Free Game of Queens by India Edghill Page B

And as they had threatened that if she denied them, they would accuse her of adultery. Jewish law called for death by stoning.
    But stoning was more than merely a sentence of death. Stoning was death by slow torture. The stones were chosen carefully; stones the size of a man’s fist. Men would hurl those unyielding stones at her until she died. Unless a man took pity upon her, and threw his stone hard and true and smashed the thin bone at her temple, it would take a long, long time for Susannah to die.
    And they will make her husband watch. They will make him hold a stone in his hand. They will make him throw it at his wife. And if he does not  … Daniel knew what happened when a crowd transmuted into a mob. Joakim, too, would die. And those so-called judges will claim his wealth.
    Daniel grabbed Joakim’s arm, making the other man stop. “So, Joakim, these two men accuse your wife of adultery and you did nothing? You let them take her away?”
    â€œI did not! They dragged her to the synagogue and told their lying story again there. When I came home, my servants and slaves were weeping so hard it was hard to draw from them what had happened. As soon as I knew, I ran to claim her back, but they would not release Susannah to me. I swore I did not believe the accusation, I swore there is no more chaste and faithful wife in all the empire than my Susannah. It was no use. All I gained was half an hour alone with my wife. And she asked—she asked me to…” Joakim’s voice faltered.
    â€œI can guess what she asked of you. Did you agree?”
    â€œI told her I would not let her die. I swore I would reveal her accusers for the false, evil men they are, and bring her safely home.”
    â€œThat is a great deal to promise, and she asked only one thing of you. Did you agree to do as she asked?” Daniel waited, and at last Joakim said in a voice so low Daniel barely heard him,
    â€œI promised I would not let her suffer.”
    Daniel looked deep into Joakim’s eyes. “Tell me, Joakim, do you believe your wife with all your heart? Does any doubt, however small, trouble your mind?”
    â€œ No! No, I do not doubt her. Never would Susannah be unchaste in heart or mind or body. And even if I doubted, even if I thought she had done what they accuse her of—” Joakim drew in a deep breath. Suddenly he looked old and weary. “Even if she had, I would never give her into the hands of men who seek only to kill by slow torture.”
    Daniel stared down at the dusty bricks under their feet. “What would you do? If she truly had played the whore?”
    Joakim sighed. “I would beat her, I suppose. No one would blame me for that, least of all Susannah.”
    At last Daniel lifted his head. “Come, then. I will—”
    â€œSpeak to Susannah?”
    â€œTo Susannah?” Daniel smiled and shook his head. “No. No, Joakim, I am going to talk to those two pious, virtuous, God-fearing men who uncovered an adulterous wife by spying upon her in her bath.”
    *   *   *
    â€œDo you realize how fatally easy it is to gain a reputation for great wisdom?” Daniel asked when he returned home to find Arioch and Samamat rather grimly waiting for him.
    â€œYes,” Arioch said.
    â€œDaniel, you look exhausted.” Samamat put her arms around him. “When did you eat last?”
    â€œI—don’t remember,” Daniel said apologetically. “What do you mean, ‘yes’?”
    â€œI mean, yes, I do know how easy it is to get a reputation for great wisdom, Daniel. Why? Was I unclear?”
    â€œOh, stop taunting him. He’s tired.” Samamat put a cup of wine into Daniel’s hands. “Drink this. Now. Then you can have some lamb stew.”
    â€œThe word was clear enough,” said Daniel, “but what did you mean?”
    â€œI meant all you need is common sense, which is anything but