“I’m going to sell the farm,” Nathan announced, shattering the silence.
Alexandra’s brow knotted. “Sell the farm?”
Nathan shoved his plate back. “I can’t stay in Rumah. Nothing good will come of it.”
Alexandra sat up on her knees and leaned toward him. “You don’t have to do it for me. I—”
“It has nothing to do with you,” Nathan snapped.
Alexandra sagged back onto her heels. She lifted her hand to her face. Judas’ fists had landed like sweet kisses compared to the painful punch of Nathan’s anger.
Nathan touched her knee. “Forgive me.”
She hugged her arms. “I don’t understand. I thought you loved the farm.” She wanted to live the rest of her days here and she’d believed he did, too.
He scrubbed his face. “My father was an olive farmer. I’ve tried, but—”
“Where will we go?” Rhoda demanded.
Nathan stood. “I plan to rejoin the army. Herod will give us rooms in one of his fortresses.”
Rhoda’s jaw dropped. “You want my Mary and Timothy to live with that dog?”
Timothy smiled ear-to-ear. “Will I get to wear a sword?”
“Quiet, monkey,” Nathan said.
Timothy’s lower lip wobbled. Mary woke with a start, looked around, and burst into tears.
The color drained from Nathan’s face. He backed away from the table.
Alexandra jumped to her feet. Her heart beat hard against her chest. She moved toward Nathan. “Stay. Talk to us.”
Misery marred his face. “There’s nothing to talk about. I will kill someone if I stay in Rumah.” His eyes met hers. “You saw what I’m capable of.”
The image of her husband snapping a man’s neck flashed through her mind. She swallowed.
Pain flared in the brown eyes she loved so well. Nathan turned his back to her and disappeared out the door.
Alexandra looked at Rhoda.
“Go. Go.” The older woman shooed her on. “He needs you.”
“Thank you.” Alexandra wrapped a shawl about her shoulders and slipped out into the night.
Nathan had disappeared, but she could guess where he’d gone. She crossed the yard and headed up the moonlit trail leading to her father-in-law’s tomb. Though she hated the idea of leaving the farm, she’d do it with a smile for Nathan’s sake. His rejoining the army and Herod was another matter. But that wasn’t why she was going to her husband.
She found Nathan sitting on his haunches, his back pressed against the stone used to cover the entrance to the grave.
The moon passed behind a cloud. Cold air sliced through her tunic. She pulled her shawl tighter about her arms. “Nathan,” her voice trembled. “Take me to the orchard. Make love to me.”
He groaned and his head dropped back against the rock. “I can’t, Lex. I won’t touch you while this black hate is eating me up.”
“I don’t mind.” She took a step toward him.
“Lex, don’t, “ he ground out the words. “Go. Just go.”
Tears stung her eyes. “I want to comfort you.”
“Go!” Nathan barked.
Her throat closed and her heart broke into thousands of pieces. She turned and fled blindly down the dark path.
***
Nathan woke early the next day. Leaving the farm behind, he rode south and arrived in Sepphoris about midday. The city hummed with nervous excitement, reminding him of a Roman stadium anticipating the start of a chariot race. He left Royal at the stables and went straight to Herod’s private quarters.
A stoop-backed slave opened the heavy, wood door and waved Nathan inside. “Fortune smiles on you.” The slave grinned, revealing a row of rotten teeth. “You made it in time for the execution.”
Nathan pushed past the slave and crossed to Herod. “You are going to kill Hezekiah? Do you want to start a full-out revolt?”
Herod stood by a bed as austere as the rest of the chamber. The remains of the morning meal were strewn over a rickety table. “Olive farmer,” he said congenially, cinching his sword belt tight. “Why aren’t you out in the hills chasing Judas?”
Nathan flinched. Had Herod betrayed him? Nathan’s eyes narrowed. “You knew Judas had kidnapped Alexandra and Mary and you didn’t come to help?”
“Hold on.” Herod put his hands up. “When I arrived in Rumah, I discovered Hezekiah and arrested him. I sent my men out to hunt for Judas before returning to Sepphoris with my prisoner.”
“You can call off the hounds. Judas is dead.”
Herod studied him for a moment and grinned. “Yes, I expect he is.”
Not in the mood to be humored, Nathan got to the point. “What’s this nonsense about executing Hezekiah?”
“I gave him a fair trial.”
Nathan gritted his teeth. “You don’t have the authority to try anyone, never mind execute them.”
Herod plucked up an apple from the table and shined it up on his tunic. “The Sanhedrin has enough fickle women in its ranks to fill a Persian harem. Our spineless leaders will slap Hezekiah’s hand and send him home. Rome wants an end to the looting and killing. I mean to quiet the raiders for good.”
“Killing Hezekiah will lead to more trouble.”
“Ha. You’re one to talk. You killed Judas.”
His conscience still raw over the matter, Nathan couldn’t meet Herod’s eye. “Judas didn’t give me any choice.”
Herod crunched into the apple. “Stop worrying about me and go home to your family.”
Nathan crossed his arms and braced his legs. “I’m not going anywhere until you promise to send Hezekiah to Jerusalem.”
Herod flung the apple down onto the table, sending plates and bowls clinking and clattering together. “I can’t believe you are taking sides with those killing, thieving scoundrels.”
Nathan blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m not taking sides with anybody. I want an end to the upheaval.”
“Tell that to Judas.” Herod gave him a pointed look. “Or maybe, the attack on your family is giving you second thoughts about aligning with me?”
Nathan closed his eyes and saw Lex’s mottled bruises and his father’s lifeless body. His hand curled around his sword. “My loyalty belongs to you and Antipater.”
Herod thumped him on the back. “If you grow bored growing olives, my house is open to you.”
Nathan shifted in place. “How soon can you take us in?”
Herod’s smile was wicked. “So, you’ve come to your senses, have you?”
Nathan hitched a shoulder. “You’re the only friend I have left.”
Herod grunted. “You always were too truthful for your own good.” His eyes turned calculating. “Do you think Hezekiah and his followers will give up their cause?”
Nathan shook his head. “They won’t be bowing the knee to Rome anytime soon.”
“I agree,” Herod said. “And I believe the quickest way to convince the Galilean rebels to lay down their weapons is to make an example of Hezekiah.”
Nathan looked Herod square in the eye. “Kill Hezekiah and all of Galilee will riot.”
“I’ll squash it.”
Nathan threw his hands up. “Wonderful! Furnish your father’s enemies with new darts to throw at him. Give them more ways to discredit him.”
Herod growled low in his throat. “You go too far.” Questioning the notoriously touchy man about his loyalty to his family was a good way to end up hurt or dead.
Herod headed to the door.
Nathan bolted past him and blocked his path. “Don’t do this.”
Herod’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve made up my mind. Now, get out of my way or I’ll go through you.”
Nathan pulled the door open and sent it crashing into the wall. Herod marched past him.
Nathan followed. Malchus and Obodas pushed away from the wall where they’d been waiting. Spotting Nathan, they raised their brows.
He walked past them without a second look and they fell in line. H
erod led them up a series of stairways and out on the rooftop, into the blinding sun. Guards marched Hezekiah to the weather-worn parapet.
Silence descended. Hezekiah’s eyes met Nathan’s. The rebel leader shook his head in disgust.
Nathan flinched. He had a soft spot in his heart for the barrel-chested, affable man. Hezekiah had a young wife and three children.
The executioner tied Hezekiah’s hand behind his back.
A familiar voice rang out from below, “Traitor! Traitor!” Nathan searched the sea of angry faces and found Bartholomew and Thomas and the rest of his neighbors, raising their fists at him. They were so quick to judge. Rot them!
The guards forced Hezekiah down onto his knees. The executioner raised his sword with two hands. The blade whooshed down. Hezekiah’s head fell from his shoulders.
Nathan squeezed his eyes closed.
CHAPTER 30
The family sat in mourning for Joseph for one week, then left for Jerusalem. The Holy City seemed smaller than Alexandra remembered. And the Mount of Olives was pleasant enough, but it couldn’t compare to the wild beauty of her Galilean orchard. When would she see it again?
They’d arrived six days ago and had given James, Lydia, and Elizabeth over to her father.
Alexandra and Nathan stood in the entry hall of her father’s home, waiting to see if he would see them. They’d come four days in a row to visit and been turned away each time.
She fiddled with her cumbersome veil. She’d forgotten how uncomfortable the layers of heavy cloth were. “My father divorced Elizabeth as quickly as she said he would. She wasn’t with Father for a full day before he sent her home.” Alexandra imagined her cousin had left this house with a wide smile on her face, bless her.
Nathan merely nodded.
Her father’s bald eunuch returned.
Alexandra held her breath.
“Your father doesn’t want to see you. He won’t allow you to visit Lydia.” Goda folded his hands and smiled smugly. “He says to stop coming.”
Alexandra swallowed back her grief. Nathan patted her back. She held out two small bags filled with honeyed nuts.” Please give these to Lydia and James and tell them I tried to visit.”
Goda took the bags, then leaned closer. “Your brother is gone.”
Alexandra blinked. “Gone? Gone where?”
The slave shrugged. “He left in the middle of the night and hasn’t been seen since.”
Nathan frowned. “How long has he been missing?”
“Two days.”
Alexandra imagined the worst. “I hope he’s not hurt or in danger.”
Nathan ran his hand down her arm. “What’s being done to find the boy?”
“Master Simeon has men looking for him.” The brow over Goda’s right eye began to tick—a sign he was being less than truthful.
“You know something.” Alexandra turned to Nathan. “He knows more.”
Nathan arched a brow at Goda. “Well?”
The eunuch smiled and tossed the bags of nuts back-and-forth between his hands. “A few coins will loosen my lips.”
Nathan knocked Goda’s hand aside. “Leave us, you greedy cretin.”
Goda stuffed the sacks of nuts into his pocket. “A fellow has got to make money if he’s going to buy his way out of slavery.”
Nathan stabbed the air with his finger. “Go.”
The slave’s lips curled with a mocking smile. “You know where to find me if you change your mind.”
Alexandra clasped Nathan’s hand. He looked down at her, and his eyes softened. “I’ll find James.”
She frowned. Married for five months now, and here they were back in Jerusalem, with Nathan promising to help her find a sibling. Again.
He squeezed her fingers. “I know what you are thinking. This is not the same as Lydia. James is missing because he wants to be missing. Jerusalem is too small for him to remain hidden for long.” He opened the front door. “I’ll take you back to camp, and then I’ll see if I can find him.”
She sighed. “You must regret the day you met me.”
He tugged on her veil. “I regret this ugly garment. I wish you’d stop wearing it.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I hate it, too. Let’s build a big fire tonight, and we can toss in the veil and watch it burn.”
“Timothy will love that,” Nathan said.
They laughed for the first time in weeks. It felt good. Leaving her father’s house, they headed back to the Mount of Olives.
“Would you mind taking the road that goes by the Temple?” Alexandra asked. “It won’t take any longer than cutting through the alleys. I want to see the Temple before the Pesach pilgrims overrun the city.”
Nathan rolled his shoulders. “Trust me. You don’t want to go near the place.”
A wave of dread rolled through her. “Why not?”
Nathan exhaled heavily. “Judas and Hezekiah’s mothers have been demonstrating at the Temple daily, demanding justice for their sons.”
Alexandra’s stomach knotted. This couldn’t be good. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to worry.” Nathan kicked at the road with his sandal. “I’m going to accept Herod’s offer and move the family into the Hasmonean Palace.”
Alexandra frowned. “I know it’s probably for the best, but—”
Nathan stopped her with a look. “The Mount of Olives is going to fill with people who hate us. The men who abducted you and killed my father will be there. I don’t want them anywhere near you.”
Alexandra opened her mouth.
“Don’t fight me on this, Lex,” Nathan warned.
Anger, fear, misery, roiled her insides. “I guess you must have just been doing it to please your father.”
Nathan’s brow furrowed. “Doing what?”
“One of the things that amazed me when we married was how you and your father discussed matters with Rhoda and me before making decisions.” The words soured in her mouth. “But that died with your father, didn’t it?”
He blanched. “Lex.”
She halted and fisted her hands in her tunic. “You are selling the farm, rejoining the army, and moving the family into Herod’s home, all without talking it over with us. It’s your right. But...but.” What could she say to get through to him? The wall between them grew thicker and thicker with each passing day. The depth of Nathan’s anger frightened her.
She spotted Kadar coming toward them. She sniffed back her tears, wiped her runny nose on the veil, and smiled despite herself. The giant man searched them out daily, always working his way around to asking about Lydia.
Grim-faced, Kadar skipped the usual greetings and addressed Nathan, “Antipater sent me. The Sanhedrin has summoned you and Herod to appear before the court, to answer for killing Hezekiah and Judas.”
Alexandra groaned.
“How bad is it?” Nathan asked, the muscle in his jaw ticking.
Kadar shook his head. “Not good. All of Galilee is up in arms over Hezekiah and Judas’s deaths. The Sanhedrin is outraged they were bypassed. Antipater tried to stop it, but—” The giant shrugged. “Herod’s bald ambition makes people nervous. There’s talk of wanting to cut off the head of the snake before it circles back to bite.” Kadar’s frown deepened. “The charge isn’t for insubordination. It’s for murder.”
Alexandra’s knees buckled. Nathan’s strong arms came around her. If convicted, he would be put to death. The complaint forming on her lips died. Her husband’s beautiful brown eyes had gone hard as flint. He wasn’t going down without a fight.
***
Nathan righted his ragged tunic. The garment was torn at the neck, and his hair was disheveled. He felt ridiculous, but there was no help for it. Defendants were expected to show proper humility and remorse when appearing in court.
Kadar clapped Nathan on the back. “Trust Antipater. He’ll bring you out of this alive. The Sanhedrin’s real target is Herod.”
Nathan nodded, but he wasn’t convinced. Anti
pater’s tireless work behind the scenes and generous bribes might not be enough to counteract the daily protests, headed by Hezekiah and Judas’s mothers.
Nathan followed Antipater and Herod’s three brothers out the door. The Temple was a short walk away. Onlookers crowded the wide streets, loudly jeering and booing. Nathan lowered his face and kept walking. They entered the Temple grounds and pushed past hordes of curious spectators.
Lex and Rhoda stood beside the entrance to the Women’s Court, clinging to each other, worry furrowing their faces. He’d pleaded with them to stay at the camp since they couldn’t even watch the trial, but they’d insisted on coming. He looked back at them and smiled encouragingly. Dear God, let me leave this place alive. Please let me return to my family.
The white walls of the Temple glistened in the sun. A puff of smoke drifted past them, carrying the scent of sweet incense and burnt offerings. Nathan caught glimpses of the priests attending to the sacrifices. The Hall of Hewn Stones, where the Sanhedrin held court, loomed large. A favorite teacher of the Lord sat in the shade of the lumbering building, ringed by his dedicated disciples.
Encircled by the sacred sites, Nathan was suddenly glad he was wearing the clothes of a penitent man.
A loud commotion broke out and the crowd parted. Nathan blinked. Herod strode toward them, leading a one hundred and fifty-man army. Was he mad? Marching soldiers into Jerusalem was wicked enough. Bringing them onto Temple grounds bordered on blasphemy.
Nathan reversed course. Of all the arrogant, insensitive, ill-advised moves.
He stopped short of Herod. “What in the name of Beelzebub are you doing?”
Herod grinned. “I’m saving your hide, olive farmer.”
“Would it kill you to show a little humility?” Nathan growled.
Immaculately groomed, without a hair out of place, Herod wore a purple robe. Royal purple, rot him.
Herod’s eyes turned reptilian. “Why should I bow and grovel before those overblown bores? I won’t give them the satisfaction.” Herod pointed around the compound. “All of Jerusalem abuses me and my family behind our backs, but look at them now.”
The Warrior (The Herod Chronicles Book 1) Page 26
