As Hanno, under the terebinth of Ben Yusef, narrated the substance of
all this to Hiram and Zillah, he bade them feel the tough leathern suit,
like that of a Phoenician soldier, in which he had disguised himself.
The stiffness of the leather served to hide its uneven thickness, for
its lining was quilted in tiny blocks, each of which was nubbed with
some precious stone, or padded to protect some delicate setting or
cluster of gems. He twisted a bit of iron from the end of his
sword-hilt, and poured out a handful of diamonds. He mimicked the
tricksters who draw pearls from various parts of their bodies, except
that he left the pearls and emeralds and rubies in the hand of Zillah,
and possessed no power of the wizard to make them vanish. He grew
hilarious.
"Come!" said he. "Let us play the chase by the robbers. I will be the
victim. You shall catch me and take me to your own den--the booth over
there--and flay me alive--for all this skin belongs to you."
But Zillah could not be provoked into mirth. Hanno, in narrating the
events that followed her escape from Apheca, had not told her of her
father's curse, reserving that part of the story for Hiram's ears alone.
She was oppressed by what she thought of as her own unfilial conduct;
and in her mind Hanno's zealous interest in their behalf had led him
into robbery. Hiram's sympathy with her awakened scruples in his own
mind that perhaps he would not otherwise have thought of.
"I cannot take these things, good Hanno," said he.
"Why not? They are yours, and have been for more than twenty moons.
Indeed, you should not only take them, but demand usury on them, too.
Recall Ahimelek's dowry contract with yourself. You told me it was for a
thousand minas, and for a half of all the revenues of his ships; the
same as this contract with Rubaal. By the laws of Tyre all this comes
with your bride. That he villainously sought to kill you, to break his
daughter's heart, does not touch this fact under law, however it may
affect your feelings. I did not steal these things from him, for they
were not his, and have not been since the day of your betrothal; or if
there were any doubt of that, they are not his since your marriage. And,
by the name of Jehovah, into whose land you have come, to no other hands
than yours shall they be given! Besides, you are not merely Hiram and
Zillah; you are the king and queen of Tyre. They belong to your throne.
Loyalty to your throne compels your retention of them."
"Nay," said Zillah, "your own pledge was to put them into some temple,
under the protection of the god."
"The true temple of God is a man, and that temple's true revenues are
the man's rights," said Hanno, oracularly. "I will fulfil my pledge best
if I leave them at your feet, and go back to Tyre. I will then kiss my
hand to the sun, and swear I have done my duty."
"Hold!" interrupted Hiram; "it may be that Manasseh can help us in the
matter. He is of the priestly line, and perhaps can find a safe place in
connection with the temple at Jerusalem. We need a better guarded
treasury than our pockets. But you have not asked the news from Samaria
that the messenger who accompanied you brought. I will read it:
"'_Manasseh, son of Ioiada, of the tribe of Levi, to Marduk, son of
Baal, and to my lady Zillah: Greeting!_
"'My wedding with Nicaso, daughter of Sanballat, satrap of Samaria,
will be on the seventeenth day of the seventh month, which is
Tisri. My lord Sanballat bids me welcome you among his most honored
guests. My own summons may be best read in your thoughts, O my
friend, for thou knowest my heart. My salutations to Elnathan and
the house of Ben Yusef!'"
The following day the Phoenician party left the hospitable home of their
Jewish host. They proceeded southward by the Sea of Galilee, striking
the road that leads by Mount Tabor. They encamped for the night near the
western slope of that beautiful mountain. The sunlight that lingered on
its symmetrical crest when the dusk filled the plain about them they
interpreted into a good omen, notwithstanding that it was a superstition
of the religion of the sun-god.
As the morning broke, they observed that a large camp of Persian
soldiers had been formed near them during the night. Inquiry revealed
the fact that this was the escort of Nehemiah, the Tirshatha of
Jerusalem, who was coming from Susa, where he had been for several
years, having assumed that the affairs of Jerusalem were sufficiently
settled to allow his return to the Persian capital--a place that,
although he was a Jew, still held many of his interests, and where he
was allotted a high rank as the former cup-bearer of the king.
The Tirshatha was accompanied by a detachment of Persian cavalry, whose
horses were tethered between the tents. By the central pavilion stood
the tall spear; floating from its head the ensign of the commandant.
Smoke wreathed from a score of fires, where the morning meal was being
prepared.
At a sudden bugle blast the entire scene was transformed. The tents
fell; the fire was trampled out; horses were harnessed; camels knelt to
receive their burdens. In a few moments the gallant cavalcade, followed
by the baggage train, and guarded at the rear by a detachment of
horsemen, crowded the road.
As they passed the camp of the Phoenicians, now ready for the journey,
the Tirshatha sent his messenger to learn who were his neighbors. Upon
hearing they were merchants, he bade them join his party, and invited
Marduk to ride by his side.
The Tirshatha was mounted upon a superb horse, equipped with expensive
trappings embossed with gold; his bridle of silk inwoven with threads of
gold; the saddle cloth a rich purple embroidered in gold. The rider's
habit was in keeping. His purple tunic was adorned with flower-work, as
were his flowing trousers. His sword-hilt was of gold, studded with
gems. A massive chain of gold was about his neck. He wore the conical
cap projecting forward at the top, as if to make a shade for the face.
The officers of his suite were in array approximating in splendor that
of their chief.
Marduk returned the cordial salutation of the Tirshatha as he rode up to
his side.
Nehemiah opened the conversation genially.
"Marduk, a Phoenician merchant? The name is new to me, except that on
this journey I have heard it spoken with respect. I thought I knew all
of your trade who were accustomed to visit our Jews' land."
As he said this he gave a quick glance with penetrating eyes into the
face of Marduk--a glance that took in every feature.
The Phoenician felt that there might be some suspicion in this, and
deftly foiled it.
"Your people are increasing rapidly in wealth under the stimulus of your
government, Tirshatha; and many merchants who used to trade elsewhere
are now attracted hither. You will see many strangers at Jerusalem, my
lord."
"Your compliment is more kind than considerate," replied Nehemiah. "Our
people have little wealth as yet, and cannot buy much of such rare goods
as you evidently carry."
"Yes, but by buying and selling my wares they make gain."
"You are going to Jerusalem, then, sir merchant?"
"To Samaria first."
"Oh! to deck out Sanballat's daughter for her wedding?" said Nehemiah,
with a sneer.
"I believe she marries one of your people."
"Yes, but it is most ill-advised," replied Nehemiah, with undisguised
ill-humor.
"How? Any alliance between Samaria and Jerusalem must strengthen both."
"Nay, it is an alliance of clay and iron that makes the iron brittle.
Our people, Marduk, are of peculiar customs, religion, and mission.
Again and again have our old kings tried to widen their prosperity by
widening their alliances, but have always failed. The Persian government
is wiser. It does not seek to make all the provinces it conquers to be
alike in their laws and worship. It allows each nation to retain its
own, and only asks loyalty and tribute. King Cyrus commissioned us to
return from Babylon and rebuild the temple. So did Darius, and so
Artaxeres has sent Ezra the Scribe and myself to reconstruct our own
peculiar system. We condemn no other people by maintaining the pure
blood of our own. Over yonder is the ruin of the palace of Jezreel. You
know the place, perhaps its history. One of our kings, Ahab, married
Jezebel, daughter of one of your kings of Tyre; but it wrought only
trouble. We are now crossing the great battle-plain of Esdraelon. Every
Jew thrills at its sacred memories. Deborah and Barak here conquered
Sisera, the general of the Canaanites. Yonder is Gilboa, where Saul and
Jonathan fell fighting the Philistines; and there is the valley of
Jezreel, where Gideon vanquished the Midianites. All these were battles
for our integrity as a people, and especially that no other God than
ours should be worshipped in our land. Even a Phoenician, with your
legends of a thousand years, must respect the lessons of our history.
But let us not dispute, Marduk. What is the news of your country by the
sea? Will Rubaal get and keep the crown, think you?"
"Why not?" asked the merchant.
"At Susa he is not thought of with favor," said Nehemiah. "The sacrifice
of the former king, Hiram, is regarded as a cruelty that Persia must
frown upon, even if she allows freedom of religion; and the other
Phoenician kings are afraid of the precedent of allowing the priests to
have such influence that a king's life is in their hands. Therefore the
kings are all opposed to Rubaal, and the Great King would not antagonize
them. He depends too much upon the Phoenician fleet to alienate their
loyalty."
The Tirshatha plied Marduk with questions regarding all the lands
adjacent, the condition of roads, names of the chief men in the towns
across the Jordan: to which questions the merchant gave uncomfortably
meagre responses. His ignorance occasionally brought those keen eyes of
Nehemiah to a suspicious scrutiny of his countenance.
As they parted company, the Tirshatha remarked to his chief officer:
"That man knows both too much and too little. Have an eye upon him."
The following day the Phoenician took the short road from Dothan to
Samaria, while the Tirshatha's party kept to that running by Shechem,
and leading them more directly to the Sacred City.