Saba and Talya came for us, riding a camel.
“Mother!”
I spun to the sound of Talya’s voice just as his head came into sight on the high dune. Saba swayed with the camel’s plodding gait and steadied Talya as he stretched for the sky.
I was filled with joy but not yet ready for my time with Judah to be broken. Once back in the camp, the demands on me would be high and we would have little time to ourselves.
Talya jumped into my arms and I kissed his cheeks. “You’re growing like a reed.”
My son stared at Judah. “You are the mighty warrior.”
Judah glanced at Saba and grinned. “Is that what they say?”
“That’s what Saba says.”
“And Maviah has told me that you too are a lion,” Judah said. “But you must not believe everything Saba tells you. He’s the far greater defender in these sands. Has he told you about the time we were set upon by the Tayy in the Nafud canyon lands?”
Saba dropped to the ground, eyes bright. “That is the past, my old friend. We wash these memories from our minds.” He clasped Judah’s arms. “The desert treats you well.”
“And you, Saba. Tell me that Maviah taught you to sing while I was visiting the enemy.”
“I sing all day,” Saba said. He tapped his head. “Here, where the angels join me.”
Judah smiled. “It’s a good start, Saba. Soon you will be singing with me around the fire while all the young maidens watch. But now…” He hurried toward the fire. “We must drink tea and exchange the news.”
Saba dipped his head toward me. “My queen. Maliku has come as promised. He awaits your audience.”
“Let Maliku wait,” Judah said, turning back.
“He is most insistent. He claims—”
“And I insist he wait,” Judah snapped. The bitterness in his voice could not be mistaken. “Did I not wait for him these two years?”
Saba gave him a nod. “Then tea.”
We took the steaming cups, saluted Judah, and sipped in the customary fashion while Talya climbed atop Zahwah.
“Now tell me, my old friend,” Judah said, looking up at Saba. “What is their weakness?”
“Whose?”
“Kahil and his butchers, who else?”
Saba glanced at me. “The same weakness of all men.”
“Which is?”
“Pride.”
It wasn’t what Judah was looking for, but he accepted the answer with a raised cup.
“Then we will stuff this pride down their throats.” He drank. “Before they know what has hit them.”
The air suddenly felt heavy. But could I blame Judah? No.
“We cannot raise our swords against the Thamud,” Saba said.
“No? Then what? Lances? Daggers?”
“We offer them only peace.”
Judah stared at him, then at me, taken aback.
“Peace comes when Kahil is dead. I will offer them my sword alone if I have to.”
Talya spoke innocently from his perch upon Zahwah.
“Yeshua teaches that whoever lives by the sword, dies by the sword.”
Judah looked at him, speechless, for what could he say to such a young boy?
He faced me and spoke in a low voice. “If Kahil took your own child to his dungeon, would you not raise your sword to behead such a vile creature?”
My heart was stung. His bitterness smothered me.
“My mother’s heart says yes,” I said. “Yeshua says no.”
“Yeshua? And what can you know of his full teaching? You have seen him only twice. Even now your mother’s heart would rage. You would ravage the Thamud and rescue your son!”
A chill washed over me.
Talya slid off Zahwah’s back and hurried up the slope. I let him go. The sun was high and I had no desire for him to hear these words. He would not go far.
“Am I not the child of God?” Judah said. “As are all the children of Israel. This is why Yeshua came, to save us from oppression.”
I held my tongue.
But Saba was perhaps more practiced in the Way than I.
“To set the captives free, yes,” he said. “But not by the sword.”
“Did he not say himself, ‘I’ve come to divide by the sword’?” Judah said, setting his cup down, eyes
“Mother!”
I spun to the sound of Talya’s voice just as his head came into sight on the high dune. Saba swayed with the camel’s plodding gait and steadied Talya as he stretched for the sky.
I was filled with joy but not yet ready for my time with Judah to be broken. Once back in the camp, the demands on me would be high and we would have little time to ourselves.
Talya jumped into my arms and I kissed his cheeks. “You’re growing like a reed.”
My son stared at Judah. “You are the mighty warrior.”
Judah glanced at Saba and grinned. “Is that what they say?”
“That’s what Saba says.”
“And Maviah has told me that you too are a lion,” Judah said. “But you must not believe everything Saba tells you. He’s the far greater defender in these sands. Has he told you about the time we were set upon by the Tayy in the Nafud canyon lands?”
Saba dropped to the ground, eyes bright. “That is the past, my old friend. We wash these memories from our minds.” He clasped Judah’s arms. “The desert treats you well.”
“And you, Saba. Tell me that Maviah taught you to sing while I was visiting the enemy.”
“I sing all day,” Saba said. He tapped his head. “Here, where the angels join me.”
Judah smiled. “It’s a good start, Saba. Soon you will be singing with me around the fire while all the young maidens watch. But now…” He hurried toward the fire. “We must drink tea and exchange the news.”
Saba dipped his head toward me. “My queen. Maliku has come as promised. He awaits your audience.”
“Let Maliku wait,” Judah said, turning back.
“He is most insistent. He claims—”
“And I insist he wait,” Judah snapped. The bitterness in his voice could not be mistaken. “Did I not wait for him these two years?”
Saba gave him a nod. “Then tea.”
We took the steaming cups, saluted Judah, and sipped in the customary fashion while Talya climbed atop Zahwah.
“Now tell me, my old friend,” Judah said, looking up at Saba. “What is their weakness?”
“Whose?”
“Kahil and his butchers, who else?”
Saba glanced at me. “The same weakness of all men.”
“Which is?”
“Pride.”
It wasn’t what Judah was looking for, but he accepted the answer with a raised cup.
“Then we will stuff this pride down their throats.” He drank. “Before they know what has hit them.”
The air suddenly felt heavy. But could I blame Judah? No.
“We cannot raise our swords against the Thamud,” Saba said.
“No? Then what? Lances? Daggers?”
“We offer them only peace.”
Judah stared at him, then at me, taken aback.
“Peace comes when Kahil is dead. I will offer them my sword alone if I have to.”
Talya spoke innocently from his perch upon Zahwah.
“Yeshua teaches that whoever lives by the sword, dies by the sword.”
Judah looked at him, speechless, for what could he say to such a young boy?
He faced me and spoke in a low voice. “If Kahil took your own child to his dungeon, would you not raise your sword to behead such a vile creature?”
My heart was stung. His bitterness smothered me.
“My mother’s heart says yes,” I said. “Yeshua says no.”
“Yeshua? And what can you know of his full teaching? You have seen him only twice. Even now your mother’s heart would rage. You would ravage the Thamud and rescue your son!”
A chill washed over me.
Talya slid off Zahwah’s back and hurried up the slope. I let him go. The sun was high and I had no desire for him to hear these words. He would not go far.
“Am I not the child of God?” Judah said. “As are all the children of Israel. This is why Yeshua came, to save us from oppression.”
I held my tongue.
But Saba was perhaps more practiced in the Way than I.
“To set the captives free, yes,” he said. “But not by the sword.”
“Did he not say himself, ‘I’ve come to divide by the sword’?” Judah said, setting his cup down, eyes
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