to his own made Eleazar’s days longer and his nights shorter. He’d garnered a few puzzled stares from young slaves while polishing leather breast pieces and sharpening swords—tasks he hadn’t done since he’d been Putiel’s apprentice. Thankfully, no one had inquired about Hoshea. If anyone did, Eleazar held a dozen lies at the ready.
He swiped aside Doda’s curtain, panting, and found the main room empty again, but the smell of fresh-baked bread was a welcome greeting. “Doda!” He moved through the small room into the adjoining chamber and found his three favorite people. Relieved that Taliah was hidden on the roof this evening, he kissed both Saba’s and Savta’s heads and sat down beside Doda Miriam.
They greeted him with halfhearted smiles that didn’t reach their eyes. Eleazar unwrapped the bundle of rations and waited for someone to explain.
Doda reached for his hand, cradling it gently. “You must marry Taliah.”
Heat spread up his neck and into his cheeks, but he kept silent, head bowed.
Saba cleared his throat. “You made a promise to protect her, son.”
Eleazar’s head shot up, and he looked into the rheumy eyes of the man who had loved him, chastised him, and guided him his whole life. “How can you ask me to marry her when doing so would put her in more danger? You know what happens to slave soldiers’ wives and children. She would be tortured for my mistakes. She would be beaten and killed to punish me!” His voice broke with emotion, and he jumped to his feet. “Why do you think I’ve worked so hard to hide you three? I was stupid to mention Doda to Ram a few months ago, and now Pharaoh knows we’re connected. That means you’re all in danger. I can’t do that to Taliah. I won’t. She deserves a man more like her—smart, skilled, refined.”
Doda reached for his hand and pulled herself to her feet, looking him sternly in the eye. “Taliah went to get water at the river. Go talk to her.”
“How could you let her leave?” Not waiting for a response, Eleazar sprinted through the curtains and into the cooler night air, down the alley between long houses toward the river. He dared not cry out for fear of rousing predators—human or animal. His pace slowed as he reached the bank where women used the
shaduf
to fill their jars. There, at the edge of the water, lay Taliah’s crutch and a broken jug. Eleazar had gone only a few steps when he heard a heart-piercing scream.
Taliah.
He clenched his fists and rent the air with a war cry. “Aahh!” In the subsequent stillness, he heard a commotion in the bulrushes on his left, saw a man’s silhouette in the moonlight. The man ducked back into the reeds.
“You there! Show yourself, or you’ll wish a crocodile had found you first.”
The man jumped up and started running, dagger in hand. Eleazar stood less than a stone’s throw from the battered-down reeds, but his knees had turned to water. Though Taliah’s cries beckoned him, dread cautioned his pace. What if that degenerate had ruined her—not her body alone, but her spirit and vibrancy? What could he say to her?
He approached the trembling bulrushes slowly so as not to frighten her more. “Taliah, I’m here. It’s me, Eleazar.” Her crying calmed to whimpers as he drew nearer, and he saw only a huddled form in the moonlight when he parted the reeds. She was curled into a ball, robe torn but pulled modestly around her. “He’s gone. I’m here to take you home.” He knelt beside her but didn’t try to touch her. “Are you all right?”
She shook her head. Of course, she wasn’t all right, but she had moved her arms and legs, so no bones were broken.
“May I carry you home?”
A low whine began in her throat. She shook violently.
He stroked her hair, and she calmed slightly. “I must get you out of the reeds. We’re easy prey for crocodiles here.” He gently slipped his arms under her back and legs.
She turned into his chest, trying to hide her battered
He swiped aside Doda’s curtain, panting, and found the main room empty again, but the smell of fresh-baked bread was a welcome greeting. “Doda!” He moved through the small room into the adjoining chamber and found his three favorite people. Relieved that Taliah was hidden on the roof this evening, he kissed both Saba’s and Savta’s heads and sat down beside Doda Miriam.
They greeted him with halfhearted smiles that didn’t reach their eyes. Eleazar unwrapped the bundle of rations and waited for someone to explain.
Doda reached for his hand, cradling it gently. “You must marry Taliah.”
Heat spread up his neck and into his cheeks, but he kept silent, head bowed.
Saba cleared his throat. “You made a promise to protect her, son.”
Eleazar’s head shot up, and he looked into the rheumy eyes of the man who had loved him, chastised him, and guided him his whole life. “How can you ask me to marry her when doing so would put her in more danger? You know what happens to slave soldiers’ wives and children. She would be tortured for my mistakes. She would be beaten and killed to punish me!” His voice broke with emotion, and he jumped to his feet. “Why do you think I’ve worked so hard to hide you three? I was stupid to mention Doda to Ram a few months ago, and now Pharaoh knows we’re connected. That means you’re all in danger. I can’t do that to Taliah. I won’t. She deserves a man more like her—smart, skilled, refined.”
Doda reached for his hand and pulled herself to her feet, looking him sternly in the eye. “Taliah went to get water at the river. Go talk to her.”
“How could you let her leave?” Not waiting for a response, Eleazar sprinted through the curtains and into the cooler night air, down the alley between long houses toward the river. He dared not cry out for fear of rousing predators—human or animal. His pace slowed as he reached the bank where women used the
shaduf
to fill their jars. There, at the edge of the water, lay Taliah’s crutch and a broken jug. Eleazar had gone only a few steps when he heard a heart-piercing scream.
Taliah.
He clenched his fists and rent the air with a war cry. “Aahh!” In the subsequent stillness, he heard a commotion in the bulrushes on his left, saw a man’s silhouette in the moonlight. The man ducked back into the reeds.
“You there! Show yourself, or you’ll wish a crocodile had found you first.”
The man jumped up and started running, dagger in hand. Eleazar stood less than a stone’s throw from the battered-down reeds, but his knees had turned to water. Though Taliah’s cries beckoned him, dread cautioned his pace. What if that degenerate had ruined her—not her body alone, but her spirit and vibrancy? What could he say to her?
He approached the trembling bulrushes slowly so as not to frighten her more. “Taliah, I’m here. It’s me, Eleazar.” Her crying calmed to whimpers as he drew nearer, and he saw only a huddled form in the moonlight when he parted the reeds. She was curled into a ball, robe torn but pulled modestly around her. “He’s gone. I’m here to take you home.” He knelt beside her but didn’t try to touch her. “Are you all right?”
She shook her head. Of course, she wasn’t all right, but she had moved her arms and legs, so no bones were broken.
“May I carry you home?”
A low whine began in her throat. She shook violently.
He stroked her hair, and she calmed slightly. “I must get you out of the reeds. We’re easy prey for crocodiles here.” He gently slipped his arms under her back and legs.
She turned into his chest, trying to hide her battered
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