Chapter 11
Obed’s Code ~ continued from Chapter 11 | The Weak Man
“Master?” Yazan asked.
“He is sick,” the hooded man laughed.
“Who are you master of?” Shimea said.
“I am king of the goats and sheep,” the man laughed. “My farm is outside Damascus.” He looked out of the cave. “This rocky terrain is much like home.”
“You are far from home.”
Yazan stood above the man his knife gleaming. Shimea stopped him.
“They are our guests,” he said.
“Guests,” said Yazan as he turned in disgust.
“David treated strangers well; he welcomed those less fortunate.”
“Davooowd,” the man wrapped his mouth around the words. “Who is this?” he said.
“Nobody,” Yazan said.
He kicked the dog that sat near the fire.
“He is a skeleton at the bottom of some pit somewhere.”
“Stop,” Shimea said.
“Well,” Yazan said. “What should I say? It’s the truth,” he sighed and went to pet the dog who cowered in the corner. He buried his face in the pup’s fur.
“Sorry, boy.”
He petted the stray once more and sent him to the back of the cave. The men stopped their drinking and listened.
“David is alive,” Shimea said as he looked at the rest of the men who came forward looking for answers.
At that moment a scorpion appeared on the cave floor. It crawled towards David and was motionless. The sick man woke up and took off his hood displaying his fat face. He looked at the creature on the cave floor and whispered to himself.
“Nish-e aqrab na as rah-e ast, tabiyyat-ash hai,” the fat priest said. “It is your nature.”
He laughed and bent close to the earth watching the insect crawl on the rock.
“Ah, I know you, my little friend,” he drew close. “Spending your days in hiding only to sting in the dark.”
He laughed a sick laugh and then looked around at the strange faces that glared at him in the firelight.
“He is sick,” said the other man. “Forgive us.”
A loud rattling noise came from the back of the cave and the men turned their attention to it. The sound grew louder and louder as the pup whimpered and sprang from its resting place to hide behind a man.
“What is that?” the blacksmith called out as he walked further into the cave.
The loud rattling continued and on the cave wall they could see a shadow of a scorpion with its tail high and beside it a desert viper slithering toward its enemy.
Silence filled the cave as the men watched the game of shadows. The sick man laughed and giggled as he rocked on the cave floor.
Then another shadow appeared, that of a squat, muscular king dressed in elegant silks and bejeweled bracelets who stood between the two fighters. The scorpion and the viper faced each other ready to strike. The king reached out to each creature; the scorpion climbed in his hand and continued upward before sitting on the king’s head like a powerful crown of protection while the viper coiled itself around the king’s leg and continued upward until it wrapped itself around his waist.
“Shimea, my sweet brother,” said the robed man as he stood up and pulled his hood away from his face.
As he wiped the mud from his face his long, red hair fell to his shoulders.
“It is I,” he spread his arms out wide. “Come, brother.”
Shimea stood dumbfounded as Yazan took out his knife.
“What trickery is this?” Yazan came forward. “I have heard of such stories in the streets of Damascus.”
Shimea grabbed Yazan and held him. His eyes welled up with tears.
“Soothsayers and visionaries, false words, false priests,” Yazan yelled at David.
“King of the sheep and goats,” Shimea cried. “Oh my brother, it is you.”
The two rushed at each other and hugged. They fell to the ground and rolled on the cave floor. The men huddled around the two and drank and cried as the brothers continued their embrace.
Yazan looked wildly at the sick man who had taken refuge in the corner.
“Scorpions and vipers,” said Yazan as he approached the man. “What is the meaning of this?”
The man clung to the rock as Yazan came forward.
“I serve only my Master,” he mumbled. “Nothing more.”
“Who is that?” Yazan asked.
The fat Scorpion pointed to David who was now being wrestled to the ground again by his tribesmen.
“The Scorpion King,” he said.
Continue reading… Chapter 12 | King David
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