Del made the call, and was told it might be a while. He hung up, and briefed the Elders. “They say they’ll do what they can, but it’s kind of last minute.”
Brother Benedict nodded. “I’d hate to waste the morning, but we can’t really continue without our electrics being approved.”
“We were scheduled for an inspection next week. We didn’t expect to be ahead of schedule.” Del nodded. “I don’t see any way we can get someone out here until tomorrow at the earliest. Next week is more likely. These inspections are lined up long in advance.”
The brothers nodded, and decided to press on with the day however they could. Just because the bulk of the Kingdom Hall renovation depended on what was next didn’t mean they couldn’t prepare lesser matters, like the garden outside, or paving the parking area.
Del left the building and joined the work teams outside, including his wife. He brought her up to date on things. “Until we can get someone to sign off on our job of running cabling, we can’t put the drywall up; use any of the appliances…”
“You were in this business for a lot of years, babe. You don’t have someone you can call? It’s not a city inspection, or a site inspection. Just the electrics.” Eleanor guessed. “Who do electricians call when they need someone to check their work?”
“Other electricians.” Del admitted. “Alright, let me make a call.”
~/*\~
Ellis was in his car when his phone rang. He hit the bluetooth. “This is Ellis.”
“Hi, it’s Del.”
Ellis blinked, surprised as he pulled up at a traffic light. “Del. This is a surprise. What can I do for you today?”
“I… need a favor. I’m currently helping out on renovations of one of our Meeting Halls. It’s a pretty big job, but work at the Site is ahead of schedule, and we can’t move ahead until we have an expert check our wiring. Once we can sign off on it being up to code, we can start work on the interiors and such. I’m told you were promoted to a full site inspector, and given that we’ve worked together before… It won’t take more than a few hours.”
“Unless I find something.” Ellis shot back. “Look, you know I’m always happy to help, but you can’t request a particular inspector.” Unless you know someone in the Local Council like Darrel.
“I’m not asking for an inspection. We need an electrician to sign off on our fusebox. I know you’ve still got your license. I’m not asking for an inspection from the city. We’ve done everything we need to, we just need all the boxes ticked.”
Ellis let out a breath. “Ah. That I can do.” He conceded. “Look, I’m a City Employee now, and my schedule is packed. I’m on my way to one of Darrel’s sites as we speak. If I blow him off to check out the wiring at a Jehovah’s Witness Hall instead, he could raise a stink about it. You probably remember what a fan he was of you guys.”
“I know.” Del sighed. “Look, just… if you can, drop by? I’ve been doing this more than half my life now, and I’m quite sure we’re all on the up and up. We both know this job really becomes time consuming when you find a problem. But as far as I can tell, we’re ready for inspection now.”
“I’ll let you know as soon as my schedule is open.” Ellis promised, and just then his phone beeped. Sighing, he made his apologies. “Del, I’m in my car, and I have another call. Can I get back to you after?”
“Sure. Good talking to you, Ellis.”
Del disconnected, and Ellis hit his bluetooth again. “Hello?”
“It’s Jerrold.” Gruffed a familiar voice. “Ellis, I’m going to have to cancel your inspection of the Maxwell site. A pipe burst about ten minutes ago, and everyone’s scrambling to get the water cleaned up. No point inspecting the site when it’s mid-repair.”
Ellis almost laughed.
~/*\~
“What are you thinking?” Eleanor asked Del quietly as everyone started setting up tables for lunch.
“I was… hedging, about calling Ellis.”
“There was bad blood when you left?”
“No. At least, not on my end. But Ellis was like me, in a lot of ways. When I first became a Witness, I wanted to talk to him about what I was learning, and how it helped me with the…” He searched for the words.
“The fear.” She supplied.
Del nodded. “I chickened out. I knew I should preach to my coworkers. There were people who even gave me an opening or two. But every time I tried, I got shot down. And Darrel didn’t exactly make it a welcoming place for talking about the Bible.”
Eleanor was about to answer when a car horn honked at him. It was Ellis, pulling up to the site. Del felt his jaw drop open in surprise as he stood and followed Ellis’ car. Eleanor chuckled and went off to tell the Elders. Their guest drove along the edge of the site and pulled into a parking space. “I thought you couldn’t make it.” Del grinned as Ellis got out of the car.
“As soon as I got off the phone with you, I had a cancellation.” Ellis explained.
Del laughed like he was in on a grand joke. “What were the odds?”
Ellis shrugged. “Sorry if it’s sooner than you’d like-”
“On the contrary, our people are waiting for approval before we continue. We were wondering whether or not to wrap it up early today.” Del chuckled. “So, where would you like to start?”
~/*\~
Ellis had spent most of his adult life on construction sites. He’d never seen one like this. Some of the people working were old and grey. There was a huge proportion of women working the earthmovers and power tools. There were no designated smoking areas. It took him a long while to realize there was no cussing or smoking at all, in fact.
Everyone was smiling, everyone knew each other, chatting like old friends. There was an impossible sense of energy in the air. By itself, nothing unusual. A Construction Site was always a focused place, but it was industrial, paying by the hour, and the foreman constantly on the workers for wasting time.
This site was… joyful.
“Figured it out, yet?” A voice said beside him.
Ellis turned and he saw a face he recognized. “Oh, hello. You’re…” He searched for the name. “Elaine?”
“Eleanor.” She corrected him with a smile and held out a hand. “We were never introduced, but Del told me about you.”
“Good things I hope.” Ellis returned the handshake. “Little surprised to see you here. I didn’t know you were in the business too.”
“I wasn’t, back when you and Del worked together.” Eleanor admitted. “I volunteered to be part of the construction here.”
“They let you do that?” Ellis blinked.
“We’re all volunteers.” Eleanor nodded, as though this was obvious.
Ellis blinked. “All of you?”
Eleanor read his expression and settled into an easy smile. “Not what you’re used to?”
“Nobody wants to be in construction, Ma’am.” Ellis said reasonably. “It’s hard work. If it was something people did for fun, they wouldn’t have to pay construction workers.”
Eleanor laughed. “People volunteer for hard work all the time. Are ‘Doctors Without Borders’ all up to something? Or Greenpeace? Mother Teresa?”
“Granted, but… This isn’t an industry where amateurs can just ‘have a go’ and assume it’ll work out.”
“Oh, we’ve got professionals.” Eleanor promised. “Some of our people have training and run the site, overseeing things. In fact there are some that travel site to site, even internationally, to get our assembly halls built. But most of the work just needs a workforce. One person to know how to run wiring, four people to pass the cables through. One person to know where to put a load-bearing support, five people to lift it into place. You don’t need special training to lend a hand.”
Ellis gestured at food tables, still being set up. “To say nothing of feeding all these people?”
“Right.” Eleanor nodded. “Everything’s done above board. That’s why we have inspectors like you.” She smiled sentimentally at the frames being assembled. “This is our place. We’re not taking any chances with it.”
“This is your Hall?” Ellis was surprised. “I thought your congregation was on the other side of town. At least, that was the impression I got when Del and I worked together.”
“Oh, it is. This is our first assignment for the construction work. We have no idea where we’ll be assigned next. And with a baby at home, it’s hard to say if we’ll ever travel for it.” Eleanor admitted. “But we wanted to do more, and given Del’s experience, it seemed like a local site was a logical place to volunteer.” She smiled a bit. “When I say ‘our place’, I mean all of ours. Our congregations have gotten big enough that we’re a parking problem for the neighbors, back at our own Hall. Half our friends live close enough that they’ll be attending here.”
Ellis hadn’t been to Church since he was a kid, and couldn’t imagine a congregation growing so much that it needed a new meeting place. He also couldn’t imagine his parents being so close with the others who sat in those pews, but these people all knew each other.
Del came over to them, sliding in next to his wife. She put an arm around him automatically, as Del raised his voice to call the other work groups over. “Time for lunch!”
~/*\~
Lunch was another difference. Usually, it was a food truck, or some place nearby that sold coffee and sandwiches. This was practically catered. There were tables of food laid out, all of them covered in platters. There was a wide variety of things, in addition to the usual standbys of coffee and chips.
Eleanor smiled and pointed out a platter to him. “Try the mini-pies. Elizabeth made them.”
Ellis blinked. “You make the food yourself?”
“Barbecue around back, everyone brings a plate.” Del nodded. “I know you’re not vegetarian. There’s a few gluten-free options if you prefer…”
Ellis shook his head without realizing it. He could feel Eleanor and Del watching out of the corner of their eye, not being intrusive about it. They were curious about his reactions.
One of the older men called for attention politely, and conversation stopped quickly. “So, before we pray and enjoy our lunch, we’ve got good news for you: Our site inspector has arrived. This, of course, means the work will not grind to a halt.”
There was a good-natured laugh.
~/*\~
“If these people are trained by experts, I’m a little surprised you don’t have an electrician of your own in the congregation.” Ellis observed while they ate.
“We do, but he’s overseas at the moment. Joined the Building Work.” Del explained. “He’s building a Hall just like this in Argentina right now.”
“Working holiday?” Ellis guessed.
“Traveling construction team.” Del grinned. “Have toolbox, will travel.”
Eleanor chuckled and filled him in. “There’s a huge demand for meeting places in the world. More than can be built locally. So there’s a push to get brothers and sisters with construction skills to go internationally, and help with ‘quick builds’.”
“I’ve worked on construction sites most of my life, Eleanor.” He said with certainty. “Only one church, but trust me: There’s nothing quick about them.”
“We don’t need masonry.” Del assured him. “Enough seats, a sound system that lets everyone hear, and a bathroom. This has been done in private homes for a long time. It’s a blessing that the congregations are getting too big for their meeting halls. The quick-builds can go up fast; you just need the people who know what they’re doing.”
“Cheaper in the long run too. We’ve been renting stadiums to fit everyone for our conventions.” Eleanor put in. “The Witnesses in our region just bought a piece of land where we can build a proper assembly hall. They’re asking for volunteers to start work in the next few months.”
“I’ve heard about that.” Ellis put in. “I didn’t put it together that it was your guys, but there’s been talk about a religious group that wants to build a convention center in the region.”
“Really? What do they say?” Eleanor asked him.
Ellis nearly swallowed his tongue. “Oh, um… I shouldn’t say.”
“Is it confidential?” Eleanor asked with a grin. “Or just impolite?” At his hesitation, she giggled. “Go on, Ellis. Whatever it is, we’ve heard worse.”
Ellis pulled his head in. “Well, the word is getting around the planning office because they think they’re sharing a funny joke.” He admitted. “They’ve been in talks with your organization. They know what you plan to spend, and how long you think it’ll take.”
“And they think we’re way too optimistic?” Del guessed.
“They can barely wait until your guys are on the elevator before they burst out laughing.” Ellis confessed.
Eleanor and Del traded a knowing smile.
~/*\~
After lunch, Ellis was given the tour, where he checked out the fusebox, the cables they were using, made a quick inspection of the circuit-breakers, the outlets… Everything seemed in order.
Del and Eleanor watched as Ellis filled out the inspection paperwork for them. She took the opportunity to prod her husband forward. “Go on.” She chided him. “You were talking about how you would have liked to preach to him, but the workplace wasn’t the right time or place. You two don’t work together now. He’s already asking questions about the people here.”
“I know.” Del admitted, but didn’t move.
She prodded him again with a big smile. He glanced at his wife and shook his head.
“Fine. I’ll do it.” She scoffed and went over to join Ellis herself. “So, what’s the verdict?”
“All up to code, and one of the ladies at the chow line gave me a bag of cakes and cookies to take home.” Ellis reported.
Eleanor chuckled. “Sounds about right.”
Ellis regarded her for a moment. “Can I ask you about something personal?” At her nod, he confessed. “When Del was sacked, I noticed you were the one to drive him home. I didn’t come over, but I could see you through the window… You were so… supportive, even from a distance.”
“You say that like it’s weird.”
“Not weird, just…” Ellis looked down. “If I lost my job, my wife would be angry. You weren’t angry at Del?”
“I was relieved.” Eleanor admitted. “I don’t claim to be a tradesman myself, but I know things were getting tense with Darrel back when you two worked together. I only met the man once or twice, but I know he wasn’t overly fond of Witnesses.”
“No.” Ellis admitted.
“We were talking about making the shift to the building work, if only in our area. He had all the skills, and I wanted to… Look, we’re all volunteers. Most of us go to this Hall, but we don’t just volunteer for the Halls we go to, y’know? We support other congregations in things like this too.” She shrugged. “But with the new baby, we’d have to make a major lifestyle change for that. Changing up the job so Del could help out on sites like this wasn’t going to work with a mortgage to pay.”
Ellis suddenly understood. “But then he lost his job anyway…”
“Getting fired by Darrel meant that we had a reason to move into a smaller place, get a job with better hours, more opportunity to spend some time in the service.” Eleanor nodded. “We were hedging, praying about it often, but we didn’t go for it until… Well, we decided to take it as a hint.”
“You took losing your livelihood as a sign?” Ellis raised an eyebrow.
“More like an opportunity, but it turned out okay so far.” Eleanor nodded. “Look around, brother. Most of the people here started out somewhere entirely different than where their life has brought them.”
And Ellis found himself thinking about that, observing. It was a pretty good cross section of people. There was no singular race, or gender… or even age. There were older ones working on light tasks, and even a few kids keeping pace, eager to help. There was no indication of frustration at their presence, or suggestions that the older ones were in the way. They were happy to see each other here.
Del came over and stood with his wife. “What do you think, Ellis?”
“I find all this… utterly baffling.” Ellis admitted. “This is going to sound silly, but… Can we recreate this with other sites?”
“No.” Del chuckled. “Almost certainly not. What makes this site work? It’s not in the site manual. It’s something way more fundamental.” He waved a hand around. “These people aren’t coworkers, even though they work together week in and week out.”
“Hey, Del?” Ellis observed. “You seem happy.”
“I am.” Del nodded. “You say that like you don’t believe it.”
“I’ve never felt happy at work.” Ellis admitted. “I mean, that’s kind of how it’s supposed to be. Happy is what you do when you’re not getting paid for it.”
Del chuckled. “I’m not getting paid for this.”
“Utterly, utterly baffling.” Ellis conceded.
“Ellis, nobody looks back on their life wishing they’d done more work. Even people living paycheck to paycheck know it’s not what life is meant to be.”
“Makes you wonder how anyone can stand working at all.”
“People were meant to work.” Del offered. “But they weren’t meant to suffer at it.” He pulled out his phone and tapped at the screen. “Yeah, here it is. Ecclesiastes 2:24: ‘There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in his hard work. This too, I have realized, is from the hand of the true God’.” He let Ellis follow the verse, and then put his phone away.
“There aren’t many people who find enjoyment in work.” Ellis mentioned. “So few that we sort of assume we aren’t meant to like it.”
“Mm. Like most things going on in the world, it’s not really the way God had in mind when He made us.” Del said lightly. “But there’s work to do that God approved of. Commanded, in fact. And I’ve never met anyone who wishes they spent less time on it. That’s what the Witnesses are all about.”
Ellis looked around at those on the site again. “I have to admit… it seems to be working for you.”
Del licked his lips. If Ellis had been watching, he would have noticed that Del almost seemed nervous about the topic now. “Tell you what, if you’d like to know more; why don’t you come by for one of our meetings? They’re all open to the public. This place won’t reopen for another month or two, but we’re all meeting up in another nearby Hall. If you are interested, I can text you the address.”
The thin blade of guilt suddenly turned into a hammer. I got Del fired. If it wasn’t me, it would be someone else, but it was me. Maybe I didn’t have any good choices, but the one I made was still bad.
The guilt was not eased by learning he was okay with it. If anything, it somehow felt worse. He’s made a major life change around the moment of losing his job, and his wife seems to think it was a sign from God.
Not from God. From me. Because I was weak.
“Sure.” He heard his voice say. “Sure, I’m happy to come along.”
~/*\~
“Even in this world, the main reasons for joy originate with God.” The Speaker said. “Falling in love, getting married, having a child. These are all things that we were meant to have, even in the days of Eden. No man looks back on his life and thinks of their favorite movie as their best moment.”
Sitting in the audience, Ellis had to admit this was true.
“Sadly, the world we have now is not a joyful one. But even in the middle of this world, we can find joy. Enduring a trial with a clean conscience, or having a good standing with your friends; and with God? These things are causes for rejoicing. Having a prayer answered, or helping a student understand who God really is, and how He helps us today? What achievement can compare?”
Ellis sent a glance around. Others were nodding at that.
“Trials do not mean that we’ve lost standing with our Maker. And because of that, trials cannot take away our joy. And that is why, as Psalm 64:10 states: ‘The righteous one will rejoice in Jehovah’.”
What about the unrighteous ones? Ellis thought awkwardly. The topic of the talk seemed like a platitude, but the proof was sitting beside him, helping him find scriptures. Del had lost his job. It was a trial that would have upended Ellis’ family, and his life. But Del had taken it in stride and was still smiling. Del was holding out a Bible to Ellis with one hand, while his other was holding his wife’s free hand. Eleanor was rocking their sleeping baby against her chest. The whole mood of the Hall seemed… tranquil. As though the horrors of the nightly news could never really get to them here.
~/*\~
Later that night, he couldn’t let it go. His guilt was roiling in his guts, keeping him awake. He shifted restlessly, trying to find a comfortable position, where he could just switch his brain off enough to rest.
Debra groaned. “Are you sick?”
Ellis winced. “No.” He said in the dark.
“You’ve been tossing and turning all night.” Debra turned over and laid a hand gently on his forehead. “You aren’t feverish. Nausea?”
“Yeah.” Ellis admitted. “But no, I’m not sick.”
Debra yawned. “I’m asleep, so tell me slowly.”
And despite himself, Ellis was surprised. He was expecting to be sent to the guest room, so that he wouldn’t bother her sleep. “You sure?” He felt her nod beside him, and sighed. “I did a bad thing, Debra.”
She tensed. “Who is she?”
He felt another spike of guilt, but shook it off. “Not that.” He sighed and sat up a bit, giving up on sleep. “Remember that meeting I went to the other day?”
“I still can’t believe you went.”
“Well, I promised him, didn’t I?” Ellis sighed. “Del used to work with me… Our boss, he asked Del to… do something. Fudge the numbers a bit. Del refused, because it was dishonest.”
Debra was still for a long moment, and sat up, turning on the bedside lamp. “Why is this keeping you awake?”
She already knew. Ellis realized. “Darrel asked me to… to lie. I cooked the books. Not a lot, but enough that Del could be accused of embezzling. Darrel fired him. My ‘bonus for noticing the discrepancy’ was… my pay-off.”
Debra studied him. “This was months ago.” She said softly. “Is… that why you accepted his invitation? Guilt?”
“Maybe.” Ellis admitted. “He wasn’t left destitute, Debra. He took it as a sign to start volunteer work… I’ve met his wife. I’ve had lunch with them. They’re good people. Honest people. Certainly more honest than I was…”
Debra studied him. “I’ve never asked about some of your… work. Mostly because I didn’t want to know. Sometimes because I didn’t understand the math. I remember when you started working for Darrel. You came home looking worried about things, and then, little by little, it went away. I told myself it was worry about a new job.”
Ellis nodded. “I thought, when I became an inspector, that I could get away from… From the skimming and the cooking-”
“And instead, you find out it happens in a lot more places.” Debra sighed. “You’ve always said if you didn’t, you could lose your job; because someone else would. Isn’t that what happened to Del?”
Ellis was quiet a moment. “It would be far easier for any employer to remove me than to change the way they’ve always done things.” He sighed. “And yes, that’s exactly why Del was fired.”
“What are you going to do? Go to the police?”
“And tell them what? Contractors are overcharging and finding hidden expenses? I’d get laughed out of the room. It’s not a crime, it’s a given.”
“So why can’t you sleep?” Debra reasoned.
“Del lost his job because of me.” Ellis whispered. “For the crime of being more honest about it than I was.”
Debra studied him for a long moment, like she was trying to understand what she was looking at. “You’re different somehow. This never would have bothered you six months ago.” She said finally, but didn’t dwell on it. “Look… Darrel isn’t your boss anymore. If you want to tell Del… He might sue for wrongful termination. You could be dragged into that. If you tell him, it could go badly for you.”
“He’d be within his rights to sue. But I don’t think he would. I think he’s… happy, with where his life is at.” Ellis groaned. “In a way, that’s the problem. Del wasn’t comfortable with some of the things that the job was asking him to do. So when he was kicked out, it made it easier for him to do the right thing. He’s not going to sink money and time into a lawsuit to get back to a job he didn’t want.” He let out a hard breath. “What does that say about me, if the honest people are glad to leave, and I’m not?”
“Whoa. Reality check.” Debra stopped him. “You don’t work for Darrel anymore, even if he’s a regular client.”
“I know.” Ellis sighed hard. “What do I do?”
Silence.
“Figure it out in the morning.”
~/*\~ Lapis ~/*\~
Years had passed. Lapis was almost unaware of the time. The days crawled, but the years seemed to fly with the wind. Under Joseph's administrative skills, life in the Prison improved. Joseph had taken no bribes, given himself no extra privileges. The lives of Prisoners and slaves was never exactly comfortable, but Joseph had won the respect of everyone in the prison. He fed the elderly, cared for the sick.
The work sped up. Lapis didn’t know if it was the change in leadership, the improvement in the rations, or even a blessing from Joseph’s God, but the work improved. Faster, more skilled, less delays. Those that hired Prison Workers often commented on it. As Warden, Lapis received the compliments; sometimes with financial benefits.
(Author’s Note: A brief mention of time here. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers at the age of seventeen, and released from prison by Pharaoh at the age of thirty. How long Joseph spent in the service to Potiphar is not made clear, and how long between Joseph's imprisonment and his appointment as Administrator is also unclear. Scripture says Joseph spoke to a baker, and a cupbearer, and then waited another two years. It’s possible Joseph only spent three or four years in Prison, and a decade as a slave. For purposes of this story, I have focused on Joseph as a prisoner; but tried to keep the timeline a little vague, to give him time with Lapis.)
~/*\~
Maat looked ten feet tall as he reported to Lapis. “They said yes!” He beamed. “I am to oversee distribution of food in the Temple!”
Lapis smiled warmly at him. “Congratulations, Maat.”
“It would not have happened without you, sir.” Maat was almost crying in gratitude. “I had never thought my skills overseeing food for the Prisoners would translate to feeding the Acolytes, but…”
“Maat, what qualified you was not your administrative skills, but your honesty. Many in our position are tempted to exploit the slaves and Prisoners, since they cannot fight back. You never took advantage, even when your superiors did so without your agreement. It didn’t go unnoticed that you immediately resumed a far more generous ration of food once leadership changed in here.”
Maat ducked his head, embarrassed to be complimented by his superior. “It seemed right, given the huge workload we put on these men.”
“A principle that I’m sure will serve you well as you begin your new role in the Temples.” Lapis said, happy for him.
“You speak as though it was my merits, but we both know it isn’t that simple.” Maat countered. “The Temples rarely look outside their own for promotion. If you aren’t related to a Priest in some way, you rarely get a chance to serve the gods.”
“I happened to know someone who could help.” Lapis demurred. “But you have that chance now, Maat. Use it well.”
“I’ll make you proud, sir.” Maat was glowing with happiness. Working in the Temples was a great honor. Everything in Egypt went to, or from, the temples. It was more than just wealth and power. It was relevance. It was the chance to actually be more than a slave or a laborer. Most people took up their father’s trade. To do anything else with your life required training, and the only educators were temple-trained. By getting him this new job, Lapis had dramatically improved Maat’s life.
~/*\~
When Lapis returned to the Prison, he found Montu there, in the Prison Courtyard. He was usually there, peddling his wares to the prisoners. Lapis had allowed it, since he knew all too well how desperately a prisoner with no future needed something to get through the night.
Today, however, Montu was there to talk to Lapis personally.
“I don’t get it.” Montu said carefully without bothering to greet him properly. “You’ve been asking me to find you a way out of the Prison System since you became a foreman. The Temples have far more prestige. Especially for a man who was concerned that losing his means meant he was without hope in the next world.”
Lapis nodded. “I know.”
“Back when we first met, you would have jumped at the chance to take that job. Now you give it to Maat? A man who, by all accounts, had no prospects for anything greater than what he had already. Are you working an angle, or did you just decide to be stupid today?”
“I really wish it made sense, Montu.” Lapis said simply. “I just know that I need to be here for a while longer.”
“It’s all a mistake!” A voice sounded frantically, and both men turned to look. A man was being dragged from the cells, out to his inevitable execution. “Please! Warden! Do something!”
Lapis ignored him as he was dragged past. They always begged at this point. “Pharaoh's baker.” He explained to Montu. “He and the Royal Cupbearer were both thrown in here a while ago.”
“That must have been one lousy meal.” Montu remarked blandly.
“The Chief of the Guard took personal charge of their imprisonment. Even assigned them to the Foreman.” Lapis commented. He’d spent a few hours mulling what that meant. Potiphar had thrown Joseph in prison; and then asked him to take care of these two men from the Royal Court.
“Suggests that he expected them to be freed at some point.” Montu reasoned. “Pharaoh's birthday party began this morning. You’d think he’d want his Chief Baker back before that.”
“His new Baker apparently did well. Enough that the last one is to be hanged.” Lapis gestured after the prisoner in question, still shouting for mercy. “The Cupbearer went back to work this morning. They were both imprisoned together, but one gets forgiven, and the other hangs? Sometimes, I hate not knowing if a prisoner is guilty, or just unlucky.”
(Author’s Note: I’ve been leaning very heavily on the idea that prisoners and slaves in this setting are imprisoned or killed at the whim of powerful people. I wanted to make the point that Genesis 40: 1, 2 says that the Chief Baker and Chief Cupbearer sinned against Pharaoh. But if this was the same crime, or two different events, the scripture does not make clear. The two men were in prison with Joseph ‘for some time’, each man was given a dream on the same night; and their final fate decided by Pharaoh at his birthday celebration three days later.
I’ve been leaning on the ‘whims of the powerful’ theme so heavily for two main reasons. One, to create a contrast between rule under Pagan Gods/Empires, and under Jehovah’s Direction. Two, to create a connection between Joseph’s story and Lapis’. Whatever investigation or justice system there was in Joseph’s day, it wasn’t enough for Joseph to get justice from humans. In fact, scripture doesn’t describe any kind of trial, or defense for Joseph. He was discarded by his master. It stood to reason that this was a common occurrence back there and back then; to say nothing of what happened to the Hebrews in Egypt in later years.)
“The Vizier can blame his nausea on Pharaoh's kitchens all he wants. My sources tell me that he has been visiting the doctors quite a bit the last few months. I’m told it’s a slow, wasting disease. Something even the gods can’t cure.” Montu smirked darkly. “Not that it’s stopped the Priests from taking full advantage, using his illness to push their agenda. After all, maybe if he persuades Pharaoh to be more generous with the temples; the gods will cure his illness.”
“You think it’ll always be like this, Montu?” Lapis asked, more philosophical than upset by it. “Will people like us always be expendable toys for wealthier people to play games with?”
“Probably.” Montu said sagely. “It’s why I decided it was better to have money than virtue.” He glanced around like an unconscious habit and pulled out a packet for Lapis. “On that subject, by the way…”
Lapis took the supply of opium poppies and tossed Montu his payment. He’d at least sleep well tonight. His back had never stopped hurting after his time getting the lash. “Thanks.” He put the packet away. “Y’know, before I became Warden, I realized that there was one person I knew who was a natural leader, not because he was hard and violent, but because he was smart and compassionate.” He gestured in the direction of the cells. “He’s a prisoner here. I think you met him once, in fact. He refused to work for you. I see him with the other prisoners. He knows every name, knows everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, makes sure everyone is fed… I could see him as a General, or a Vizier. Instead, the fates made him a slave, then a prisoner.”
“That’s what being honest gets you these days.” Montu wasn’t surprised. “You know why we throw people in prison? It’s not to rehabilitate them, or to punish them. Maybe that’s what they’re supposed to be, but it’s a good deal more simple: They throw people in your prison to make them go away.”
“Not exactly justice.” Lapis said plainly. “Menefer said it often, that the only thing expected of him was to make sure nobody ever had to think about us again.”
“Yeah, you know why? Because nice, civilized people don’t like to think about what they can become. You take a productive, otherwise sane man, and beat him and starve him, let the sun cook him, and the nights freeze him… Same principle as slavery. People like having power over others, but they don’t dare think of their oppressed victims as people. After all, if it can happen to a real person, it can happen to them.”
Lapis scoffed. “Yeah. Gods forbid real people be treated like my prisoners.” He rose. “I have to oversee an execution. See you next week.
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