Seventh Dimension - The King - Book 2, A Young Adult Fantasy (15 page)

I shook my head. “No.”

Shale looked
towards the house. “I must go.” She picked up Cherios and her
artwork and walked to the gate.

In my mind, I saw Judd and Scylla conferring. Scylla
wanted to talk with me.

Scylla shut the door and pointed. “Sit here.” Her
breath reeked of alcohol—her usual condition when Brutus’s absences
were prolonged. Despite my dislike for her, I pitied the woman.

She crossed her arms and hovered over me. “Shale
will be sixteen in a few weeks.”

“I know. She told me.”

Twisting her
hair with her fingers, she spoke with a slur. “You know she is to
be betrothed to Judd.”

I raised my
eyebrows. “Oh, I didn’t know,” I lied. I only knew from
eavesdropping on the private conversations of Judd and Scylla, but
I didn’t have to tell her that. “Does Shale know this?” I
inquired.

Scylla’s face
paled. “I assume her mother informed her. After all, isn’t that why
she returned—to honor the contract?”

I shrugged. “She never mentioned it to me.”

Scylla turned her head and frowned. That’s odd she
never mentioned it to you. I was under the impression that she and
Judd were already making plans for the betrothal.”

“Who told you that?” I asked.

“Why, of
course, Judd did.” Scylla turned up her nose. “I don’t talk to
Shale, she’s too disrespectful.”

I leaned in towards Scylla. “Tell me more about the
contract.”

Scylla crossed
her arms. “The contract was written shortly after Shale’s birth.
When Shale’s mother ran off, Judd’s family assumed the contract was
broken. They never expected her to honor the agreement.”

“I’m familiar
with that part of the story,” I said impatiently. “I want to know
what the contract says.”

Scylla laughed. “I’m getting there, my friend.” She
picked up her wine glass and sipped.

“When Shale
returned, Judd struggled. He was in love with another young woman
and had no plans to marry Shale. After a while, though, he realized
it would be a disgrace not to marry her.”

I listened as
Scylla explained the details, although her resuscitation of the
facts conflicted with what I knew. Judd and Shale were not making
any plans to get married—I knew that for sure.

Scylla sat on
the bed and looked up at the ceiling. “Judd realizes now he loves
Shale, and she is coming of age.”

My mind
wandered. Judd was not in love with Shale. He only wanted the dowry
that came with her—no doubt sizeable. Maybe there wasn’t any
contract at all—perhaps there was a deal between Judd and Scylla
and Scylla would get a kickback if Judd married her. I’d have given
anything to see the contract.

I perceived Scylla’s thoughts before she spoke. She
wanted to work this to her advantage. She had one thing on her
mind.

She glided
behind the chair. She stroked my head, leaned over, and whispered
in my ear, “Do you love Shale?”

“I don’t know,” I lied.

She slid back
around to the front. Her perfume was intoxicating.

“She is a beautiful girl.”

“Yes, she is,” I agreed.

Scylla leaned forward and spoke in a smooth voice.
“I can make you happy. No one would know but you and me.”

I shook my head. “No, Scylla.”

She persisted.
“Brutus is never here. You can stay and help with Nathan. The signs
are in the heavens it is to be.”

I stopped her
from saying more. “Scylla, I respect Brutus too much. You are his
wife. Shale will have to decide for herself what she wants. I will
respect the contract that was made between the families—many years
ago—if there really is a contract.”

Scylla looked away disheartened.

I continued. “I have done nothing to bring disgrace
to her or the family. If the contract is broken, let it not be
because of me.”

Scylla’s eyes burned.

Nothing is so
bitter as unfulfilled desire.

I stood to leave.

“Wait,” Scylla said. She touched my shoulder gently.
“I can give you more money for your education. You will be without
a job. I can make you very happy.”

I shook my head. “You can make me happy by never
slapping Nathan again.”

She backed away from me. “That was the only time it
happened.”

I approached the door. “Let me say goodbye to him
and I’ll be on my way.”

“Liar! You do love her,” she screamed. Scylla threw
her drink in my direction. It hit the wall and shattered on the
floor.

“Bad aim.” I
slammed the door behind me.

No sooner had I left than I realized Judd had been
listening.

“I’ll be sure
and send you an invitation to the wedding,” he sneered.

I ignored him in disgust.

I walked
outside and found Nathan and Mari together in the
portico.

I was thankful
I wouldn’t have to go through the announcement twice. I’d make it
simple and addressed both of them, “I’m heading back to Doctor
Luke’s.”

Mari’s smile left and Nathan’s eyes widened. I
leaned over and hugged Nathan. “You’ve been a good student. I’ve
taught you how to write and you can write out your requests for
Mari. She’ll be here for you as before.”

Mari’s countenance fell. “This has to do with Judd,
doesn’t it?”

I studied the
stones on the portico. I had never noticed they alternated between
brown and yellow. “Yes, the betrothal to Shale. The only way Shale
will grow to love him is if I leave.”

Mari shook her head. “Shale will never love Judd.
She loves you. A woman can see these things. Her eyes are for you,
Daniel.”

“Honor is more important than love.”

“But there is a catch.”

I didn’t know
about any catches. “What? And how do you know?”

“I’ve seen the contract.”

“So there
really is a contract? I’d give anything to see it.”

“It’s hidden
away. I saw it before it was relevant several months ago. For some
reason, Scylla had left it out on the table. The next day it was
gone.” Mari sighed. “It was very one-sided and unfair to the girl,
but her mother was desperate for money. That was the first time I
knew Brutus even had a daughter.”

I shook my
head. “Did they pay off her mother or something?”

Mari leaned
forward in the chair and whispered. “I don’t know the details but
there was something scandalous that happened. Brutus acquiesced to
keep his good name. I overhead Scylla and Brutus arguing shortly
after I saw the contract. Brutus said he never thought Shale’s
mother would honor the contact—that it was just to get money out of
him.”

I soaked in Mari’s words, trying to understand.

Mari added.
“Something must have happened for Shale’s mother to send her
daughter back here.”

I thought about
Shale’s family background, her mother remarrying, that Shale didn’t
get along with her stepfather—maybe her mother and stepfather just
didn’t want her around anymore.

Mari sighed.
“Women just don’t have any rights when it comes to these
things.”

I pondered
Mari’s eyes, so full of compassion for Shale. “Maybe someday women
will have more rights,” I offered.

Mari looked
away deep in thought. “Daniel, I’ve longed to tell you many
things—but I’ve been afraid. I need this job. I will try to find
that contract. You will come back?”

I nodded.

“And Shale—are you going to say goodbye to her?”

“No. I don’t like goodbyes. She’ll find out soon
enough.”

Mari offered,
“Let me fix you some food to take. It’s a long way to Dothan and
you’ll get hungry.”

I agreed. While
she prepared a snack, I went to my quarters to get my moneybag. I
hoped Judd treated the animals well—for Shale’s sake.

I stopped by
the cave one last time. After pouring out extra feed and embracing
Much-Afraid and Cherios, I returned to the portico. Mari was
waiting.

She handed me a
bag of figs and nuts and fresh bread she had just baked. “Daniel,
night will soon be here. Are you sure you don’t want to wait and
leave in the morning?”

“I’ll be fine,”
I reassured her.

“Make me a promise.”

“What’s
that?”

“Let Theophilus
know you arrived safely when you return to Doctor Luke.”

Her request
surprised me. Why would I announce my dismissal to the person who
had recommended me for the job? How would I explain that Scylla
accused me of being involved with an employee’s betrothed
bride?

I could read her mind to find out why this was so
important to her, but I didn’t have the energy. I was too depressed
and distracted by other things.

My heart longed
to see Shale one more time, but I was afraid I would become too
emotional. I’d focus on Mari’s strange request when I returned to
visit Dr. Luke.

I left with her
statement ringing in my ears. “I’ve longed to tell you many things.
I will find that contract. Promise me you will return.”

I plodded down
the road reminiscing about what could have been. All I had were my
earnings and memories that would fade with time.

I wanted to get
back to 2015. I should have asked that old woman if she could send
me back, but I hadn’t seen her in almost a year. I still felt guilt
over the one ability she had restored to me. Was it so awful, when
I had used it for good?

After all,
Shale would soon be married to a man she hated and I’d be
forgotten.

I pressed
ahead, checking again to make sure I had my money. The shekels
would be very valuable when I returned home.

I came upon a
large house where a crowd was gathered. Women’s wails pierced the
air. Many of the visitors and mourners had spilled out into the
yard.

A group of
Jewish men approached from the south. One of them appeared to be
the homeowner, a rich man, perhaps an official from the synagogue
because of his clothing. The others following him looked like day
laborers or fishermen.

The front door
stood ajar and people were entering and leaving. I sneaked into the
house unnoticed. Weeping women clutched each other around the room.
Shock and disbelief covered their faces and their sadness resonated
with my crushed spirit.

For the first
time since arriving in Galilee, I felt Jewish blood coursing
through my veins. What it meant to suffer as a Jew was never far
from my conscience—even though I had taken a more liberal
path.

A minute later, the men stormed through the door.
One of them exclaimed, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The
child isn’t dead, she’s asleep.”

The crowd
jeered. Someone mocked, “Who is this man who says she isn’t dead?”
Other voices taunted him. The crowd had gone amok.

I studied the man who said the young girl was
sleeping. He seemed like an ordinary man, not striking in stature
or looks. Who was he?

When I tried to
intercept his thoughts, something pierced me. I clutched my temple
and keeled over. After a few seconds, my head stopped hurting. I
leaned over to someone sitting next to me and asked, “Who is that
man?”

“Yeshua of Nazareth and his disciples, Peter, James,
and John.”

The rabbi Shale
wanted to meet—such a small request when she meant so much to me.
Why didn’t I take her to him?

He appeared to
be a harmless charlatan, perhaps deluded—except I couldn’t explain
what had happened. Did he know I was trying to read his
mind?

Three of the
men who arrived with Yeshua were directing people. The crowd
dispersed and the chaos subsided. I studied the rabbi as I walked
towards the foyer. Suddenly his eyes met mine. Did he know I was
watching him?

Someone tapped
me on the shoulder. “Please go outside.”

I nodded. I’d wait outside with the others.

An hour passed.
All was quiet when the door opened. Yeshua and his followers
stepped outside. The rabbi addressed the crowd, “Say nothing about
this to anyone.”

They took off
and disappeared down the road. I went back inside and was surprised
to see the young girl eating. Her mother and father and others were
rejoicing, calling it a miracle. Everyone was amazed.

Could I believe
that she was really raised from the dead? Shock and confusion
rattled me. He couldn’t have raised her from the dead—could he?
That was impossible, even in 2015. The whole event had to have been
set up. The girl was sleeping. Maybe the official’s term in office
was up. This would generate great publicity for his reelection
campaign.

I left the
house troubled. I’d have a long night to think about it on the way
to Jacob’s Inn.

I was warned
never to travel alone at night. Even the main roads were dark and
oftentimes unsafe. Perhaps walking through the forest would be
better. I might even be able to shave a few hours off my travel
time.

I left the road
and followed a narrow footpath down the mountain. I came to another
rough-hewn trail. After a short ways on this trail, two well-used
footpaths led in opposite directions.