“This is the Daniel?” King couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Years of unwanted childhood Sunday School lessons flooded through his mind. “As in Daniel and the Lion’s Den? The Writing on the Wall? All that stuff?”
Daniel laughed. “Oh yes. But my banishment into the den was years ago. Seems a lifetime ago, now.” He stopped for a second and cocked his head to one side, as if puzzled about something. “But this ‘writing’ you speak of… I do not recollect anything like that. Perhaps it is something that is still to come in my future.” He paused again, then let out a single bark of a laugh and clapped his hands again. “Ha! I have a future. That is good to know, certainly. Sometimes, I am not certain I have much time left...especially after disobeying his Highness’s orders regarding the boy’s assassination. His Highness will be most displeased about that, I am sure.”
If Daniel was concerned, King couldn’t read it in the man’s face. It practically beamed with its own luminosity.
Despite coming face-to-face with a bona fide historical figure, King’s thoughts remained on a single question. “You still haven’t explained to me how you know my name. My real name.”
“That is quite simple,” Daniel said. His face grew suddenly sober as he ducked under the temple entrance to look out. “I have been having dreams of your coming for some time. Dreams of the prince’s danger. Of the possible—but not inevitable—destruction of the world. And, of course, of the warrior from a different world that would serve as Belshazzar’s protector. Yahweh-Yireh always provides. And he has provided me with many visions of a man who was both a king and not a king.”
“So, you’ve had visions of me? Is that how the Girtablilu knew my name as well? Did your God give them dreams as well?”
Daniel’s face whipped around from the doorway to look at King, his eyes wide. “The Girtablilu? You’ve encountered them?”
“Yes, Ba’al Daniy-yel,” Belshazzar said. “Nearly a fortnight ago now. The Blasphemer has released them from Shamash’s Gate. He intended to use me as a sacrifice for them. It was there that Achelous rescued me and agreed to accompany me to the forbidden tomb, before Sereb-Meloch’s forces can release the great Tiamat.”
“And when I fought them, one of them called me King. How do you suppose that is?”
“How indeed,” the old man said, almost mumbling to himself in deep thought. His eyes developed a far-away look. His mind apparently contemplating the news’s implications. “But perhaps that is something for us to discover another time.” He glanced outside the entrance once more, then waved to King and the prince. “For now, I say we best be on our way. The temple guard who escaped your blade will likely return with reinforcements. And I would not put it past Balyah and his brother to regain their nerve and return to finish what they started.”
Although he still had questions, King agreed with the prophet’s reasoning. Scooping up Balyah’s club, he moved over to the door and peered out. Not seeing anything of significance, he turned to Belshazzar and jabbed a single finger into the prince’s chest. “If you ever...ever...take off on me again like that again, I’ll hand you over to the first set of slave traders we come across. You got that?”
The prince nodded his agreement, and King turned once more to the narrow entrance. “You see anything?” he asked Daniel.
“It is quiet,” the old man answered. “The pilgrims have all but disappeared.” He looked over at King, his face strained. “Which does not bode well for us, I am afraid.”
“You think the big guy and his scrawny brother are out there?”
“I think someone is. As to who, I am uncertain.”
King gave one last glance out and shrugged. “Well, can’t you just call up a vision or something?”
Daniel shook his head. “It does not work that way. A prophet of Yahweh is not a soothsayer or diviner. The Lord provides when he deems it best to provide.”
King sighed. “This is exactly why I don’t have much use for gods in general. They’re never in much hurry to lend a hand when it’s really needed.”
“Do not be too quick to judge, warrior,” Daniel said. “He brought me to you when you needed me most, did he not? And you to Belshazzar.”
“I had it under control.”
The old man laughed quietly at this, then stepped out into the night without another word.
“Do you trust him?” King asked Belshazzar, before allowing the boy to follow.
The prince nodded without hesitation. “With my life.”
King let the prince pass and took a deep breath. “I suppose that’ll have to do for now,” he mumbled to himself. “But I’d much rather have a bazooka than a crazy old man by my side.”
He stepped out into the night and began making his way down the steep decline to the temple’s foundation. The moment his foot touched solid ground, he felt it shake.