Chapter 13
Saul ~ continued from Chapter 13 | The Lion Killer
Levi stood back a little and with a smile watched David. More soldiers and part of Saul’s guard appeared in the stone garden. David was lost in the small crowd that huddled around the first real battle that belonged to the twelve tribes.
Saul drank in his victory and his face became darker. Michal drew her brother close to her on seeing her father.
“We must protect him from father.”
She bit her lip.
“So you can bed him?”
“We must protect the future, child.” She tugged at her broth- er’s tunic. “Father cannot keep the tribes together but he can.”
Jonathan looked at David, “He can do just about anything.” “Mind out of the gutter,” Michal laughed.
He pinched her bottom.
“We are all there; it’s just that some of us look up once in a while.”
He laughed and sauntered off to fetch more wine.
David cautiously looked in Michal’s direction and she smiled and then looked away.
“Comely but not beautiful,” David thought.
Yazan brought another glass of wine to David.
“Here, my brave fellow.”
David took the glass while being crowded by the soldiers who had just arrived.
Shimea came forward spilling his drink.
“We grow restless,” he said. He gathered Yazan and David close. “Saul drinks more and his visage becomes muddied as if he plays with a dark secret.”
“He drinks, what of it?”
David put his hands on his brother’s shoulder.
“Nothing,” Shimea said as he stumbled and laughed. “I’m drunk.”
Saul had a few soldiers around him and they were deep in whispered conversation.
“So,” one said.
“In the morning all will be made clear,” another said.
“It’s The Ark we are talking about.”
Saul loomed above his crowd with his face a dark and nasty knot. Aron stood just out of the circle listening. He had his hand on his dagger under his tunic. David observed Aron and caught his attention. He shook his head and Aron retreated.
David looked over at Michal who was also watching her father. He bowed good-bye as she returned his gaze and smiled.
Yazan grabbed at a poppy seed cake and figs while Shimea fin- ished his wine. They quickly walked toward the entranceway.
David headed for Saul’s group. He walked straight through the men and they parted as he went up to Saul.
“My King,” David began. “We thank you for your hospitality but we bid you good night.”
Saul looked down on David.
“So soon?” He spread his arms out. “Stay, enjoy the night air.”
“My lord, I must excuse myself for my men have drunk too much and do not behave well in such society.”
“Warriors who cannot hold their drink,” Saul said.
He laughed loudly. The others around him followed in unison.
“Does Bethlehem send me women?”
“Bethlehem sends you the finest cuts of men,” David replied.
“Yes, yes. I mean no harm.” Saul downed his drink. “More wine,” he yelled.
With a great heave of his arm he launched his goblet out over the balcony and into the night air.
“How far can you throw, my boy?” Saul said as he turned to David.
“My Lord, you have the power to make things disappear, not I.”
Saul looked down at David.
“Yes, you are right.”
Michal came forward and took her father’s arm.
“Come, Father.” She took him around the waist. “Your daughter is cold.”
She smiled at David.
“Leave the men to themselves and their drink.”
Saul took delight in his daughter’s touch and was led back to the stone patio.
“Why bother?” Yazan said.
“It’s impolite not to.”
David turned, his tunic flowing and walked out of the stone garden followed by his men.
Saul watched as the group left.
“Who is this David?” one soldier asked.
“Son of Jesse from Bethlehem,” Saul said while still looking at the entranceway.
“I don’t like him.”
“Hmmm, neither do I,” Saul agreed.
“Still, there is something there,” another said.
“He and his men did well at Michmash.”
The soldier drank more wine.
“Many did well,” Saul said.
“You, my King, fought like a lion.”
Saul drank from his goblet.
“We all did.”
He turned his face away from the torchlight.
“Luck,” the soldier said. “He was lucky.”
“Killed a lion once with nothing but a slingshot,” Saul whis- pered to himself. “Will he use a slingshot on me?”
The soldier turned toward Saul.
“You are our King, anointed by Samuel and loved by our people.”
“Yes, yes,” the King said hastily.
Saul had disappeared from the conversation and was now busy talking to shadows.
“He haunts my dreams.”
He walked to the balcony and looked out over the war camp with 30,000 men, horses and farm animals huddled together against the night. Saul yawned and quietly moved to a corner of the balcony.
“I can offer my daughter as a wedding present or send him to his death. A scouting detail into enemy territory perhaps,” he thought.
He rubbed his hands in the cold night air. The guests were now retiring for the evening and as they said good night he remained standing on the stone balcony.
“Yes, good night.”
He waved them out and away. The war camp was still. The war chariots thundered in his mind while the sharp spears cut at his confidence.
“I am no king,” he muttered. “I am a killer.”
He saw a lone figure walking on the mud trail that snaked through the camp. The figure walked toward the stone house and seemed to look up into the night.
Saul froze with fear.
“He has come to cut my throat.”
He dared not breathe so as to give himself away. The night guard turned and walked down the road again following his evening duties with a spear over his shoulders. Saul twisted his face in disgust at himself. His two guards stood in the entranceway of the garden.
“Why do you haunt me so?”
Jonathan had followed David out, his smile lighting up the path homeward.
“You were brave,” he said while pushing up to David.
Shimea started to draw Jonathan back but David put his arm on his brother.
“My father was drunk.”
“We all have our weaknesses,” David said.
“He hates not knowing,” Jonathan said.
“The Ark, you mean,” David said.
They walked out into the air and the sounds of the army camp settling down for the night took over. Fires were lit, men sang drunken songs and the animals moved sleepily in their pens and stalls.
“Not just that.”
Jonathan wrapped his tunic around his neck in the night air and hurried to keep pace with David.
“He seems jealous of you.”
“Why do you tell me this?”
“Because we think you need friends.”
David stopped in mid stride and looked Jonathan in the eyes. Their gaze met and they smiled at each other.
“You and the lady Michal.”
“Yes.”
David put both his arms on Jonathan’s shoulders.
“Friends.”
“Yes, friends.”
He quickly looked around and then disappeared into the shadows.
“Be careful with this family,” Shimea said as he caught up with his brother.
“Yes, brother.”
The men continued on to their row of tents and bid each other good night.
Continue reading… Chapter 13 | Anointed for War
[…] Chapter 13 Saul ~ continued from Chapter 13 | You Need Friends […]