Devil's Island: A Novel by John Hagee

Author:John Hagee [Hagee, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, ebook, book, Historical, C429, Extratorrents, Kat
ISBN: 9781418514914
Google: bjVGMiAp0YwC
Amazon: 0785264019
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2001-10-02T04:16:39+00:00

19

ABRAHAM COULDN’T SLEEP. He had just buried his wife of twenty-five years and knew he would never recover from the overwhelming loss. After the simple, very private funeral, Abraham had put off going upstairs as long as possible. Even after the rest of the household had gone to bed, he remained downstairs. Quintus had sat with Abraham, so he wouldn’t have to be alone.

Finally, when he saw Quintus was about to fall asleep sitting straight up, Abraham told him, “You don’t have to keep me company; go on home.” But when Quintus stood to leave, Abraham had second thoughts. “No, it’s too late,” he said. “You should stay here tonight. Take Jacob’s room.” A lump had formed in Abraham’s throat as he thought of the two empty bedrooms upstairs that belonged to Jacob and Rebecca. I want my children back, he thought forlornly.

Abraham had gone upstairs with Quintus and shown him to Jacob’s room, then entered the master bedroom, feeling more alone than he had ever felt in his life. He could not bear to sleep in the huge, carved bed without his wife, so he had removed the bedcovers and spread them on the floor.

Now he lay sleepless on the cold, hard floor, haunted by memories. He had forgotten to light the charcoal brazier—one of the servants usually did that, but most of them were gone now—and the room was chilly. Suddenly he couldn’t stand the thought of Elizabeth lying in the tomb, unprotected from the elements, and he wanted to take a blanket to the mausoleum for her. I need to cover her up, he thought irrationally. In cooler weather she would always sleep in two tunics at night, snuggling against him to share his body heat. And if he got up in the mornings before Elizabeth, he always tucked the covers around her so she would stay warm.

Abraham was not only haunted by memories of his wife, he was haunted by his sin. He remembered the words of King David, “My sin is ever before me.” That’s how I feel, he thought. There’s no way I can put it out of my mind.

His thoughts drifted to Job, the biblical figure who had lost all his children as well as his fortune. I managed to keep my fortune, Abraham thought, but I lost my wife and two of my children. He had never thought his life would parallel that of Job, but now he had a better grasp of Job’s suffering. Abraham remembered how, in the midst of his catastrophes, Job’s wife had told him to “curse God and die.” Job had complained and questioned, but he had not cursed God. While Abraham hadn’t cursed God, he had denied Him—and right now he wasn’t sure there was a difference.

For a long time Abraham lay trapped in his spiraling thoughts, and then finally, toward dawn, he closed his eyes . . . and promptly opened them in hell.

Abraham felt the flames lick at his body and heard bloodcurdling screams. Damian’s countenance—or was it Satan?—appeared before him.

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