Free Elijah by William H. Stephens Page B

not matter. They can serve both Yahweh and the baals. I am just a poor merchant. I do not know of such things. All I know is that after the prophets of Melkart speak the people I trade with are less scrupulous and more cunning in their deceit.” Rejab gripped the crude goblet of wine with both hands. He swirled the liquid and gazed at it thoughtfully. “There is something else, Elijah.”
    “What else?”
    “Word has come from Obadiah that Jezebel intends to make Melkart and Asherah the official gods of the court.”
    Elijah’s jaws clenched. When he rose from his seat, Rejab felt a tinge of fear. Elijah turned the goblet up and finished its contents with a gulp. He clenched the empty cup tightly, a wild look in his eyes, his muscles tense. Then slowly he relaxed and set the cup on the table.
    “That is what I feared, Rejab. May Yahweh reward you both for your kindness. I must retire, and I will leave before you arise in the morning. I shall not bother you.”
    “You shall bother us,” Rejab objected. “I shall not interfere with your mission, but you shall not go on an empty stomach. You can serve Yahweh better if you are strong. When shall you leave?”
    “I must be in Samaria when Ahab sits on his throne. I leave at the beginning of the last watch before dawn. I shall run the distance.”
    “It’s twenty miles, Elijah.”
    “I shall run the distance,” the prophet repeated.
    Rejab looked askance at his guest. Difficult as the trip surely would be, uphill much of the way, he knew Elijah would do as he said. “Then you shall need your strength all the more. When you arise, your food will be ready.”
    Elijah grasped Rejab by both shoulders and kissed his cheek, “You are the best of men, Rejab.”
    The moon was dark in the early hours before morning and Miriam needed lamplight to see. She laid bramble twigs and thorns in the outdoor oven and lit the tinder with fire from the lamp. She fanned it with her breath until it blazed, then threw dried pieces of dung into the flames for fuel. By the time Elijah roused, the breadcakes were ready to serve. Rejab left tracks on the dew-covered ground as he approached with a large goatskin, the head hole and three legs tied, the other left open to serve as a spout. He filled Elijah’s cup with wine. They ate silently.
    Elijah set his cup on the flat rock that served as an outdoor table. “I must go, Rejab.” He kissed them both. “Good-bye, Mirian.” The gate to the courtyard closed behind him. For a moment Rejab and Miriam listened to their friend’s rapid gait, then the sound faded and they were alone again.
     
    Chapter Five
    Obadiah was a full head taller than Elijah, but not so powerfully built. His slender frame was robed immaculately, his beard trimmed to a thin line and a short goatee. His mustache matched the thin line of his beard. He wore no head covering, but his finely combed hair was held neatly in place with a headband. A blue matching sash stood out in restful contrast to the whiteness of his robe. His complexion was soft, yet deeply colored from the sun, his forehead high with a prominent vein in the center. He stood with an air of confidence; his eyes indicated a quick mind. He was in control of all of the royal possessions and he administered them with talent. Ahab’s confidence in him was apparent, for often he was consulted on matters completely outside of his appointed function.
    Elijah spoke in a low, urgent voice. His penetrating eyes matched the intensity of his words.
    “Elijah, what you ask is too dangerous. I cannot do it.”
    “You must do it. I must see Ahab.”
    “He will have you in stocks in the marketplace.”
    “He would not arrest a prophet.”
    Obadiah shook his head imploringly. “Elijah, Ahab has given a great deal of authority over the court to Jezebel. He will order your arrest because she would want it done.”
    “Then I shall not let myself be caught.”
    “How can you be so certain?”
    “Ahab has made certain that