Chapter 9
Welcome to Nineveh

Sam found himself sitting on the white sand of a warm, tropical lagoon. Colorful fish nibbled at his toes. He splashed water from a large seashell over his head to wash away the goo and stink of the giant fish’s digestive system.

“Wow!” he said. “That’s what I call projectile vomiting.”

“And we were the projectiles,” Scarlett added as she washed herself down with another seashell of water. She glanced over her shoulder at the enormous fin making its way toward the horizon. She was already thinking about what to do next. “We’ll get ourselves cleaned up. The sun’s warm and can dry us off. Then we’ll need to figure out where we are.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have any sunscreen?” Sam asked.

“After what we’ve been through, sunburn is the least of our worries,” Scarlett replied.

“Are you sure we can’t stay here awhile? It’s really nice having a tropical island all to ourselves.”

“I know what you mean,” Scarlett said. “I’d like to stay and chill as much as you do, Sam. But we’re here for a reason. We’re on a mission. We have to get Jonah to Nineveh.”

Scarlett suddenly remembered something. She looked around. “Where is Jonah? Did you see him?”

“No,” Sam said.

“I haven’t seen him since the inside of the fish,” Scarlett said. She glanced toward the palm trees at the far end of the beach. “Could he be over there, or . . .” Scarlett stopped. She didn’t want to say what suddenly crossed her mind. What if Jonah hadn’t managed to get out of the big fish? She and Sam might end up stranded thousands of miles and a couple of thousand years away from where they belonged. Scarlett cupped her hands to her mouth and called as loudly as she could, “JONAH! JONAH! WHERE ARE YOU?”

No answer. Scarlett turned to Sam. “Do you think something happened to him? Sam, what if he didn’t get out of the big fish with us?”

“He must have,” shrugged Sam. “We read the Book of Jonah every year on Yom Kippur. If Jonah didn’t make it out of the shark, we’d be reading another book.”

“You’re right,” said Scarlett, relieved. “So we’d better find him.”

“Where should we look?” Sam asked.

“Maybe he landed somewhere in those palm trees. Let’s go.”

That seemed like a good idea. Scarlett and Sam were as clean as a seawater bath was going to get them. The twins walked along the beach until they came to the grove of palm trees.

“Jonah! Are you in there? Jonah!” they called.

Still no answer. “Let’s split up,” Scarlett said. “We’ll cover more trees that way.”

“What if we get lost and can’t find each other?”

“We won’t get lost. It’s a small island. Just keep calling out. As long as we can hear each other, we’ll know we’re okay.”

“Good idea,” said Sam. He went left and Scarlett went right, both of them calling, “Jonah . . . Jonah . . . Jonah . . .”

Scarlett heard it first: a tiny, scared voice that seemed to come from overhead.

“I cry to God because of my affliction. You cast me into the heights, in the midst of the trees. Leaves surrounded me about. Flies and lizards swarmed around me . . .”

Scarlett looked up. There was Jonah, clinging to the trunk of a palm tree like a frightened monkey. “Some prophet!” she grumbled to herself. “If God sent him to Pharaoh instead of Moses, we’d still be in Egypt.” But she called up to Jonah, “We’re here, Jonah. Come down!”

Jonah stared down, surprised to see her. “How did you get out of the whale?”

“Same way you did,” Scarlett said. “Come down now. Sam and I have been looking for you.”

“I’m afraid of heights,” Jonah said. “What if I let go and break my leg?”

“You’re not up that high. You can shimmy down the trunk or just drop. There’s nothing underneath but sand,” said Scarlett.

Jonah didn’t move. He clung to the tree with his eyes clamped shut.

“Okay, here I come!” Jonah finally let go. He landed on the sand. Scarlett grabbed his arm to steady him, then quickly let go.

“Yuck! You smell terrible!” She suddenly remembered that Jonah hadn’t bathed in the lagoon the way she and Sam had. Jonah raised his eyes to heaven.

“Thank you, God, for rescuing me!”

That’s when Sam showed up. “Yuck! What’s that smell?”

“It’s Jonah,” Scarlett said.

“Jonah needs a bath,” Sam answered. Before Jonah could say another word, the twins pulled him to the beach and dunked him in the lagoon. They washed him until they all decided he was as clean as he was going to get.

“That’s better,” said Scarlett and Sam.

Jonah only muttered, “They that observe the lying vanities forsake their own mercy.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sam asked.

“It’s his way of saying, ‘thank you,’ ” said Scarlett.

“You’re welcome,” said Sam.

“Don’t mention it,” said Jonah. “Now what?”

“You tell us,” said Sam. “You’re the prophet.”

“I only speak the words God puts in my mouth,” Jonah replied. “As of now, my mouth is empty. God hasn’t put any words in it.”

“God doesn’t just speak with words,” said Scarlett. “Sometimes God shows you a sign. Like when Moses came across the burning bush in the desert.”

“Or when Jacob wrestled with the angel,” said Sam. He turned to Jonah. “Well? Do you see any signs?”

“Sorry,” Jonah said with a shrug.

Scarlett sighed. “I have an idea. Why don’t we sit down and wait for God to send us a sign or tell us what to do next? Meanwhile, it’ll give our clothes a chance to dry.”

Sam agreed. “Good idea.” The three sat down on the trunk of a fallen palm tree and waited for something to happen.

An hour passed. The sun rose high in the sky. “Anybody getting any signs?” Scarlett asked.

“I’m getting thirsty,” said Sam.

“I’m getting sleepy,” said Jonah. “Do you mind if I find some shade and have a nap?”

“Go ahead,” said Scarlett.

“This isn’t getting us anywhere,” said Sam after Jonah wandered off.

“We have to be patient,” Scarlett answered. “The answer will come. I know it will. I can feel it.”

“How?” asked Sam. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. What if we’re cast up on a desert island where no one ever comes? Or maybe if others do come, they’ll be pirates or cannibals. What do we do then? How are we supposed to get to Nineveh? Are we anywhere near Nineveh? Can we walk? Build a raft? What?”

“Just be patient,” said Scarlett. “It won’t take too long. I can feel it.”

“Are you getting a sign?” asked Sam.

“Maybe,” Scarlett answered. She wouldn’t say more than that. She kept staring out at the ocean. Suddenly she stood up. “I see something.”

“Where?” Sam asked, trying to follow her gaze.

“Out there. Just below the horizon at eleven o’clock.”

Sam saw it too. A speck of red against the blue ocean. It drew closer until Scarlett and Sam could recognize what it was. A sail! A ship was coming toward the island. Scarlett and Sam began jumping up and down, yelling, trying to get the attention of the people on board.

“Hey! You on the boat! We’re here! Can you see us?”

The red speck grew larger as it came closer to shore. Scarlett and Sam saw a long ship built for speed. Forty oars dipped and stroked as one to a drumbeat that carried out far over the water.

“Uh-oh. That doesn’t look like the ship we took from Jaffa,” Sam said. It certainly did not. This ship had the streamlined look of a warship. The long beak on the prow had been designed to tear open the hull of any vessel that got in its way. The armored men on deck carried swords and spears. Others, dressed in black, stalked up and down between the oarsmen, lashing them with whips to get more speed.

“Maybe we can hide in the palm trees,” said Sam. “I don’t like the look of these guys.”

“Me, neither,” said Scarlett.

Before they could hide, Jonah appeared on the sand. He yawned and stretched. “That was a good nap. Just what I needed.” He stared out to sea. “What’s this? A ship! Our dream has come true! My prayers have been answered! We’re saved.” He began jumping up and down, waving his hands so the men on board could see him. The ship dropped anchor in the shallows of the lagoon. Four armored men leaped overboard. They all had long, curly beards. The one with the longest beard seemed to be the captain. They began walking toward the beach.

Jonah ran toward the men. He flopped down on his knees, raising his arms toward heaven. “Praise God! We’re saved!”

“Don’t be so sure,” Scarlett whispered to Sam.

The captain held out his hand. “Your documents, please.”

Scarlett and Sam stared at each other. “You mean like passports? We don’t have anything like that,” they said. Scarlett dug around in her pocket. “Here’s my school ID card. It’s wet, though.”

“I have a bus pass,” said Sam. “How about a library card?”

The captain turned to Jonah. “What about you?”

“The Lord God is my passport!” Jonah said.

“I see,” the captain said. He motioned to the soldiers. They stepped forward and, with a few swift motions, tied Sam’s, Scarlett’s, and Jonah’s hands behind their backs. “Let’s go,” he said, motioning toward the ship with his chin.

“Hey! Wait a minute! Where are you taking us?” Scarlett and Sam cried while Jonah yelled about fire, brimstone, and the Pit of Sheol.

“You’ve broken the law,” the captain told them. “Strangers must have proper documents before being allowed to enter our country. There is a severe penalty for illegal entry . . . unless our king is merciful and decides to sell you as slaves.”

“Wait!” Scarlett yelled. “What king? What country? This is a desert island. There’s nothing here but seashells and palm trees.”

“Doesn’t matter,” the captain said. “It’s our island. Deserted or not, it belongs to our country.”

“What country are we in?” asked Sam.

The captain stroked his beard. “You’re in Assyria. We’re taking you to our capital. Welcome to Nineveh.”