Chapter 13
Saul ~ continued from Chapter 13 | The Family Curse
The generals laughed and nodded their approval. More wine was brought to the table already laden with fruit and meat while a harp player struck just the right chord.
Saul gave Michal and Jonathan a knowing look as he took his leave.
“Try,” he said.
He wiped a smudge from under Jonathan’s eye.
“I wonder what it would be like at Egyptian court,” Michal said as she turned back to her brother.
“Excitement, intrigue, sex,” Jonathan whispered. “All of what we don’t have here in this puddle.”
“I imagine servants bringing you down secret passageways to beautiful rooms.”
She moved away from the guests and back to her post at the balcony. “And splendid clothes made of gold and silk.”
“And sex.”
“Yes, my little child, lots of that too.”
“Did I mention sex?”
“You might have,” she continued her watch over the balcony.
“Beautiful boys and girls together.”
David and his men entered and filled the small stone garden. Yazan entered first in a brash way while Shimea followed behind him laughing. They had already been drinking beer in the street. Aron walked in under a somber cloud and
headed to get more beer.
David stood in the doorway, his wool cloak dancing in the summer breeze. The Scorpion stood slightly behind his master and seemed to disappear.
“The warriors are here,” Saul said as he walked to the group. “Come lads and drink.”
He went to David and grabbed him by the forearm, “Welcome.”
David returned the hospitality, “My pleasure.”
Yazan walked to where servants began pouring the wine.
“We are small here but we are mighty,” Saul laughed as he motioned around the stone garden. “Please come and sup.”
Jonathan and Michal remained near the balcony.
“The heart is a hunter,” Jonathan whispered.
“Shush, you silly boy,” Michal said. Her eyes glowed.
“Father is upset,” said Jonathan as he turned to Michal. “I think he does not like our young warrior.”
Michal moved her gaze slightly.
“I’ve seen that look before,” she said. “He is somehow jealous or angered by something. Did they fight?”
Jonathan put his finger to his lips and talked softly, “They say David hid The Ark but has not told father.”
“Ahhh,” Michal cast her eyes to the balcony again.
The 12 tribal chieftains gathered around Saul’s home like a desert storm. Samuel the prophet sat in the corner watch- ing the night. Judah came down from the high country, his robes blowing in the night air and his royal blue breast plate emblazed with a lion’s head.
Reuben, Simon, Levi, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph and Benjamin came from the wild desert with flashing smiles and holding their wine goblets as if they were hard- fought territories won with brute force and blood. Some were dressed in animal skins while others still bore the blood of battle. They swam in a sea of wine and boastfulness.
Dan clamped his shoulders on Zebulun.
“You fought like a warrior today.”
“And you fought like an ass,” Simon said. He moved toward the two wide-eyed and drunken. “Your men did not protect you and you were exposed.”
Dan laughed and poked Simon in the chest. “Follow me, my friend, follow me.”
The rest of the chieftains laughed at this.
“Always first,” said Joseph.
“What would a shepherd boy know,” Dan laughed. “Where is the next ewe?”
He pushed his loins out back and forth, spilling his wine. “You’ll look after her.”
Levi, the only chieftain in a white tunic, turned away from Dan so as not to get his new tunic dirty.
“Not happy,” Dan said to Levi.
“Keep your vulgar ways to yourself,” Levi smiled at Dan.
“Ha, I saw you today your eyes wild with excitement and bloodstained hands, priest.”
David watched the circle of men as they drank their wine and lied to themselves with old and new war stories in the cold desert air.
Dan spotted David out of the corner of his eye.
“Little whelp,” he called out. “You and your men fought bravely today.”
Aron moved toward Dan. “Whelp, is it?”
Dan lifted his goblet as if to avoid a charging bull.
“Slowly, friend,” he said.
David waved Aron off and walked toward the drunken chieftain who towered over him and still carried his sword around his great leather belt.
“Whelp,” he laughed. “Why don’t I take a branding iron and whelp you?”
Dan put down his goblet and looked at David who was moving forward.
“Maybe the little whelp needs a lesson?”
“Maybe,” said David as he continued forward.
The Scorpion went for his dagger under his tunic and Shimea moved closer. Saul stood back and watched from the balcony, a smile on his face.
The 12 tribesmen, even without the Philistines, would fight themselves to feed their bloodlust. Dan, wearing a breast- plate with a lion inscribed in relief, took a step and then was looming over the smaller yet muscular David.
Dan breathed deeply as he stood watching for a moment of weakness. He moved a little to his left and to his right his arms out and hands open. David was a statue, eyes glaring.
Dan raised his hands and quickly picked up David in his bear hug. He patted him on the back and put him back on the stone floor.
“You are a warrior, my friend,” he laughed. “No whelp.”
He grabbed his goblet and swung it around for all to see.
“To David, son of Jesse.” He looked all around him and eyed the twelve men. “The Lion Killer.”
The men took up their wine and toasted David as he stood in the middle of the crowd.
“To the Lion Killer,” Simon said.
Levi watched the redheaded man in front of him with his bright eyes and the way he stood.
Levi turned to Joseph.
“A man to follow?” he said.
“Perhaps,” Joseph replied.
David looked around for his wine goblet and shouted.
“Listen, my brothers,” he called out. “Tonight we raise a goblet to our King.”
He watched everyone and raised his glass. Saul stumbled slightly and looked up as if from a daze.
“We come together, Judah and Israel, united in blood against our enemies and to bear witness to our anointed King.”
He raised his glass and gulped briefly, “King Saul.”
The cries went to the rooftops and back as Saul was toasted late into the night. For a moment the tribal chieftains put down their anger at one another and their battle for territory and banded together as brothers against the desert night.
Continue reading… Chapter 13 | You Need Friends
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