A Captain in Israel by Alex Chappell

Author:Alex Chappell [Chappell, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-09-19T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

טז

And Saul said to David, Behold my

elder daughter Merab, her will I give

thee to wife: only be thou valiant

for me, and fight the Lord’s battles…

1 Samuel 18:17

"You’re David’s courier?"

"Yes."

"I have a message for the young captain."

The palace messenger placed a rolled scroll in Tobiah’s hand.

"Take this to David. It’s a summons signed by the king. David is hereby commanded to appear at the citadel before nightfall."

The messenger didn’t wait for a response. His message delivered, he turned and marched briskly away. Tobiah waited for the departing messenger to disappear before looking down at the scroll.

He had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling.

—

Mara glanced at Michal just in time to see the blood drain from her face. The princess’s skin turned as white as a sheep’s freshly sheared hide. David, though he hid his feelings better, seemed not much happier about Saul’s announcement. Mara looked back and forth between David and Michal, as startled as they were by this unexpected turn of events.

"Who…who am I?" David stammered. "And what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"

"Don’t be so modest," Saul said, moving forward to clap his hand in a deceptively friendly way on David’s shoulder. "You are the slayer of Goliath! The hero of Israel! I said I would give my daughter to the man who could kill Goliath, and you are that man. Here is my daughter Merab. I give her to you. I only ask you to be valiant for me."

David looked first at Saul, then at Merab, then at Michal. Michal’s lower lip was trembling, and Mara saw she was fighting to hold back tears.

Merab, nervously wringing her hands together, looked the least shaken by Saul’s offer. Her eyes were demurely lowered, and she lifted them only long enough to cast furtive, hopeful glances at David.

"You’ve given me so much already," David said, trying once more to gracefully decline. "You’ve provided me a place in your service, given me the rank of sar alef in your army. I can’t ask for more."

"You haven’t asked. I’ve freely offered. You don’t intend to offend me or my daughter or disappoint Israel’s people by rejecting my offer, do you?

"No… Of course not… I—"

"It’s settled," Saul interrupted. "Merab will be your wife. Let this joyful union be broadcast among the people. Let it be known that David, son of Jesse, has found favor in my sight."

Saul caught David in an unexpected embrace, took him by the arm, and led him to Merab. He placed their hands together, calmly stepped back, and smiled.

"It will be a great responsibility to be son-in-law to a king," Saul said. "But if anyone can rise to the calling, I’m sure you are the man." He spun around now and called out to one of his advisors. "Alert the kitchen servants! We must celebrate this event with a feast!"

Somewhere in the midst of the handshaking, back clapping, and congratulating that followed, Michal managed to slip from the courtyard and vanish.

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