ON THE EVENING of the Sabbath, Shana went to visit Lily.
Lily looked awful. The new glow had gone from her cheeks, her sallow skin was drawn into tight creases on her forehead, and the pouches beneath her eyes were smudged with grey.
“Whatever is the matter?” asked Shana, alarmed.
Lily drew her into the room and closed the door. “I’m so glad you’ve come,” she said breathlessly. “I’ve been so afraid; I wish you were still here with me. I keep hearing those footsteps outside my room at night as though someone is creeping about. I’ve hardly slept. Once, I peeped out and saw the shadow of a man on the wall opposite. It looked like he was standing at the side of the house.” She tugged at the loose skin below her chin and glanced about nervously. “Then last night I got the fright of my life. There was a loud knock on my door and I thought I was done for. A man called out asking for you and I realised it was that dreadful cousin of yours, although I could have kissed him right then. He came to deliver a message sent to him from your sister that all is well at home. I told him where you are living now and then explained what had been happening here. He marched right out to look around, not at all afraid, but there was no one about. Oh Shana, do you think they have found me? But if it is them – my step-brothers, I mean – what would they be waiting for if they know I’m here?”
Shana went cold. “Have any of the brothers been here to fetch you for a meeting?”
“Not yet, but they did say they would.”
Shana spoke urgently. “If they do come, tell them what you have told me; don’t go with them. And tell them not to go to the home where the others are meeting. I will go and warn Anna tomorrow. We must have been followed by Saul’s men one night on our way home, and they’re probably waiting for an opportunity to be led to our meeting place so they can make more arrests. It’s a numbers game for Saul; it appears that he really means to hound out every last one of us.”
“Oh,” said Lily, transferring her anxiety to this new possibility. It was a hard blow for a new believer, just when things had started getting better, to find out that her faith came with a price. Worse still, it was when she most needed the support of fellow believers, especially now that Shana was no longer here to encourage her. Curse that man Saul, thought Shana, and then remembered Yeshua’s admonition to bless those who persecute you.
The next day, she gave Anna the news, which would quickly filter throughout the network of believers. Anna was unperturbed and practical: new locations would be found for their meetings and Lily would have to come straight from the prison to attend and stay the night afterwards.
That settled, Anna burst out, “I have good news for you. Your friend Mary is back in Jerusalem.”
“How wonderful!” cried Shana, brightening instantly. “I can’t wait to see her. Where is she? I’ll go to her right now.”
“She told me she is staying in Abigail’s room by the market; she said you would know where it is.”
Shana quickly took her leave and ran all the way there. The door opened at her first knock and there stood her friend like a gift from heaven. The women fell into one another’s arms, laughing, crying and exclaiming.
"Come in, come in and tell me everything," said Mary. "You look like a princess! I've not yet heard any news about you except that Rafael is in prison. Darling, it must be so hard for you. Tell me all about it."
The quiet familiarity of Abigail’s room exuded a comforting restfulness as it had done so many times before, providing shelter from the storms of Shana’s life, and now again she sank back gratefully against the plump cushions and drank in Mary’s nourishing energy like draughts of life itself. What a contrast to the thirsty, draining energy of Lily’s parched soul.
"I will start from where I last saw you," said Shana and began to pour out all that had happened since her wedding. Mary squealed with delight when she heard about Shana’s children, wept over Beth’s broken dreams, and then sat holding Shana’s hand in deep empathy while she listened to the details of Rafael’s imprisonment. Afterwards she spoke out confidently, “Nothing is impossible for God. We will ask the Father right now to move mountains for Rafael’s release.”
Shana looked down. “It may not be his will,” she said quietly. “I have been trying to accept that possibility. Sometimes I am able to relinquish him into God’s hands, but more often the only thing I can do is beg for him to get out of that hell hole. I hardly know how to pray in faith anymore.”
“We will pray now in Yeshua’s name just as though he himself is praying through our lips, which indeed he is, and then we will believe that the Father will work powerfully on Rafael’s behalf and leave the whole thing to him. He told us not to let our hearts to be troubled or afraid but to trust him completely, so that is exactly what we will do.”
Mary had a wonderful way of simplifying things. Her bold, optimistic faith had always been a blessing but never more than now. After they had prayed together, Shana found that in some incomprehensible way she could believe for Rafael’s deliverance and at the same time release him into the Lord’s hands. Her mind stopped trying to work it all out and supernatural peace overflowed again.
When she told Mary about Lily, she had barely got to her last sentence before Mary interrupted, “You must bring her here to me at once. She cannot possibly live there by herself with all that going on and no one to talk to. She can stay with me for a while; I know the Lord wants it. How about inviting her with you to have a midday meal with me next Sabbath?”
On the way home, Shana contemplated the huge changes in Mary’s life since she had met the Master. If he could work such a transformation in her, he could do the same for Lily, and who better than Mary to help bring it about.
The next morning when she arrived at the palace, Josiah was lounging on a low wall inside the courtyard, waiting for her, evidently with more leisure on his hands than was good for him. He had strategically positioned himself between two trimmed hedges so that she would have to pass by him, which she attempted to do with a brief nod of greeting.
“How nice to see you,” he said, getting to his feet and blocking her way. “Did you have a pleasant Sabbath?”
“Yes, thank you,” said Shana shortly, trying to slip past.
“You have time for a little chat, I’m sure. It’s still early.”
“I can’t leave the others to do the work on their own,” Shana began and then noticed the girls sitting in the sun on the steps, chatting and laughing with the house-keeper.
“The high priest won’t be up and about for another hour. He always sleeps late the morning after the Sabbath. It’s such a glorious day, isn’t it? Sit down for a while.” He took his seat again and indicated the place next to him. Shana hesitated, glancing uneasily towards the palace.
“We’re having an important visitor next week,” he said. His eyes shone like polished glass. “It should be an interesting meeting. Saul is coming to meet with the high priest to make some request. You’ve heard of Saul, haven’t you?”
Shana’s hand flew up to her mouth and she pretended to cough. “I think so,” she said casually. “Isn’t he the man who opposes the followers of the prophet Yeshua?”
“That’s putting it mildly,” he said.
At once she knew she was on dangerous ground; she should never have mentioned the name. What if he asked her what she thought about it all – could she lie about the truth? She searched her mind quickly for a way to distract him and sat down, saying with a smile, “Why don’t you tell me about yourself? How did you manage to get admitted into the Sanhedrin at such a young age?”
Josiah needed no second invitation to speak of his achievements. “I’m not as young as you might think and I haven’t exactly achieved membership yet, although I do expect to soon. I was educated under Gamaliel, as was Saul. I advanced quickly and impressed the elders with my ability to interpret the law and to debate and influence opinions. The Pharisees, being in the minority, thought it would strengthen their arguments to have me on their side, so they recommended me to the Sanhedrin and I was elected as an advisor to the chief priests in matters of judgement. My father, being a wealthy man and having close affiliations with some of the council members, undoubtedly had a certain amount to do with it too.”
Shana looked him over as he spoke. He sat very correctly on the bench as though posing, his shoulders back and hands folded neatly in his lap. There was something slightly effeminate about him, and yet he emanated a disturbing underlying power. His compact physique reminded her of a leopard about to spring, every muscle poised in readiness yet relaxed, its energy acutely focused but harnessed and controlled until exactly the right moment.
He smoothed his beard with a small, elegant hand, perfectly proportioned with shapely, square-tipped fingers, and gave one of his startling smiles. “And now that I’ve revealed everything there is to know about me, it’s your turn to tell me about yourself.”
“I really must go now; I see the others have gone in.” Shana jumped up with a gay laugh and skipped away. But inside she was grave; she was going to have to keep her wits about her. The domineering young scribe had clearly set his affections on her and this could be used to her advantage. But it would not be wise, either to encourage him or to offend him, and it was going to take some very careful strategy to establish the balance.
After that encounter, she dreaded bumping into Josiah around every corner because it was always a challenge to deflect his flirtations. But if she was strictly honest with herself, her relief over not seeing him was always tinged with a hint of disappointment. His charm provided an engaging distraction, and her loneliness made her vulnerable.
A few days later, Josiah appeared outside the gates at the end of her day’s work and asked if he could walk her home.
“I’m not going home,” she said, reluctant to let him see where her room was. She thought quickly. “I’m going straight to my cousin’s house and he will not be pleased to see me walk with a strange man.” Perhaps the mention of a kinsman might discourage him.
He looked disappointed but stood aside to let her go. She felt his eyes on her back and dared not turn into the cul-de-sac lane that led to her room, so now had no choice but to wander around a bit or do as she had said and go all the way to Haziel’s house. It was getting late and he would probably be annoyed at having to escort her back but she felt a sudden need for a dose of his down to earth companionship, even if only to reassure herself that she was not entirely without family back up. So she decided on the spur of the moment to risk his displeasure and go anyway.
She found him sitting at the courtyard gate, gazing gloomily into the street, and made the excuse that she had come to find out about Beth’s message.
“I told it word for word to your skinny friend,” he said. “Found her frightened as a cornered mouse.”
“You’re enough to scare anyone,” teased Shana, hoping to lighten his mood.
He hauled himself to his feet, yawned noisily and stretched, clasping his hands together behind his head, which caused his biceps to bulge like boulders in his sleeveless tunic. “How are you enjoying your promotion?” he asked. “Not a bad step up – from serving prisoners to serving princes. I trust that Caiaphas and the ruling council are pleased with my recommendation?”
Those words again – the divine proclamation! ‘You will serve prisoners and you will serve princes.’ Shana’s skin tingled. It was like having a part in a great cosmic drama which was unfolding inexorably towards a pre-determined conclusion.
“You haven't answered my question,” said Haziel. “Anyway, now that you are here, you may as well prepare me something to eat. I’m hungry.”
It was an enjoyable evening. They had not chatted this easily since the early days when Shana had first stayed with him and Judith, before . . . before things had got complicated between them. Now a comfortable understanding seemed to have established itself and he had become more like the big brother she always wished she had.
After dinner, Shana told Haziel about Josiah. He listened intently, narrowing his eyes and chewing the side of his lip. She waited to hear what he would say, but he made no comment. He dutifully escorted her home without complaining and when he left her at her door, he said, “The man could be useful, but be very careful or he might find it in his interests to have your husband disposed of.”
An icy shiver ran up Shana’s spine. He was right, she was on extremely precarious ground. Her dangerous attractiveness to men could be her downfall.
He called over his shoulder, “I’m going to visit Juanita next week. I’ll let your family know how you are thriving on city life.”
He disappeared into the night, leaving her marooned again. She was so tired of being alone, having to face every challenge single-handedly without a man to support her and lead her and take care of her. She was so tired of being alone.