Chapter Six: Why Are You Here?

 Two years passed. The work was routine, and little changed. Montu had stopped looking for a new posting for Lapis to move on to. Lapis had stopped asking. He’d gotten his chance, and given it to another man. Whatever his reasoning was, Lapis had chosen his place as a Warden to make his living.

Lapis felt the years weighing on him. He had thought that something was coming, though he couldn’t say what it was. He had lived for years in anticipation of something that had never come. He had no family left to arrange a marriage. He’d been raised by a family that had put everything they had into giving him an education. His job as a scribe had been lost far too soon; and the path of his life had been ruined as a result.

Then, after years of waiting, Lapis finally knew what he had been waiting for.

~/*\~

Lapis ate slowly. Breakfast had improved some, since he had helped Maat get a job as a food administrator for the Temples, but it was never exactly filling.

The door erupted inward, and guards came boiling in. They secured the room instantly, though they surely knew there was no enemy here. It was a show of force, meant to intimidate; and it was working, for Lapis nearly overturned his chair in his haste. “What? What is this?”

The guard wasn’t dressed in the usual uniform. The symbols he wore identified him as a Royal Guard, direct bodyguards to the Royal family. “You have a prisoner, by the name of Joseph. The Pharaoh demands his presence in the Court.”

Lapis felt his heart stop, then start again at full speed. Joseph, what have you done? “What? W-Why?”

“That is not your concern.” Lapis was so shocked that the guard had to haul him out of his chair. “Now, Warden!”

Lapis felt his feet move, and he was suddenly running, fumbling with the keys at his belt. The Guards were breathing down his neck every second, as if waiting for him to try and run. It was almost like being a prisoner himself again; with guards on one side, and locked cage doors on the other.

If this goes badly, that would be the best I can hope for.

“Joseph!” Lapis called ahead, and his foreman rose from his cot to face his Warden. “You have been summoned to the Throne Room. Apparently, you were requested by the Pharaoh himself.”

The Prison fell into a total silence, broken only by a very few prisoners who burst out laughing. Lapis felt so ridiculous saying such things out loud that he expected the very same guards to scoff and start beating him. This is a trick! It has to be a trick! But who would bear such a grudge against Joseph, or me?

Joseph, however, was not stunned. He wasn’t even surprised. He was energized. He leaped from his cot, and began barking orders instantly. “Quickly! Bring water so I can wash. I was in the fields all day, yesterday!” He turned to Lapis. “Warden, may I use your razor? I know such things are usually restricted to prisoners, for obvious reasons. But my appearance is not appropriate for an audience with Pharaoh.”

“No.” Lapis agreed, with whole new reasons to be aghast. “In fact, don’t get one of the prison razors. That’s barely more than dull. You can use mine. Be careful with it. You cut yourself shaving, and you’ll drip blood all over the Throne Room.”

Without speaking aloud, Lapis finished the thought. Whatever you plan to do, your blood has a good chance of being spilled today.

And yet Joseph didn’t seem worried at all. He was acting like he knew this was coming.

As the other prisoners brought water and Joseph began washing off the latest layer of dirt, Lapis brought his razor and gave it to the man, somehow unconcerned that he was handing a prisoner a weapon. He glanced at the guards, eager for a chance to ask what in the world was going on. There was no chance he could go unobserved.

Maybe it’s about his sentence. Lapis thought. The Chief of the Guard was the one that threw him in here. Didn’t Joseph always insist he was falsely accused?

That thought was so laughable he actually scolded himself. Oh sure, maybe the Pharaoh wants to apologize? Maybe the Lord of the Two Lands has summoned an imprisoned slave to the Throne Room so he can apologize for the inconvenience and make it up to him personally.

“Do you have anything cleaner he can wear?” One of the guards spat. The tone was blatant disgust.

“Sir, there isn’t a set of cleaner clothes anywhere here.” Lapis admitted.

Joseph was unconcerned. “Then find some.” He told Lapis simply.

~/*\~

Montu had become a reliable source of information for Lapis. There usually wasn’t anything Lapis could offer the High Court officials, but every now and then, it helped him be prepared for a specific instruction. If someone wanted a prisoner released, Lapis could be quietly informed beforehand, and have all the relevant information committed to memory before the official requests came down. Such preparation made Lapis seem like a genius to his superiors, but nothing more had come from that.

Which made the sudden events of the morning all the more startling.

“What in the world are you wearing?” Montu asked him as Lapis approached.

Lapis had swapped outfits with Joseph. “The cleanest set of clothes around were mine.” Lapis excused, not bothering to explain. “I thought we had a deal, Montu. I’ve been living up to my end.”

“It hasn’t gone unnoticed.” Montu promised. “But I didn’t have any idea on this one.”

“Neither did I, until the Royal Guard kicked my door in and made themselves at home.” Lapis said grimly. “Why do they want one of my prisoners? He’s been in bondage for thirteen years. He can’t possibly be known to Pharaoh.”

“Don't know what to tell you. Something’s definitely going on upstairs.” Montu commented to Lapis. “The entire day’s agenda has been discarded, and Pharaoh has summoned his wise men.”

“Not that uncommon.” Lapis pressed.

“The Priest of On has come. An envoy went out this morning.” Montu told him, relishing the chance to gossip. “It may not be a long ride, but Pharaoh has always hated Potiphera. You know the Priest of Ra is plotting for more power in the Royal Court.”

“So whatever it is, the King is concerned enough to call in his advisers and his opponents.” Lapis considered. “Any idea what the problem is?”

“No, they cleared the room of all but the wise men, and astrologers.” Montu explained. “Maybe Joseph has been summoned to perform a task for one of them?”

“Sure.” Lapis scorned sarcastically. “Better yet, maybe the Pharaoh needs advice. All his expert advisers can’t help, so the Master of the Land summons a prisoner, locked up for more than a decade, to give him some urgent counsel.”

Montu scoffed. “I know it’s crazy. There’s no sane reason why Joseph should be summoned before the King. Except it’s already happened. We have no idea what’s on Pharaoh's mind, but whatever it is; nobody has an answer for him. I heard that the wise men sent their servants to fetch scrolls and records on the subject of dreams and the interpretations of signs and portents.”

“Dreams?” Lapis blinked. “What does that-” And then it hit him. “Gods preserve me!”

“What?” Montu asked, seeing his face change. “What is it?”

~/*\~

Lapis returned to his office in a daze and went back to work. But there was no chance he’d be able to focus. Joseph, speaking to Pharaoh? Interpreting a dream of the King?

Best case scenario, he could be back soon. Lapis thought optimistically. Worst case scenario, he could say something so offensive that the guards come back down here and kill us all as punishment.

Lapis shuddered hard to think of it. This prison was not like others that could be found in Egypt. This was the Palace Prison. Most of the prisoners were locked up, freed, tortured, or executed, and all at the whim of the powerful. Which was no different than any other prison in Egypt, except that these prisoners were all put there deliberately by the wealthiest, most powerful echelon in the nation.

Like me. Lapis thought. I’m stuck in this job until I get noticed, and when I do, I will either be free of the prisons, or executed. And Joseph is about to get me noticed.

Only way out is to know someone. Lapis thought. Who could Joseph know that he gets a summons to Pharaoh's court? He was seventeen years old when he was locked away. Potiphar likely never gave him a second thought afterwards.

Curious enough that he wanted to look into it, Lapis turned to the prison records. The Palace Guards kept records as well as anyone in such circles. Egypt had better record keeping than anyone who had ever come before them. Lapis searched for hours, trying to find any kind of connection between Joseph and the Royal Court.

He had to go back two years before he found a familiar name. Pharaoh’s Cupbearer.

Lapis put the papyrus down with a groan. Joseph had mentioned interpreting the dreams of both Cupbearer and Baker when both predictions came true-

The doors flew open, as if to answer that thought, and the Royal Guards re-entered… Along with the Royal Scribe, who held out a papyrus scroll. “Warden, by order of Pharaoh, your prisoner is now released. Any personal effects are to be turned over immediately. We need the keys to his bindings.”

“J-Joseph has been in my prison for more than a decade. He has no personal items.” Lapis stammered back. “As to his restraints, I’m afraid there is no key. The bindings were meant to be permanent. Joseph was a slave, before a prisoner.”

“Well he’s neither a slave nor prisoner now.” The Scribe said with a smirk.

“Then… what exactly is he?” Lapis couldn’t help but ask.

“Pharaoh's second-in-command.”

Lapis was glad he was sitting down, or he’d have surely fallen over. “He’s what?!”

~/*\~

Everywhere that Pharaoh went, at least some of his court went with him. There was a compliment of bodyguards with gleaming swords and armor. The horses that rode ahead, beside, and behind, to say nothing of those that pulled the chariots, were the finest in the nation, their hair brushed and burnished to gleam in the sun. The chariots were lined with precious metals to demonstrate the wealth, and the glory of the throne.

Today’s chariot procession was not one for touring the provinces on business, or even a pleasure trip. This was to make a declaration to the world. No expense had been spared. There were musicians and trumpets heralding the departure, and they played their announcement tones out to the main city, so that all the people, both servants and sovereign citizens, assembled to hear the proclamation.

At the steps to the Palace itself, there was a huge formation of dancers, arrayed in gauzy silks, to dance and perform for the public, drawing their attention to the procession. Behind the dancers came musicians, armies of servants bowing in unison to the steps...

...As The Pharaoh himself came out in full regalia; and all the public cheered, applauding their lord. His crown shone in the sun, his fine white robe so clean and bright it was blinding to look upon.

Lapis had been in the court for years, and knew the King to be a normal man with a royal job; but the pageantry made the public look at him and see a god. Despite himself, Lapis was in its thrall too.

But today, as Pharaoh marched from his Palace, flanked by his guards, and heralded by an ocean of color and motion and music… he was not alone. By his side was Joseph. He was not as adorned, aside from the change of clothing. His head and face was shaved, in proper Egyptian Style. He was clean, his face marked with the traditional paints, and other emblems of office.

Unlike the other affluent men, Joseph had spent most of his life doing hard labor. He looked… mighty. Broad in the shoulders, arms brawny, skin tanned. He looked like a hero from one of the great stories, ready to conquer and protect. With all the changes to his face and wardrobe, Lapis barely recognized him. If he hadn’t spent years working with the man, Lapis was sure he’d be a total stranger. Joseph had spent years laboring around Egypt, in full view of everyone, and yet he was unknown to them all. Certainly, nobody could equate him with a slave ever again.

When Joseph waved, there was a glint of light from his hand, and Lapis felt his jaw drop further. He was wearing the Pharaoh’s signet ring. The symbol of his authority.

It’s not a mistake. This is happening.

“I present to Egypt, Zaphenath-paneah!” Pharaoh declared.

Revealer of hidden things. Lapis translated in his head, awed by the whole event. After a lifetime in captivity behind locked doors, Joseph now had power and liberty over the entire kingdom. Every door in Egypt would open before him, every man would bow. The only whip and rod would be the ones he held in his own hands.

Lapis had only a few moments to meet Joseph’s eyes as the parade began. The former slave had been in prison for thirteen years. He was now being presented as the salvation of the mightiest nation in the world.

“Avrekh!” The crowd chanted. “Avrekh!”

(Author’s Note: This is somewhat exaggerated. Scripture describes Joseph being given a ride in one of Pharaoh’s chariots, but it could have been anything from a parade, to a tour of the land. The purpose of this scene is to demonstrate how Joseph’s stock changed overnight.)

The King’s chariot rode, and Joseph rode in a chariot of his own, alongside him; as an Empire bowed before a slave.

~/*\~

Lapis wandered back to his office at the Prison in disbelief, barely seeing where he was going. How was it possible? He’d known Joseph for many years. He’d known the man was talented, even blessed. But this kind of leap? All the gods of Egypt combined would not offer this. A prisoner could make no offerings. A prisoner could pledge no grand services or wealth to the temples. Jehovah had no temple at all, which meant His power in Egypt should have been nothing; and yet…

And yet this kind of interpretation was beyond all of Egypt’s wise men. Visions and their interpretations were part of the skill set for the priesthood. But such interpretations were part of the record. If a Priest got it wrong, he could pay with his life. Whatever Joseph had said, it was convincing enough that Pharaoh believed him wholeheartedly.

Lapis had been in the Royal Court before. A dozen High Priests of various Temples had come with promises and visions; and Pharaoh had not given them even a fraction of the power and prestige now entrusted to an imprisoned slave.

It was ridiculous. It was impossible. It was a miracle.

And Lapis knew immediately what he had to do.

~/*\~

At the Prime Minister’s household, Lapis slipped past the regular guards, walking silently, holding his breath to avoid drawing attention. With the triumphant parade over, the new Prime Minister would be settling into his new home. Any other day, he never would have gotten in, but Lapis joined the line of attendants making their way to the Prime Minister’s chambers. Several members of the court were sending representatives to brief him.

In an almost unbroken chain, Joseph’s new staff were making their way to him. Some were bringing scrolls, detailing the affairs of Egypt. Others were bringing rolls of silk and cottons, ready to prepare a new wardrobe for the man who had lived in Prison rags far too long. Others were carrying platters of food, amphoras of wine.

Lapis kept his distance until the parade of attendants slowed at last, and he made his way to Joseph’s new room. There could be no clearer demonstration of how things had changed. His new house was the size of the entire Prison he’d spent his adult life in. The walls and floors were polished stone and marble, with rich drapes, exotic furs, and opulent furniture. The table was covered with rich foods and amphoras of the finest wines.

Joseph, dressed and bathed, and wearing expensive linens, made up in the style of Egyptian Royalty, was almost a total stranger. When he saw who came in, he was surprised. “Lapis?”

His voice was still the same. He still sounded the exact way he did when Lapis was giving him orders… six hours before. Joseph was waiting for him to say something in return. Lapis had been rehearsing a hundred different ways to respond. But now that the moment had arrived, he felt like there was only one option.

Keeping eye contact for as long as he could, Lapis sank to his knees, and bowed low before his new Lord, deeply enough that his nose touched marble. “You were right.” Lapis rasped in awe. “Your God did not abandon you. Thirteen years you endured faithfully, and your blessings are greater than all of Egypt's gods could offer to their own High Priests. Your God has blessed you beyond all the temples and clergy in Egypt combined. Jehovah has put all of them under your feet. Not one god of Egypt could exalt any of their own servants higher than you.”

“My blessings began long before this, Lapis.” Joseph said quietly. “When I was stolen into slavery, I could have been beaten every day, but I was put in charge of the household. When I was imprisoned, I could have been killed at a whim, but thanks to you, I was granted a measure of protection and authority.”

“That wasn’t me. You were the best choice. You’re… blessed.” Lapis said softly. “You’ve got some kind of Sight, and it's brought you here.”

“There were days I couldn’t see the way out.” Joseph admitted. “There were days when I couldn't reconcile what I had been promised, and what I was living with. Days when I thought that being honest and moral towards my master and my God had caused only pain.”

“And now?” Lapis asked.

“Now, I have seen my own dream come true.” Joseph chuckled. “The first dream I was ever given to interpret, is the last one to be fulfilled.” He looked at Lapis. “What comes next is going to be difficult, Lapis. I have been caught off guard twice now, by people who take my words and twist them, or who scheme behind my back. The Royal Court is going to be filled with that kind of intrigue. My God does not encourage me to be deceitful. I will need allies. People who know the Court, and who I can rely on.”

Lapis felt his heart start to race. “Yes, my lord; you will.”

Joseph smiled. “Go. Have your last act at the Prison be naming a successor to us both… And then report back here. You’ll be managing my household, and my staff until I’m fully qualified to navigate these new waters.”

~/*\~

As Lapis left the house, head held high, he came across a familiar face. “Asenath?”

Out front of the household was a royal chariot, with a few attendants and personal guards, from the Temple of On. Their honored charge stepped down from the chariot, looking beautiful in fine cloth robes.

The young-ish woman gave Lapis a tight smile. “It’s good to see you again, Lapis. You’ve been too long from Court.” She said softly. “I was hoping… to talk to you, actually.” As the daughter of a High Priest, she was accustomed to the Palace, and they had known each other for a while, if only casually. Asenath was more nervous than Lapis had seen for a while. “Pharaoh and my father have told me of our new Prime Minister. As part of his… ascendancy, he needs a suitable wife.”

Lapis understood. “You.”

“Me.” She nodded. “You’ve known him for a while longer than I have, Lapis. I know that you must surely be silent about much of what goes on in prison cells, but… I’ve been promised to a man who’s spent thirteen years in captivity. How worried should I be?”

Lapis felt sorry for her for half a heartbeat, before he smiled. “Be discreet with this information.” He said softly, glancing around, her attendants pointedly not hearing them. “I was asked to investigate his past when he was named head of the prison work parties. He was falsely accused. His crime was angering someone with power over him.”

“I suspected, from what my father told me.” Asenath nodded, nervous. “But still… thirteen years without a woman-”

“You misunderstand.” Lapis held up his hand. “He was… pressured to lay with his Master’s Wife, and refused, because he felt it was immoral to sin against his Master’s trust. He was imprisoned for respecting someone else’s marriage, when he was seventeen years old.”

Asenath blinked. “Who does that?” She asked, somewhere between disbelief and awe.

“Your new husband.” Lapis said honestly. “And while my duties require discretion… I think it’s well for me to tell you: I know for a fact he refused a consort when told of the arrangement being made between him and you.”

“He hasn’t even seen me yet!” Asenath breathed, looking at the household she was to be the lady of. “I… would be able to trust him?”

“I do.” Lapis admitted. “I’ve just been named as the Chief of his Household, and Manager of his affairs. I trust him with my life. Pharaoh trusts him with Egypt.”

“A distinction that means nothing. If The Revealer of Secrets is disappointing to Pharaoh in any way, he’ll be back in the cells immediately.” She countered. “I am not so easily parted from a husband as Egypt would be from a Prime Minister.”

Lapis knew this to be true. He also knew that Asenath’s father had been pressuring the King to delegate more tasks, so the move was political as much as practical. Either way, there was one factor that Lapis had become certain of. One that Potiphera had never expected. “My lady, the new Prime Minister is blessed with Insight. His God is patient and wise. It stands to reason that His servant is a reflection of that. I am not afraid for his future here.”

~/*\~

Lapis was shown to his new quarters. It wasn’t nearly as lavish as what Joseph had been given, but the housing was still close to Palace Grounds. Most of the high-ranking staff and servants were housed close to the Palace, so that they could be summoned on a moment’s notice. Even so, it was far better than what the Prison Warden could hope for. Lapis relaxed onto a chair, more luxurious and tasteful than anything he’d had before.

He enjoyed the moment for a whole two seconds before there was a knock at his door. It was Montu. “So. It’s been quite a day.” He said, with his usual ease. “I do wish you’d give your friends some warning before you rearrange the power structure of the whole world.”

“Believe me, it wasn’t my idea.” Lapis agreed with grim understatement. “I honestly thought it was more likely that I’d be beheaded by now.”

Montu grinned. “Joseph. Who would have guessed?”

“Not I.” Lapis agreed.

“When he was a prisoner, he was the one man who never bought from me.” Montu admitted. “Anyone else, I’d have already sent him a selection of decadent luxuries. Anyone else, I’d know what he liked, and supplied his needs accordingly.” He let out a hard breath. “Why do I feel like I have lean times ahead?”

“Curse the day Pharaoh appointed an honest man.” Lapis commented with grim sarcasm.

“You laugh, but everyone in the Court has their vices.” Montu snorted. “Wine, women, and wealth are the only reason anyone wants power. If a prisoner can’t indulge himself in times of freedom, then one has to wonder if he’s even human.” He gave Lapis a look. “And what’s more, I think you know that.”

Lapis caught his tone. “Meaning?”

“I don’t know how Joseph impressed Pharaoh so thoroughly, but I do know that the whims of power are fickle. Appoint him today, throw him back in jail tomorrow. Nobody in the Court expects a former slave to handle the job for long.” Montu explained. “And you must know that, because you didn’t waste any time. As his chief of staff, you’re in an influential, but largely ignored position. When Joseph’s fall from grace happens, you can probably avoid going down with him.”

Lapis deflated. “I suppose that makes sense, from your perspective.” He conceded.

“And you, at least, are still human enough for me to get a little business done.” Montu grinned. “So, your usual orders come here now? I promise full discretion.”

Lapis hesitated. “No. Actually, I have another… requirement.” He said carefully. “Information.”

Montu’s face fell. “Didn’t take you long. Whoever you want blackmail material on, it’ll come back to me sooner or later-”

“No, not that kind of information.” Lapis assured him. “You know what’s going on in the Palace. You know who’s doing deals, and… well, what everyone likes. All useful information to a Prime Minister.”

“You were in charge of whether or not Joseph could be flogged this morning.” Montu retorted.

“It’s been an interesting day.” Lapis struggled not to laugh for a moment. “Montu, you’ve seen people come and go from the Royal Court for years, and every one of them was as open to temptation and personal vice as every other. You made a living at it. You know Egypt isn’t run by honest men. You know that power isn't used in good faith. Joseph is the one man who took a moral stand, even when there was no real need for him to do so.”

“That ‘moral stand’ got him thrown in prison.”

“Yes, it did. But right now he's in authority over the whole nation. Second in command to Pharaoh himself. He’s above us both, Montu. And you know you can’t make yourself useful to his sinful side. So if maybe, just maybe, someone genuinely good was put in charge of Egypt… If maybe, just maybe, we could actually do the right thing, because it is the right thing...”

“Never thought I’d hear an aristocrat talk like that.” Montu drawled.

“I know. But I think it’s time.” Lapis tempted. “You’ve surely profiteered enough to become an honest man at last.” He shrugged. “And when you think about it, would it really be so bad if the government actually did one or two good things, just to be generous?”

~/*\~ Ellis ~/*\~

Ellis had spent three nights at a motel before accepting that Debra wasn’t going to pretend it hadn’t happened. He’d moved into an apartment, and knew immediately he couldn’t stay there for long. If he was going to salvage anything from his family, he needed a place where his kids could visit.

The ‘extras’ from his new job had left him with some savings, and he found a better place in the suburbs, with a six month lease. It was pure luck that he found a furnished place available for rent.

Six months to get my life back together, or admit I have an entirely new one. He thought.

Debra had taken the whole incident as a sign to reboot her own life, and had started a new job, to cover his absence. Ellis insisted on still paying his half of the living expenses, if only for the kids’ sake; but she had refused. Financial support was still a way to keep some kind of influence over her choice; and she wanted space.

Gigi was more confused by his absence than upset, not understanding what was going on, but knowing her mom was crying at night. Piper resented the fact that she was suddenly Gigi’s full-time guardian while their mother worked, and blamed Ellis completely.

With regard to the kids, Debra had made an effort, sending them to stay with their father for a few nights each week. Piper was frosty, and Gigi was just excited to see something new for a while.

Neither the Sentinel, nor the police had ever been in touch with him about any investigation again, though Ellis did check the news for it every day. His job kept him busy, and always on the move, from one site to another, and always something new. He was glad for it, because whenever he had too much time to himself, his thoughts started to go dark.

Del had discreetly checked in on him fairly often. Just text messages, but more than was necessary for just the sake of politeness.

And then, after almost six weeks, Ellis found himself back in Del’s circle.

~/*\~

At the office, Jerrold was assigning sites to various inspectors, balancing the schedules of various sites, who needed approval before they could continue; versus the schedules of his inspectors, who ended up driving all over the city.

But today something was off. Jerrold was normally unflappable; like he owned the world. Today he was clearly thinking about something else. And whatever it was, it was scaring him to death. He listened to his assistant with half an ear, and listened to his staff even less.

Ellis wondered if he should ask, when he noticed the way Jerrold’s eyes were roving around the room, watching each person carefully. It was like he was expecting one of them to attack.

Hunted. The word filtered into Ellis’ mind. What have I missed here?

Jerrold started to give everyone their assignments, his eyes flicking constantly to a point on his desk. Ellis craned his neck subtly to see what he was so worried about. It was a business card.

Ellis wouldn’t have understood, if he didn’t have an identical one in his wallet at that moment. He recognized the handwriting that scribbled a phone number on the back.

That journalist has been to see Jerrold. Ellis thought in wonder, heart giving a solid thud. It was the first time he’d heard about it since his own interview. Farnham wasn’t trying to mess with the DA’s investigation. So if he approached Jerrold, the investigation must be getting somewhere.

Ellis was so busy thinking it through that he didn’t notice Jerrold had stopped talking for a moment. He looked up, and saw Jerrold was staring hard at him, looking from the business card, to Ellis, and back again. It was almost like the moment his wife started to suspect him. Jerrold had seen the recognition in his eyes, and knew what it meant.

“Ellis. When have you next got the kids?” Jerrold asked.

“Wednesday.” Ellis reported. That part of his status wasn’t awkward at the office. Almost half the workforce was divorced. “Why?”

“I’ve got an assignment for you, at the edge of our jurisdiction. It’s a large site, lots of moving parts, lots of buildings. It’ll take you a few hours to travel there and back, and a while to go through everything.” Jerrold explained. “You’ll get overtime, of course. There’ll be a few inspectors on the site, since it’s a large job. You’ll be examining their wiring. Someone else will handle the plumbing, and there are other inspections there for next week too.”

Is he sending me out of town? “What’s the site?”

“A new administrative building and dormitory for the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It’s outside of town, so you might have to make an overnight trip.”

Ellis almost laughed. “I’ve seen their local sites before. I’d be curious to see how it ‘scales up’.”

Jerrold nodded. “You should know, there’ll be observers there too. I think you’ve met one of them. Braeden? From Brooks Steelworks?”

Ellis nodded. “I met him on one of his company sites. I was inspecting them. What’s the point of interest for him?”

“No idea, but he’s asked them for permission to observe their construction methods; and they’ve said yes.” Jerrold shrugged. “I mention it because they’ll be there the same day as you, but they’re not part of our inspections. They might have questions, but you’re under no obligation to answer them.”

“Copy that.” Ellis nodded agreeably.

Once he was out of Jerrold’s office, he shivered. He doesn’t know about my connection, however unsteady, to the Witnesses. He’s sending me to their site as a punishment. Because the Witnesses won’t pay ‘benefits’ to inspectors, and it’s an out of town trip, so it’ll eat a whole day. Maybe two, if I can’t get it done quickly.

~/*\~

Getting out to the site was relatively easy. Zoning laws meant that his local council was responsible for this bit of land, but geographically, it was closer to the next city over.

It did indeed take a drive of a few hours, and Ellis’ spine was aching badly by the time he arrived. It was a quiet spot, with plenty of parking. Even with religious owners, it seemed much like any other office building being constructed. There were half a dozen buses parked, apparently charter hires, to take workers back and forth to the city. Everyone was wearing proper safety gear.

Unlike the local Hall that he’d been to during a renovation, there were no families present. But even here, with their full ‘construction team’, there were no tattoos, no swearing…

A young woman was bringing out coffee to the bus drivers, having a pleasant chat with them, when she noticed him. “Oh! You must be the Inspector, come to check our electrics?”

“I am.” Ellis nodded.

“Right this way! I’ll introduce you to Brother Meyer. He’s in charge.”

“Thank you.” Ellis said, and followed her. He had thought she was someone’s assistant. But as he walked, he was surprised how many women were on the site.

Brother Meyer was in a conference with two or three other people, and Ellis stood back to let him finish. A familiar voice called over to him. “Ellis!” He came over and stuck out a hand. “Braeden. We met on one of my sites.”

“Ah yes, of course.” He shook the man’s hand. “I heard you were here as an observer.”

“I’ve worked with the Witnesses before. They have good people on these sites. Great communication with us on all the issues that crop up… I keep asking them how to recreate it on other sites.”

“I asked them that once at a renovation they were doing to a much smaller Hall.” Ellis remembered. “They didn’t seem optimistic that it could be done anywhere else.”

“So they keep telling me.”

~/*\~

The inspection was done in sections. There were multiple buildings being built, and each of them was at a different stage of assembly. Ellis was checking their general safety requirements, and the condition of their equipment. Everything seemed above board.

And then he ran into another familiar face. “Del?” Ellis was amazed. “You’re on this site too?”

“Temporarily.” Del nodded, surprised to see him. “Believe me, I would have loved to join the Building Work, going across the world to help build sites like this. But with a wife and young kid? Can’t be away six months out of the year.” He gestured. “A few days to help train people in driving earthmovers, and using heavy-duty power tools? That I can do.”

~/*\~

Del was indeed training a few people in how to handle power tools safely. Ellis was only able to observe for a few minutes before he had to move on and return to work. The checklist was long and varied. It was the kind of list that would usually take two days. But the people here had prepared everything, made all their records and people available for interviews.

Del received so much cooperation that he almost thought it was an elaborate conspiracy. The inspection went smoothly enough that he had plenty of time left, so he double-checked a few things on his own.

There were other inspectors on site. He met Hugo, who had come to check their insulation was done safely, in preparation for running heating and cooling ducts through the structure. The insulation was a flammable material, so it had to be installed safely.

Ellis shook his head at them. “My boss sent me out here because he knew it was a big site, and a long drive. I had an awkward moment with him this morning. I get the feeling this assignment was a sort of punishment. Getting me out of the office for the weekend.”

Braeden shook his head. “Joke’s on him then. This is usually the easiest day’s work an inspector has. At least, over in my jurisdiction.”

“Normally, getting straight answers out of site managers is like pulling teeth.” Ellis admitted. “I’ve never had such clear communication before.”

“Not just from the local managers.” Braeden told him. “I’ve seen the mail come in. Little kids from congregations drawing pictures of construction sites, sending them thank you letters written in crayon. Care packages with coffee and chocolate, donated by Witnesses in other cities. None of them have ever been to these sites, but they want to show support. Some of the messages were international. They went looking to see if anyone on the site could read Japanese.”

Hugo shook his head. “I talked to some of their insulation teams. They were trained in it two weeks ago. They had three or four people who knew how to insulate pipes, and they trained a hundred volunteers on their own time. Now they’re building.”

“It’s not just the pipes.” Braeden assured him. “Plumbing, drywall, painting, concrete, earthmoving, even safety regulations; they have the same program for everything. Someone trained comes in and teaches volunteers, and off they go. Some of these people come in before dawn to set up the machines.”

“But this can’t be it, surely?” Ellis retorted. His scorn wasn’t directed at any one person. It was a rejection of the situation. “People work for years to qualify as a tradesman. Any trade. How can this...?” He waved a hand inarticulately. “How?!”

“I don’t know how they does it, they jus’ does it.” Hugo said with a grin. “I’ve been working on one site or another since I was sixteen. I was part of the team that put the new Council Chambers together. That job was all about prestige. They wanted to show off how nice their chambers were. Believe me, these guys are a match for them, and they’re all volunteer.”

“It’s impossible!” Ellis insisted.

“It’s been done many times.” Braeden added. “I’ve traveled for construction before. My boss asked me to find ways to recreate their ‘style’ on our sites; so I’ve visited half a dozen other sites run by Witnesses. They’re trained in-house, but they’re a match for anything I’ve seen done on a ‘regular’ site.” He pointed off in the distance. “Look at them. Notice anything about the people driving the earthmovers?”

Ellis looked. “They’re women.”

“I was checking their insulation, when I had to sign off on the air conditioning plant.” Hugo confided. “They did it so fast, I asked if I could hire their contractors for a few of my own jobs. They told me the job was done by a team of five women. Not a one of them over the age of twenty five.” He chuckled, despite himself. “I have a daughter about that age. I wouldn’t let her visit one of my sites, the way the guys would act if she walked in.”

“I know what you mean.” Braeden agreed. “A surprising percentage working here are women. No catcalls, no wolf-whistles, no dirty jokes. These people have hundreds of workers out here, and I haven’t heard so much as harsh language.”

“I know one of the trainers.” Ellis admitted. “He knows his stuff, but he went to trade school like the rest of us. And now...”

“They’re within their rights. They can hire anyone they want for construction, as long as the result is up to code. That’s why they consult with us, to make sure everything’s above board.” Braeden shook his head. “Half a dozen sites, two as an inspector, four as an observer. I haven’t seen them miss the mark once.”

“And all volunteers.” Ellis murmured.

(Author’s Note: I’m not experienced in construction. All of the ‘anecdotes’ about this construction site and how Witness Volunteers interact with each other and government inspectors, are taken from experiences found in Witness publications. For more details, I would suggest the January 2018 Monthly Broadcast. In the quite likely event that I got any of the technical details wrong, please understand it was done out of ignorance. The purpose of this sequence is not the construction, but Ellis’ observations of the workers.)

“Something, huh? I was in the meeting where they were planning this project. They told us what they planned to spend, how long they expected it to take. The second they left the room, we were laughing ourselves sick.”

“I know. I’ve heard that story a few times myself.” Ellis nodded. “Looking around, I think they might just get there ahead of schedule.”

~/*\~

The break for lunch wasn’t messy either. There was no complaining about overtime pay for those who wanted to finish up a task before taking a break. There was no pushing and shoving in line to collect food. The men in charge got everyone to quiet down for a prayer before eating without yelling, or blowing a whistle. It was as simple as raising a hand and everyone giving their attention.

Ellis bowed his head for the prayer. He’d heard their prayers before, at the meeting he’d been to. But as the prayer ended, and they all said ‘amen’, Ellis noticed a few people looking his way. He was standing with Hugo and Braeden, neither of whom took part in the prayer. They want to know what we think. He thought to himself. Even on a construction site, they’re ‘on’, preaching to us without saying anything.

Del waved him over to sit with him, and he did so, collecting a plate. “So.” Del said lightly. “Any thoughts?”

“Tell you the truth, Del…” Ellis sighed. “I’d happily work on this site or one just like it for the rest of my working life. It’s… clean, here. But your people are all volunteers. They can’t make a living like this.”

“They don’t do this for a living.” Del admitted. “Some of them have traveled in from all over the country because they have the skills. Some join the work, and go around the world. Local brothers give them room and board, and have dinner waiting for them when they’re done for the day.”

Ellis shook his head. “I’ve never, in my life, been on a site where everyone’s such good friends.”

“Not friends. Family.” Del said simply. “There’s a reason we all call each other ‘brother’ and ‘sister’.

“Yeah, but that’s not it.” Ellis said seriously. “There’s some kind of magic to it. Whatever the ‘X Factor’ is, it’s making this place work like no other site does. Braeden is asking questions because he wants to know how to make it work for his crews.”

Del pulled out his phone, and brought up his digital Bible. “John 15:5: ‘Whoever remains in union with me and I in union with him, this one bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing at all’. He was talking about things like the preaching work, but the Holy Spirit can achieve a lot more than we could alone.”

Ellis shivered. “Normally, this is where I would start looking for an exit. Because any cult could say the same thing.”

“You said yourself there’s something different about this site, compared to any other you’ve worked on. You’ve done site inspections for other churches.”

“There’s one less than six blocks from your Hall, where I first saw Witnesses on construction.” Ellis nodded. “The Church had a small flooding problem, and a brick fence had overturned under the weight of wet earth, spilling dirt and bricks over the footpath.” Ellis nodded. “That was almost a year ago, and the Church wall still hasn't been rebuilt. I drive past it now and then; and there’s still no action taken beyond a few cones put up and some tape to warn people to go around.”

“Why?”

“The footpath is public property. They’re trying to get the council to fix it, rather than pay for contractors themselves.” Ellis explained. “The local council has them tied up in small claims court over who’s liable.”

Del laughed. “On the subject of ‘true worship’, Jesus compared it to a fruit tree. He said a good tree cannot produce rotten fruit, and a rotten tree can’t make good fruit.” He gestured out over the site. “The buildings are the least of what we’ve produced; compared to the people. You tell me: Have we made something good here?”

“You’re saying this is proof your religion is right?”

“I’m saying that the goal isn’t to make friendly, efficient construction sites. But if all these people got together to hold a convention, or throw a party, or in a work environment… Or for that matter, if everyone in the world was like this, then what would the world look like?”

“It would be better than the world we’ve got, no question.” Ellis nodded agreeably. “But there are plenty of people in the world who don’t belong in a place like this.”

“People like you?” Del challenged.

“Well, you know some of the things I’ve done.” Ellis admitted. “I don’t imagine God would look too kindly on me.”

“Due respect, Ellis; but you’ve been to one meeting.” Del reminded him. “You don’t know what God’s looking for. Or what He sees when He looks at you.”

“Nobody does. A thousand confident religions out there, all of them admitting ‘mysterious ways’, all of them so… opposite.”

“And you, Ellis? Which one do you believe in?”

“Well… None of them.” Ellis conceded.

Del tapped at his app again, bringing up a different verse. “Test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Ellis read the scripture on the screen. “Okay?”

“Which ones have you tested?” Del asked him. “No judgments, Ellis, but… I opposed my wife studying with the Witnesses. You know when I started to listen? When I saw my son for the first time. It was… pardon the expression, a religious experience, becoming a father. You have two kids; and I can’t imagine you’re hopeful about the future of the world. Have you never sought answers to the big questions?”

Ellis blinked. “I… I try not to think about it.”

Del nodded, not surprised. “Most people do the same.” He gestured out across the site. “But you’ve said that you wish you could replicate whatever ‘magic’ this place has. There’s no trick to it. The answer is… exactly what we say it is.”

Ellis considered that. “Y’know, that night when I came over to your place and made a jackass of myself, telling you all my sins? You didn’t know why I came to you. Neither did I, but I think I understand now: You lost your job with Darrel because I was willing to lie, and so was he, and so was everyone else involved… except you. Maybe I wanted an honest reaction.”

“My wife sure gave you that.” Del drawled.

“I never told you this, but I downloaded that app.” Ellis admitted. “I went to that meeting with you because I felt guilty about you losing your job. I hadn’t ruled out going to another meeting, but by then…” He trailed off for a moment. “I never really bothered with it, but when everything happened with Debra? It suddenly seemed like the time.”

Del gave Ellis his full attention. “And?”

“I can barely navigate the app, let alone the literature. I’ve watched a few videos, and most of them were interesting, but they didn’t really relate to… well, what I needed to know.”

Del nodded. “You need a teacher. Someone who can explain things, show you how to answer specific questions.”

Ellis nodded. “I don’t know that I’d ever belong in a place like this. With people like this.” He waved a hand helplessly at them. “There’s just something so… clean, about them all. I haven’t so much as heard them cuss since I got here. It’s not normal.”

“No, it’s not.” Del admitted. “That was my argument against Eleanor studying with Witnesses. They weren’t normal. Finally, it hit me: That’s a good thing. Look around at the world sometime. Do you really want to say ‘I’m like all of them’?”

“But I am.” Ellis said softly. “I’m…” He pulled his head in. “I can’t picture anyone here going home with a cocktail waitress. I’m the guy who goes to a bar when he’s had a bad day, and has someone call me a cab home. I’m the guy that has two kids who won’t speak to me because I made their mom cry. I’m the guy who screams at the Ref when I don’t like the call he makes, and the guy that *#$%@ swears because it’s easy.”

Del chuckled. “In other words, you’re an ordinary guy who screws up, and makes mistakes, and doesn’t really bother with questions like ‘what would Jesus do?’.”

“Right.”

“So were most of us, once.” Del said simply, pulling out his phone. “Psalms 130:3 ‘If errors were what you watch, O Jah, Then who, O Jehovah, could stand?’”

Ellis said nothing to that, letting the moment pass a little.

“Listen, real talk.” Del said seriously. “Eleanor called you out on not owning your mistakes; because if you want to make things right with your wife, you’ve got to do the work. God is sort of the same way.” He gestured out at the site. “You want to be part of this? You’d be welcome. But you can’t do it by coasting along and ignoring an app on your phone.”

Ellis let out a hard breath. “My eldest, she’s seventeen now. She googles the answers for her homework. She’s figured out that she can get away with not caring. I hate to say it, but she learned that from me.” Ellis shook his head. “I was first impressed with the Witnesses when I read about how they set up their buildings, above the ‘standard’. Awards for going the extra mile to make building eco-friendly, or sites that don’t disrupt the local area… They’re one of the few organizations that does that. Everyone takes the easy way. My whole life, it’s been that way with school, work, friendship, education-”

“Wife?” Del put in.

Ellis winced. “I knew I should have shut up three sentences sooner.”

Del sipped his coffee. “Let me put it this way: Darrel didn’t care if we did things the easy way, as long as we got the job done ‘in time’ for us to get paid. His workers did the same, because they acted the way he did. We figured out how the boss wanted things, and we did it that way.” Del gestured back at the site. “So, seeing these people work, seeing them interact… What does that tell you about the One we work for?”

Ellis considered that. “Yeah. I guess that makes sense.” He sighed. “When I confessed to you, about the part I played in you getting fired? I had decided not to say anything for a long time. Because if you wanted payback… There was no upside in being honest, and plenty of ways it could come back to haunt me.”

“But you told me anyway.” Del observed.

Ellis nodded. “I was a little chagrined to realize that risk/reward was how I was making choices about being honest, and that wasn’t good. And I want my kid to care about things. Not just her education, but… anything at all that’s worth caring about.” He let that thought settle. “So, what do I do now?”

Del smiled at him.

~/*\~ Lapis ~/*\~

It was the second year of Plenty, according to Joseph’s predictions. The crops had indeed been bountiful. Enough that the storehouses were full. Enough grain to carry Egypt through to the next harvest.

Joseph ordered that they double the number of storehouses. Pharaoh summoned his ministers. Construction, agriculture, housing… Everything was affected by the plans of Joseph. It took the concentrated efforts of several industries to make preparations.

Joseph, for all his presence in the Royal Court, was still an unknown.

Montu reflected on this change as he took his usual post, listening in the Royal Court, spying on the proceedings. The gap in the walls was narrow, but it made for a convenient hiding place, from which he could peep on Pharaoh’s meetings, even when the rest of the Court was not welcome.

Potiphera had been High Priest since the current Pharaoh came to power, and was trying madly to convince the King that life was going on as normal.

“His God reveals secrets and foretells crop yields.” Potiphera challenged. “But our gods keep all Egypt alive. The Nile, the livestock, the stars themselves… How can I give thanks to Jehovah for our times of plenty, when Joseph rejects the existence of our gods in return? Are we to get no respect at all?! There is not one Temple to Jehovah anywhere in Egypt.”

Pharaoh sighed. “Should I have you build one?”

“And how would you do that? Every construction team is working constantly on storehouses. The King’s Temple is being delayed for lack of manpower! May nobody in Egypt be in ascension but Joseph?”

“Enough of this. Pharaoh speaks.” The King waved him silent; the scribes sitting at attention to record the decree. “From now on, the temples of Egypt are to receive an increased tithe of grain, to be kept in exclusive temple granaries. This tithe is at the discretion of the priesthood, to be used for food, or trade as they see fit, to advance the will of the gods of Egypt.”

Potiphera straightened his shoulders. This would be a good increase in funding for them.

“However, this tithing is not for the priesthood. It’s for the Cause. So that the gods may feed the hungry, and reward the faithful; in times of famine or poverty.” Pharaoh looked hard at the High Priest. “After all, you wouldn’t want all the peoples of Egypt to be fed by one lone servant of Jehovah, would you?”

~/*\~

“The new Prime Minister is causing upheaval.” Montu reported. “The High Priest of Ra wants him dead.”

“Potiphera?” Lapis blinked. “Why?”

“The Priesthood has been making a subtle effort over the last ten years. The Temples have been quietly convincing regional leaders, people with influence… their children are being educated in the Temples. The High Priest thinks in terms of decades, Lapis. Normal people think in terms of weeks and months.”

“The Priests had a long term strategy.”

“Within twenty years, every heir to a leadership role beyond the Palace would have been Temple-trained. With the High Priest setting their teaching to support total reliance on the gods…” Montu didn’t bother to finish the thought, letting it hang. “Then Joseph foresaw the next fourteen years, and Pharaoh was convinced. It will take at least seven years to find out if our Prime Minister is wrong. Fourteen to find out if his judgment is sound.”

Lapis grinned. “A long term plan in opposition to the Priests.”

“More than that. The Priest has been consulting our gods, and reading the stars. None of the signs that Potiphera stands by have supported Joseph’s prophecy.” Montu explained. “This isn’t just giving Zaphenath-paneah authority, it’s seriously undermining the word of Ra. Every season that the crops flourish, it just makes our gods look more foolish.”

“The coming famine may be the will of the gods, but the words only ever come from the Priests.” Lapis hummed. “It wouldn’t be the first time a Priest has… changed their interpretations for a shot at more power or wealth.” He sighed. “For a long time, I thought all power could only be used for greed, Montu. Now I’m not so sure.”

~/*\~

“My father is pushing me to distract Zaphenath-paneah.” Asenath said softly to Lapis. “He’s trying to consolidate his position with Pharaoh. Joseph is making it difficult. My father had a strategy to make the Priesthood the most powerful force in Egypt. Joseph undid his work in a conversation.”

“So I’m hearing.” Lapis agreed, biting his lip. “What is your father’s position on the Rationing Plan?”

“If Zaphenath-paneah would just take the credit, my father would know how to treat him and back off.” Asenath explained. “But my husband goes out of his way to remind anyone who tries to compliment him that the source of his Insight is his God, Jehovah. The Priests can’t match him for Prophecy, and my Father can’t accuse him of trying to seize power or acclaim, because he isn’t taking any.”

“It’s true.” Lapis agreed. “All his directives are to be delivered to Pharaoh for approval. Every instruction to Egypt comes through the King. Potiphera can’t argue against any of his instructions, because they all have the Royal Seal on them.”

“That’s the problem.” Asenath explained. “By giving all credit to Jehovah, and all authority to the King, my husband is untouchable. My father is a High Priest. The more Jehovah is renowned for giving wisdom to His servants, the less is left for the Egyptian Gods. My father can’t move against Joseph’s actions without telling the Court that Pharaoh is wrong.”

“I honestly cannot tell if it’s strategic on Zaphenath-paneah’s part, or if he’s just that humble a man.” Lapis admitted with a small grin. “But it appears to be working.”

“Don’t count out the ambition of a desperate man.” Asenath warned. “Power in Egypt has always been split between the Gods and the Throne. My father is seeing the power of the Temples shrink under Zaphenath-paneah’s leadership. He’ll find a way to fight back.”

Asenath’s words proved prophetic.

~/*\~

“Last night the Gods gave me a grand vision.” The High Priest declared to the Royal Court. “I was privileged to see that Egypt is more richly blessed than we ever dreamed.”

Only two thirds of the Court were in attendance. Others were busy with affairs of state and business. Joseph was absent, but Lapis was there to report on the business of the Court when he returned.

Potiphera was center stage, and he knew it. His Priests were, by their very nature, powerful speakers. Dynamic, charismatic, even theatrical. As his speech continued, Lapis suddenly realized why Asenath was there. He was showing off for his daughter.

“The gods of Egypt bless us with their presence every day. From the light that shines down on us, to the waters that flow through the great Nile; all of Egypt is made up of their glory.” He intoned. “And since every part of Egypt is their making, and their gift; it stands to reason that they live among us. We have long understood this with the Apis Bull, and other incarnations of the gods made flesh.” He paused, drawing the moment out. “And I have come to realize, that just as our animal gods have their forms made flesh for us to venerate, so does Man, have a Divinely given form. The god-king, made in their divine image.”

With that, Potiphera turned, and bowed dramatically to the throne. “Our own Pharaoh, not just a ruler; but holy, divine, God-Man incarnate.”

Stunned silence from the Royal Court, before the sudden shift got through to them, and the court immediately bowed, doing obeisance to their newly elevated god-king.

If Joseph was here, would he bow? Lapis wondered as his forehead met the floor. If he didn’t, would Pharaoh be angry?

The King had clearly been told this in private, and he took in their worship with steely regard. People had bowed before him all his life. What was one more reason to accept their devotion?

“Rise.” Pharaoh said grandly.

Everyone stood, eyes still averted, as they would in the shrines. Potiphera turned to them. “His Excellency feels, and I agree, that the Palace is a suitable temple already. As with our other gods, the Pharaoh’s likeness will be made available to worship for all those who choose him as their patron god. My people are carrying news of this glorious revelation out to the temples of Egypt as we speak; so that all our people may join in honoring him appropriately.”

He went on for quite a while, describing what would change, and what would remain the same. Lapis noted Asenath trying to meet his eyes. She knew what it meant, just as he did.

~/*\~

“Pharaoh asked for Zaphenath-paneah this morning.” Lapis reported. “I am running out of excuses.”

Asenath winced. “My husband takes his duties seriously, but will not attend worship. It is our only serious point of disagreement.”

“Your father is a priest, my Lady.” Lapis nodded. “But I am his servant, to say nothing of my duty to Pharaoh. It is… an embarrassment to have the Prime Minister disrespecting the Temple of Ra.”

(Author’s Note: Exactly how long it took after the Flood for false religions to spring up again is a matter of some conjecture. However, when Joseph became second in command over Egypt, he was also given Asenath as a wife. According to the Insight book, her father Potiphera was a priest, and his name meant ‘He Whom Ra Has Given’. So clearly the religion of at least some Egyptian Gods were established by then.

When, exactly, Pharaoh went from a ruling king to an actual deity, is another matter. For this story, I have elected to make it part of this time. The reason is because I wanted to establish the ‘godhood’ of the King to the minds of Egyptians as a long-held tradition before the Exodus story, so the earlier the better. But this is just my own addition; it could have happened at any time before or after Joseph was part of the Egyptian court.

Also, Potiphera is listed as the Priest of On. All temples had a Priest, and every town/city had a temple, so there’s nothing to suggest this one was a representative to Pharaoh. I expanded his role because being Joseph’s father-in-law made for interesting story dynamics)

“My father agrees, and is ordering me to bring the boys to the Temple more often.” Asenath admitted. “But he cannot argue with the Prime Minister. Pharaoh has given him full authority, even over the Temples. Without my husband, my father will go hungry, and they both know it.”

Lapis snorted. “Which puts you in the middle.”

“I was always in the middle, Lapis.” Asenath said simply. “My father is eager to raise his profile in the Royal Court. As his daughter, a marriage to someone of influence is his best option.” She smiled a bit at the subtlety. “I wonder if Pharaoh knew my father’s plans for the future. Giving me as a wife to the Prime Minister is a great honor to my family. But having a husband who refuses to worship any Egyptian God neatly prevents my father from taking any kind of advantage of the connection.”

“Your father chose his moment to recognize the King’s ascent to godhood, my lady.” Lapis agreed. “And he chose well.”

She looked at him sideways. The two of them had always been able to speak plainly to each other. It had been a necessity, given that she was arranged to marry a former slave she had never met. Lapis needed help establishing his place in the household, and she needed to understand her new husband quickly. It had created an odd sort of friendship between them that had now lasted for more than half a decade. “Chose his moment, how?”

“The people have not missed the fact that the crops have been beyond belief for two seasons in a row.” Lapis explained. “I’ve been in some of those meetings with your husband. Not everyone wants to store their surplus so readily. Some of them are certain the years of plenty will go on forever.”

“Two years now. Five more would be something of a tradition.” Asenath agreed.

“Zaphenath-paneah faced strong pressure from his court to take advantage, economically.” Lapis explained. “He refused to take the bait. Your husband was certain that the prophecy of the King’s dream would hold true. Despite what your father said after consulting omens and signs of Ptah.”

“And Zaphenath-paneah rejects all our gods. But he can’t reject Pharaoh.” Asenath understood swiftly. “Having plenty of food when the crops fail is proof of ‘divine leadership’. So by making the King one of our deities…”

“Anyone who doubts Pharaoh’s godhood can go without his rations. And the Priesthood suddenly has some of Pharaoh’s authority over the land again, independent of the Prime Minister.”

Asenath bit her lip. “It’s such a dangerous gamble, Lapis. Turning the Pharaoh into a God-incarnate, like the Apis Bull, or one of our Shrine Idols…”

“There is another factor to consider.” Lapis said quietly. “Be discreet with this information. The queen is pregnant. The Pharaoh’s Heir is on the way at last.”

Asenath’s eyes widened. “I had not heard this.”

“It’s not publicly known yet.” Lapis admitted. But Montu has a friend among the Royal Physicians. “The Court will be told later. I think your father has realized he will never really get control back from your husband. But the heir to the throne is another matter entirely.”

“And if the child is a boy, then he will be raised as a god-incarnate himself.” Asenath said softly. “And who better can teach a young mind what it means to be a god, other than a High Priest?”

Asenath let out a breath like she’d been holding it for a week. “The Royal Court is always a balancing act between the King, the priesthood, the military, and the nobility. My father has found a way to tilt the scales for generations to come.”

~/*\~ Ellis ~/*\~

“I don’t know.” Ellis admitted. “There’s just… a contradiction about it that I can’t reconcile.” He flipped back and forth in the study guide. “Two things I’ve learned about God is that He tolerates no sinful practices, and He’s always merciful and forgiving.” He looked at Del and shrugged awkwardly. “How can both be true?”

Eleanor was at the table with them, little Jacen asleep in her arms as she rocked him a little, holding him close to her heartbeat. “Y’know, some of the parenting books I read when this one came along? They say when kids mess up, they should apologize; but a parent should say ‘I accept your apology’ or ‘I forgive you’ instead of ‘That’s okay’. You know why?”

A father himself, Ellis nodded. “Because saying something’s ‘okay’ implies that you don’t care about the mistake. Or that it wasn't wrong.”

“Truth is, we do care when our kids do the wrong thing, but we care about them a whole lot more. God is the same way. He cares about you far more than your sins.” Eleanor said lightly.

Ellis had been studying with Del for a while now. It had been casual at first, getting some questions answered. Then they moved on to using study guides. After a few chapters, Del began to pray before each study. Ellis had tried a few prayers of his own, but wasn’t sure he was doing it right.

The studies got him out of the house for a while. He hadn’t gone back to any bar since moving into his new house. He hadn’t gone out with his friends, because they would all want to help him embrace his new ‘single’ status.

Del and Eleanor had come to his house for a study once or twice, and Eleanor had read the situation enough to know he was lonely. The studies then moved to their apartment instead, and Ellis was out of the house for a night or two each week. They always invited him to stay for dinner. Eleanor had even given him some cooking lessons, since he couldn’t give his kids takeout every time they came over.

Coordinating their schedules was the hardest part. The change in employment meant that Del worked different hours than the usual nine-to-five. Eleanor had taken a part time job to help cover the costs while Jacen was at school. Their new home was an apartment, smaller and cheaper than the suburban home they had before. Still, it felt more like a family home than any of the places Ellis had lived for a while.

“I don’t know.” Ellis admitted. “I mean… I get people being forgiven for things they did before studying. The Bible doesn’t draw the moral line in the same place as the world. And for that matter, what’s right and wrong changes depending on where and when you live, so I get the idea of everyone having to follow the same rulebook when they become Christian… and to be fair, I get that millions of people lived and died without ever hearing any of this, but…” He tried to say it. “I’ve done wrong things, knowing they were wrong. And I probably will again. Little stuff mainly, but how can I turn around and say ‘I feel regret’ when I knew I shouldn’t do it? How do I deserve forgiveness when I know I’m going to sin again?”

“You don’t ask forgiveness for sins you haven’t committed yet.” Eleanor offered. “That way lies madness.” She flipped through her Bible. “Here. Jeremiah 31:34: ‘For I will forgive their error, and I will no longer remember their sin’.” She looked up at him. “There’s verses about God numbering and naming every hair on our heads, and every star in the universe, but our sins he will forget?”

“Everyone is going to sin again.” Del told him gently. “Forgiveness has never been about ‘deserving it’.” He looked up a scripture of his own. “Here. Ephesians 1:7: ‘By means of him we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved kindness.’ Notice that last part? Forgiveness isn’t something you can earn; because you’re right: You’re not perfect. You can’t avoid your next mistake. The whole point of the Bible is that Jesus took care of that debt for you.”

“More importantly,” Eleanor put in. “By saying no, you’re also saying that Jesus’ Ransom wasn’t enough for you. Given some of the things people did in Bible Times and were forgiven for, you’re putting yourself in some pretty rare company by declaring yourself ‘unforgivable’.”

Ellis winced. “I didn’t say I was ‘unforgivable’, I just… want to know how I can say I’m sorry when I can’t do better.”

Eleanor regarded him. “Here’s the thing, Ellis: I don’t think you’re asking about God’s forgiveness. I think your problem is that you don’t feel forgiven.”

Ellis couldn’t argue with that. “...Yeah.”

“That’s something we all struggle with. But in your case, I think it’s something more specific than it is for either of us.”

Ellis stared at Eleanor for a minute. “Del, you married this woman. Can she read your mind as well as mine?”

“Of course she can. They all can.” Del said lightly.

~/*\~

Later that night, he called Debra. They hadn’t been in the same room together for quite a while. All their conversations were text messages.

The phone rang a dozen times before she picked up. “I was this close to sending it to voicemail.” She said by way of greeting.

“I know.” He said. “But you hadn’t yet, so I kept waiting. Do you have a few minutes? Because if you’re in the middle of something, I can call back another time. I just want to talk to you.”

“I’m free. What do you want, Ellis?”

“To apologize.” He said simply.

Silence. Long silence.

“Just like that?” She said finally.

“I know it’s not that simple.” He said quietly. “But I want it to get better. If I’m honest, I want to put the family back together. And if that’s… impossible now, then I at least want to make it right.”

“I loved you.” She said, and her breath hitched with emotion. “And… despite everything, part of me still does. This would be so much easier if I didn’t love you at all anymore.”

“I know.” He said softly. “Love was never the problem. I was always sure that we loved each other, I just… didn’t think you respected me anymore. Before I cheated, I mean. And I don’t blame you. The last few weeks, I’ve been taking a long hard look at my life, and where it went wrong… It wasn’t just a business screw up. All that cost us was money. What I did wrong was… I gave in to it. I let fear and shame rule my life, and I never tried to make it better.”

“I was scared about the money too, Ellis.” She whispered back. “But what had me really worried was that you kept pretending everything was fine. We had problems. Some of them from outside our marriage, some of them from each other, but you just wouldn’t… Keeping your head down so you could keep your job? I get that, given the near miss we’d already escaped once. But you got there by not caring. You deliberately stopped yourself from caring about your job. And it felt like I was on that list too.”

“I know.” He sighed. “I forgot that we were meant to be a team against our troubles. I kept thinking that if I pretended it wasn’t there, then you’d do the same, and we’d be fine. I didn’t want to do the work. And you did, so I got mad at you. I shouldn’t have. Is it too late to say I’m sorry?”

“...maybe.” She said neutrally. “Say it anyway.”

“I’m sorry, Debra. I’m so sorry for what I did to you. To us.”

“Thank you.” She sniffed. “But it’s not that simple, Ellis.”

“I know. What we had is broken, and I broke it. I can’t expect to pretend it’s all better again just because I want it to be.” Ellis sighed. “Respect. I gotta earn it back. Not just from you, I know. Losing you was the price I paid when I did something bad. But… the kids. I want them to trust me again.”

“Gigi just wants to see her daddy again. I don’t know if Piper will ever forgive you.” Debra admitted. “And I want her to. As much as I like having her on my side during this, I don’t want her to hate you forever. I’ve seen what that does to people, and I don’t want our kids to turn out that way.”

“Thank you for that.” Ellis sighed, but he deflated unconsciously. They were ‘officially’ setting the rules of their separation, where the kids were concerned. That meant it was going to go on for a while longer.

~/*\~

Their separation wasn’t a legal one. There were no court orders about joint custody. They were making it up as they went. He had leased a place with enough room for his kids to visit, or even stay overnight. It was relatively close to Piper’s school, and Gigi’s daycare. Debra was starting a job of her own, and needed the time. She had made no effort to attempt reconciliation.

Privately, Ellis wondered if they were testing out how it would work once they were officially done with each other, with him having custody only a few nights a week.

Ellis knew his only hope of putting his family back together was if he could build some bridges. But Debra had promised not to try and ‘recruit’ the kids against him, and he would do the same. His new place was a home for the kids. He wouldn’t make it seem like their two or three nights with him were more ‘fun’ than being with their mother. He would not bribe his kids into loving him.

In Piper’s case, it wouldn’t work anyway. She barely spoke to him unless there was something specific for them to talk about.

Their usual night was Monday. When they asked to spend the weekend, he said yes.

Piper waited until Gigi was out of the room, before she finally said what was on her mind. “Dad, I was hoping you could handle things without me for a few hours? There’s a party I wanted to go to. Lyssa can pick me up.”

“Your mom say yes?” Ellis asked promptly.

“The party’s tonight. I just found out about it.” Piper waved it off. “She’d be fine with it, I’m sure. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Of course not. You’re seventeen after all. What are the odds you’d go to a party if there was going to be enough trouble to make your parents worry?” He said with grim understatement.

“Well, you’d be the expert on having fun behind mom’s back, right?” She challenged cuttingly.

He winced, but swallowed it. “You sure you want to play your ace that fast?”

Piper scowled, but blew past that. “I’d like to go to this party. I’m going with Lyssa. You know her.”

“I do. I also know how easy it is for someone as smart as you to play two estranged parents against each other.” Ellis reminded her, pulling out his phone. “Take it as a compliment, that I know you’re that smart. I’ll call your mother, and make sure she’s fine with it. If she-”

“Don’t call her.” Piper put a hand out. “She’s… not there.”

“I’ll call her cell.”

“She won’t answer.” Piper said shortly.

Ellis paused, finger hovering over the ‘dial’ button. “Piper, she knows I have you two tonight. She’ll answer if it’s… where is she?”

“Couldn’t say, really. I wasn’t consulted, since I’d be spending the night here.”

Ellis put his phone away. “She’s on a date.”

Piper nodded, and there was just the faintest hint of a grin tugging at the corner of her lip. “I, for one, am glad you got us tonight. I’ve been babysitting Gigi every time she goes out to dinner with this guy. Personally, I think the reason she wanted us to stay over the weekend was so that she could stay out all night for once. She’s had to sneak in before Gigi woke up for breakfast often enough.”

Ellis felt like he’d swallowed broken glass. Piper’s shoulders were bunching like she was waiting for him to erupt, but he didn’t. He had nothing. He stood in his kitchen, feeling like an idiot, completely blindsided. Piper realized he wasn’t angry. He was hurt. Nearly crying.

It's a terrible thing for a kid to see her parents break down. Ellis told himself.

Gigi chose that moment to stride into the room. “Story?” She chirped hopefully.

Piper turned away from her sister, embarrassed by the whole scene. Ellis plastered a smile on his face and followed Gigi into her room. There were two beds. Gigi loved that she got to share with her sister again. Piper was quite furious.

Gigi jumped into bed with the relentless energy of little kids. Ellis sat with her, pulling out a Bible Story book, provided by Eleanor. He turned to one of the early stories, about Eden. Gigi’s eyes lit up at the pictures. “Animals!”

“Yep.” Ellis said softly, still half-thinking about Debra. “Animals and people used to live together.”

Gigi’s head tilted, looking at the image of Adam and Eve with the animals. “Like a zoo.”

“Not like the zoo.” Ellis explained soothingly. “In a zoo, there are walls and barriers between people and animals. There have to be. To protect the animals, and protect the people. One day, we’ll go back to that. You could have a pet tiger.”

She smiled, and he tucked her in warmly against his side. “Alright. Story time.”

~/*\~

He kept reading until Gigi fell asleep. He snuck out of the room, and squared his shoulders, ready to continue the conversation with Piper. Except she wasn’t there. He heard a car out front, and went to his window to look.

Piper was getting into a car. He could see Lyssa, her best friend, sitting behind the wheel.

Ellis scowled, and pulled out his phone to tell Debra, then remembered she was on a date, and put it away immediately. He was suddenly furious, but not at Piper. He was furious with Debra.

With no real options, and nobody to talk to, Ellis did something he was still new at. He sat down, and started to pray.

~/*\~

“She got back a few hours later, and apparently had a great time. I know, as her father, I'm meant to be against her going out to parties and all; but I want her to have a fun, happy life.”

“There are about fifty million families having this argument around the world right now, Ellis.” Eleanor pointed out. “You want her to be safe, but she doesn’t want you to know, because she doesn’t want your permission. You can’t force the issue without being the villain.”

“And I’m trying madly to not be the villain in her story any more than I am already.” Ellis admitted, as Eleanor put a coffee cup in front of him. “And she was waiting for a chance to tell me her mom has started dating.” He sipped, sighed. “I don’t know why I’m mad at Debra.” Ellis admitted. “I have no right to be, but I am.”

“Because you’re trying.” Eleanor sighed in sympathy. “You’re really trying to make it all better again, and she hasn’t forgiven you. You’ve been learning about how God will forgive the genuinely remorseful. But Debra hasn’t done the same, and you’re angry, because that was your wake up call.”

Ellis said nothing for a while. The kids had gone to school, and their mother would pick them up. There was no need for Debra to interact with him at all, but for the first time, it felt like she was telling him something with her absence. Something deliberate. Maybe even taunting.

“This is the tricky part about getting your life on a moral course, Ellis.” Del put in. “You’re hoping to see results quickly: Do the right thing, and get a reward.”

“I know that’s not how it’s supposed to work.” Ellis said gruffly. “I know that if I get right with God, my job won’t miraculously become easier, my wife won’t come back, and my health won’t suddenly improve.”

Del nodded. “Back in the day, we did our jobs the wrong way because we were hoping for rewards. More money, more clients… People do the wrong thing for a reward. What about doing the right thing?”

Ellis bit his lip. “It’s not such a bad idea, is it? To do the right thing and hope that people recognize that? Maybe even approve? People who don’t have God’s omnipresence?” He spread his hands wider. “Is it so terrible to want something to get better before judgment Day?”

“Yes, I am greatly disturbed, And I ask you, O Jehovah—how long will it be?” Eleanor quoted.

“I know, you’re in the same boat, but-”

“Ellis, the whole world is waiting on God, for one thing or another. Most people don’t even know what we’re waiting for.” Eleanor told him. “But if we’re waiting, we’re in good company.”

“She’s right.” Del put in. “Noah waited decades for the rain to start, Abraham waited decades for Issac to be born, Joseph spent more than a decade in jail for a crime he didn’t commit.” He let that thought settle for a moment. “But when the time was right, they all received their promised reward. More than that, the rewards they received were greater than they ever expected.”

“Yeah.” Ellis said softly. “But nowhere in scripture was it promised that my family would be put back together.” He looked down. “God forgive me for this, but part of me wonders if it’s not going to make a difference, then why am I…” He trailed off. “Wrong thinking, I know. And questions about God and Eternal Life aren’t about my marriage. They’re bigger than that. But eternal life is… infinite. Paradise is hard to picture. My family is something I can picture just fine, and it’s all coming apart.”

“Ellis, it can be hard to walk by faith when you can’t see where it’s leading, or what you’re getting in return. Nobody disputes that.” Del admitted. “But I’ve got friends in the congregation that were born and raised Witnesses, and they’re pensioners now. Not one person has looked back on their life and said ‘I wish I was less faithful’ or ‘I should have been less involved in the truth’.”

Ellis sighed. “I get that. I just wish I could be sure of my own heart in this. All the things I’ve done that scare me? I knew what I would be getting if I succeeded. This one is different. And I don’t like the idea that I could lose faith if I don’t get what I want.”

“That rather depends on what you want.” Eleanor said gently. “Ellis, I became a Witness because I was looking at the world and was scared for the future. Del did the same because he wanted to know Jacen and I would have real security and safety. The world can’t offer that to anyone. Not really.” She spread her hands wide. “Why are you here?”

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