once the baby is born, Father will forget his harsh words and give us his blessing.”
Ila didn’t reply. She could hear the doubt in Shem’s voice, which matched all her own doubts.
Shem covered her with a blanket and told her to sleep. In the corner he and Naameh murmured in low tones. She closed her eyes tightly, shutting out their voices.
Long ago Noah and Naameh had found her, enveloped her, and made her part of their family. But now it felt as if their family was fractured, broken like the earth.
Ham had been swallowed up by bitterness.
And Noah… Ila didn’t know, didn’t understand, his actions, all the burdens upon him.
She buried her face in the blanket.
Could this truly be the Creator’s will?
she wondered again. The question had haunted her since they had boarded the Ark. Did the Creator really intend to bring such great destruction and suffering to his people? What if… What if Noah was wrong? What if all this time…?
She closed her eyes, trying to sleep. She dozed for a while and then woke up again.
It’s so quiet
, she thought. Something had changed… The room was completely silent, completely still.
Then she shot up. “The rain!” she cried. “The rain has stopped! Listen!”
Naameh and Shem were sitting nearby. They listened for a moment. Then the three of them rushed out onto the deck, blinking in the sudden light. The sky and sea had turned from black to gray. For the first day in weeks and weeks, there was light.
Surely this is a sign
, thought Ila.
Ham and Japheth rushed out a second later. Ila peered at the far end of the ship, where Noah was kneeling. As he prayed, he stared out at the horizon.
Cautiously, Ila and Shem stepped closer. Now Ila could hear Noah’s prayers, the same words again and again. “I will not fail you… I will not fail you. It shall be done.”
“Father?” said Shem tentatively.
“The rains have stopped,” Ila chimed in. “The Creator smiles on our child!”
Noah turned to them. To Ila’s relief, his tears were gone. But the look on his face sent a new chill right through her.
“The rains have stopped because of your child, yes,” he said slowly. “But He does not smile.”
Noah paused to take a deep breath. “If the child is a boy, it shall replace Japheth as the last man. But if it is a girl…”
Ila felt her heart turn to ice as Noah went on.
“If it is a girl who could mature into a mother, then she must die!”
“Are you mad, Father?” Shem burst out. “You are speaking of my child!”
Noah ignored Shem. His eyes were fastened on Ila.
“Should you bear a girl,” he went on, “in the moment of her birth, I will cut her down.”
9
ILA SAT DOWN AT THE HEARTH, HOLDING THE SACK SHE was stocking with food, her other hand resting on her swollen belly. She’d just felt something sharp within…
A smile slipped across her face.
The baby will be here soon.
The months since the rains had stopped had passed slowly, each one seeming to gather more tension and worry.
Sometimes Ila had let herself imagine the child growing in her womb. Perhaps the baby would be a son, strong and fast like Shem with his green eyes and bright smile.
Or she might be a girl, with Ila’s dark hair and eyes, and her thoughtful ways. Someday Ila could teach her how to gather berries and build a cooking fire, how to stitch a shirt.
Ila had also tried to fill her mind with love and hope, as her father had taught her, but Noah’s threats stalked her, day and night. The nights were especially difficult, with all her dark fears rushing in at once. Over these past months, Ila had missed her birth parents more than ever. How she longed to have them here with her now.
The pain had subsided. Ila stood up to finish her task. Then, carrying the sack full of food, she stepped outside. Together she and Shem and Naameh had been making plans. Shem had built a raft from logs scavenged from the Ark.
It sat waiting now at the edge of the ramp, held in place by two
Ila didn’t reply. She could hear the doubt in Shem’s voice, which matched all her own doubts.
Shem covered her with a blanket and told her to sleep. In the corner he and Naameh murmured in low tones. She closed her eyes tightly, shutting out their voices.
Long ago Noah and Naameh had found her, enveloped her, and made her part of their family. But now it felt as if their family was fractured, broken like the earth.
Ham had been swallowed up by bitterness.
And Noah… Ila didn’t know, didn’t understand, his actions, all the burdens upon him.
She buried her face in the blanket.
Could this truly be the Creator’s will?
she wondered again. The question had haunted her since they had boarded the Ark. Did the Creator really intend to bring such great destruction and suffering to his people? What if… What if Noah was wrong? What if all this time…?
She closed her eyes, trying to sleep. She dozed for a while and then woke up again.
It’s so quiet
, she thought. Something had changed… The room was completely silent, completely still.
Then she shot up. “The rain!” she cried. “The rain has stopped! Listen!”
Naameh and Shem were sitting nearby. They listened for a moment. Then the three of them rushed out onto the deck, blinking in the sudden light. The sky and sea had turned from black to gray. For the first day in weeks and weeks, there was light.
Surely this is a sign
, thought Ila.
Ham and Japheth rushed out a second later. Ila peered at the far end of the ship, where Noah was kneeling. As he prayed, he stared out at the horizon.
Cautiously, Ila and Shem stepped closer. Now Ila could hear Noah’s prayers, the same words again and again. “I will not fail you… I will not fail you. It shall be done.”
“Father?” said Shem tentatively.
“The rains have stopped,” Ila chimed in. “The Creator smiles on our child!”
Noah turned to them. To Ila’s relief, his tears were gone. But the look on his face sent a new chill right through her.
“The rains have stopped because of your child, yes,” he said slowly. “But He does not smile.”
Noah paused to take a deep breath. “If the child is a boy, it shall replace Japheth as the last man. But if it is a girl…”
Ila felt her heart turn to ice as Noah went on.
“If it is a girl who could mature into a mother, then she must die!”
“Are you mad, Father?” Shem burst out. “You are speaking of my child!”
Noah ignored Shem. His eyes were fastened on Ila.
“Should you bear a girl,” he went on, “in the moment of her birth, I will cut her down.”
9
ILA SAT DOWN AT THE HEARTH, HOLDING THE SACK SHE was stocking with food, her other hand resting on her swollen belly. She’d just felt something sharp within…
A smile slipped across her face.
The baby will be here soon.
The months since the rains had stopped had passed slowly, each one seeming to gather more tension and worry.
Sometimes Ila had let herself imagine the child growing in her womb. Perhaps the baby would be a son, strong and fast like Shem with his green eyes and bright smile.
Or she might be a girl, with Ila’s dark hair and eyes, and her thoughtful ways. Someday Ila could teach her how to gather berries and build a cooking fire, how to stitch a shirt.
Ila had also tried to fill her mind with love and hope, as her father had taught her, but Noah’s threats stalked her, day and night. The nights were especially difficult, with all her dark fears rushing in at once. Over these past months, Ila had missed her birth parents more than ever. How she longed to have them here with her now.
The pain had subsided. Ila stood up to finish her task. Then, carrying the sack full of food, she stepped outside. Together she and Shem and Naameh had been making plans. Shem had built a raft from logs scavenged from the Ark.
It sat waiting now at the edge of the ramp, held in place by two
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