Of this they were so sure that Mayne, against his better judgement, resumed the journey with a single lorry; the other had to be abandoned to await a tow to workshops. But even springs and axles obeyed the children. The remaining truck crept stolidly north until, instead of lonely shepherds, they saw huts with men and women sitting idle after harvest at the doors. Patches of sparse stubble began to appear among the scrub and dry thorn.
Was it at last Palestine? Well, no one could say for certain. But it was decidedly not Egypt. Two hours later the lorry limped into an Arab village and approached a group of European colonists, deep-eyed and sunburned, who waited patiently and could not yet see what precious freight was packed on blankets under the canvas hood.
Again the children asked if they had come to Palestine, and this time, though maps and politicians might be unwilling to commit themselves, history had no doubt. Mayne could not remember what he answered. He was very anxious to hand over his charge and retreat into the desert before civilians and military could overwhelm him with embarrassing questions. Nor could he trust himself to speak, for long war and sacrifice and promise, children and place and the ancient sanctities of Jew and Christian were of profound emotional power.
‘You said,’ Aviva reminded him: ‘this is Beersheba. I must leave you now.’
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1958 by the Estate of Geoffrey Household
Cover design by Drew Padrutt
978-1-5040-0677-4
This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
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The Brides of Solomon Page 20
