“Whoa, there,” Nathan interrupted. “What about those muscle men of Saul’s that nearly grabbed our tails before we got out of the tunnels? They may still be down there, ready to toss our turbans the minute we come down.”
Karis shook her head. “That’s what you think. Aren’t you taught many ways to tunnel into Torah? There are also many ways to enter and leave the underground tunnels of Hezekiah. I know one way it would take the brains of a thousand kings to figure out. Follow me!”
“One minute,” Joshua said. “We need more light.”
He walked toward a group vigorously arguing over which way to go in search of Jesus’ followers. “A torch, my good man?” he said loudly to a young fellow with two. “A person needs all the light he can gather to spot something so slippery and low to the ground as a ‘believer’!” The young man laughed and tossed Joshua a torch before settling on a direction in which to continue the hunt.
Joshua waited for the rest of the mob to follow the young man and then hurried back to the shed, much to the relief of the others.
They wound down a dozen different streets and alleys, sometimes waiting long, anxious minutes in hiding for a noisy crowd or troop of soldiers to pass before continuing. In those moments of waiting, many prayers were whispered and the children received reassuring hugs from their parents. When danger passed, they hurried again after Karis, guided by the moon, their torch, and their strong faith.
An hour later they turned the corner of a low stone fence and entered a deserted courtyard close by the city wall. In the middle stood a decaying stone well. Karis stopped at the well, leaned over, and started untying the frayed rope that ended in a bucket made of animal skins.
“Good,” said Nathan wearily. “Now that you’ve taken us by the scenic route, I could use a drink.”
“Wait until we’re down,” Karis replied, freeing the bucket and giving the thick rope several tugs. After a few seconds, the wheel that raised and lowered the bucket turned easily.
“D-d-down?” Nathan faltered. “What do you mean ‘down’? What do you mean ‘we’?”
“I mean,” said Karis, “that at the bottom of this dry rain well is a break in the wall eventually leading to the main water system where we were this afternoon. Saul doesn’t have enough men to guard every tunnel and entrance. They’ll be looking for us where they heard us last, not way back here in a bunch of passages nobody uses anymore. Ladies first?”
Mara and her family looked dubiously at the flimsy bucket of sewn camel hide.
Karis’s father saw their hesitation and spoke. “I know my daughter. If she says it’s safe, we can trust that it’s safe.”
Karis’s mother pulled her daughter close and nodded. “My husband is right,” she said. “And the longer we stand here in the moonlight, torch blazing, the greater the chance someone will come to investigate.”
Realizing the truth of that statement, both families lined up for the ride down the well. The men first lowered the mothers, then the daughters, and then Nathan by way of the rope and bucket. Joshua insisted on being last and lowered Karis’s father next.
It was about twenty feet to the bottom, where Karis had long ago spread a large quantity of sour hay that a stabler had discarded behind his stalls. She had thrown it down the well and then come in by a different entrance to spread it out on the floor below. Several layers later, she had herself a semisoft landing.
Joshua, the last, tied the bucket as low as possible and then climbed down and hung from it, subtracting a good eight feet from his fall. He focused on the light of the torch below, said a prayer, and let go.
The landing was not a graceful one, but with no bones broken, they all thanked God and scrambled through a low, narrow opening into a passage where they could stand. Mara missed the friendly moonlight the minute it was gone.
Karis looked in one direction and then the other. But she was taking too long. Mara could see Karis hesitate. She was unsure.
The weight of the world above pressed down upon them. Fury, hatred, swords, knives . . .
“This way!” Karis finally declared. “Quickly!”
For what seemed like hours, they wound through narrow places. The underground chill crept into their bones and left them shivering. Sometimes the stone floor was slick and the footing difficult. Mara worried about someone turning an ankle that would slow them down and make it easier for Saul to find them. She worried about her skinny brother, especially when he stumbled into her and she could feel his body shaking with cold and fright.
If anything were to happen to Karis, Mara wondered how they would ever find their way to the surface.
But at least here in these caverns the water didn’t flow. The dry season had lessened the amount of water coming in from the springs in the valley of Kidron, and this lessening seemed to keep the water channeled into the main tunnel.
Mara worried about why they hadn’t yet reached the main tunnel. She forced her mind away from the one word that made her eyes well with tears: lost.
Karis stopped. Mara and the others stopped too, their rapid breathing the only sound in the barren passageway.
“Wait here.” Karis ran ahead with the torch, plunging the others into utter darkness. Mara could hear the girl’s footsteps scraping against the hard rock floor ahead, her breathing growing more ragged with each step.
“Cave-in,” Karis called out. The word sent a stab of cold right through Mara’s heart. They’d have to go back. But they couldn’t climb up the sheer sides of the well. Was there another way out?
As if in answer, angry voices sounded from another direction. Saul’s men! Coming closer. That must be the way to the main chamber, but we can’t use it now! They’re coming. We’ve got to get away!
Karis reappeared, her face grim in the torchlight. She wouldn’t look at Mara —or anyone else. “I was sure that was the way past the main channel, but it’s completely blocked,” she said faintly. “I thought there was a way around it, but . . . but I can’t find it. We’ll have to go back to the well. Th-there might be enough loose stones for us to make a pile to stand on so that our dads can grab the bucket. Hurry up! At least maybe we can hide.”
She turned abruptly and started along a passage Mara didn’t remember at all.
“Wait. That’s not the way we came.” Mara felt panicky and was about to use the word she knew they were all thinking. Lost. Admit it. L-O-S-T. We should never have —
The floor beneath their feet began to shake and roll. From deep within the earth came a low rumble. Karis jumped back and knocked into Mara and Nathan. All fell in a heap just as the ceiling ahead let go with a deafening roar. Tons of earth and rubble filled the passage where Karis had been, as well as the one Mara thought was the right one.
Earthquake!
The torch rolled away into a patch of water and sputtered out. They lay on their backs against the cold stone floor, stunned by the collapse. Clouds of dust swirled into their eyes and lungs and left them choking for air.
Mara felt confused. The torch went out. How come we can still see?
Shouts again, closer this time. The sound of running feet. Saul coming. Mara prayed, God, don’t let us die like this! Open the earth and pull us out!
“Look!” Karis cried, pointing upward. The dust was clearing, and a shaft of light —bright, silvery moonlight —streamed down through a hole in the ground above made by the fresh cave-in.
“Swiftly!” ordered Joshua. “Children, you first. Climb toward that light with everything you’ve got. Go!”
Joshua didn’t need to say another word. Saul’s men did it for him. “This way!” came the clear shouts, now fearfully close.
Karis, Mara, and Nathan clawed and pulled their way upward. Dirt and rock showered down on their parents below, but it didn’t stop the adults from scrambling up after them. Sweet, warm air met them at the top, along with a wonderful surprise. They were outside the city walls!
“Messiah has saved us!” Joshua declared.
“Amen!” Nathan yelped.
Timon threw his arms wide to the sky. “Praise God!” he cried.
The seven fugitives grabbed each other’s hands and ran like the wind in the direction of Caesarea. They ran until they looked back and saw no sign of any torches. Nothing but darkness and the bright moon.
Mara’s panting slowed, and she gave her brother a giant hug. Then came the same for each of her parents. Head down, she went to Karis. “What I said earlier about your father and earning money, it . . . it was a stupid thing to say. I’ve said a lot of stupid things. I’m sorry for making you feel bad about little stuff that isn’t important at all. I believe in Jesus and so do you. And back there when we escaped the house? I was just as scared as you were!”
Karis gave her a big smile. “Does this mean I’m good enough to be in New Israel?”
Mara looked at Nathan, who nodded and then frowned. “Except compared to the way we acted, she might be too good for the club!” he said.
Mara smiled. “No, we’re done with that. Besides, wherever we end up, we’ll have to start another club. Let’s call it Brand-New Israel!”
Nathan groaned.
Karis rolled her eyes.