Free Among the Gods by Lynn Austin Page B

pagan. I can’t live there anymore among all that idolatry. And so I decided …” He paused, and Joshua saw him swallow hard. “I decided that if I have to give up Dinah, then I want my loss to count for something.”
    Joshua’s fingers gripped the leather sheath that held his dagger. “What does that mean, Hadad?”
    “I want to put Dinah’s son on Judah’s throne. I want to do that much for her. It would be a waste for her to live her life here in Egypt while Manasseh leads our country into ruin. I would have lost her for nothing. But if we got rid of Manasseh, and Amariah became king, Dinah could take her rightful place by his side. Her son would reign someday. I’m prepared to fight for that. And I’ve worked out a plan to do it.”
    Joshua didn’t believe him. Hadad was Amariah’s enemy, his rival; why would he help the prince recapture the throne? For Dinah’s sake? It didn’t ring true. Hadad wasn’t that noble. Joshua suspected he was lying, but he had no basis for his suspicion except his gut reaction.
    “What’s in it for you?” he asked.
    “I want my grandfather’s job as secretary of state when Amariah is king. I figured you would probably be palace administrator, right?”
    Hadad’s answer seemed too quick, too rehearsed. Joshua pulled out a chair and swung it around, straddling it. He rested his forearms on the back and laced his fingers together. “Tell us your plan.”
    “King Manasseh is building a shrine to the sun god at Beth Shemesh.”
    “What?” Amariah asked. “The sun god ?”
    “That’s not unusual,” Hadad said. “He has pagan shrines all over Judah now. But I found out that he will be going to Beth Shemesh for the dedication ceremony during the New Moon Festival a few months from now.” Hadad paced, not looking at either of them as he talked. “That means he’ll have to take the Beth Shemesh Road from Jerusalem and go through the narrow mountain pass near there. If we lay an ambush—”
    “I saw one of Manasseh’s processions,” Joshua said. “He was very heavily guarded.”
    “True. But we could attack from well-entrenched positions above the road. His men would be in the open, without cover and with no way to escape. We’d also have the advantage of surprise.”
    Joshua’s pulse quickened with excitement, and for a moment he forgot his caution as he realized what Hadad was proposing. They could kill Manasseh! The ambush might work! Attacking the procession at that narrow pass was a brilliant strategy. The king’s guards would have no escape or protection. Once Joshua got close to Manasseh, he could finally get revenge.
    “How many men do you think we would need?” he asked.
    “If they’re excellent archers, not many. We could kill half the guards in the first round, before Manasseh’s men have a chance to string their bows.”
    “Won’t they be on the alert coming through that pass?”
    “Even if they are, it won’t do them any good. We’ll dig positions on the ridge above them the night before, then lie in wait.”
    “But doesn’t Manasseh have guards at all the borders, watching for me?”
    “I didn’t see any. Nobody stopped me. Besides, we wouldn’t enter the country as soldiers. We could use one of your brother’s caravans to smuggle our men and weapons into the country.”
    Joshua’s mind raced ahead, analyzing Hadad’s scheme. It was a simple plan, but it just might work. General Benjamin had once taught him that the simplest plans were often the best. Joshua couldn’t spot any obvious flaws, and the exhilarating prospect of revenge stole his breath from him.
    “Are you certain that Amariah is still Manasseh’s only heir?” he asked.
    “I’m positive. There has been no announcement of a royal heir. I checked.”
    “Good. Then once Manasseh is dead—”
    “No!” Amariah was on his feet. “I won’t let you do it. Manasseh is God’s anointed king. It’s wrong to kill him.”
    Joshua’s anger soared at the prince’s