“Vegetables tell us when they should be eaten?”

“Indeed. The nevi’im see a generous creation which guides our growth—we need only listen.”

Rabbi Yannai said: We cannot grasp the tranquility of the wicked, nor can we understand the suffering of the righteous.

Pirkei Avot 4:19

18

Shimon’s Tale

We left the house before first light, before any prying eyes could take notice. Ovadia instructed us not to speak until we reached the main road, yet even there, neither of us broke the silence. When the ram’s horn signaled the opening of the gates, we pushed our way through, practically invisible within a group of farmers heading out to their fields.

Ovadia’s words turned over in my mind. Eliyahu’s curse evoked the power of Moses. That power was not directed solely against Izevel and the Baal, the battle that Ovadia wanted to fight. The drought would hit all of the people of Israel, those who bowed to the Baal and those who didn’t. The power of the curse meant that even a prophet like Uriel couldn’t alter its course. Trying to change it would only lead to his destruction.

Ovadia believed all this, believed Uriel must hide until the devastation passed, and I had sworn to bring my master to him. But would he agree? If Uriel thought that Ovadia was wrong, I was stuck between two oaths; one to Ovadia and one to my master. I shuddered at the thought of what just one oath had done to Seguv and his family.

“Soldiers,” Yonaton whispered, his chest pounding against my back.

“I can’t see more than their heads.” I craned my neck to see into the stone tower that stood above us. The hilltops surrounding Shomron were all topped with such strongholds, the outer ring of the city’s defenses. “Are they Israelite or the Queen’s Guard?”

“Can’t tell.”

The soldiers hardly glanced at us, but as we passed under the shadow of the watchtower, a feeling of disquiet rumbled in my stomach. Since swearing to Ovadia, my thoughts had been focused on Uriel, but a bigger problem just occurred to me.

“Yonaton?” His name caught in my throat.

“What is it?”

“Ovadia said that Master Uriel must get to Shomron—at any cost. But what about Shimon?”

“What about him?”

I hesitated. “Well, it’s just that…I’m not sure. Do you think he’s safe to travel with?”

Yonaton snorted. “Safe? I can’t think of a better person to travel with. When was the last time you shattered your enemy’s sword?”

I twisted around to face Yonaton. “Yesterday morning he lit a fire.”

“He built it to roast us a grouse.”

“I know, but Master Uriel told us not to. And Shimon complained about waiting in the cave. It sounds crazy, but I wonder if he wants to be found.”

“You think he wants to die?”

“Not to die, to fight.”

“The way he fights, I don’t blame him.”

“But that’s not the way he fights—three days ago he ran from battle.”

“You heard what Master Uriel said; he received a spirit from the Holy One. Like prophecy.”

“Exactly, a spirit like prophecy, which he’s pursued for years, and which he lost as soon as the battle ended. You saw the look in his eyes when he told Master Uriel about it. It was hungry.”

Yonaton stared at me. “You don’t trust him.”

I turned back to face the road. “Ovadia made me swear to bring Master Uriel to Dotan. Master Uriel might listen to me, but will Shimon?”

“If Master Uriel agrees, Shimon will come along to make sure he’s safe.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. The plan is to sneak past the guards, not confront them. If Shimon won’t enter the cave, we’re better off without him on the road.”

“Tell him that. Tell him that if he’s not willing to hide, he shouldn’t make the journey.”

“He thinks he’s protecting Master Uriel.”

“Tell him you’ll do that.”

“He won’t listen to me.” I kept my face forward so that Yonaton wouldn’t see my shame. “He knows I couldn’t kill the soldier. He thinks I’m a coward.”

Yonaton shook his head. “He’s glad you didn’t kill the soldier—the last thing he’d want is for a kohen to kill. You heard what Master Uriel said, that kohanim are forbidden contact with the dead. Think of the debt he owes your father. He wants to protect you.”

“Exactly, which means he’s not going to listen to me.”

“Listen, I think you’re worrying about nothing. You ought to be more concerned about convincing Master Uriel. Will he agree to act like a Calf worshiper and then retreat into a cave?”

“I doubt it, but we have to try. Perhaps we shouldn’t tell him about hiding? Whether the plan is to fight or hide, he still needs to get to the cave. Let Ovadia convince him to stay put once we’re there.”

Yonaton snorted. “He’s a prophet, don’t be a fool. But if you can convince Master Uriel, I’ll work on Shimon. Twice he’s told me how I impressed him at the battle. I think he’ll listen to me.”

Yonaton’s willingness to deal with Shimon lightened my breathing. “So you think it’s better to bring him along?”

“Shimon’s not stupid—he won’t fight unless he has to. And if we have to fight, there’s no one I’d rather have on my side.”

The full heat of the day was just starting to subside when we saw the great carob tree blocking the cave. Ovadia warned us to enter the cave only after dark, so we tethered Balaam by a spring a short distance away and waited.

The first thing I noticed as night fell were flames backlighting the tree. Had Uriel bowed to Shimon’s recklessness?

I approached the cave first, lurking in the bushes while I spied out the situation. There was no sign of the prophet or Shimon. The blaze illuminated the cave, casting an eerie glow behind the carob’s dancing leaves. A charred cooking pot lay at its edge. From my hiding place, I inspected the cave for any signs of a struggle.

Stones crunched under footsteps, and I snapped my eyes to the path. By the fire’s orange glow, I saw Yonaton stepping toward the cave—but he wasn’t alone. A shadow broke away from the darkness and rose behind him. I let out a strangled cry at the sound of metal hissing against a leather sheath. A sword rose behind Yonaton.

The arm froze and then dropped. “You have returned.” Shimon sheathed his weapon as he eased into the firelight. His scars twisted in a tight smile.

A second figure slipped from the darkness into the cave. “You succeeded.” There was no question in Uriel’s voice.