****
Ever since she had bowed low to Joseph in the outer throne room, Asenath had lived in a constant state of agitation. She, like all others in the land, was fascinated by the elevation of an ex-slave to the position of second in the land. She had followed his career with an intensity she had never given to any political situation, and she was shocked and amazed, yet pleased, at how rapidly Joseph took over the reins of government.
At the same time she was troubled by the situation. It was not Joseph’s political prowess that bothered her, however. Instead she was caught up in a deep inner struggle. At Joseph’s coronation, she had been shocked by the splendor and beauty of the man. She had always been aware of his intensely masculine good looks, but in his royal attire, he appeared to be a different individual altogether. She went over and over in her mind her first memories of him—how she had seen him garbed in a slave’s apron, his back bruised and bleeding from the beating Ufa had given him. Every time she thought of it, her face burned, for although she had been only a girl at the time, she was ashamed of her behavior toward a helpless slave. She remembered clearly every encounter she’d had with him since then, and she began to see herself as far less admirable than Joseph. He had never shown her anything but quiet humility, while she herself had acted like a spiteful child.
Another thing was very obvious. Her father was badly shaken by the political changes signaled by Joseph’s rise. She had been aware of this long before he came to her and spoke in a nervous, high-pitched voice with hands not quite steady.
“There’s never been anything like it in all of Egypt!” Potiphera paced the floor for some time before speaking of his own position. “The pharaoh is so easily swayed. He may decide to close all the temples of all the gods.”
“He won’t do that, Father,” Asenath assured him. “He knows there would be a revolution.”
“Who knows what that child will do? For that’s exactly what Pharaoh is—a child. And this man Joseph has his ear.” He turned to her with a look of panic. “Why, I might be thrown out. We would lose everything!”
Asenath put her hand on his arm. She was fond of her father, yet they had never been very close. “It will be all right.”
“You’ve met the man. You told me about him years ago when he was a slave in Potiphar’s house.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Well, what did he appear to be then? Did he seem like a man who could rise to such a position?”
“He was only a slave.”
“Did you ever speak to him? Did you hear him say anything?”
Asenath was not anxious to repeat to her father the account of her first meeting with the Joseph who was now the “Provider of All Egypt.” Her cheeks reddened, and she said, “He was only a slave, Father.”
“But we saw him later when he was sent to prison. You remember that day?”
“Of course I remember it.”
“And we condemned him strongly for his crime, did we not? He’ll remember our part in that, Asenath. We’re in grave danger.”
“If he had any plans to seek vengeance against us, he would have done so already.”
“Not necessarily. He may be waiting to expose us publicly. He’s been busy with all these new programs, but you wait and see. We’ll pay for the way we treated him!”
Asenath shook her head. “There’s no point in worrying about what may never happen. I’m going over to see Kesi.”
“And there’s another one that’s probably going to feel the wrath of the Great Provider. After all, there was gossip around that Joseph was not guilty of the crime he was accused of. I’ve heard rumors that it was Kesi herself who tried to seduce him and he refused.”
“Where did you hear such a thing?”
“I have my spies out. Servants always talk.”
“It’s foolishness, and I wish you wouldn’t speak of it again! I’m going now.”
Leaving the room at once, she made her way toward Potiphar’s house. “It can’t be true! People always tell lies,” she muttered as the bearers swiftly carried her litter along the roadway. “But I need to find out if there’s anything to it. Kesi can be such a foolish woman. She might have done anything.”
****
“Well, your days are numbered, Ufa.”
Ufa was pale and unsteady, as he had been since Joseph’s elevation to second in the land. “Please don’t say that, master,” he whimpered. “It wasn’t my fault.”
Potiphar, who had been sitting alone in the room where he liked to read, put his papyrus scroll down and stared at Ufa. He shook his head but could feel no pity for the man. “You were the one who had Joseph beaten.”
“But Lady Kesi commanded it.”
Potiphar had thought of that and had no answer, but he kept his bright eyes fixed on Ufa. “I would say that when Joseph has time to think of it, he will go through his past and pull out all of us that have hurt him. And, of course, I’ll be one of them just as you are.”
“You … you mustn’t talk like that, sir! He was always a kind man, as you well know. All the servants loved him.”
Potiphar grinned wolfishly. “All except you,” he said with a rather fierce delight. “You were cruel to him from the time he arrived as a poor, skinny Hebrew slave. He’s an intelligent man and has an excellent memory. I think he’s letting us simmer a bit in our own juices. You’d better enjoy yourself, Ufa. That’s what I intend to do.” He picked up a glass of wine and sipped it, then looked up and said, “Now, be off with you. I might suggest that you run away. Very far away. Maybe you can find a place to hide. Just leave me alone.”
Ufa scurried away, and even as he did, he encountered one of the servants, who told him, “Asenath is here. She wants to see the mistress.”
“Well, take her to her, then.”
The servant escorted Asenath to Kesi’s room. Kesi was crouched in a chair, but when she saw Asenath, she jumped up and ran to her. Her eyes were swollen with weeping, and she threw her arms around her as if she were her mother. “Oh, Asenath … Asenath, you’ve got to help me!”
“Now, now, don’t cry. What’s the matter?” Although Kesi was several years older than Asenath, the two had changed positions socially and emotionally some time ago. It was now Kesi who was the child and Asenath the mother figure. “Come and sit down,” she said. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“You know what’s wrong,” Kesi sobbed. “It’s Joseph. He’s going to kill me! I know he will!”
“Don’t be foolish. He’ll do no such thing.”
“Potiphar says he will. He’ll have us all killed, everybody in the house.”
Asenath saw that calming Kesi down was going to take more time than she thought. Privately she was not certain that Kesi’s fears were unfounded. As she listened she became even more convinced of this.
Finally her sobbing friend said, “Joseph didn’t try to rape me. I was the one who tried to seduce him.”
“Oh, Kesi, is that the truth?”
“Would I lie about such a thing? I wanted him so badly! I thought I loved him. I just couldn’t help myself, Asenath. I couldn’t help myself!”
For the rest of the morning and on until the afternoon, Asenath stayed with Kesi. She gave her an herbal concoction, furnished by Masud, to help her sleep. While Kesi slept, Asenath thought of speaking to Potiphar but decided there was no point in that. She did hunt up Masud again and found that he was the calmest one in the house. “Masud, aren’t you afraid of Joseph’s wrath?” she asked curiously.
“No, I’m not. I treated him well. All of the servants loved him, except Ufa.”
“Your mistress is terribly afraid.”
“So is Potiphar, although he tries not to show it.” Masud shrugged. “I think they have reason to be fearful.”
“But Joseph doesn’t seem like a cruel man.”
“That’s the old Joseph—Joseph the slave, Joseph the prisoner. What would you do, my lady, if you had been whipped unmercifully and thrown into prison and forced
to do odious tasks? How would you feel toward those who did such things to you?”
Since Asenath had done some of those things to Joseph herself, she did not care to answer and merely shook her head. “I’m worried about the mistress.”
“I think you should be. Joseph will come, and justice will be done.”
****
Justice did come the next day in the form of the Great Provider of Egypt—Joseph himself. Asenath had stayed all night to try to keep Kesi’s nerves settled, but during the morning of the next day, she heard a frightened shout and went to the front vestibule. She stayed out of sight while she watched Masud answer the door; then she ran to Kesi’s room.
When Kesi saw her face, she sat up and asked, “What is it, Asenath?”
“We have a visitor.”
“A visitor! Who is it?”
“It’s Joseph.”
Kesi let out a loud, piercing scream and fell backward onto her couch, covering her face. “He’s come to kill me! I know it!”
“I don’t think so. Come. We must wash your face.”
“I can’t go to meet him!”
“You must. He’s the royal representative of the pharaoh. We must all go meet him and bow down low. You know that, Kesi. Now, come on.”
Asenath managed to get Kesi presentable and took her to the largest room of the house, where Potiphar was standing flanked by servants on all sides. He was pale, but his face was calm. “I was about to send for you, my lady,” he said to Kesi.
“Husband, save me! Don’t let him kill me!”
“I have no power in this case, as you well know.”
Asenath took one glimpse around and saw that the servants were not nervous, except Ufa, who was gray with fear, and his knees were clearly trembling. She had not time to look at him for more than a moment when the outer doors opened, and two royal guards stepped inside, then took their places beside the doors. Joseph entered grandly, and as he did so, Asenath could not help thinking, He may kill us all, but he’s a fine-looking executioner!
Indeed Joseph was looking strong and healthy. His journeys throughout the land had brightened his cheeks and his eyes. His hair was black and sleek, and the muscles of his arms and chest were exposed by the short-sleeved garment he wore. The gold necklace around his neck flashed, as did the gold rings on his muscular arms.
“Welcome to my house.” Potiphar fell onto his face, as did everyone else in the room.
As Asenath touched her face to the floor, she heard Joseph’s strong baritone voice saying, “Rise, please, all of you.” She got to her feet at once and saw that Joseph was looking around the room. His eyes touched on the servants and then on her, where they paused for a moment. He bowed slightly and smiled. “Mistress Asenath.”
“Great Provider,” she managed to whisper, for her heart was pounding.
Joseph turned to face Potiphar, but before he could speak, Potiphar said, “I know you are here to take your revenge, master. I only ask that you spare my wife. Do with me as you will.”
Asenath had never particularly admired Potiphar, but she did at that moment. It was the voice of a man who knew his wife’s faults but was doing all he could to save her.
A small cry came, and Asenath turned quickly to see that Kesi had collapsed. She was crouched over, with her forehead on the floor, making small, pleading noises.
Joseph said immediately, “Asenath, help your friend. Comfort her, for she need not be afraid.”
Asenath stared at Joseph uncomprehendingly. There was no hint of anger in his expression—only compassion. She then went quickly to Kesi and put her arms around her. “Come, Kesi. It’s all right. You’re safe.” She helped the trembling woman to a couch and then turned around to watch the drama that was unfolding.
Joseph was staring at Ufa, who could not endure his glare. He fell down and cried out, “Mercy, master, mercy!”
Joseph’s voice was even but cold. “You are a cruel man, Ufa, and a man in your position should be kind.” Turning to Potiphar, he said, “For the sake of your own house, Lord Potiphar, I advise you to remove this man from his position. Let him serve as one of your lesser servants until he has learned compassion.”
Potiphar could not believe what he was hearing. He had expected to hear Ufa’s doom pronounced, and now facing Joseph, memories came flooding back of how he had liked the man but had been responsible for his imprisonment. “What is your pleasure—about me, sir?”
The room was as still as a tomb. Asenath was staring at the two men, who seemed locked in some sort of struggle. Finally Joseph nodded. “You have great ability, sir, and you have had great sorrows. But I remember that you could have had me executed. You showed mercy, and so I show mercy to you.”
Asenath saw Potiphar’s shocked expression and knew he had expected anything but this.
“The pharaoh needs loyal servants,” Joseph said and smiled, “and I will expect good things from you in times to come.”
“Is that all my punishment, master?”
“Not all,” he said, turning to Masud.
Masud’s eyes were bright, and he smiled as Joseph came toward him and embraced him. “I have missed you, my friend.”
“And I you, sir.”
Joseph turned back to Potiphar. “Lord Potiphar, I would have your servant Masud raised to the position of chief overseer over all your house in the place of Ufa.”
“It shall be done. It is done now,” Potiphar said with relief. Ufa gave a desperate glance at Masud, then backed up and leaned against the wall.
Joseph looked around and said, “May God bless your house.” He bowed to Potiphar, who bowed back. Then he turned and walked toward the door.
He was halted there, however, for Asenath could not bear it any longer. She rushed to stand before him and said, “O Mighty Provider of Egypt—” She tried to control her trembling hands but could not. “In the name of my friends, I thank you for your mercy, O Mighty One.”
Joseph turned to face her, but she could not bear to look into his eyes. She had no idea of what he would say, but finally he said quietly, “If I have any qualities in me that are good, my lady, they were placed there by the God of my fathers. I bid you farewell.”
Asenath bowed deeply along with all the others as Joseph left the room. As soon as he was gone, Potiphar expelled his breath in an explosion. He sat down as if his knees had lost their strength and gazed around the room, saying in a shaky voice, “I have never believed in miracles, but now I am forced to, since I have seen one in my own house.” He got to his feet and said, “Masud, you are my right hand from this moment. Do as you will in my house.” A murmur of joy went around among the servants, and then Potiphar went over to Kesi. “Come, my dear,” he said, lifting her up. “We have been given life. Let us not waste it.” Kesi clung to him as the two left the room, and the servants began to talk among themselves in a high-pitched babble.
Asenath left the house, filled with wonder, and the question burned in her, What sort of man is this Joseph? And how could I have been so wrong about him?
****
Rashidi looked up when Yafeu burst into his quarters with a stunned expression on his face. “It’s Joseph—he’s come!”
Rashidi got to his feet just as Joseph entered. Rashidi bowed and went to his knees, but Joseph came and lifted him up. Rashidi saw that, except for the expensive clothing and his additional weight, it was the same Joseph.
“How’s the poem going, my friend?”
Rashidi laughed. It was indeed the same man. “It is going well, master.”
“You will have to bring it with you.”
“Where am I going?”
“I am going to make you my first lieutenant. I cannot do without you. You need my help to finish your poem.”
“Well, I see, then, there is some justice in the world,” Rashidi said, swelling up. “A man of my ability should be recognized.”
“You are impossible!” Joseph laughed. He put his hand on Rashidi’s shoulders and said, “What
would you do if you were in my place?”
“That’s easy. I would kill everyone who offended me while I was a slave or prisoner. It’s what anyone would do.”
Joseph did not speak for a moment, then answered soberly, “No, my friend, it was what I might have done at one time, but I have changed since I was thrown into the pit by my brothers. And since I came through your prison, I have no need for revenge. Now, you must come with me at once, for I need you by my side.”
Chapter 19
The task of building enough granaries to hold seven years’ worth of grain was monumental. Joseph put all of Pharaoh’s prisoners on the project, as well as every man throughout the land who was not otherwise employed. The work progressed rapidly, drawing Pharaoh’s intense interest as granaries sprouted like mushrooms all over the land. When the project was well under way, Joseph took him on a tour of the land, to Pharaoh’s great delight.
When they returned to the palace, Pharaoh turned to Joseph, his froglike face filled with pleasure. “You have done more than I expected, my friend. You are the friend of Pharaoh indeed, as well as his servant.”
“I trust I will always be both, Your Majesty.”
“I have been thinking of what I could do for you,” Pharaoh said, and a pixyish expression crossed his homely face. “And I have decided to do a great thing in your life.”
Joseph smiled, for Pharaoh always thought that everything he did was a great thing. “You must not do me any more honor, Your Majesty. You have already done too much.”
“Nonsense,” Pharaoh replied. “I’m not speaking of gold or titles or offices. I want to give you something better, something warm and soft and pleasurable. In short,” he laughed aloud and clapped Joseph on the shoulder, “I have decided to give you a wife.”
Joseph was not easily surprised, for the pharaoh was not a difficult man to figure out. In fact, he was barely a man, being very immature for his years, but Joseph was careful to keep the dignity of their relationship in place. The pharaoh might skip around and punch Joseph in the ribs and slap him on the shoulder, but Joseph always treated Pharaoh with the greatest respect.
Till Shiloh Comes Page 18
