Devil's Island by John Hagee Read Free Book Online Page A

any other servant, Elizabeth would have scolded him for impertinence. But he had been with her family since she was a child. Her father, Rufus, had given Servius his freedom decades ago, but he had stayed to serve the family. And when Rufus had died a few years after Elizabeth had married Abraham, Servius became an important part of their household.
    He sat down on the edge of the couch closest to the brazier. “When I got to the warehouse, no one was there. Torches were lit along the dock, but I could find no sign of Abraham—or anyone else. On my way back, I stopped at the house of Quintus. I had to pound on the door to rouse him from sleep.”
    Servius paused and drew his cloak around him. “I need to rekindle the fire,” he said, looking at the brazier. He started to rise but stopped when Elizabeth put a hand on his shoulder in an unspoken request to continue.
    â€œQuintus didn’t know where Abraham was,” Servius said. “He told me he lit the torches for Abraham and then left him out on the pier. He was waiting for the Mercury .”
    â€œThe Mercury ?” Elizabeth exclaimed. “He was expecting Jacob!” She had a momentary glimmer of hope, which faded when Servius picked up her hand and looked at her compassionately.
    â€œThe Mercury was returning home without passengers,” Servius said. “That’s all I found out. Quintus would not have told me that much if he hadn’t still been half-asleep; you know how tight-lipped he is about Abraham’s business . . . Anyway, he didn’t know Jacob’s whereabouts either, ma’am. I asked him that too. Quintus told me to return home and said he would go looking for Abraham himself.”
    Elizabeth swallowed her disappointment. “Thank you, Servius. You did what you could.”
    â€œI’m going to do something about heating this room now,” Servius said as he stood. “Then I’m going to wake the others and gather them here for prayer. I don’t think any of us will be getting much sleep tonight.”

5
    ELIZABETH HELD REBECCA’S HAND while the members of the household staff who had assembled in the dining room prayed and sang hymns with them. Peter had stayed in his room, saying he was not feeling well. Naomi had come downstairs briefly, asking, “How am I supposed to sleep with all this racket? What on earth is going on?” When she discovered it was a prayer meeting, she had retreated hastily to her room, muttering that if God didn’t hear their pitiful pleas, the neighbors undoubtedly would.
    Her heart aching for her wayward daughter, Elizabeth asked the group to pray for Naomi as well as for the safety of Abraham, Jacob, and John. They prayed for divine protection, and they prayed for strength and courage. Throughout the long night they travailed in prayer, sometimes groaning, sometimes singing in the Spirit. Toward dawn a sweet peace settled over the dozen saints who had petitioned heaven so earnestly.
    Elizabeth was still concerned about her missing husband and son, but she felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart. “I don’t know why,” she said, “but I keep thinking of a passage of Scripture. One we sometimes sing as a hymn. It’s from the book of Job, I believe.” She began to sing softly, and the others joined her:
    I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God.
    â€œThat is the source of our strength,” Servius said when the last note of the song had echoed off the marble walls. “Our living Redeemer.”
    â€œAmen,” said several of the worshipers.
    â€œI was also thinking of a Scripture passage.” Servius’s face lit up. “One that makes me smile.”
    â€œWhich one is that?” Elizabeth reached over and squeezed his hand fondly.
    â€œThe one in Luke’s second book,