Passing out of the valley in the darkness, Galen approached his people’s camp with sharply different feelings fighting inside him. A sense of peace over his decision was almost overwhelmed by the dread of facing Goliath. That reluctance and lack of courage made Galen fight to not run away in panic. Knowing he really had no choice, he answered the Philistine night sentry’s challenge and entered the camp.

Without mentioning his adventure to the sentry, Galen walked through the sleeping encampment toward Ziklag’s family tent. Glancing up at the midnight sky, he desperately wished his parents and his brother were alive so he could share the conflicts raging in his mind.

Hearing snoring from inside Zik’s shelter, Galen removed his sandals to slip inside without awakening anyone. As he reached for the tent flap, Zik stepped outside.

He took Galen’s arm, pulled him away from the tent, and demanded in a hoarse whisper, “Where have you been?”

Galen thought fast as they moved far enough away so that nobody could overhear. He had to talk to somebody, and he liked and trusted Zik. After swearing him to secrecy, Galen told him everything.

Zik sank down beside a dying campfire that made his face glow and his eyes shine brightly. He exclaimed in disbelief, “You talked to this god of the Israelites?”

“Well, sort of, I guess,” Galen admitted, hurt that his confession seemed to have shocked Zik.

Galen watched the firelight playing on his friend’s face before adding, “But I feel good about it.” He touched the Dagon in his tunic. “And I also feel bad.”

“But,” Zik pointed out, “you can’t even see this Israelite god, so how can you know what he thinks?”

“Well,” Galen replied, “He left instructions in something called the book of the law.”

“Tell that to Goliath!” Zik whispered. “Or are you really going to tell him everything you’ve just told me?”

Thoughtfully, Galen admitted, “I don’t think so. He’s going to be angry enough that I had a chance to use my club on an Israelite but didn’t.”

Sighing heavily, Zik remarked, “I think you’ve lost all your chances with Goliath. I doubt he’ll ever, ever let you carry his shield. But you can be sure he’s going to have something terrible to say about you becoming a man and a warrior. In fact, the whole camp will probably hear him when he curses you as only he can.”

Galen shivered, recalling how vile-mouthed the giant had often been to anyone who aggravated him. It seemed to Galen that all he had ever wanted was forever lost.

Zik continued, “You can see Dagon, Baal, and our other Philistine gods as easily as you can see Goliath. After all, he’s the most powerful champion who ever was! My father says Goliath was sent by our Philistine gods to defeat the weak, foolish Israelites across the valley.”

Galen protested rather lamely, “Reuben says that the God of the Israelites will defeat Goliath.”

Zik snorted. “Why would a powerful god choose such cowardly people as the Israelites, who won’t even send one man to fight Goliath? Why would a powerful god give his people poor wooden weapons and no iron or bronze ones? It doesn’t make sense!”

Zik’s voice began to rise, but he ignored Galen’s warning to speak softly. “Them defeat Goliath?” Zik cried. “That’s impossible! For nearly forty days, morning and evening, Goliath has challenged the Israelites to send somebody to fight him. No one has come.”

Galen replied, “Reuben says that when it’s the right time, their God will send someone to —”

“It won’t happen!” Zik interrupted. “The Israelites won’t ever send anyone to meet Goliath. They don’t want to become our slaves when Goliath beats their champion. They sit over there on their hillside and shake with fear, but they won’t fight! Some god they have!”

On that triumphant note, Zik declared that he was going to bed. Galen stayed outside to think, but he was now in more mental anguish and uncertainty than before. In spite of his determination to be a good Philistine, tears won. They continued for a long time. It was nearly dawn before he wearily crawled into the tent and slept.

Galen was awakened by Zik shaking him by the shoulders. “Wake up, Galen! Something seems to be happening on the Israelite side of the valley!”

Galen rolled over and muttered sleepily, “What?”

“You slept through Goliath’s morning call for the Israelites to send someone to fight him. Today their soldiers are moving around excitedly instead of just standing around as usual.”

Galen sat upright. “What does that mean?”

“Goliath thinks they may finally be going to send someone to fight him, so he’s giving them a few minutes. Then he’s going to challenge them again! If he’s right, there’s going to be a wonderful sight to see! So get up!”

Galen quickly obeyed, wondering if Reuben could possibly be right about the Israelite God sending someone to accept Goliath’s challenge.

Moments later Galen and Zik pushed their way forward through the crowd until they were past everyone except the Philistine soldiers. Unable to see through the massed ranks, the boys ran off to one side. They stopped where there was a clear view of Goliath below them on the hillside and the Israelites on the opposite hill.

Zik spoke excitedly. “They’re moving around like a swarm of bees, so they must have found a champion to fight ours! Do you suppose he’s as big as Goliath?”

“I don’t know,” Galen admitted, feeling himself getting caught up in the excitement. He vainly looked for Reuben and wondered if Reuben could see him. “But,” Galen told Zik, “whoever the Israelites plan to send against Goliath must really be a great warrior.”

Galen dropped his gaze to his own people. As usual, the mighty Goliath and his shield bearer stood in front of his troops, facing the Israelites. Goliath made a splendid sight, towering more than nine feet tall in his 125-pound coat of bronze armor. He looked even larger in his helmet and shin guards, which were bronze too.

A bronze javelin was slung across his massive shoulders. At his side a great sword rested in its scabbard. His spear, as large as a weaver’s rod with a 15-pound iron point, seemed tiny in Goliath’s huge hands.

A few feet in front of him, Goliath’s shield bearer waited, resting the giant’s heavy buckler on the ground. Behind Goliath stood a warrior with a sword and a spear. Galen had seen all the weapons in use before. He knew that the armor bearer with the sword and spear would follow Goliath and deliver a death blow after the giant felled his adversary.

None of that was different to Galen. Neither was the usual mass of Philistine warriors and civilians. They’d gathered morning and evening for forty days to see Goliath shout across the small valley for the Israelites to send out a champion to meet him in mortal combat.

What was different, Galen saw at once, was that on the hillside across the valley, the Israelites were no longer standing around with heads down and shoulders slumped. Instead, they ran back and forth, talking among themselves and often looking behind them.

Zik asked, “What do you think they see back there?”

“All I can see are officers’ tents,” Galen replied, shading his eyes to see better. “I think they’re expecting someone to come from that direction. Yes! See? The troops are parting right in the middle, making room for someone to pass through them!”

“You’re right!” Zik exclaimed. “Now I can hear them shouting something, but I can’t make out their words.”

“Neither can I,” Galen admitted. “They’re looking back and starting to cheer! Listen to them!”

A great roar erupted from the throats of the assembled Israelites. They shook their inferior bows and spears in the air and jumped up and down, straining to see whoever was moving through the human path behind them.

Zik cried, “No doubt about it! They’ve found a champion!”

“I see him!” Galen declared. “There! Just stepping out from —oh no!”

He stared in disbelief. Across the valley, a boy not much older than Galen stepped out of the Israelites’ ranks. He wore no armor, only shepherd’s clothing. He carried a staff and sling but no shield or weapon.

“Who’s he?” Galen asked in surprise as the Israelites’ cheers became a mighty and continuous roar.

“Probably a messenger,” Zik guessed. “Maybe he’s being sent to say the Israelites have found a champion who needs a few more minutes to put on his armor. So this boy’s going to ask if Goliath will wait.”

Galen disagreed. “I don’t think so. From the cheering of the Israelites and the way our warriors are laughing, I think that boy’s going to challenge Goliath!”

“No! That can’t be!” Zik exclaimed.

Galen and Zik studied the youth with sudden new interest as he stopped at the brook and slowly picked up some stones from beside it.

He was a handsome kid, Galen had to admit. And unusual. Not as dark-skinned as most Israelites, he had a ruddy complexion. Galen thought from this distance that the boy might even have red hair.

Galen watched as the youth bent to pick up another stone, which he then placed in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. Four times he repeated the action and then straightened up. Then calmly and confidently, he left the stream and deliberately began walking toward Goliath.

“Yes!” Galen cried in disbelief. “That is their champion! That shepherd boy is going to fight Goliath with just a sling and some stones!”