves and heavy garments. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, her hair hidden under a hood. Despite her age, she had retained her beauty and the imperious cast to her noble features. In Japheth Land, the clan heads met together and debated ideas. Along with the patriarch, they made laws or issued joint edicts. This night, she had decided to sit with them, to make sure they benefited from her long experiences in such matters.

There were precedents in her family for such a thing
. Her mother had whispered the stories to her as a child, and her grandmother, a formidable lady, had witnessed the greatest of those events. Far back in Antediluvian times, when her father was still a child, their kingdom’s army had been on the verge of defeat, on the point of collapse. On the battlefield, the women had thrust forward as they bared their bosoms, pleading with the men to fight on to the last, to die heroes rather than see their wives and children made into slaves. The men, who cherished their wives, who, unlike many Antediluvians, had believed that an element of holiness and gifts of prophecy resided in their women, depended on their advice and goodwill. The men had rallied and driven the enemy back.

“
Don’t you realize that in you flows the blood of kings?” Europa asked.

The six clan heads had heard these stories many times, had been weaned on them
. They listened. Tiras, however, scowled, while Gomer’s eyes shone.

“
Not only kings,” she said, “but the blood of heroes, of sage captains of war. Before my father’s time, the best young men ranked themselves into
The Hundred
, the chosen formation. They fought in a wedge, giving ground if needed and returning to the attack to win. Shrewd tactics guided them. But even if the battle were uncertain, they always retrieved the bodies of the fallen and brought them home. To throw away one’s shield was the height of disgrace. More than one warrior who had done so and returned home ended his shame by hanging himself.

“
Even before my father’s time, the kingdom was known, was marked by men with hardy bodies, well-knit limbs, fierce countenances and unusual mental vigor—just like you sons of Japheth are today. Back then, they appointed men to lead them, and they obeyed such men. They knew how to keep rank, and they recognized opportunities when they came. Oh, my sons, they understood that fortune was fickle, that valor alone was supreme.

“
What did Noah say? What did Noah predict for you, my sons? ‘May Jehovah enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.’”

Japheth stirred, stroking his beard, the twin vertical lines between his eyes sinking deep in thought.

“We know what
dwell in the tents of Shem
means,” Europa said. “To have fellowship with those of Shem, to be friendly with them. We are friends, and I counsel us to continue. Wasn’t it I who urged you to send Assur to Babel?”

“
Yes, Mother,” Tiras said.

“
Enlarge is easily enough explained,” she said. “To possess wide lands, to rule mighty kingdoms. I have always known that was your destiny. But I have come to realize something else. A person cannot rest on his accomplishments or on his abilities. It is like the proverbial rabbit that knows he’s fast and yet loses the race to the tortoise. The sons of Ham feel themselves cursed, and thus they struggle hard against it. They have accomplished much because of their struggles. Yet you, my sons, although I am loath to tell you this, have rested too much on Noah’s prophecy. You must win these kingdoms through courage, through action.

“
And how are you to win them?” Europa asked. “I think the last part of Noah’s prophecy says it easily enough:
Let Canaan be his servant
.”

Europa swept her hood
back, the better to study her sons. “Who is the greatest of Canaan’s sons? Beor is. Beor is a mighty warrior, the one who holds grandsons of Ham captive. With Beor stand other sons of Canaan, the Scouts. Now is the time to band together with them and use these servants to help you overcome the Hamites.”

“
But mother,” Tiras said. “You just told us that you urged us to send Assur to Babel. He returned with news that they accepted what has happened. That they will come to Festival and bargain for their men.”

“
You believe that?” she asked. “Fie on you, Tiras. I didn’t think I had raised such a simpleton.”

“
That’s my point,” Tiras said. “I don’t believe it. Beor has provoked them. Those of Babel will be enraged and demand satisfaction against us.”

“
What of you?” Europa asked. “Aren’t you enraged that Hamites came to Japheth Land as thieves and murderers?”

“
Against one of their own,” Tiras said, “against Beor, not against us.”

“
Beor is Magog’s guest. Protecting one’s guests is a holy duty.”

“
Yes, I understand that,” Tiras said. “But—”

Japheth shook his head, and Tiras fell silent.

Europa said, “You speak of the Hamites as if you fear their wrath. Yet who leads them? Kush the Ox, they call him. What is an ox? It is a slow and stupid beast.”

“
And strong and tireless,” Madai added.

“
Yes,” Europa said, “but also guided by a nose-ring. Lead by the nose, in other words.”

Madai shook his head
. “The strength of oxen is harnessed through yoke and pole to heavy wagons. By their strength, they drag vast loads. Kush may drag all of Babel upon us, and then what?”

Europa became silent
. “These are not the words of a king, Madai.”

“
A king must be wise, as you’ve told us many times,” Madai said. “Surely it isn’t wise to give the Hamites a pretext to fight.”

“
They don’t fight,” Japheth said. “Assur told us of their good intentions.”

“
And you trust that?” Europa asked. “You trust Ham?”

Japheth pursed his lips
. “You spoke before about
enlarge
, in terms of Noah’s prophecy. I don’t believe
enlarge
means kingdoms. I think it means open-minded, to explore the worlds of thought to vistas of mental acumen. And if that is so, then your entire line of argument is… It fades.”

Europa looked stricken
. She was surprised Japheth would undercut her before the boys.

Tiras cleared his throat
. “Father, mother, Noah’s prophecy is interesting, to be sure. Yet we have come together to decide what to do about Beor. Should he be allowed to keep the Hamites as slaves?”

“
They aren’t slaves,” growled Magog.

Tiras held up his hand
. “I retract the term. We’ve been arguing all night about it, and I don’t want to start that again. Whatever we call it, should we allow Beor to do as he sees fit while among us?”

“
We’re three to three on the issue,” Magog said.

“
Father,” Tiras said. “You must break the tie. You have quizzed Enlil and you have heard Beor’s explanation and our views. Which way do you now chose?”

Europa tried to signal her husband, but he studiously kept from looking at her.

“For now,” Japheth said, “I vote with Gomer and the others. Let Beor keep his captives until Festival, until Noah and Shem tell us what they think. Then we shall see what happens.”

Europa sighed, nodding, glad her husband had seen reason, and glad she had come to the meeting
. Otherwise, the others might have persuaded her husband differently. Once again, the women of her family had bolstered the men to a courageous act.

26.

Opis wept as her mother bade her stand before her in a wedding gown. She had stepped onto a block of wood because the old, woolen dress trailed across the tile floor and because it was much too wide in the hips. In the next few days, Kush, as high priest to the angel, would marry her to Uruk, First Captain of Nimrod’s Hunters. Her father had finally succumbed to the pressure, even though he’d given her many promises to the contrary. She wanted to be brave, but the tears kept bubbling as she thought of Uruk leering at her during their wedding nuptials.

“
Hush, child,” mumbled her mother, holding several bone pins between her lips. Her mother kept testing the dress, folding back material, pressing it against her. “How skinny you’ve become.” Her mother secured a folded pleat by sticking a pin into it. “You must eat more, or you’ll fade away.”

With the back of her hand
, Opis brushed away a tear. Her stomach was in knots. Thoughts of food made her nauseous. Knowing that Gilgamesh was caged in some dirty Japhethite village because he’d listened to Semiramis… It embittered her.

Her father
, Lud, now hurried through the room with a pitcher of water in his miry hands. He skirted through the far end. This was their house’s main room, with a warm hearth and many wooden stands showcasing her father’s pottery masterpieces. Head down, with his long legs striding fast, her father sought to avoid any more demonstrative incidents between them. Opis liked to think because they had become too painful for both of them. Yet she wondered what had finally swayed him against her. It embittered her to think it might have been a few more bronze ingots or extra leather or some glittering stones that everyone considered precious.

“
You promised me, Daddy,” called Opis.

Lud stopped as if struck, with his long, lean face wrapped in frowns
. He glanced at her and then he wouldn’t meet her gaze. It seemed, however, that he was unable to move.

“
You said that only I truly loved you,” Opis said. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother flinch. It was a cruel thing to say, Opis realized, especially since it was probably true. Yet volcanoes erupted when the inner pressure became unbearable. “Only I remained while you were sick unto death with spotted fever, Daddy. You swore to me then that I wouldn’t have to marry Uruk. You swore. You promised me.”

“
It can’t be helped,” her mother said, her hands busier than ever, roving over the dress, jerking a little harder than before so Opis swayed at the pulls. “You’re more than old enough to be married, too old certainly to remain a maid. Jehovah’s command is to fill the earth. Do you think we have enough people already so silly girls can daydream and stare at the clouds? No, Opis. Now it’s your turn to fill the earth with healthy, rosy-cheeked children. Uruk is a fine man, strong, powerful and important. He’ll make you a wonderful husband.”

Opis shook her head, and she knew her mother bustled to hide her guilt
. Ever since that day long ago in the woods, when Uruk had knocked her down and Gilgamesh had drawn his bow… She’d known then that Uruk was a monster and Gilgamesh a hero. She used her moist eyes, silently pleading with her father, willing him to look up and let his hardened heart melt.

Lud hunched his shoulder as if warding off her eyes
. It seemed he wished to speak, was compelled to talk.

“
When a man like Uruk wants a woman,” her mother said, “that is a great honor. He is rich, a leader and poised high in our great city. You yourself, Opis, will become very important.”

Opis shook her head
. She had no use for lies. Her mother spoke to herself more than to her. She assuaged her own guilt.

“
Forget Gilgamesh,” her mother said. “The contest is over.”

Lud gathered his courage, or so it seemed, and he looked up
. “I had to, Opis. I no longer had a choice. Uruk is the superior man, able to marshal superior arguments as to why he deserves you.”

“
He’s a monster,” whispered Opis. She knew by her father’s speech that bronze ingots, extra leather or glittering stones had exchanged hands. That in her father’s heart, greed had defeated love.

Lud turned away, clutching the water pitcher to his chest
. He hurried through the door and back to his pottery wheel in the courtyard.

After that
, Opis’s mother made her adjustments in silence.