Among the Gods (Chronicles of the Kings Book #5) by Austin Lynn

Author:Austin, Lynn [Austin, Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2006-06-01T04:00:00+00:00

17

MANASSEH COULDN’T BELIEVE THIS was happening to him. He watched the Assyrian delegation leave his throne room and felt too shaken to stand. The Assyrians had claimed they were offering a simple peace treaty but he knew better.

“This is the end of our sovereignty as a nation,” he murmured. “The Assyrians are going to swallow us alive.”

“You’re looking at it all wrong, Your Majesty.” Zerah shifted in his seat at Manasseh’s right hand so the other assembled nobles couldn’t hear his words. “The Assyrians are offering you a great political opportunity, and I think—”

“It’s not a political opportunity, it’s a threat—join the Assyrian Empire as their vassal or be annexed by their army!”

“Your Majesty, they said nothing about resorting to force. You know that Sennacherib’s army was destroyed—right outside your gates, in fact.”

“Wake up, Zerah! That was more than twenty years ago! They could give birth to an entirely new army and train them to fight in twenty years’ time. And you can be sure that’s exactly what Emperor Esarhaddon has done. Didn’t you hear what his delegates just said? ‘It’s the dawn of a New Assyrian Empire.’”

“Then why not join them? Your grandfather, King Ahaz, made an alliance with Assyria and brought peace to our nation.”

“My father always used King Ahaz as an example of how not to reign.”

“But your father was controlled by factions that—”

“I want it quiet in my throne room!” Manasseh suddenly shouted. The agitated murmuring stopped instantly. It had rumbled through the audience hall ever since the Assyrian delegates had departed, but now the king’s nobles and officials straightened in their places, their faces somber as they faced him.

In the hush that followed, Manasseh heard his guards talking among themselves outside his throne room door, but after a moment their voices stilled, too, as silence and fear spread like rising water. He could see by Zerah’s tense posture that he had more to say.

“Finish with it, Zerah, before I lose my patience.”

“I simply wanted to point out that your father also made alliances when it suited him. There’s nothing wrong with treaties.”

“My father’s alliances were made between equals. They never required him to pay tribute. Assyria wants us as their vassal state like the rest of the nations around us. I’d be selling our freedom—a freedom hard-won by my father.”

Zerah gave an elaborate shrug of surrender and slumped back in his seat. Manasseh knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t give up this easily. More arguments were sure to follow in the days ahead, before Manasseh was required to give the Assyrians his answer.

Elongated shadows stretched across the chamber floor, reminding him that it was late afternoon. The Assyrian petition and resulting discussion had consumed his entire day. Manasseh had eaten nothing since breakfast, and hunger added to his ill humor. The king gestured to the officials seated in front of him.

“Well, what about all of you—my so-called advisors? Let’s hear your pearls of wisdom on the matter.” No one spoke or moved. Manasseh folded his arms across his chest and waited.

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