The Palace, Shinar
The stargazers bowed when the king’s wife entered the court, but she stared—visibly puzzled at the man hidden in a hooded cape standing with a servant woman holding a baby.
Nimrod had not only not stood when Ninlila arrived, but he also did not even acknowledge her. Despite that she was dressed in elaborate regalia and even wore a jewel-studded crown, she had never been referred to as the queen of the realm. Terah attributed this to Nimrod/Amraphel’s vanity. Apparently he feared even his own wife’s designs on succeeding him.
Ninlila carried his scepter, which he reached for without looking at her. Pressing it to the floor, he repositioned himself and draped one leg over the arm on the throne. A favorite pose of the king, the slouch elevated the hem of his robe and exposed nearly the full length of one thigh. Terah had long wanted to caution him against such a casual appearance, but he himself had been tasked with imprisoning other advisers who dared critique the king. Nimrod would do what he wished, which, of course, was his right.
Ninlila stood with her arm over the back of the throne, appearing expectant, perhaps perplexed at having been summoned.
“Terah, approach,” the king said.
Terah laid a hand gently on Yadidatum’s shoulder. She trembled, but thankfully Mutuum’s baby remained asleep. “Stay one step behind me, but do not hide yourself from the throne.”
“I am about to faint, master,” she squeaked.
“Do this for your son. You must not fail.”
Terah leaned heavily on his crutch to take as much weight as possible off the mutilated ankle on the long walk to the base of the steps leading to the throne. He swung his free hand more than normal to give him the most speed of which he was capable, but each step stabbed with such pain that he had to fight to keep from moaning aloud.
When Terah lost sight of Yadidatum in his peripheral vision, he turned to find her lagging ten feet behind. “Stay with me!” he hissed, painfully slowing. But when she caught up, he noticed Ninlila whispering to the king and the stargazers scowling.
“Relax,” Nimrod said dismissively. “I have permitted this.” The stargazers whispered to each other until the king shouted, “Enough! Silence!”
Terah reached the steps, and when Yadidatum arrived beside him, he whispered, “Stay where you were.” She took one step back.
Nimrod smiled. “Terah, remove your hood.”
All on the podium seemed to recoil at the sight, but Nimrod appeared to take it in stride. “I trust you don’t feel as bad as you look, my friend.”
“I have seen my reflection, my lord, and I doubt anyone has ever felt as bad as I look.”
“Well said. But this too shall pass. Please, introduce your guests.”
“Great King, I am proud to present to you my wife Belessunu’s midwife, Yadidatum, and our son, Amraphel.”
Yadidatum shakily held the baby out. The stargazers looked horrified.
The king let his scepter fall, swung his leg down from the arm of the chair, and sat forward, elbows on his knees. The clank of the scepter made the baby start, but Yadidatum gathered him back into her chest and quieted him.
“You have named him after me, Terah? I’m touched!”
“My wife’s idea,” Terah said, fighting to maintain his composure. He looked to Yadidatum, who nodded.
“Ninlila,” Nimrod said, “fetch the child for me and let us rejoice over how the gods have blessed my chief officer and his wife.”
But as Ninlila moved to descend the steps, Yadidatum started up to meet her.
“Do not ascend, woman!” the head stargazer roared as the rest appeared ready to flee. The shout so startled the midwife that she nearly tumbled backward, and Terah reached to steady her. That put pressure on his bad ankle and he cried out in pain, grabbing the crutch with both hands to keep from falling.
The baby erupted into frantic wailing, clearly frustrating the king. Ikuppi quickly explained, “Woman, you are in court only by imperial consent, but no commoner, let alone a servant, has ever mounted the royal podium.”
“I beg your forgiveness, Highness!” Yadidatum said.
“Just quiet the child,” Nimrod said, waving.
She rocked the baby, holding him close, but it took several minutes to calm him. Ninlila finally took him, but Terah thought she looked as if she were extracting something from a tar pit. When she handed the baby to her husband, the stargazers stepped back as if petrified.
Nimrod looked surprisingly comfortable with the boy, cradling him and smiling. “My namesake,” he said.
But as soon as the baby fussed again, Nimrod gave him back to Ninlila. She approached the steps, reaching him out to the midwife. “No,” the king said. “I believe Terah offers this child as a gift to the throne.”
The head stargazer stepped to the king, keeping a wide berth between himself and the king’s wife. He whispered desperately in Nimrod’s ear. The king nodded and dismissed him, and the man ushered his fellow soothsayers out.
“Am I not right, Terah?” Nimrod said. “You present your son as an offering?”
“I—I serve at your pleasure, my King,” Terah said, trying to sound stunned.
“What does this mean?” Yadidatum said.
Nimrod glared. “It is none of your concern, midwife.”
“He’s giving you this child!”
Terah held up a hand. “Yadidatum, difficult as this is, everything I have belongs to my sovereign.”
“But what will become of him?”
Ikuppi interrupted, “The king does not answer to us, woman, and certainly not to you.”
“I don’t mind, guard,” Nimrod said. “It is a fair question. Amraphel will be afforded whatever he deserves from the dominion.”
“Why were those men so afraid of him?”
“Yadidatum!” Ikuppi shouted.
Nimrod smiled again. “I’ll have to ask them, won’t I? And now you are dismissed. Terah, you may share the good news with your wife and pass along my deepest gratitude.”
“I don’t understand!” Yadidatum said.
“I said you were dismissed, servant.”
“The parents of this child must surrender him to you?” she cried as Ninlila carried the baby away.
The king stood, and Ikuppi rushed to hand him his scepter. “They named him after me, woman. They do this willingly.”
“They?” the midwife spat. “The mother of this child does not even know—”
“Think of your own son,” Terah whispered. He turned to the king. “Belessunu may indeed be distraught over this. She might even leave me.”
“This is not right!” Yadidatum yelled. “Master, I thought you merely wanted me to—”
Suddenly Ikuppi was at her side. “Do not make things worse,” he said. “Give this up and I will take you to see your son.”
She fell silent.
“Terah,” Nimrod said, “should your wife unwisely punish you for this selfless show of loyalty, I will make available to you your choice of companions from throughout the kingdom—perhaps even your insolent midwife.”