A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette

Author:Connilyn Cossette [Cossette, Connilyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biblical Fiction;Bible (Old Testament)—History of Biblical events—Fiction;Christian fiction;Bible fiction;FIC042030;FIC042040;FIC027140
ISBN: 9781493413614
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2017-01-27T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

Twenty-Two

Our caravan wound through the city, pushing toward the center of activity. With shouts for pedestrians to take heed of the hooves of his mules, Shuah led us to the marketplace. Crowds of people filled the roads, haggling over prices, hauling baskets of fruit and fresh baked bread, arguing, cursing, laughing—oblivious to the fact that sworn enemies walked among them.

I’d been thirteen the last time I’d walked through a marketplace like this one, my wrists tied together, my hair shorn like a boy, my short tunic dirty and ragged. This time, although dressed like a Canaanite and able to stroll freely, everything was dependent on my ability to procure help for Yuval and fool everyone into believing that I was beyond suspicion.

Once we stopped moving, Shuah jumped down from his wagon and came back to speak with me. “I’ll have Mehmet take you on to the temple. You’ll get through easier on your own.”

“Thank you.” I slipped off the last armlet and gave it to Shuah. “Please pass this on to Lilit and tell her I will return with extra payment for keeping Yuval alive. Will you all be leaving soon?” I hoped my question did not sound as desperate to him as it did to me, but the unexpected kindness of these traders gave me a tiny measure of safety in this sea of Canaanites.

“We’ll be here for a few days. We will set up stands in the market and trade goods before moving on north. Heading toward the coastlands next, on to Acco, then Tyre and Sidon before the weather turns cold and we turn back south toward Egypt.”

He stretched his arm toward the caravan behind us. “Our group will camp here, in the marketplace, for now. You are welcome to stay with us for as long as you need.”

I bowed my head to him. “Thank you, Shuah. Your hospitality does you great honor.”

“We are bound by covenant, Moriel. I would do no less for a brother. Or, sister, in this case.” He dropped a wink and my chest filled with gratitude for this stranger. And then in its place, guilt welled. If he only knew who we really were and how much danger we were putting the whole caravan in, he might not be so generous with his friendship.

With the snap of the reins against the backs of the mules, Mehmet ordered them forward. I followed, Darek silent behind me, heading toward the last place I’d ever hoped to go again. A Canaanite temple.

The Healing Chamber loomed in front of us, and the doors that stood nearly twice my height opened wide with blank-faced guards stationed on either side. Mehmet slipped off the wagon, conferred with the guards, and then walked inside.

A few moments later, two Egyptian men stepped into the sunlight, their white linen tunics gleaming and sashes of leopard skin crossing their chests. Clean-shaven brows, faces, and heads trumpeted their status as priests.

I stepped forward, willing my limbs not to shake and my tongue not to betray my desperate fear.

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