“I can’t believe it, Benzai. He ran like a rabbit the last time I saw him in action.”
“Well, now he’s like a man possessed.”
“You’d better watch him, Captain. He’s let us down more than once.”
“He acts like a crazy man when the battle starts. I wish I had a thousand more like him!”
****
The battle had raged all day, and now that the sun was down, Othniel was fighting alongside Tobiah. Othniel’s mouth was dry, and he had a slight cut on his left arm. His right arm was almost dead, for he had struck many blows. Now he suddenly heard a shout of alarm, and Tobiah grabbed him by the arm and said, “Look. They’re sending in fresh troops over there to our right. We can’t stay here!”
“We can hold ’em.”
“No, we can’t. There’re too many.”
Othniel narrowed his eyes. “Look,” he yelled. “There’s Captain Benzai. He and some of our fellows are trapped up there.”
Tobiah stared and shook his head grimly. “They’re lost,” he said.
“No, they’re not.”
Tobiah stared at Othniel, who had leaped to his feet and was running, yelling, and waving his sword.
Tobiah laughed and yelled to the rest of the men. “Come on, you weaklings! Would you let a running coward like that have all the glory?” He jumped to his feet, and the men threw themselves into the battle. The action swirled, and men fell, bled, and died, but finally the men of Israel drove the enemy back.
Benzai was on his feet but wounded. He sat down and shook his head. “I’m dizzy.” He turned to see that Othniel had come to kneel down beside him.
“Are you all right, Captain?”
“I’ll live,” he said grimly, then grinned. “What were you trying to do, commit suicide? You had no chance against the enemy.”
Othniel grinned also. There was blood on his face and his garments were spattered. “I don’t want to have to break in another captain,” he said.
Benzai studied the young man and laughed. “Well, it was a noble charge, my boy. Your uncle Caleb will be proud when I tell him of it.”
****
Ardon had been on the left wing of the army. He had fought until he could barely stand and finally had been attacked by three soldiers that he had managed to beat off, but one of them had given him a bad wound, ripping the flesh in his side. Some of his fellow soldiers had joined in to kill them, but then he had slumped down. One of them stopped, but Ardon waved him on, crying weakly, “Go on. Don’t wait for me.”
After that he had passed out, and when he awoke, the sunlight was fading. The action was somewhere over to the left, and he thought he heard the cries of triumph. “I hope those are our fellows,” he muttered. He got to his feet, and his head swirled. He staggered, caught himself, and dropped his sword. When he bent over to get it, he fell headlong. For a long time he lay there, feeling the blood seep from his side. He pressed his hand against the wound, knowing he would bleed to death if he didn’t get help. Getting to his feet, he started back but discovered he had lost his sense of direction. “Which way is the camp?” he muttered. He was unable to decide and then desperately took the way he thought would be most likely. Twice he fell and each time crawled back to his feet. Finally he was shocked when he heard a woman’s voice.
“Who’s there?”
“I’m a wounded man.”
In the moonlight he could see the shape of the woman now. “Are you a Hebrew?” she asked.
Ardon knew that if she were one of the enemy and he said yes, she would kill him and he would be unable to stop her. At least she would call for help. But he could only say, “Yes. I am a Hebrew. Who are you?”
“I’ll help you. Come.”
“I can’t go far.”
“Our camp is over here. Everyone has run away because of the battle.” The woman came closer and looked down. “You’re wounded?”
“My side.”
“Come.” She touched him then, and he smelled the musk of her perfume. She took his left arm and put it over her shoulder. “Lean on me,” she said strongly. “You have to get to the tent.”
****
Ardon did not remember much about the trip to the woman’s tent, except for a great deal of pain. She could only half carry, half drag him until finally she said, “There. There’s the tent.”
She led him inside and said, “Lie down now.”
He did not need that command, for he collapsed on the spot. As he drifted unconscious he wondered if he would ever wake. Maybe this is death, he thought, and then the blackness swallowed him.
****
“My name is Mardiah. What is your name?”
“Ardon.”
“That’s a funny name.”
Consciousness had swarmed back to Ardon, and now he had found his upper garments removed, and the woman had worked over his side. “I had to sew you up,” she said.
“It’s all right. I’m weak as a baby,” he complained.
“You lost much blood, but you’ll be all right. You need to drink as much as you can.” She lifted his head and pressed a cup to his lips. He discovered he was thirsty and drank eagerly.
When he lay back, she said, “You will be all right. You will not die.”
“I need to get back to our camp.”
“How will you go? You can’t walk.”
“I guess you’re right about that.”
“You are a handsome fellow. Are all Hebrews as good-looking as you?”
Startled, Ardon looked up at the woman. She was sitting beside him, and he saw that she had taken off her outer veil that most desert women wore. She had a strong face and a light olive complexion. She was bold and attractive, with well-shaped, deep-set eyes that studied him carefully.
“I suppose I’m average.”
Mardiah laughed. “How many wives do you have?”
“None.”
“Well, I have no husband. He was killed by a bear a year ago. Maybe we’ll do something with that.”
Ardon was so weak he could hardly make sense out of the woman. She was laughing at him, and he saw that she had white, even teeth that showed brightly against her olive skin. He did not fail to notice that she was a shapely woman, too, but then he began to lose consciousness.
“Don’t go to sleep. You must eat much. Make new blood.”
She pulled him up and fed him like a baby. Then she said, “Now you sleep. We’ll make you strong again….”
****
Mardiah had a teasing, light way about her, and as he grew stronger, Ardon was more and more aware of what an attractive woman she was. She had dressed his wound, and every day she washed him off. “I like clean men,” she said. The first day he did little but sleep, but the second day he felt much stronger. He got up and walked and discovered that his strength was returning.
Mardiah was pleased with him. “You are a strong man,” she said. “Here. You must eat and drink more.”
Finally the evening came, and she came with water in a dish of pottery. “I must look at your wound and wash you off.”
She carefully washed the wound and nodded. “It is good. You are healing. Now I wash you off, but first you must have something really good.”
“What’s this?” Ardon said, sniffing at the cup she gave him.
“Very special wine. Make you feel very good. My uncle, he makes.”
Ardon took a swallow and gasped. “Strong,” he whispered.
“Drink it all. It make you feel much better.”
Ardon drank the entire cup and almost immediately felt the effects of it. “That’s the strongest wine I ever had.”
Mardiah was busy cleaning him off and was dipping a cloth in the water. She began to bathe him, and as she did, she was watching him with a strange light in her eyes. “You like this?” she whispered.
“You’ve been very good to me, Mardiah.”
Mardiah pushed him back. “Lie down,” she said. Mardiah continued to run her hands over his body, and Ardon disco
vered that whatever she had given him to drink had done something else. It had increased his desire. He had been aware that she was a beautiful woman, and from her speech he knew she was a woman of easy virtue. Now suddenly she threw the cloth down and pressed herself against him. “You are a strong man, and a strong man needs a strong woman.”
Ardon started to push her away, but his hands encountered the full, round curves of her body, and then he murmured, “No. This isn’t right.”
But the woman was insistent. Her lips were seeking his, and her hands were busy. “Yes, it is right.”
And then Ardon, who had been judgmental of other men, found his control slipping away. With a hoarse cry he seized her, and she laughed with pleasure. “It is the way it should be. A strong man and a strong woman.” And then she brought herself against him.
Chapter 27
Ariel lifted her head and cried out, “The army! They’ve come back!” Jumping up, she ran outside and joined the women and young people who came streaming out. They all ran toward the edge of the village of the camp, and there they saw the soldiers, coming back rank on rank. She saw Joshua at their head and Caleb, her father, over in front of his unit. Quickly she ran toward Caleb and cried out, “Father, you’re back!”
“Yes. We had a great victory. One less enemy to conquer.”
She threw her arms around him, and he hugged her back.
“Well, we made it back, Commander,” said a voice behind her.
Ariel turned to see Captain Benzai, his arm bandaged and looking more battered than usual, but he was grinning broadly. “I guess we showed them whose land this is, didn’t we?”
“Yes we did. Your unit performed nobly.”
“You haven’t heard all of it,” Benzai said. “You know that nephew of yours that you told me either to break him or make a soldier of him?”
“Othniel? What about him?” Caleb asked sharply.
“Well, I tried my best to break him, but he just wouldn’t break. He’s the best soldier in this army.”
Ariel stared at Benzai. “You can’t mean that, Captain Benzai!”
“I wouldn’t be here if he weren’t.”
“What do you mean?” Caleb demanded.
“I got myself in a mess, just me and four other soldiers. They were swarming all over us. There was no chance at all. And then that wild nephew of yours made a charge all by himself. He was so crazy that everybody decided to follow him. So they pulled me out of trouble. He’s a wild man,” Benzai said with a shrug. “He’s a lot like you, Commander.”
Caleb did not answer for a moment. He looked down at the ground, and when he looked up, Ariel saw that he was smiling. “That’s the best news you could have brought me.”
“Well, I gave you the good news first. Now the bad.”
“What’s wrong?” Caleb asked.
“It’s your son. Oh, he’s not dead, but he got separated from the rest of the army. Pretty badly wounded, but he’s okay.”
“Where is he?” Ariel said quickly.
“He’s at the rear of the troops. The wounded move a lot slower. We were anxious to get here.”
“But he’s all right, isn’t he?” Ariel said.
Benzai scratched his head, and both Caleb and Ariel saw that he was puzzled. “Well, the wound was here on his side. He found somebody to patch him up. Sewed him together as neat as any woman could do with a needle and a thread. That’s all right, but there’s something wrong with him. He’s not himself.”
“What do you mean, Benzai?” Caleb demanded.
“Well, it’s like he’s dreaming or something. You’ll have to see it for yourself, Commander. He’s not the old Ardon.”
“I want to see him right away.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll have him brought to your tent.”
Caleb and Benzai moved away, and Ariel was greeting all the soldiers she knew. Since she was the daughter of one of the commanders she knew a great many of them. Suddenly she stiffened when she saw Othniel moving into the camp. He saw her and hesitated. She did not really want to speak to him, but she was anxious to get news of Ardon. She moved toward him and said stiffly, “Hello.”
“Hello, Ariel.”
“I’m glad you’re safe, but I hear that Ardon has been wounded.”
“Yes. I’ve been trying to talk to him.”
“What do you mean trying to talk to him?”
“Well, he won’t talk.” Othniel shrugged his shoulders as if baffled. “I don’t understand it. Of course, I’m not his favorite person. Maybe he’ll talk to you.”
“Where is he?”
“Come along. I’ll take you to him.”
Ariel followed the tall soldier. They passed by many that were wounded, and she wanted to ask more details but felt uncomfortable. Finally he said, “There’s the wounded moving along there. Look. There’s Ardon.”
But Ariel had already seen her brother. She ran quickly toward him. He was walking slowly with his eyes on the ground. “Ardon!” she cried. “Are you all right?”
Ardon glanced up, and Ariel was shocked at the expression on his face. He had always been an alert man with quick eyes, but now his eyes seemed dead. He did not answer her, and she said, “You’re wounded?”
Ardon just said, “I’m all right.”
“What’s wrong, Ardon?” She tried to catch his eye, but he looked down at the ground and refused to speak. She continued to ask questions, but he simply moved around her and headed for the camp. He did not lift his eyes except from time to time to see where he was going.
“What’s wrong with him, Othniel?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like it. Before the battle he was tired but nothing like this.”
“It’s like he got a wound in the head.”
“He’ll be all right. I’m sure of it.”
Ariel, once again, wanted to speak to Othniel to commend him for his courage in battle. But she had been disappointed by him too many times. “I must go with him. I’m glad you’re safe.”
She turned and caught up with Ardon. She spoke to him again, but he did not even look in her direction, and she became fearful. Somehow this was worse than his physical wound!
****
“It’s been two weeks, Father, and he’s no better.”
Caleb looked at Ariel and for a moment did not answer. “I know. He’s like a dead man.”
“Doesn’t he say anything to you? You’re his commanding officer and his father. Something must have happened.”
“I’ve asked him every way I know how, Ariel, but he doesn’t answer. It’s like he’s blocked out everything. He only speaks when he wants something, and have you noticed he can’t look us in the eye?”
“It’s like he’s hiding something,” Ariel said. “That’s not like him.”
“He’s not fit to go back into battle,” Caleb said.
“No. You can’t send him out to fight. Not like this.”
“He insisted on going but he’s weak. I had to command him to stay.”
“Yes. You must make him stay at home.”
The two were seated in their tent, and after a time Caleb said, “Well, I’m proud of Othniel. I’ve got the report from many of his fellow soldiers. They say that charge he made was like nothing they ever saw. It was like he’s a man without fear. Captain Benzai’s made him an officer.”
“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”
“We’ve got two different men on our hands here. My son and my nephew. They’re not the men they were when they left here.”
Ariel asked timidly, “What will happen to Ardon?”
“Who can say?” Caleb shrugged. “I’ve seen men like that a few times. It’s like the battle takes something out of them. But time will help.”
****
Rahab had been sitting outside her tent talking with Romar when she saw Ariel approaching. She rose at once.
“Have you seen Ardon, Rahab?”
“Why, no. But I’ll help you look.” The two women be
gan to go through the camp. Rahab cast glances at Ariel from time to time, and finally Rahab said, “Everyone’s so proud of Othniel. Wasn’t it wonderful what he did?”
“I suppose so.”
The coldness of Ariel’s tone shocked Rahab. “What’s wrong? You know it was a brave thing. Everyone says so.”
“I’ll never trust him,” Ariel said, her lips drawn into a line.
“You’re wrong, Ariel. He’s come so far. He’s not the same man he was.”
“To me he is.”
Rahab was shocked at the young woman. She had grown very fond of her, but she recognized that there was a hard streak of pride, and now she said as gently as she could, “You’re wrong, Ariel. You need to forgive. We all do.”
Ariel changed the subject. “I’ve got to go take some supplies to my father. He didn’t take enough.”
“But there’s a battle about to take place.”
“I’ll be careful. If you see Ardon, see if you can talk to him.”
“I’ll try, but I’m probably the last person he’d want to talk to.”
****
The sheep were nuzzling at the bubbling water as it ran over the stones. It was a favorite time of the day for Rahab to bring the sheep down to the stream. They were foolish creatures, but she was absurdly fond of them.
She looked up to see a figure, and shock ran through her as she realized it was Ardon walking toward her. She immediately left the sheep and called out, “Ardon, Ariel’s looking for you!”
Ardon gave her one quick glance, then looked away. “I’ll find her later.”
“She was going to take some supplies to your father.”
Ardon shook his head and would have turned away, but Rahab saw a desperation in his face. “Wait,” she said. “Talk to me, Ardon. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Of course there is,” Rahab insisted. She moved around and tried to catch his glance, and when she did look into his eyes, she was shocked at the emptiness she saw there. This was not the man she had known. That man had been confident, filled with pride and enthusiasm. This man was like a walking corpse.
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