~~/*\~~ Oskar ~~/*\~~
The next meeting convinced Oskar that staying in their homeland might have been the wrong choice. There were more empty chairs, and Ignaz was on stage. Even as he was leading the meeting, Brother Ignaz was looking towards the door frequently, watching for someone to come in.
Everyone in the audience saw it. They weren’t sure if he was waiting for Matheo to arrive late, or soldiers to come boiling in to shoot them all. Whatever it was, it became almost impossible to pay attention to the program. Oskar found he was praying. Looking around, he clearly wasn’t the only one.
Whatever’s going to happen, it’s happening to us already. He thought.
~~/*\~~
After the meeting, Oskar kept an eye on Ignaz. He was in a hurry. He was moving from one person to another, with a smile on his face. But it didn’t look like a real smile. He was pretending, Oskar was sure.
The doubts were making his hands shake, and the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. Finally, the uncertainty was worse than anything else, and Oskar walked to catch Ignaz between chats. “So. Matheo unwell tonight?”
“Not that I’ve heard.” Ignaz suddenly seemed hopeful. “Why? When did you hear from him?”
“Not since…” Oskar trailed off as he realized. “Are you saying you can’t find him?”
Ignaz winced. “Don’t tell anyone about this, but… After the last meeting, a man from the… the ‘government’ came by.”
Even our people seem to use ‘government’ as a relative term these days. Oskar thought to himself. “What did he want?”
“He presented Matheo with a German flag, and reported that we needed to display it out the front of our Hall. There was an identical, smaller banner that had to hang over the podium, in full view of the whole room.”
Oskar’s eyes flashed. “A swastika, flying over our Hall.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of revulsion.
“Matheo said no, of course, and explained why. The government’s man warned it might cause trouble later, and said goodbye.” Ignaz let out a breath. “That was three days ago. Nobody’s heard from Matheo since. I called his house last night… someone answered, but I didn’t recognize the voice. I rode my bicycle past his house this morning. The front door was broken in. I didn’t have the nerve to stop and look.”
Oskar felt a hard shudder roll through him like a convulsion. “How did it happen? How did it happen this quickly? What did we do wrong?!”
“I don’t know.” Ignaz admitted. “But I seem to be the highest ranking brother left in the Hall. All the meeting arrangements have been up to me.”
“For what it’s worth, you’ve been Matheo’s right hand man for months.” Oskar offered. “You’re certainly qualified.”
“For meeting parts. I don’t know what to say to people who are asking me if they should leave the country, or if…” He trailed off. “I’ve already called the other Congregations. They’ll be sending us some help for next week.”
A regular sister named Amelie came over in time to hear the last of that. “I’m getting out on Wednesday.” She told them. “Oskar, I’ll be planning to stop by the Bank first, to get my savings.”
“Get them early. Local currency is… shaky, right now..” Oskar told her. “Economic strength was one of their main promises with the Anschluss, but nobody’s quite clear what the economy is going to look like tomorrow. We might be using German currency, we might be paying different taxes… certainly the infrastructure is all under new management.”
“Mm.” Amelie nodded. “Will you be there early? I might get moving first thing, instead of waiting.” She lowered her voice. “Will that be… safe? I mean, is anyone going to notice, or care if I suddenly close my accounts without warning?”
Has it come to this already?
“Where will you go?” Ignaz asked suddenly, before Oskar could give her an answer.
“I have friends over in Switzerland. Apparently the brothers over there are very busy, taking in… well, people like me.”
“I don’t.” Ignaz said absently. “I don’t have any friends or family I can land with. I was born and raised right here in this town, going back three generations.”
Oskar and Amelie didn’t know what to say to that. In truth, most of their Congregation could say the same. Including me. Oskar thought. After a long moment, he broke the silence. “First thing in the morning, I’ll be there at the Bank. You won’t have to deal with anyone else, I promise.”
~~/*\~~
Oskar was up early that morning. Flora wasn’t even awake yet when he left for the Bank. He left a note for her, telling her where he was going, and reminding her to eat a large breakfast, preferably of something that wouldn’t keep. There were growing shortages at the markets, and prices were rising to match. If he could keep the longer-lived groceries for a while, so much the better.
The German flags were everywhere in town now, displayed at every business, dropped over the clocktower, flying over the town hall. But worse was the sound of marching. The jackboots on cobblestones had a unique sound. One he’d never heard before, but he knew he’d never forget it.
They walked the streets in groups, but not in formation. It looked like they were just looking around the town, getting to know the place. Just like any other new arrival. Except for the black uniforms, and the red armbands, they almost looked like normal people.
Except they weren’t. They walked through the town like giants. They had that swagger. It was a confidence that nobody in the country had anymore. And it seemed to be working. People stepped aside for them. One or two Jewish locals were forced to walk in the gutter, and the soldiers laughed when they did so.
Oskar made a point of walking on the opposite sides of the street. As a bank employee, he wore a suit and tie. Normally, people tipped their hats to him, but he had a feeling the soldiers would make him cower, just to show that he would do so. Doing so made him feel cowardly. It made the invaders seem bigger somehow. Untouchable.
Was this how it was in Noah’s Day? Watching giants swagger around, taking whatever they wanted? Knowing there was nothing you could do?
~~/*\~~ Leahe ~~/*\~~
The Twelve Spies were chosen specifically because of their position, each one a Chieftain of the Twelve Tribes. After making their report to Moses and Aaron, they were quick to return to their tribesmen.
As a result, the word of each individual report spread through each individual Tribe, faster than anything that was reported from Moses.
~~/*\~~
“Joshua says the hills go on beyond the eye can see. And the trees are so green and vibrant. After walking through the wastelands this long, I’d all but forgotten what green trees and long grass looked like.” Tavi said brightly. “I can’t wait to see it myself.”
Leahe rubbed her severed arm. “There was… talk, at the wellspring. When I was filling the water jars? The other tribes say there are tens of thousands of chariots preparing to make an attack on us before we reach their border.”
Tavi scoffed. “I heard that rumor when there were hundreds of soldiers. Then thousands. Then tens of thousands. Now tens of thousands of chariots, too.” He shook his head. “The rumors keep growing bigger with every person who repeats it.”
“What does it matter? We couldn’t handle an attack. Not if those soldiers are as big as reported. We’re not an army.”
“I recall people saying the same thing on the shores of the Red Sea. If memory serves, we didn’t have to fight attacking chariots then, either.” Tavi said serenely.
“How can you be so calm about this?” Yaldborth snapped, storming past them. “We marched all the way from Egypt, through seas and deserts, and now we find the land promised to us is taken.”
He hadn’t even broken stride, hurrying past on his way to talk to someone else. In his wake, the two of them were silent for a moment.
“So I guess there are multiple viewpoints.” Leahe said finally.
Tavi shook his head. “Your father would be appalled at the fear running through the camp. We’ve dealt with fear our whole lives, and all of us were there when the fear was taken away, and faith won out.”
“Yes. My father was very pleased that day.” Leahe said flatly. “And then a few weeks later, he was executed for dancing and singing praises to a Golden Calf.” She saw Tavi’s reaction, nearly knocked over by that one. “See, that’s the problem, Tavi. As grateful as we are to Jehovah, and as certain as we are of His power to save us… We also know that one mistake can be fatal. Our whole lives have been like that, before and after Moses came to Egypt. Just ask Deror.”
Tavi had no answer to that. By this time, they had arrived at the ‘swap meet’, where the women exchanged clothing. Their clothes and even their sandals hadn’t worn out, which was no small miracle on its own, but with limited material available in the wastelands, there was no way to ever make anything new. There had been gatherings to exchange clothing and materials as a result. Leahe made her goodbyes, and Tavi headed off, back towards the other gatherings, where people were still discussing the latest news.
Tavi noticed a familiar face and headed that way with a smile. “Mind if I join you?”
“Of course not.” Tivon waved him over, and his old friend sat beside him. “Feels like I barely see you anymore.”
“We walk by tribe.” Tavi shrugged, knowing the reason as well as he did. “When we worked the ropelines in Egypt, our tribes didn’t matter.” He sighed a bit, reflective. “When we get to Our New Home, I wonder if our homes will be apportioned according to Tribes.”
“If they do, you’d be welcome in my home at any time.”
“Thank you for that.” Tavi was silent for a moment, not sure where to go next.
Tivon sighed. “Who sent you to check on me?”
“Nobody. I just happened to see my old friend sitting here.” Tavi smirked. “Besides, nobody had to send me. The whole camp is working itself into a frenzy with the news. After generations of slavery, we’re on the doorstep of the Promised Land. You think there’s anyone who hasn’t heard the reports?”
“It’s… devastating.” Tivon said quietly. “After all this time, we get here… and it’s a non-starter.”
Tavi shook his head in disbelief. “You too, eh? Caleb told us how good the land looked, and how productive the land would be… As soon as our tribesmen started talking to others, it was like getting hit with a whip.”
“A feeling we know well.” Tivon returned. “And one I’d hoped never to know again.”
Takarut came to join them, settling beside them. “Gentlemen. I couldn’t help but overhear-”
“Because you were listening in?” Tivon murmured darkly. Egyptian-born, Takarut was still a foreigner to them, though it was getting better since he had married Leahe.
“As an… outsider to the Tribes, I often hear from multiple chieftains, since I have no ‘official’ one of my own.” Takarut nodded. “Speaking as a former Egyptian, I don’t understand the fear everyone seems to have of the locals.”
“You’ve never been on the receiving end of the whip.” Tivon returned.
“No, I was on the receiving end of that.” Takarut pointed at the centre of the camp, where the pillar of fire reached into the sky, bright enough to light up the whole assembly. “You’ve seen what the hand of God can do. Why are you worried?”
“We know what God can do. We also know what it’s like to wait for generations before He does.” Tivon countered.
“He’s right about that.” Tavi admitted. “But as it happens, the Egyptian is right. It’s not like we’re waiting for Him to notice us again.”
“Yeah, but-” Tivon waved a hand. “We saw what those plagues did to Egypt. They were devastating. Each and every one. What’s the point of bringing them against our own Promised Land? The Plagues were sent against Egypt to make the Pharaoh break. What happens here? Are we going to drive out all the inhabitants? How many will be left afterwards? How much of the land will be drowned in blood, or frogs, or…”
“Or maybe none of those things.” Tavi shot back. “I know, we’ve only ever been under the brutal kind of authority, but… He makes it rain bread every day.”
“I won’t deny He’s been keeping us alive in a barren wilderness. It’s just… I’ve never seen Him clean up a mess.”
“What?” Tavi blurted with a laugh, caught off guard by that.
“Ten Plagues. Ten acts of divine power. When the locusts went, the plants didn’t grow back. When the frogs all died, they had us pile them up and burn them in Goshen. When the hail stopped, everything was still scorched.” Tivon shrugged. “He can’t use His power on our new home, or He’ll leave it in ruins.”
“Who says He’ll strike the land with Plagues?”
“Well, how else can we take control of it? We’re no match for their army.”
“That’s what we said about the Amalekites.” A voice joined in.
They turned to see Leahe coming over. She settled down next to her husband. “Apologies for just jumping into this conversation, but the women at the swap meet were having this same debate. There only seems to be one topic on anyone’s mind right now, no matter who you talk to.”
~~/*\~~
The conversation lasted about half an hour before Takarut nudged Leahe subtly, and the two of them excused themselves.
“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t stand another round.” Takarut told his wife quietly. “I don’t mind discussing possibilities, but they just kept making the same three points, over and over: ‘What-if?’ ‘What-if?’ ‘What-if?’”
Leahe shrugged. “Until we find out, speculation is all we have.” She shivered. “I know rumors get out of control, but there’s one that scares me.”
“Oh?”
“When he said the soldiers were like the Nephilim.” She shivered harder just saying the word. “I remember my father telling me scary stories about the days before the flood. Demonic, giant men, who were powerful enough and evil enough to ruin the whole world.”
“I heard those legends too.” Takarut nodded. “But we’ve never seen those men. For that matter, we’ve never seen the soldiers in Canaan either.”
“No, but the spies did, and they’re scared to death.” Leahe was wringing her hand around the hem of her robes nervously. “They say it’s too dangerous, and who else can we ask?”
“Why don’t we ask? And I don’t mean the spies, I mean Jehovah.” Takarut said as they approached their tent. “Moses gets to have conversations with God. Everyone’s wondering if we should demand Moses not lead us into the land? We could just ask Moses to ask for the details about what will happen. Would God refuse to give them?”
Leahe hesitated as they entered their tent, but finally said what had been growing inside her for a while. “The last time we asked Jehovah for something He didn’t specifically give us already…”
“He gave it to us.” Takarut said simply. “If you’re talking about the Quail.”
“Yes, I am.” Leahe pressed, settling down into her blankets, rubbing her severed arm painfully. “Go tell Deror we can just ask for things we want.”
Takarut sighed hard, settling in beside her. “I know Deror was your ‘special project’, but he was broken by what his masters inflicted on him long before we ever left Egypt. It’s not your fault.”
“He asked me to help him with the quail, and I gave him the drying mats.” Leahe murmured sullenly, guilt making her turn her face away.
He wrapped an arm around her anyway. “Exactly. He asked. I was there, love. We talked about this. I’m sorry you lost friends that day, but-”
“But what?” Leahe turned her face harder into the blanket, away from him. “My first thought was to hoard the quail too. I’ve lived my whole life not knowing if I’d be allowed food the next day. You live like that, you don’t waste anything.”
“And now we live like this, getting magic food appearing every day without fail.” Takarut returned, rubbing her back. “Why am I making the case for Jehovah? Back when we first met we were both on the opposite sides of this debate. Do we always have to disagree?”
“Of course we do, we’re married.” Leahe drawled.
He scoffed. “I remember during the first Plague, I was on a boat, crossing the Nile with Satau. It was nighttime, and all we could see was an endless river of blood underneath us. Egypt has Death Gods, my love. Jehovah convinced me they were helpless. If it turns out that Jehovah is a Death God first, above all else, tell me now. Because I’d rather live where Death Gods are powerless.”
“I know.” She sighed, the tension draining out of her.
“Deror wasn’t your fault. He was beaten up enough that he couldn’t see any kind of leadership as anything but another Pharoah.”
“Pharaoh would have let us preserve the quail for later.” Leahe commented absently.
Takarut sat up sharply, looking at his wife in disbelief.
Dead silence.
“I’m sorry.” She said finally, sitting to rub her eyes. With only one arm, she couldn’t rub her eyes and recline with him at the same time, and he pulled her back against him, balancing her. “I don’t know where that came from.”
“I remember you telling me once that there was a strong streak of ‘stubbornness’ in your people.” He said gently in her ear. “I thought that ‘harder than stone’ nature was a good thing until now.”
Leahe remembered the conversation herself, repeating what she had said. “Because any time we weren’t strong enough to move the stone, we got the whip until we found a way.”
“Thing is, that’s a bad quality to have as free people.” Takarut said carefully. “You’re always on the defensive, no matter what your Leader says.”
“Habit.” She said flatly.
“Because you’ve only ever known the brutal kind of authority. But I was in the Royal Court when Moses stood against Pharaoh. I’ve seen the two of them interact. They are not the same thing. And I don’t mean their backgrounds. Life under Jehovah’s rule? It’s not like being back in Egypt.”
“To be totally honest, we don’t know what the rule under Jehovah is like yet.” Leahe countered. “How would Pharoah’s Royal Court have been different if your whole nation was living in tents in the most barren stretch of wastelands, instead of the most productive lands in the world, along the Nile?”
“I don’t have to wonder. I was in the room when Pharaoh found out how much wealth and harvest Egypt was losing every day to a blood-filled Nile.” Takarut lay back with her. “Leahe, I don’t know what’s going to happen when we enter the Land. I don’t know what taking possession of it will look like for us, or for the people living there now. But we’ve never really known. We just… follow that pillar of smoke and fire, and it leads us the right way.”
“Mm.” Leahe snuggled against him, and he could tell she was still worried. “My people aren’t used to uncertainty. Even when we were praying for Freedom, our lives never changed. It was bad, but it was constant. Egypt was as certain as the sun, and God even made that go dark. You might be comfortable not knowing, but a lot of my people are terrified of the unknown. Moments of uncertainty have only ever made life worse for us.”
“And every time those people talk about what they don’t know, they seem to egg each other into more fear.” Takarut nodded. “Don’t let that happen to you, my love.”
“Ohh, I’ve got all the uncertainty I need right here, husband.” Leahe sighed, pulling his hand to her stomach. “After all, wherever we end up, It’ll will be where our baby calls home.”
Takarut sat bolt upright, going buggy-eyed. “Our what?!”
~~/*\~~
Tivon told his wife everything he’d heard as she rocked Giddel on her hip. “Igal says it was like looking at the Nephilim. Hundreds of them. And that’s just part of the Army.”
“Maybe they’ll surrender.” His son chirped.
Tivon looked at Giddel. “What?”
“Egypt surrendered.” Giddel said without worry. “Right?”
Tivon looked up and saw his wife smiling broadly at that. “They did.” He admitted. “You know, son… You’ve never heard this part of the story, but back when our People first came to Egypt, we were welcomed.”
Giddel blinked. “Really?”
“We were welcomed into their land, and given land of our own, with the blessing of Pharaoh.” He sent a look to his wife. “Do you think we’ll be welcomed into Canaan too?”
Like all parents, they’d figured out how to have depressing conversations around small, innocent ears. His wife understood the point he was making. Our forefathers were welcomed into a foreign land, and were turned into slaves. Do we want to take that chance with our children?
~~/*\~~
Outside the Camp, unseen by all, a young Boy with a dusty string instrument watched over the assembly. A Merchant in fine robes walked up and sat beside him. They were invisible to the eye, but they heard everything that was being said in the Camp. By everyone.
“You are not welcome here.” The Boy said flatly.
“From what I’m hearing, neither are you.” The Merchant mocked. “Besides, where else in the world would we be focusing our attention right now? It was your side that decided to put them all in one place.”
The Boy ignored that comment. “Stay. Away.”
“We only go where we’re welcome.” The Merchant grinned. “Something I can’t always say for your side. Besides, we don’t have to do anything much. That’s the point you never understood. All we tell them is what they want to hear. What they think already. We only encourage them to do as they want.”
“You reinforce every idea they have. Everything except the good things.” The Boy retorted. “That’s how you turn an Assembly into a mob.”
“Good things? Good for you isn’t necessarily good in general.” The Merchant retorted. “Isn’t that what you were telling me before The Flood?” He waved at the Camp. “Your God was smart, when He chose a shepherd to lead these people. They’re all such sheep, desperate to get back behind some strong fences, and bleating in panic whenever someone makes a sound.”
~~/*\~~
Jehovah God… Takarut prayed the next morning, as soon as he woke up. I’m going to be a father. That scares me half to death, except that I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I don’t know how both can be true; but I imagine there’ll be a lot of both feelings as time goes on.
He looked at his wife, who was still asleep, one hand still over her stomach. He couldn’t help but gaze at her. In her sleep, she was more beautiful than ever, the stresses and fearsome memories of her life gone from her expression.
Her father refused to give his permission for an Egyptian to marry his daughter. Takarut prayed. After Pharoah cut off her arm, she feared nobody would want her as a wife. But I love her. I love her utterly. As I come to the Promised Land, please make me a good father to my child. A child raised in Your service, in Your nation, as one of Your people.
He finished praying, just as Leahe woke up and saw him. “How long have you been staring at me?” She asked sleepily.
“Not that long.” He assured her. It was clear she didn’t believe him. “Really. Honest. Sun’s only been up for a minute or two.”
She scoffed, and sat up slowly. “Let’s get the morning Manna.”
~~/*\~~
After breakfast, Leahe and Takarut came out of their tent to see that everyone was in deep conversation. They were broken up into groups, but speaking harshly. Leahe and Takarut wandered over to them, and the conversation ended instantly, everyone suddenly noticing something else they had to do, heading away with purpose.
“Not good.” Leahe said darkly. “I’ve seen this before. It happened before Moses, during the attempted uprisings.”
“Oh?” Takarut was watching the crowd. “How so?”
“Something had happened, but nobody was sure if it was over, or just starting, so families would send someone to try and find out, groups would start talking about things they’d heard, and then someone would go to another group to compare rumors, and-”
“And half the truth spreads faster than the facts could ever hope to match.” Takarut nodded. “Same thing happened in the Royal Court sometimes, whenever someone made a power play.”
As they spoke, they were wandering over toward one of the larger groups. There were natural extroverts taking over the conversation in every tribe. Human nature meant that some people were determined to get people to agree with them, and they generally didn’t stop talking until everyone had given up arguing.
In one of the largest groups, members of various tribes were arguing the case. Leahe recognized Ohad-Ittai, and Yaldborth, arguing the point back and forth. The people watching were drifting unconsciously into groups on either side, showing their support without saying anything.
“Combat means victims! It always does, even in easy victories!”
“In our battle with the Amalekites, the battle was ours as long as Moses held his hands in the air.” Ohad-Ittai fired back. “God even told us to help him stay upright, and the battle was like a wave crashing over them!”
“But there were still casualties! We’ve never been made immortal. People died of old age on the march as far as the Red Sea, let alone all of this. If we lose half our able bodied men to battle, what’s left for the Promised Land? There’s a whole population there. Does God wish us to kill every single man woman and child? Make us worse than the Egyptians?”
“I don’t know, but I’m willing to wager that it’ll be a good choice.” Ohad-Ittai shot back.
“I’m sure it would be, but if he says ‘fight’, then someone is going to make it all the way to the Promised Land and fight for it, but not get to see it. And frankly, I’m worried it’ll be me. Or my son. Or my brother.”
“These were all the same arguments we used for rejecting Moses before the Nile turned to Blood. Look how that turned out!”
“Granted, but the only way to make sure we all live is if there’s no battle. They’re already preparing for war. They have a massive advantage in arms over us. If God brings more Plagues to win, then what will be left? What happens after we’ve moved in?”
“There are a lot of things we don’t know, Yaldborth. There always have been. Nobody was worried about this when we were walking out of Egypt. What are you more afraid of now, than you were then?!”
“If we don’t wipe them all out, then it means we’ll have to coexist with the locals. Which means this ‘war’ will never end! The only way we all survive a battle is with God, but once the battle’s won, what next? They’ll keep pecking away at us. It’s a land full of Baal worshippers. God won’t tolerate that. We take away all their shrines and all their idols, and the bloodbath will keep going, one of our people being ambushed at a time, forever.”
Ohad-Ittai had no answer to that for a long time. “So what do you suggest?”
“What can we do? Turn back? Surrender to the locals and be slaves again? Stay out here on manna forever?!”
That last comment finally got a vocal reaction from everyone. Nobody wanted to live on manna forever.
“I do not believe it possible that Moses would bring us to another land, just to be made into slaves again.” Ohad-Ittai said firmly, daring anyone to disagree.
“Then why did he bring us here?!” Yaldborth responded, as though that answered everything.
This time the crowd did respond, the uncertainty and fear combining into anger instantly. It all broke down at that point, people shouting their ideas, others shouting back, countering thoughts, scoring points off each other…
Takarut was trying to decide who to speak to first, when he felt Leahe’s hand grip his elbow, and lead him away.
“It’s not as bad as it looks.” Leahe said swiftly, once they were away from the confrontation, able to speak privately again on the way back to their tent. “People were uncertain when the Plagues started too. Jehovah didn’t let our worries stop Him from doing whatever He thought was best. God will talk to Moses, and Moses will straighten it all out. Whatever else, He won’t be swayed by us getting mixed up.”
Takarut wasn’t so sure. “During the Plagues, I went back and forth between Goshen and the City.” He said seriously. “Something I noticed about people who were following a faith in Jehovah? They were calm. They knew that whatever the world threw at them, it wouldn’t work against them, because they were standing behind God. The Egyptian Temples? The Royal Court? Those people were more worried about each other, because they were part of the world too.”
Leahe blinked. “So… what are you saying?”
“I’m saying this Camp isn’t taking anything in stride right now. Everyone seems scared to death of what’s coming next. And that’s not what faith sounds like.”
There was a commotion outside, and they both looked towards the tent flap. There was no real chance for security, but not much need for it either. Takarut got up and went to the door, looking outside. “Shalum? What’s going on?”
Hilkiah, the local Chieftain for their group, came over hurriedly. “There’s a… call it a ‘petition’, circling. Some of the Elders are telling Moses we need to turn back.”
“Back to Egypt?” Leahe blurted, joining her husband. “I’ve heard people murmuring about it, but I thought… I mean, I thought it was just talk.”
“It is talk.” Hilkiah nodded. “We’re just hearing what people are saying. The reports from our spies have stirred a lot of repressed fears in people. Nobody’s suggesting Moses is wrong, we just want to know how many people are worried.”
“My father would have spoken for my family.” Leahe said flatly, turning away in disgust.
Takarut watched her go, and sent a look to Hilkiah. The Hebrews were patriarchal, and with both their fathers dead, Takarut spoke for them now. He always wondered if his word carried as much weight, being an Egyptian. He looked the question to Hilkiah. Should I cast a vote?
Hilkiah gave a quick glance back at the tent. Go see your wife, first.
~~/*\~~
Takarut walked in and squatted beside Leahe, shoulder to shoulder. Neither of them looked at each other. “Why am I less concerned about this than you are?” He asked. It wasn’t an accusation. It was an almost desperate curiosity. “What am I missing?”
Leahe didn’t look at him. “You only know Jehovah as an Avenger, smiting Egypt with Plagues to save us. I’ve lived twenty years where our job was to just… endure the misery until God decided to hear us again. I have lived like that since the day I was born. So did my father. So did my mother.” She shivered. “I’m terrified it could be that way again.”
“I don’t think it will be.” Takarut offered. “I admit, I’ve not been a follower of Jehovah as long as… well, anyone else, but what I’ve seen seems pretty certain.”
“So you vote to go?”
Takarut hesitated. “I… I can’t. I’m still trying to convince the rest of your Tribe that I’m your husband. Half of them still think I bought you back in Egypt and just refuse to let you go. I’m not accepted enough to disagree with anyone yet.”
She sniffed. “Then maybe we just stay here until the vote is cast? From what I’m hearing, it’s not like we’d make a difference anyway.”
“I guess so.”
~~/*\~~ Oskar ~~/*\~~
The Flag was being displayed at the bank, too. They’d never bothered with shows of patriotism before.
How can you force patriotism? Patriotism is love of country. You can’t make someone love you instantly, under threat.
When he arrived at the Bank, he found that most of the staff were there early. Everyone was gathered in the middle of the foyer, including the manager, who waved him over. “You’re here early.”
“Had a client mention they were coming in early.” He excused. “We go back a way. I figured I’d handle it personally.”
“Well, you may as well hear this now.” Franz waved him closer. “We’ve been given new… protocols. There’s a revised code of conduct. Transactions and official interactions with all governmental and adjacent offices must now begin with official greeting and response. Namely, the Sieg Heil salute.”
They’d all seen the newsreels, and heard the radio broadcasts from Germany. “Are you serious?” Someone spat. It was a sentiment that everyone followed. “We have to start every conversation with…”
“Failure to comply-” The Manager said over them. “-will result in penalties, and possible legal action, from the ‘proper authorities’.” He looked quietly sick about it too.
“Who’s definition of ‘proper’ are we using?” The same voice demanded with heat, and Oskar very carefully did not turn his head to see who had spoken. If he didn’t know for sure, he couldn’t report on anyone, or give any names; even if he wanted to. How am I thinking like this already?
“So, before we open for business, we’re going to do a little practice session.” The Manager said tightly. “And because we’ve rehearsed, we can honestly say that we are complying with the new directives from the government, and that nobody has to lose their jobs.” He lowered his voice. “I’m hearing that there may be representatives present at random times during the day, to ensure that everything is being carried out as instructed.”
~~/*\~~
Technically, Oskar hadn’t started his workday yet. The roster had him starting work in another hour. A loophole that he counted on when the day began, and customers came in.
Franz called him into the Manager’s office once the workday began. Once the door closed behind them, Franz seemed to deflate, collapsing into his chair, sinking into his clothes like they were suddenly too big for him. “So. Did you get a wink of sleep last night?”
“No.” Oskar admitted. “I didn’t expect this when I arrived this morning, though.”
“Neither did I. I got woken up and given the new rules.” Franz rubbed his eyes hard. “It wasn’t even dawn yet, when my phone rang. It wasn’t a friendly call. I was reminded how things could go very badly.” He looked sick. “Go on. Say it.”
“Say what?” Oskar already knew what he meant, but wasn’t interested in saying ‘I told you so’ to anyone, let alone his superior at work.
“All my talk at your Meeting about how I couldn’t agree, because when war came I was going to fight, defend my homeland…” He shook his head. “Except there was no war. There was no fight. I woke up and my country was gone.” His eyes burned with unshed tears, but if it was grief of frustration, Oskar couldn’t tell. “You think I want that #$&^%! Flag hanging over my desk? I’ve been hearing horror stories from Berlin the last few years. They’re moving way faster than I thought they would here.” He looked up at Oskar. “What are you going to do?”
Oskar’s eyes flashed. “If I don’t salute, I’m in trouble. Right?”
Franz scowled. “It was made very clear to me that there would be someone checking to make sure we were all toeing the line. I don’t know if that was a bluff to make us all keep an eye on each other, or if we’re actually under surveillance…”
“But you don’t want to take that chance.” Oskar sighed.
“It’s not that bad, is it?” Franz wavered, wanting to believe it. “A few words, a gesture. God surely won’t smite you for that. It’s such a simple thing, to play along. You don’t have to like it. You don’t even have to care.”
Oskar pitied him. He’d been so full of thunder a few days before, and now he was seeking reassurance that he could surrender to the law without losing his soul “I do care, boss.”
Franz met his gaze. “I remember our conversations. I remember that meeting. You’re not going to join the Resistance, should there be one.”
“No. The neutrality that forbids me from showing fealty to a human leader, let alone him, also keeps me from fighting a war against him.” He let out a shuddering breath. Saying it out loud made it sound simple, but sooner or later, he could be arrested for saying it.
“So where does that leave you?” Franz asked finally. “I mean, they aren’t really giving us a choice.”
“If I was going to compromise my beliefs so I could go to war, I might as well salute and pretend it didn’t matter. It’d certainly be easier.”
Heavy silence.
“I was bullied as a child, you know.” Oskar finally said. “Not much more than any other kid, I guess; but enough that I hated going to school, and I hated walking home alone, because I knew I was going to suffer more humiliation every time.”
“Mm. I suppose it’s easy to see bullies everywhere when you know what to look for.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Oskar said quietly. “Looking back on those years, I wish I had fought back. I would have lost, and probably been hurt or humiliated worse for it, but…”
“You were a child, Oskar. You shouldn’t have to get yourself killed now by overcompensating.” He gestured out at the Bank. “If there is someone watching, then refusing to cooperate, even in the smallest way, is just going to get you in trouble.”
“I know. But for the rest of my life I have to look back on those days and admit I was too scared to do anything, even to defend myself.” He shook his head. “And I’m not a child anymore. I want to do the right thing.”
“So do I. Does ‘right’ even exist anymore? And you! You have a daughter. Do you think it’ll make a difference to anyone but her if you get dragged away in handcuffs?”
“Probably not.” Oskar agreed.
Franz was about to respond, when there was a knock at the door, and one of the Bank Tellers looked in. “There’s a woman here, asking for Oskar.”
“That’ll be Amelie.” Oskar stood up.
“Wait.” Franz said, and his voice was hushed. “Send her in here.” The teller nodded and headed back out, leaving Franz to face Oskar. “If anyone notices that you and this woman don’t start with the ‘required’ salute, you can let them believe it happened here, before you go back out to your desk.”
It was an attempt to be kind, and Oskar was grateful for the gesture. It felt like getting away with a technicality, but Oskar didn’t know what else to do with it. Not yet.
~~/*\~~
Amelie spoke to him in low tones. “There’re a lot of soldiers on the street today.”
“It surprised me too.” Oskar agreed as he filled out the paperwork for her withdrawal. “The soldiers were all over the place in town square when I came in to work. I must admit, I don’t understand why. Our town is pretty small, and one of the furthest from the German Border. No factories, no mining, smaller population … What makes them come here so quickly?”
“Only one thing I can think of.” Amelie said quietly. “Our town is closer to Switzerland than most. And it’s on the main route out of the country.” She glanced over her shoulder fearfully. “I think they’re here to keep us in.”
“I haven’t heard anything about the borders being closed.” Oskar murmured. “There’s nothing to suggest they will…”
Amelie shook her head. “Don’t try and talk me out of it, Oskar. I’m going.”
“I understand. I wish you luck.” He rose. “I’ll get your money. It’s a fair sum. Would you like me to walk you out?”
~~/*\~~
“Do you think I’m a coward, Oskar?” Amelie wavered as they walked out of the Bank. She kept her eyes moving, one hand in her jacket, where all her money was wrapped in an envelope.
“No.” Oskar admitted. “Jesus said to leave a dangerous city and continue the work in another. But I don’t really have anywhere to go… With a daughter to look after, I’m not game to roll the dice. If anyone’s the coward here, it’s me. Didn’t Jesus say that God would provide what we needed to survive, no matter what?”
“No matter where we are.” Amelie agreed. “You can’t walk me all the way home, Oskar.” She squeezed his hand. “I hope we’ll see each other again soon.”
Oskar squeezed her hand back and returned to the Bank, settling back at his desk. He took a moment to send up a quick prayer for her safe journey. And then he turned back to the Foyer. “Next, please.”
The next customer was a man named Adalbert. He’d lost three fingers somewhere during the Great War. Oskar had seen him in the tavern several times. He knew that Adalbert would be furious about the Anschluss. Adalbert came over, looked at the written reminders on the wall about the new protocols, and deliberately put his hands in his pockets.
Oskar smothered a smile. “Good morning. What can I do for you?”
Adalbert smiled, recognizing that Oskar wasn’t going to salute either. There was a murmur from somewhere. People had noticed they weren’t obeying. They knew it wasn’t an oversight. Franz was watching from his office door, not saying anything.
But some of the customers noticed. It was clear, when compared to the other Tellers, who were following the new rules. Some of the customers looked worried. One or two looked angry. Are they looking for like-minded people? Are they looking for someone to inform on?
Who in this room can I trust? Oskar wondered. It was a question that he’d never asked before, but now the doubts and fears were making his heart speed up. His eyes kept flicking to the door, waiting to see if the soldiers would be coming in soon.
As if he’d conjured them, a pair of soldiers came into the bank. They scanned around, found the queue, and lined up like any other customer. Most cowered. One or two of them looked pleased.
They’re here to open accounts? Oskar wondered. They’re certain to start with the
damn salute… If they line up at my desk, I’m going to have to take a chance either way.
They’re not going to shoot you over a salute. He told himself.
But they’ll notice. He realized in fear. They’ve just taken over the country. They’ll be looking for people who won’t obey, or cower… And the second someone sits at this desk, they’ll see if we salute or not. With them in the bank, whoever’s next will surely demonstrate their obedience…
Another customer was approaching his desk, when the phone rang. Franz was closest, and answered it.
Jehovah God, whatever’s going to happen to me might start right now. Please, for Flora’s sake, get me out of this-
“Oskar!” Called Franz. “It’s for you.”
His knees momentarily shook with relief when he stood up, left his desk, and went to take the call. “Hello?” Oskar listened for a moment, and froze. “What happened?”
~~/*\~~
The School had the Nazi flag displayed too. Walking through the corridors, he saw some of the teachers wearing the same symbol on armbands, just like the soldiers. One or two classrooms had apparently handed the armbands out to the students, all of them wearing the swastika.
Waiting in the Principal’s Office, Flora looked up when he came in. She looked humiliated, face burning red with shame and anger. “Why?!” She asked, and her voice was full of frustrated grief.
Oskar sighed. “Because that’s the world we’re living in right now.” He picked up her school bag. “Let’s go home, sweetie.”
~~/*\~~
“I don’t understand.” Flora growled, after her embarrassment had well and truly turned to anger. “Those people were my friends just a few days ago. I shared my lunch with them!”
“Tell me what happened.” Her father said patiently.
“They didn’t say?”
“Your teacher told me that due to your ‘insistence on doing things a certain way’, it was clear that the school wasn’t a good place for you, given the ‘new political reality’ of the country.” He poked her side. “Now, tell me what actually happened.”
“Emil joined one of the Clubs weeks ago, but the school never let them recruit in the playground before.” Flora explained. “Homberg was always so kind about it to both sides when it came up.”
“What clubs?”
“One of the Socialist Clubs. They’ve been around for years, but the school never bothered with them, because they were all based out of Germany.”
“And a week ago, that was controversial.” Oskar commented under his breath, already seeing where the story was going. “I remember, a year ago, there was a petition passed around the parents to ban such groups from recruiting students. At least, not at the school.”
“I remember. Mister Kaposi was fuming about that.” Flora nodded. “He’s our history teacher. He never shut up about the ‘old days’ back before the War. He kept talking about how Austria’s economy could never survive without the Fatherland, and how things were finally changing for the better over there…” She shook her head. “Emil joined the Socialist Club because her father was German, and he wanted her to get closer to the family they had over there. But she’s such a pig about-”
“Flora!” Her father warned.
Flora reined herself in. “Today the Socialist Club was set up in the School, right inside the front door. Mister Kaposi was there, wearing his armband, and Emil was recruiting students. The other kids were either saying yes, or no. The school chaplain was there too, and he was going after the Catholic students as they came in…” She spread her hands wide. “When did anyone care about that? I’ve never been asked what my religion was before I was let into class.”
“You’re lucky, because it’s rarely come up before.” Oskar said grimly. “You’re too young to remember this, but there’s a reason you never met your grandparents. Your mother was thrown out of her family when she was baptized as a Bible Student.”
Flora frowned. She’d never heard this before. “Really?”
“Every conversation turned into a screaming match about being ‘good Protestants’.” Oskar sighed hard. “Your mother kept trying, right to the last, to get them to talk to her about it.” He couldn’t bring himself to say the next part for his daughter’s ears, but his in-laws wouldn’t even see their daughter when she got sick, because they were convinced that by leaving the Church, she had doomed herself to Hell.
Flora went silent for a moment, as she usually did when her mother came up. But eventually, she shook it off and got back to her story. “Anyway, when class started, there was a picture of Adolf Hitler in the classroom, over the blackboard. Mister Kaposi had put it up. In fact, he’d put them up in most of the classrooms.”
“He was moving faster than the law, because he’d been waiting for this.” Oskar guessed.
“Mister Homberg and Mister Kaposi had a huge shouting match about it in the playground.” Flora reported, almost smiling at what would normally be an exciting bit of schoolyard gossip. “We couldn’t hear them, but I thought Kaposi was going to take a swing at him.”
Oskar took a shuddering breath. “What happened next?”
“Mister Homberg came back into the classroom, took down the picture, and tore it in half.” Flora reported. “Half the kids clapped.”
“Did you?”
“No. I was watching Emil.” Flora told him grimly. “She was writing down names in a notebook. I think Kaposi gave it to her, because she’s the only one in class with a real paper notebook and pen. She was writing down the names of every kid who clapped.” She lowered her voice.
“Oh wow.” Oskar sighed.
Flora nodded. “The Principal came in soon after, and asked to have a word with Mister Homberg. Apparently all the teachers were having a meeting, because they gave us early recess.”
Oskar looked over his shoulder, checking the time on the town clocktower. “And all this before eleven am?”
“Yeah.” Flora agreed. “Our school isn’t that big, so the Teacher’s Conference lasted only a few minutes. But out on the Playground, the Socialist Club members were basically beating up the younger kids for not saluting the flags they had set up. With the teachers all in conference, there was nobody to stop them.”
“And you refused?” Oskar wavered.
“I did.” Flora nodded.
“Good girl.”
“Tell that to Old Man Kaposi.” Flora spat. “When I refused, I started to explain why. Remember, like Matheo said: It’s an opportunity to explain your beliefs? Well, I got two seconds into my explanation, when Emil threw a mudpie at me.” She sniffed. “And everyone laughed.”
Oskar sighed, and pulled his daughter into a sideways hug as they walked. “I’m sorry, kid. None of this is fair.”
“Oh, I’m not done.” Flora growled. “She told me to salute, or get another clod in my face. The rest of her club held me in place, and tried to force my hand up.” She sniffed it back. “If they thought I was gonna give in after that, they were dumber than they looked. Then Tobias told them to stop it, and-”
“Tobias.” Oskar interrupted. “He’s the Jewish kid, right?”
“Yeah. They grabbed him and started doing the same thing to him that they’d done to me. I tried to pull them off him, and that’s when Mister Hoganmuller showed up. He hauled us all into the Principal’s office.”
“What was his reaction?”
“He didn’t punish anyone. He just… lectured us about not using violence in school. Like Tobias and I were the ones doing the hitting.” She let out a hard breath. “The important part came straight after that. A telegram came for the Principal while he was mid-speech, and he read it. Then he told the other three to go, and asked me to stay.”
“Why?” Oskar frowned. “What did the telegram say?”
“I don’t know. I never saw it. But the Principal ran out of the room and left me there. Mister Homberg came in a few minutes later, and we talked about the matter of saluting. He wanted to know if I would continue to refuse tomorrow. Or what you would say if he called you in to talk about it.”
“Ah.” Oskar suddenly remembered the announcement of the new rules at the Bank. Why do I feel like I know exactly what the telegram said? “What did you say?”
“Well, you know how I tried talking to Mister Homberg about the Bible a few months ago? He said I could always talk to him about that sort of thing. So I did. I talked to him about what the Bible says about nationalism, and neutrality.” She smiled a bit. “I told him the story of King Nebuchadnezzar and the three Hebrews.”
“One of your favorite Bible stories, I recall.” Oskar nodded, smiling a bit.
“I like all the stories where Angels show up to save people.” Flora’s smile faltered. “But they didn’t come to save me.” She looked sick. “I thought Mister Homberg was a friend. I thought he was at last going to be nice about it. But he told me the rules had been changed, and that if I didn’t salute, or join the Socialist Club, or do something, I was going to get in trouble.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him I couldn’t.” She wavered. “He didn’t even send me back to class. He just… called you and told you to come and get me.” She looked lost and helpless. “I’ve never been in trouble before, dad. All the teachers liked me. Enough that I got teased about being a ‘teacher's pet’.”
“I know. Your teachers were always full of praise about your honesty and respect for lessons and staff.” Oskar agreed. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then why did they expel me from school?!” Flora almost wailed.
“I think God protected you after all.” Oskar said quietly. “Because if he’d sent you back to class, how long would it be before you had a class with Mister Kaposi?”
Flora frowned. “Well… this afternoon, actually.”
“And his class has that… that flag. And he was wearing the armband… Probably starts each lesson with a salute, right?”
Flora froze, her father walking a few steps ahead of her before he noticed and looked back. “Mister Homberg was getting me out of there before I got in trouble?” She thought aloud. “Makes no sense. Doesn’t getting expelled mean you’re in trouble anyway?”
“I think your teacher is worried about… other kinds of trouble. Worse than what you’d normally get at school.” Oskar sighed. How did this happen so fast?
Flora thought hard about that for a few moments, lowering her voice further. “When I was waiting for you to pick me up, Tobias snuck back in to talk to me.” She said quietly;. “He said that some men had been coming to his house, ‘investigating’ his parents. He said that he saw the same men outside his Temple last weekend. And that he saw them outside our school this morning, having words with the Principal.” She shivered. “They’re going to take him away from his parents, aren’t they?”
“From what I hear, there’s a lot of that going on in Germany.” Oskar admitted.
“And if I went to Mister Kaposi’s class this afternoon, they’d be able to take me away from you, for ‘unpatriotic activity’.”
“I was very nearly fired from my job this morning. The new rules have already gone out, stating that all transactions have to begin with the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute.” Oskar admitted. “Amelie came by the bank this morning. Apparently, a few of our brothers have decided to get out of the country, continue their ministry somewhere else.”
Flora shivered. “What about us?”
“I won’t lie to you, kid. We’ve got a pretty good setup here. The job at the bank is one of the better paid ones. Our house is larger and better furnished than most. Our savings are protected by my job… But today proved that it can all go away very quickly. And the only way we can keep our comfortable life here, is if we play along. Salute when we’re told to. Support the German army. Become members of the Reich.”
Flora’s eyes went as big as saucers. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to be as brave as my daughter, in the face of opposition.” Oskar said, proud of her. The smile that spread across his daughter's face convinced him more than anything that it was the right decision. “But I don’t know what we’ll find across the border. Very likely, we’ll have to rough it for a while. Think you can handle it?”
“I do.” Flora said proudly.
“So do I.” Oskar agreed, and they started walking again. “When we get home, empty out your school bag, and pack your things. Take as little as you can. We’re going to have to trust our fates to God, and to our brothers for a while. But if we take too much with us, we won’t get very far.”
~~/*\~~
“Well, we didn’t get very far.” Flora drawled.
“No.” Oskar agreed, holding her hand tightly.
The Border crossing was packed with people. There was a line that extended hundreds of meters. Oskar had no idea where they were coming from. The whole town population wasn’t this big. But at the border were a line of military guards. The imposing black uniforms, with a row of red armbands. They were terrifying, implacable, unmoveable.
The border check had one office. People were brought in, one at a time, for questioning. Normally, it was a matter of showing your papers, or travel permits as you passed by. But this wasn’t a normal day. The Germans had a hundred questions, trying to convince everyone who passed that they had to turn back; that their reasons for leaving the country were invalid.
And still more people came.
Oskar felt completely untethered. He held his daughter’s hand tightly, but it was as much for him as it was for her. Flora was the only thing in the world he still recognized. He’d lived his whole life in a relatively small part of the country he’d been born to, and never really gone any further than a day away. The press of frightened people, the spike of cold air; and the downright terrifying line of guards keeping watch at the border… it was all so far out of his comfort zone that he felt like he was floating outside his own body.
“If they ask us questions, what do we say?” Flora asked. “We don’t have enough belongings to make it look like a vacation. We don’t have any travel permits or work visas…”
“ATTENTION!” A voice called over a megaphone from the border. “Due to the increased volume of people trying to cross, we’re clearly going to have to call in more staff. They won’t arrive for another day or two. Until they get here, we must insist that civilian and non-essential traffic turn back.”
There was a roar from the crowd, and everyone pushed forward, trying to muscle their way through. The guards formed a line and pushed back, keeping them away from the road, away from the fence.
Oskar pulled Flora close to his side, keeping her from getting caught up in the crush. “We gotta go home.” He said to her. “This is going to get violent soon.”
Flora nodded, and they both turned to walk back the way they came as fast as they could. Behind them, the shouting continued. They heard more shouting, some German accent barking over the loudspeakers. There was a warning shot fired in the air from somewhere on the line, and a chorus of shouts and screams rang out behind them.
Flora drew closer to her father, scared. “This is…”
“I know.” Oskar said, trying to be brave for his daughter. “Pray with me, while we walk.”
She nodded, bowing her head a little. As he started to pray for wisdom and courage, Oskar kept his chin up, and eyes open. He felt like there was going to be an attack on them both at any moment. “Jehovah God, we don’t know what’s going to happen next, but we know we belong to You, and that You are a good God. Salvation comes from You, and Your son, Jesus Christ, no matter what the world might pretend.”
~~/*\~~
When they made it home, he tucked her into bed, and went to his own room. He started praying again, silently to himself. But this prayer was more desperate. What do I do? Lord, how can I possibly protect my daughter from this… this terrifying new world that we woke up in? They’re too big. Too much. You could have gotten us out, but… Father, I don’t understand. We’re surely doomed if we stay here, but we can’t go! How can we possibly survive against such overpowering odds…
He kept praying until he fell asleep.
~~/*\~~ Leahe ~~/*\~~
Leahe and Takarut heard the yelling continue for much of the night. They found out the worst of it the next day. Apparently, the crowd had been whipped up by the majority agreeing with their fears, and the mob had fed on its own panic.
Joshua and Caleb were almost the lone voices for going ahead, and by the time Moses and Aaron had tried to talk the rest of the nation down, someone was shouting for them all to be stoned to death.
There had always been a minority that wanted to stay in Egypt and overthrow the Egyptians, making them the slaves, and the Hebrews the masters. At the prospect of a new, doomed war, that faction gained supporters, who just wanted some other solution.
In the months to come, there would be rumors that the mob was ready to lynch Moses and Aaron that night, but Jehovah had ‘filled their tent with his glory’. Nobody who was there wanted to talk about it in much detail, even years later. Takarut remembered the way Mount Sinai had thundered and roared. It still gave him shivers down his spine to think of it.
But the morning after the Spies had returned, one way or another, the general population had made their feelings known. By the afternoon, Moses had sent out a direct response, via the usual channels.
(Author's Note: There’s little in the Bible on how Moses made the pronouncements from Jehovah known. His ‘hierarchy’ to manage the nation is well documented, but how the messages were delivered to all of Israel is less clear. I chose this way. Remember, the Bible record says that Israel said their piece to Moses, and then Moses answered them, but that’s a back and forth between one man, and millions of people, in a time without mass communication or microphones and speakers.)
Hilkiah spoke before them that afternoon, hundreds of people gathered around to hear his words. He looked ashen as he made the announcement. Takarut could hear the echoes of other assemblies, as the announcement went out to all the Tribes at once.
“By the word of Moses, this is what Jehovah has said:” Hilkiah read from his notes. “As surely as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of Jehovah. However, not one of the men who have seen the glory and the signs that I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness will ever see the land that I swore to their fathers. Ten times, you have tested Jehovah, after seeing His wonders performed. No, not one of those treating me without respect will see the Promised Land.” Hilkiah paused for a moment, with a hitch in his voice. “‘As surely as I live,’ declares Jehovah, ‘I will do to you just what I have heard you speak! In this wilderness your corpses will fall, yes, the whole number of you from twenty years old and up who were registered, all of you who have murmured against me. None of you will enter into the land that I swore to have you reside in except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.”
Hilkiah paused and looked up to see how the people were taking it.
Stunned silence. They were all staring at him, eyes bulging, jaws hanging low enough to trip over.
Steeling himself, Hilkiah kept reading. ‘“And I will bring in your children, who you said would become plunder, and they will get to know the land that you have rejected. But your own corpses will fall in this wilderness. Now your sons will become shepherds in the wilderness forty years. According to the number of the days that you spied out the land, forty days, a day for a year, you will answer for your errors forty years, for you will know what it means to oppose me.”
Leahe didn’t even notice her knees were wobbling. Somewhere she could hear people sobbing.
The news was worse than what Leahe expected. Worse than most of them expected. She had expected a message that they were going anyway. She had feared a message that they were turning back. The idea that they were all under a death sentence…
Deror’s absolute doomist attitude suddenly hit her straight in the heart. Deror was right. Our God is going to bury us all.
A hand went to her stomach, the pregnancy still too early to show. Our baby… forty years…
With tears rolling down his own face, Hilkiah checked his notes again, one last time. “Also, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are dwelling in the valley, we are to turn back tomorrow and set off for the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.” He cleared his throat. “So… make ready to turn back, I guess.”
Leahe barely heard him at this point. She felt Takarut’s eyes on her. She knew he was feeling the same thing. She searched for something to say, but then a new thought hit her. “Ohad-Ittai.”
She saw her husband’s eyes widen as he realized what she was thinking. They both started running. As they ran, they passed other groups. The Chiefs were organized according to numbers. They oversaw the people in groups of ten, groups of fifty, and a hundred…
Word was spreading fast through all of them from the top down. The horrified looks were everywhere.
~~/*\~~
Ohad-Ittai had clearly gotten the news. The army he had trained was in shock, and some of them were looking to him to snap them out of it. He already had them organized.
Leahe came running up to him, pushing through the soldiers. “Ohad-Ittai!”
He saw her coming, and turned away, drawing his sword. “We’re going to the Promised Land.” He said flatly.
“You heard the instructions?” Leahe said, gasping for air after her rush. Takarut was coming up behind her.
Ohad-Ittai’s face was a solid mask of denial and determination. “We’re going to the Promised Land, which God gave to us.”
Takarut was getting his breath back. “The instructions from Moses? Including a warning about the Amalekites and the Canaanites coming to block us in the valley of... If God has decided we’re not going, then He won’t-”
“He will, because He promised us.” Ohad-Ittai said flatly, turning to the rest of the troops. “Ten Spies came back and said we should turn back. Two Spies came back and said we should go. Two out of ten? That’s still more Numbers than Jehovah needs. We’re going to the Promised Land! Anyone who thinks we don’t have Jehovah’s backing in this is free to slink back to their tents. Anyone else, follow me.”
Looking around, Takarut saw the look of determination on Ohad-Ittai’s face reflected on all the soldiers who stayed with him. Others had dropped their swords on the ground in despair, slinking back to their homes.
It’s all falling apart. He thought.
Leahe had grabbed Ohad-Ittai’s sword arm with her own. “Please!” She begged him. “When the Golden Calf happened, you were in my tent, promising me that I hadn’t done anything wrong. That it was going to be okay!”
Ohad-Ittai wasn’t listening. He was looking over his remaining soldiers, tightening up the belts around his leathers.
“PLEASE!” Leahe begged. “You protected us in Egypt. You protected me when things got hard. When the Amalekites attacked, you were the first one to volunteer. You can’t leave us now.”
Ohad-Ittai’s face was so fixed that his eyes didn’t seem to fit in his head anymore, burning with a fixed wildness that even words from God couldn’t dissuade. “We’re going to the Promised Land, and we’re going right now. FORM RANKS!”
His soldiers came to attention and did so, repeating the order all through the assembly. His fellow warriors understood the call and passed it on.
“No!” Leahe shouted after him, but Takarut was there, pulling her away, drawing her back from the soldiers as they assembled, line by line, into a march. “Why?” She demanded, tears running freely down her face. “Why is he doing this?!”
Takarut held her tightly, trying to save her from what was burning through the whole camp, and her own heart in equal measure. “He’s chosen where he wants to stand. He’ll get six feet of his Promised Land, and he won’t have to wait.”
Not like the rest of us. Neither of them said that part aloud, but they didn’t have to. Everyone in the Assembly was thinking the same thing. It was difficult to gauge movement in a crowd of millions of people, but like sought like, and everyone had their opinions of where to go. Most wanted to hide from this nightmare that had broken loose from their own fears. Some were pushing in on Moses, surrounding him with desperate pleas and panicked expressions of regret.
The whole camp was alive with movement as the word spread through the population. Millions of people were reacting with violent shock at the complete reversal of their fate. They were all crashing against one rock or another, trying to get close to whatever leader or loved one might save them.
It took a while for the seething mass of humanity to sort itself into directions. From the middle of the crowd, Leahe clung to her husband, unsure of everything.
Thousands of people were following Ohad-Ittai.
Even with the crowd between them, she could see him. “We have to stop him. Stop all of them. This won’t work!”
“I think he knows that.” Takarut said softly. “And if he doesn’t, it’s because he doesn’t care anymore.”
Leahe felt sick to her stomach. She heard the crowd howling for Moses to change God’s mind, all shouting over each other like an unearthly wail of horror and panic, loud enough to ring through her bones. From the other side she heard Ohad-Ittai’s horn, blowing the call for the army to assemble, ready to fight a doomed battle. Desperate battle cries answered, thousands of warriors declaring that victory was still surely in their grasp. And in between, the thousands that didn’t take a side before were all screaming too; some to the sky, begging for mercy, some at each other, for refusing to take Jehovah’s side before.
Leahe clapped her one hand over one ear, pressing her other ear against Takarut’s shoulder, trying to silence the screaming, completely overloaded.
Quivering down to her bones, she felt something move inside her. She had just felt her baby kick for the first time.
“Ohgod, what happens now?!” She sobbed, unable to hear her own voice over the crowd. “Please, Jehovah God: What happens now?!”
~/*\~~/*\~~/*\~
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