by Overton, Max
His cave lacked any amenities save a tiny ring of rocks that contained a small fire whenever he felt safe enough to have one--it housed only cold ash now. His sleeping place was a dusty hollow along the back wall. Beside it, in a small cavity excavated in the dry soil and covered by a flat stone, was his meager food supplies. Jebu slid the stone away and took out a lump of stale barley bread and a non-descript root vegetable so wizened and shrunken it was impossible to identify it. He sat and munched on his supper as he sat in the cave mouth, looking down the hillside with its zigzag trail.
The moon was still high in the western sky when Jebu woke, but he could smell the dawn on the night air. Shivering, he left his cave and crossed the hillside to a narrow crevice that he used as his midden, far enough from his habitation that anyone stumbling across it would not immediately find him. Afterward, he gnawed on a bit more of the bread and drank thirstily at a tiny stream across the hillside from the midden. The morning sky paled in the east and Jebu decided it was time to leave for his vantage point.
"You've left it too late. He'll be leaving with the dawn."
"I can get there in time."
Jebu made it to the ledge with the view of Taanach and the eastern gate just as the first rays of the sun stroked the uppermost towers of Aziru's palace. The gates were open already, though nothing moved on the thin ribbon of road crossing the level ground to the foot of the mountains.
"You see? I told you I could get here in time."
"What's that then?"
A solitary figure led a horse through the gate and stood in apparent conversation with the guards for several minutes. The sun shone on the polished bronze of armour and spearhead and Jebu imagined he could almost hear the banter taking place so far away.
"Is it Ashraz though?" he muttered.
The man mounted his horse and trotted away from the city toward the mountains, slowly passing out of sight as the craggy bluffs interposed their rocky mass. Jebu turned and ran, agilely leaping down the path to keep ahead of the rider. He reached a little rocky promontory that jutted out over the trail as it divided, the lesser track, hardly more than a goat track, veered to the right and started climbing into the hills. Any rider traveling east from Taanach would pass that way, but few would bother to take the hill track as it led nowhere.
Jebu did not have long to wait. The rider came in sight, alert and with his bow strung and an arrow fitted. His eyes scanned the hillsides ahead of him, looking for anything out of place. Jebu ducked down out of view and scrutinised the man carefully, breathing a sigh of relief as he recognised the king's spymaster. Without revealing himself, he called out.
"Ashraz, that is far enough. Come no closer."
The man reined in his horse and stared toward the source of the voice, his fingers still holding the bow in readiness. "Jebu, my friend? Is that you? Show yourself."
"Put up your bow."
"Jebu, it's me. Do you not trust me?"
"I trust no-one. Put up your bow and we can talk."
Ashraz grumbled but put the arrow back in his quiver and slung the bow over his back. He held his hands out to show they were empty. "There, I am defenseless. Show yourself, Jebu."
"Did you come alone?"
"Just with the horse, Jebu." Ashraz laughed. "Actually, I suspect him of being in the pay of the Hittite king."
Jebu stepped out from behind his rock and looked down from his vantage point at the rider. "Very amusing," he said sourly. "Unfortunately, I can't see anything humorous about the situation. Did you bring food? Weapons?"
"In my bags. Come down and get it."
"No. Take the hill track. Follow it until you see a cave. I'll meet you there."
"Can't I just follow you?"
"No. When you get there, lay your weapons out on a flat rock outside the cave and move back down the track. Make sure they are all there--your bow, your sword, your dagger."
"You are not being very friendly, Jebu."
Jebu did not answer. Instead, he ducked out of view and set off at a run up a narrow gully, then along a ridge toward his cave. He would be there before a man leading a horse up the steep track. A boulder above the cave entrance, half covered by a scraggly wind-battered bush, afforded a measure of protection. Jebu hid again and watched Ashraz coaxing his horse up the last few paces. He stopped when he saw the cave and, leaving the horse with the end of the reins secured under a rock, advanced to the flat rock.
Ashraz made a great show of putting his weapons down, holding them aloft and turning in a circle before placing them on the rock. Stepping back, he called out to the empty hillside. "I'm unarmed, Jebu. You can come out now." Jebu did not stir from his hiding place and after a few minutes, Ashraz shrugged and scrambled back down to his horse.
Jebu got up and climbed down, turning sideways to conceal his right arm. He picked up the dagger and slipped it into his belt, tossed the bow into the mouth of the cave, and gripped the sword in his left hand, feeling its weight and balance. "You can come up now, Ashraz. Bring the food."
Ashraz took the sack off the horse and clambered back up to the cave. He looked at Jebu with distaste. "You look like something a cat killed. You should take better care of yourself."
Jebu gestured at the sack with the tip of Ashraz's sword. "Open it."
Ashraz obeyed, taking out bread, cheese and meat. He dug deeper and added some fruit, a flask of wine and another dagger, spreading it out on the flat rock.
Jebu's mouth started salivating at the sight of so much fresh food and it was all he could do not to throw himself at it. "Pick up each piece and take a bite out of it. Swallow it. Have some wine."
Ashraz frowned and his dark eyes glittered dangerously. "You think I would poison it?" He spat to one side. "Do you take me for a coward?"
"No, nor do I think you would knowingly poison the food, but just in case someone else did something to it, humour me." When Ashraz hesitated, Jebu lifted the sword and tensed. "Come, you must be hungry after your journey. Eat with me."
Abruptly, Ashraz laughed. "As you will, my friend. If I wanted to kill you I would use more direct means." He ate from each piece of food, chewing noisily and conspicuously swallowing. "Not bad," he commented, "Though it could use some seasoning." He drank from the flask and belched loudly. "Thank you for your hospitality, Jebu."
�Jebu nodded. "Alright, move back," he rasped. As Ashraz complied, Jebu moved forward and the spymaster caught sight of the stump on Jebu's right hand.
"Gods, Jebu, what happened to you?"
Jebu ignored him and stuck the sword tip in the ground before squatting and grabbing at the meat. He bit off a hunk and chewed briefly before swallowing. Cheese followed, then more meat, washed down with gulps of wine. After a while, he groaned and stood, taking up the sword again and moving back to a suitable boulder seat.
"This, you mean?" Jebu held up his stump. "Courtesy of the Kemetu king after my men were betrayed to their deaths. You could say I was lucky."
"About that," Ashraz said. "I'm sorry. I knew nothing about it until I got back from a mission to Nineveh."
"You knew nothing?"
"As I said. Aziru told me a month ago when I returned." Ashraz allowed a faint smile to flit across his face. "I have seldom seen the king so angry. The Kemetu king and his general both survived the battle and we lost almost every man in the ensuing rout. Aziru will be glad to see you alive though."
"You are not a fool, so don't say foolish things. Aziru would have me killed if he knew I was alive."
Ashraz shook his head. "You are wrong, Jebu, or so I believe. Aziru is a hard and cruel man as we can all attest to, but he is not one to cut off his own right...Forgive me, Jebu that was a thoughtless expression." Ashraz looked stricken and hesitated before he tried again. "What I mean is that he would not throw away a valuable general. He is not a generous man and for him to waste such a resource is unthinkable."
"And you knew nothing of it?"
"Never. I am your friend, Jebu. How long have we kno
wn each other?"
"A long time," Jebu admitted. He winced as his stomach griped and he blanched. "It was poisoned."
"Yet I am untouched," Ashraz commented. "Could it be you just ate too fast after a prolonged fast? If it will reassure you, I will eat again." He picked up the meat and tore another chunk off with a grin. "I am not trying to kill you, Jebu. I would like to help you."
"Why?"
"You ask why? I might ask you why you sent word to me to bring food and weapons into the hills. I think it was because you believed me to be your friend. Well, I too think of you as a friend. That is the why of it."
"Did you tell Aziru?"
"About you, no."
"If we are friends like you say, and he bears me no ill, why not?" Another spasm hit Jebu and he grimaced, releasing a moderate blast of gas.
Ashraz shrugged. "You went to great pains to reach me in secrecy, so I respected your confidence, doing only as you asked."
"And what will you do now?"
"What would you have me do?"
Jebu sat and contemplated the spymaster, trying to decide whether to trust him or not. "You have known him many years," he muttered.
"What was that you said?" Ashraz asked, taking a step closer.
"Nothing. Stay back." Jebu nodded and murmured, "And whose man was he all that time?"
"The king's...but so were you."
"But I am not now."
"Maybe he is neither." Louder, Jebu said, "Is your allegiance still with Aziru?"
"Of course. He is my king, but I am also your friend. I am anxious to see this resolved."
"And if Aziru is shown to have tried to kill me--betray my army?"
Ashraz was silent for a time. "You lay a heavy burden on me, my friend," he said at last. "To be honest, I am not sure that I could break my oath to the king, but I would help you all I could, short of that."
"You would not betray me to Aziru?"
"No. Why should I? He thinks you died with your army."
"Very well," Jebu said grudgingly, wanting to believe the man who had been his friend for so long, but not really trusting anyone. "You remember the battle plan, the archers?"
Ashraz nodded. "They were to take out Paramessu when he came to save his king. What of it?"
"How many groups of archers?"
Ashraz frowned. "One of course...no, wait, there were to be two. One group to threaten Nibhuruiya and one to kill Paramessu."
"And how many groups were there really?"
"I don't know, Jebu. I wasn't there."
"Three. There were three fornicating groups of archers--one for Nibhuruiya, one for Paramessu, and one for me. They knew who they were aiming at, for as my standard moved, they followed it. So tell me, Ashraz my long term friend, who was it who dreamed up the battle plan?"
"I did, but three groups were not in the plan I drew up or the one Aziru gave his countenance to. Someone has changed it."
Jebu snorted, and belched loudly. "Who would take it upon himself to risk everything? If Aziru found out it would be a lingering death."
"Who stood to gain? Not I--I would lose a friend. Not Aziru--for he would lose his best general. There is only one person who stood to gain from your defeat and demise."
"Ephras," Jebu said flatly.
Ashraz kept silent, letting the other man work through the pain of betrayal.
"And Ephras would have the perfect means of betraying me," Jebu muttered after several minutes. "I left him in charge of the force that closed the trap. I would not have believed it of him."
"But what about Aziru? Ephras would never go against the king."
"Unless the rewards were great enough. What has he gained from this?"
Jebu shrugged. "So ask him. Ashraz will know."
Jebu ceased his internal debate and turned his attention to the spymaster again. "Where is Ephras now, and what is his position?"
Ashraz had been listening to Jebu's conversation with himself in fascination and was prepared for the question. "He is general, my friend, in your position. Aziru's sister's son held the post for a while but he proved incompetent and Ephras was promoted."
"Who is this nephew? Could he have been the one?"
"Murrutanu? I considered that but he had no access to the army or officers before the battle."
"Did Aziru know of his nephew's aspirations?"
"Ah, I see what you are thinking. Did Aziru plan to put you out of the way so that his nephew could have your command? Again, something I considered, my friend, but I saw no evidence of it." Ashraz smiled encouragingly. "It is a fact of life that very little is hidden from me and all my sources point to Ephras alone." Jebu was silent again for a while and Ashraz picked at his teeth with a broken fingernail, worrying a shred of meat from between them. At last he said, "What would you have me do, Jebu?"
"Could you get me in to see the king? I need to know the truth of this."
"I would advise against it."
"Why? If he truly sorrowed to lose his best general, he will be glad to see me return."
"No longer." Ashraz leaned closer and dropped his voice as if sharing a confidence. "Kings are not renowned for true friendship. His sorrow did not last a week before he blamed you for your own death. Now, he would throw you in a dungeon or hang you from the walls."
"If I could speak with him, I could make him see that Ephras..."
"Do not even think about it," Ashraz replied, his voice rising in alarm. "Find another course, I beg you."
"Then there is only Ephras to avenge myself on. I will need your help."
"Anything."
"I need a horse, clothing, weapons, food, gold..." Jebu ticked off his needs on his fingers, his mind racing. "Can you get those without raising suspicions?" Ashraz nodded, and he continued, "Bring them to the crossroads on the plains...no, it must be in the hills." Jebu sighed and rested his head on his stump, stifling a yawn. "If you brought them here, how long would it take?"
Ashraz looked up at the sun. "Midmorning. I could be back by late afternoon."
"Perfect. I will need to travel by night so I will sleep until you return." He grinned tiredly. "You are a good friend, Ashraz. This food and your news have given me added strength. A decent sleep and I will be ready for anything."
Ashraz stood. "Then I will take my leave. The sooner away, the sooner back." He hesitated and held out a hand. "May I have my weapons back?"
"If you don't mind, I will hang onto them. I hate being defenseless and you will be back soon with my own weapons."
Ashraz grimaced but agreed. "Do not stray far, my friend. I will be back by nightfall."
Jebu yawned. "No chance. I'm going to eat some more and get some proper sleep. If I'm not up when you get back, just shout."
Ashraz mounted his horse and slowly urged it down the zigzag trail. Jebu sat and watched him out of sight before stirring. He gathered the food and remnants of the flask of wine together and tied them up securely in the sack.
"What about the bow? We don't have any arrows."
"We'll get some." He retrieved the bow from the floor of his cave and glanced down the empty valley again.
"He won't be back yet."
"I know. Will he return?"
"Oh, yes, I'm sure of that, but will he be alone?"
Jebu set off across the hillside, stopping briefly to fill the small wine flask with water from the tiny stream. He climbed onto a low ridge then moved up that until it joined with a larger one. With food in his belly and the residual effects of the wine, the chill wind that blew through the mountains took on a more pleasant aspect. He stopped in a sheltered spot to rest, leaning back on a sun-warmed rock where he could see the entire vista of the valley spread out beneath him. Taking a small green apple from the sack, he bit into it and the juicy tartness made the corners of his jaw ache, and the saliva flood his mouth. Jebu ate the whole fruit, core and all, then settled back in the sun and closed his eyes.
He woke with the rock cooling behind him in shadow, the sun havin
g slipped westward. Judging the position he calculated he had an hour or two before anything would happen and he wanted to be in a position where he could see the cave and the surrounding hillside.
"What if he is being a true friend?"
"Then he won't mind waiting an hour or two for us to return."
It took another hour to reach the place Jebu had already scouted, a spot where the figure of a man would be lost in the jumble of rocks on the hillside, but still afforded a clear view of the upper several hundred paces of the zigzag trail and his tiny cave. He settled down to wait.
Shadows were settling over the valley when Ashraz arrived, leading a train of two horses and a mule carefully up the trail. Leaving the animals tethered below the ledge with the flat rock, he climbed to the cave entrance and looked around quickly before ducking inside. He emerged moments later, anger and frustration obvious in his movements even from that distance. Kicking at the stones, the spymaster stamped around for a few minutes before sitting down to wait.
"Perhaps I misjudged him," Jebu mused.
"Wait a while. It will do no harm to be sure."
The shadows grew longer and Jebu and Ashraz waited half a hillside apart. Jebu waited patiently, hunkered down out of sight between the boulders, while Ashraz paced, or sat fidgeting, throwing small stones at a target, visibly agitated. As the line of shadow crept over the far rim of the valley, leaving only the tops of the hills lit in golden light, Jebu came to a decision.
"I have been too harsh in my judgment. Ashraz is my friend." He started to rise to his feet.
"Wait. Look at the ridge above the cave. There is a movement."
Jebu eased back down and scanned the skyline in the fading light.
"There! See it?"
"I see it."
Something or someone moved on the ridge above the cave, and as Jebu watched, a similar motion caught his notice on the other side, almost behind his present position.
