Chapter Eleven
~/*\~ Iyara ~/*\~
Rahab’s house was part of the Wall. They’d been expecting the King to claim the house for part of the defence, but there was nothing since Farzin came to suggest it. Though the wall was wide enough for Soldiers to walk on, they didn’t seem to bother with Rahab’s house.
The stalemate lasted a week. The invaders were punctual. The routine hadn’t changed in days. Every day, they would come, and the City would tense, preparing for the attack. And every day, Israel would leave. Every day, there’d be a moment when Jericho’s guards would have the perfect opportunity for a counter-attack, but they never took it.
At first, the City Leadership had suspected it was a strategy of some kind, trying to draw Jericho’s warriors outside the protection of the walls. But they refused to take the bait, and the invaders never changed tactics. Never even changed their formation, or their schedule.
~/*\~
“Who shows their whole battle plan to the enemy so many times? Their formations? Weapons? The route they take?” Arjun declared on day four. “It’s the stupidest invasion plan I’ve ever heard of.”
“It hasn’t cost them anything yet.” Rahab had countered. “Whatever advantage the city Guards are getting by watching this every day, they’re not taking advantage of it.”
~/*\~
In fact, if Jericho had a plan to fight back, nobody could figure out what it was.
Rahab had barricaded the door. The red cord she usually hung up outside the front door was dangling down the wall out their window. For the first day or two, Iyara had been expecting the Guards to seize the house for city defence, but it had never come.
One or two of Rahab’s regular customers came by, but the door stayed shut and locked.
Isidro came to the door once, a little drunk, raging up at Rahab’s window. The way he yelled made it sound like he had brought a whole lynch mob with him; ready to kill the whole family. Iyara dumped a bucket of water out the upstairs window, drenching him. Vihaan had promised that if Isidro ever came back, he’d dump the contents of a chamberpot next time. Rahab didn’t even let the family leave her house to use the privy; tossing the contents of their chamberpots out a window, beyond the City Walls.
Sasah kept a running litany of complaints about their rations, and how little they would have left soon. She kept reminding them that Jericho was entrenched for a long siege, and had plenty of stores. But the door stayed shut. One way or another, the family was barricaded in for the duration.
How long that would last, was a question even Rahab didn’t have the answer to.
~/*\~
Iyara shook Sasah awake. “They’re back.”
Sasah groaned and pulled the blanket up over her head. “Too early.”
“I know. That’s why I’m waking you.”
Sasah groaned and sat up, shaking her husband awake. “I meant it’s too early to get up.” She looked at the window. “What do you mean they’re back? It’s not even dawn yet.”
“I know. But they’re here, and Rahab says it must be important, because it’s the first time in a week they’ve changed their plans.”
~/*\~
“We’re out of food.” Vihaan reported a few hours later. “Our stores are all but gone.”
“There’s plenty of stores in town.” Sasah said blandly, though her heart wasn’t in it. The door wasn’t going to open any time soon, and they all knew it. Rahab had assured them that they weren’t prisoners, but the mood outside was turning truly feral, and even Sasah didn’t want to risk it.
The rest of the family was gathered around the window, watching the army march. “They’ve been marching all day.” Iyara murmured, afraid to raise her voice. “But no trumpets, no shouting, no singing. They’re just… Marching.”
“A whole week of marching around our City once a day, and then this?” Arjun murmured back, craning his neck to look at the wall. The guards were lining the walls with their spears and bows, watching the march. “The Militia knows it’s different too. You think they know why?”
“We can see the City Gates from here. There’s been no negotiations, no statements…” Rahab thought aloud. “It can’t be an intimidation tactic. I don’t get the impression they’re going to take prisoners once this actually starts…”
“Then why give us so much warning?” Arjun asked, not for the first time. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Not to us.” Rahab offered. “But neither did crossing the River at this time of year. They did that, easily.” She took a breath. “When the routine changes, it means something. I don’t believe Jehovah does anything accidentally.”
“What are you basing that on?” Sasah challenged.
And then, from outside, a new sound. Battle horns. First one, then almost an instant later, many more took up the note. They’d been silent during their march around the City. The sudden blasts of sound echoed off the walls. They faded a little, and then got louder as the march circled past their window again.
“Is it me, or do they sound a lot… hungrier now?” Iyara thought aloud.
And then, for the first time, there was something new. Voices. The sounds of armies raising a shout. A battle cry. Iyara felt it thrill through her bones. They’d never so much as called orders to each other before…
For a moment, it felt like the shout had suddenly increased in volume a hundred-fold, then a thousand. The bellow of noise suddenly shook through the whole house. But the house didn’t stop shaking.
“What is it!?” Sasah asked, in confusion…
And then the rumble under their feet grew a lot stronger, and everyone reared back from the window with a shout. The family threw themselves at the floor, then scrambled over to each other, holding tightly.
“What is happening out there?!” Arjun shouted over the sudden crashing, roaring noise. Screaming soon followed from inside the City, drowned out by the warcry of the invaders from the other direction.
And us in the middle! Iyara thought with sudden clarity. We’re dead. We are surely dead! There’s no way to survive whatever this is! We were wrong! God, please!
And then the shaking stopped, all at once, like it never happened. The shouting and yelling continued outside. Somehow, it seemed quiet.
Arjun raised his head first, peering up at the roof like it was about to fall on them. Very slowly, he went to the window again. “It’s… It’s gone.”
“What is?” Rahab asked, not moving from the floor.
“The Wall.” Her father said numbly. “It’s just… collapsed.”
Vihaan raised his head quickly, stunned to hear it, before he jumped up and ran upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.
“It… it can’t have.” Sasah said in a small voice. “This house is on the Wall. How are we still here?” Her eyes flicked to the red cord, hanging out the window.
Rahab stood too, following him upstairs, going to her bedroom window. It had been her usual spot to look out and see who was at her door. She could see down the length of the wall from her window, the width of her house was the same width as the whole Wall, and she would normally see down the length of it…
Except now her view showed rubble, far below her door. The Wall was nothing but rubble. What had been a view of the wall was now a view of the battlefield, as the invasion poured into the City from every direction. The walls had fallen down flat. There weren’t even large sections of wall left standing. The whole thing had been torn down, leaving the way open.
From above, she could see that the battle was clearly decided already. All of Jericho’s defenders had been either on the wall, at the Gates, or preparing to send backup up the staircases. All of those things were gone, all at once, before battle had even been joined. Jericho had been fortifying their defensive ‘high ground’, and now they were surrounded on all sides without anything to slow the invasion.
“Take no prisoners!” Rahab heard one voice roaring over the battle. “NO PRISONERS!”
The invaders sent up a roar, and charged inwards. Rahab saw some people she knew fleeing deeper into town, towards the Temples, looking for sanctuary as the invaders poured in.
Rahab squealed as a hand went over her face, covering her eyes unexpectedly. By the time she’d shaken herself free, Iyara had already closed the window, shutting the battle outside. “You’ve been protecting me from seeing certain things, sister.” Iyara said quietly. “You don’t have to see this.”
Rahab checked to see they were alone. “Tawnya got me out, you know.” She said quietly to her sister. “She thought I was naive, silly; and too weak. But when she saw I couldn’t bring myself to be part of what the Temples were demanding, she was the one that convinced the Priests to free me from my service there. I do owe her.” She shook her head. “More than this, anyway.”
“Tawnya handed over her own child as a human sacrifice, this week.” Iyara countered. “Maybe she did something good for you, but there’s a point where you give up trying to save someone, and just… stop them.” She tilted her head. “Besides, how are you to blame for any of this? You didn’t make the Walls fall down flat. You couldn’t if you tried.”
Rahab sighed. “That’s true.”
Outside the house, the sound of calamity rang out. One or two voices in particular rang out with blood-curdling clarity; and Rahab quickly pulled her sister downstairs, back to the family.
“I hope you can all climb down a rope.” Rahab said darkly as the family pulled together, waiting it out. “Because I don’t see any other way to get back down from here once the battle ends.”
~/*\~
There was a heavy silence in the household as they sent one last glance around. None of them said it, but they were trying to figure out what to take, and how to get it out of the house.
“Remember, they’re tent-dwellers.” Arjun said firmly. “Furniture isn’t really a priority. Anything we can’t lower down on a rope is also a waste of time.”
“We don’t know what they’ll be interested in.” Rahab pointed out. “They’ve got the whole city to pillage. Our priority is to make friends.”
“Friends. Right.” Iyara said grimly. “How, exactly, do we do that?”
“Not sure yet. But we’ll figure it out.”
Arjun went to the door and checked the rope’s knot was solid, preparing for the climb down. As head of the family, he would be expected to make the first introductions, though Rahab was the only one of them anyone knew.
Vihaan sent Iyara a pointed look, and the younger woman made her excuses, taking one last look around.
“I’ve looked out every window. The only bit of the Wall still standing is the part directly beneath this house.” Vihaan said quietly to Rahab. “You were right. Molech and Baal combined couldn’t slow Jehovah down. Our nation will be conquered completely. Our people will be a memory. And nobody will remember it; because they’ll leave no survivors. Except the ones in this house.” Her brother let out a shaking breath. “Are they going to kill us all anyway, Rahab? Have we really survived anything, or are they just leaving us for last?”
“I had this conversation with Iyara the other day.” Rahab said quietly, looking down at the ground, where their father was speaking with a young man. “I believe Jehovah can find room in His heart for us. I believe we have the capacity to live by His commands, and even reap the benefits of it.” She gestured around. “I gave up everything to save my family. And I have one thing that nobody else has: Proof. The two spies I made a deal with were not prophets. They didn’t summon angels, and I didn’t hear a booming voice from the sky. But Jehovah honored the agreement two of his servants made with a lone prostitute from a city of opposers. Name one Canaanite god that would do that.”
Bodhir nodded, conceding that point. “Surviving the end of our world was straightforward. We just… sat here and kept the door shut. What comes next will be harder.”
“Yes it will.” Rahab agreed, squeezing her brother's hand reassuringly. “It’ll take the rest of our lives. But we’ve got that chance.”
“Rahab!” A voice called from the ground. Both she and Arjun went to look.
“That’s one of the spies that was here.” Rahab said quickly to her father. “He was the one who vowed we would be spared.”
Her father nodded, recognizing what that meant. The invaders had sent a familiar face.
~/*\~
Rahab shimmied down the rope awkwardly, and tried to straighten herself out quickly. “Is it over?”
Sha'ul nodded somberly. “It is. Tell your family it’s safe to come down.”
Arjun had already climbed down the rope, and bowed shortly to Sha'ul. “I am Arjun, father of Rahab.”
“May the blessing of Jehovah be on your family, sir.” Sha'ul said kindly. “I may very well owe your daughter my life. When the whole city trembled or raged in fear, it was Rahab alone who showed faith, and acted decisively. You should know that the only thing she asked of us in return was for your family to be safe in the hands of Jehovah, and Israel.” He gave Rahab another nod. “You should be very proud of her.”
Arjun smiled. “I am.”
Behind them, Sasah had apparently decided it was safe enough, and came sliding painfully down the rope herself. Once she was on the ground, she looked back at Jericho. Most of the defenders, such as they were, had been on the wall. With the wall collapsing completely, all at once, the city within had been obliterated.
After a week of just waiting in Rahab’s rooms, the City outside was gone in an hour. She listened, and could hear no ringing of metal on metal, no battle cries. It was already over.
“Well. We better get on the right side of history.” Sasah said quietly to her husband. Decision made, she went over to Emet immediately. “Sir, if you follow me, I can show you where the reserves are in the Temples. I understand you forbid the use of idols, but the gold and silver is still there, just waiting to be melted down. The Treasury in the Governor’s office is usually hidden away too. I know the sorts of places they usually use for hiding. You’ll have all the wealth this city has to offer.”
“Thank you.” Emet said. “That will save some time. All the wealth is to go to the treasury of Jehovah. Also the iron and copper.”
“If you like, I can show you the choicest pieces for you to present to your lords as spoils. It would build some goodwill with your-”
“I’m sorry, that won’t be possible.” Emet cut them off. “Our people are forbidden from taking any spoils for themselves.”
(Author’s Note: On the subject of ‘Gold’, the Insight Book says: “Idols and their appurtenances were therefore burned, and the gold and silver on them were sometimes ground to powder… Other gold and silver objects in captured cities could be taken after being processed with fire for cleansing. Jericho was an exception to this, for it was the firstfruits of the conquest of Canaan. Its gold and silver (except that on idols) had to be turned over to the priests, devoted to sanctuary use.”)
“I… see.” Sasah was taken aback, but lifted her chin. “Also, I don’t know your policy regarding the treatment of slaves, but I speak the languages of most-”
“No. No slaves.” Emet cut her off.
Sasah swallowed. “Then the… the animals? We know the Hebrews are shepherds-”
“No animals either. We have those.” Emet said over her again. “This isn’t about taking spoils. It’s about clearing out the false worship before we take possession of the land.”
Arjun blinked, surprised. “T-There’s the grain, at least. They brought food in from the fields, expecting a siege-”
“Nothing is to be taken.” Emet said again, before giving them a reassuring smile. “Fear not. We won’t go hungry.”
Rahab went still for a moment. “Nothing at all? I’ve lived a big part of my life in this City, and Jehovah has ruled that nothing is worth salvaging?”
Emet’s face changed as he understood her fear. “Jehovah saved you. Of all your City, all your people, and everything that came with it: You turned to Jehovah for deliverance.”
Sasah looked sick. She had been pushing against Rahab at every step. “Then why me?” She said, almost inaudible.
~/*\~ Cherry ~/*\~
The noise from outside was finally silent. The sound of hoofbeats had faded into the distance. The light had faded, leaving the night outside. There had been the sounds of birds. Millions of birds, their wings flapping all around. In a weird way, it was more unsettling to hear them than the sounds of battle.
But now, after almost ten minutes of silence, the four of them started to move again.
“Am I dead?” Cherry whispered. “I feel like I’ve been holding my breath for an hour. How long can a person go without air?”
In the small, dark truck, it almost felt like they were buried already. Nobody wanted to be the first to move, and break the spell. After all the noise and fear, the darkness and silence was almost peaceful.
And then the doors simply fell off the truck, letting in the world outside. As they hit the ground, they let out a harsh clatter of metal on concrete, and everyone jumped.
And oddly enough, the air outside seemed clean and fresh.
Jamel moved first, eager to be outside. He jumped out before anyone could stop him, and looked up at the clear, open sky.
When lightning didn’t seem to strike him, Cherry and Eldon followed. Cherry couldn’t believe how quiet it was. The night sky above was clearer than it had ever been. The stars seemed twice as bright. The street was empty. No people. No bodies. Just them.
“What happens now?” Jamel asked, voice hushed.
And then, a sound. It was so unexpected that it took everyone a moment to realize what it was. It was a musical note, but it sounded too… clean. Too perfect. Too omnipresent. Like the whole world was resonating with the tone. As the note turned into words, they all looked up, and saw the chorus. They were floating in winged formation, and pouring out joyful music.
All you peoples, clap your hands.
Shout in triumph to God with joyful cries.
For Jehovah the Most High is awe-inspiring;
He is the great King over all the earth.
But more than the awe-inspiring beauty of the song was the proof. It had really happened. This was real. Something absolutely biblical had swept over the world, and they were all there to see it as Heaven itself celebrated.
God has become King over the nations.
God sits on his holy throne.
The leaders of the peoples have gathered together
With the people of the God of Abraham.
For the rulers of the earth belong to God.
He is highly exalted!
It went on for what seemed like an eternity. An eternity of nothing but listening to angels sing praises and celebrations.
Cherry came back to herself when the song faded, and found she was lying down on the ground, stretched out on the broken concrete like she was stargazing. Her father was stretched out beside her, clutching her hand. Jamel was on the other side, mirroring him. “Gail?”
“I’m here.” Gail called faintly from the truck. She had spent the whole chorus cowering, peeking around the corner of the metal doorway. “I’m still here.” She nearly whispered. Her skin looked ashen, even after the miraculous show. Cherry jumped up and hugged her tightly. Gail let herself feel it for just a second before she pushed her away and scrambled back. “No! No, don’t!”
The wild look in her eyes was back. The adrenaline that had come from acts of violence over the past month was suddenly alive again, and Cherry felt herself freeze.
Gail was wringing her hands crazily, shaking like she was in shock. “You guys will be telling this story for a thousand years. What’s my story going to be?” She started clawing at the tunic she was wearing, tearing at her collar. “What can I say? That I was shooting people like you, and God decided to- to-” She wove on her feet, turning green, then ashen. “What did I do? What the #$%! did I do? It’s all true! It’s real! I saw…”
“Gail?” Jamel said, reaching out a hand gently. “Just breathe! Just keep breathing, okay?”
But it was too late. Gail’s panic attack was keeping her from getting a decent breath, and the young woman went down, passing out.
~/*\~
~/*\~~/*\~~/*\~
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