Faith of My Fathers by Lynn Austin Read Free Book Online Page B

righteous cause?” Hilkiah asked.
    “Yes, my friend,” Isaiah said. “You’ve played a very important part in Yahweh’s eternal plan. You’ve lived your life faithfully, never compromising with evil. And you’ve raised your son and your grandchildren to do the same. Soon, now, you will stand in God’s holy presence.”
    Eliakim knelt again and gently took Hilkiah from Isaiah’s arms. He wanted to clasp his father tightly, but he was afraid he would hurt him.
    “It’s so . . . hard to think . . .” Hilkiah whispered. “Say prayers with me, Eliakim. ‘Hear O Israel . . .”’
    “‘. . . Yahweh is our God. Yahweh alone. You shall love—”’ Eliakim’s throat tightened, and he couldn’t finish. In the darkness beside him, Isaiah continued to pray while Hilkiah whispered some of the words along with him.
    “‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down . . .’ ”
    “ ‘. . . lie down . . .’ ”
    “ ‘. . . in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.’ ”
    “‘. . . my soul.’ ”
    “Abba . . . Abba, no!” Eliakim wept. “Oh, God of Abraham, you have the power to heal him! Nothing is too hard for you! I pray that—”
    “No, son.” Hilkiah’s fingers touched Eliakim’s lips. “Don’t pray. Let me go home.”
    “No, Abba! I can’t! Not like this!”
    “Let me go . . . home to . . . Yahweh.”
    “ ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,’ ” Isaiah murmured, “ ‘I will fear no evil, for you are with me.’ ”
    “ ‘. . . with me . . .’ ”
    “‘Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’ ”
    Eliakim closed his eyes and wept as Isaiah and Hilkiah continued to recite, his father’s voice growing weaker and weaker.
    “‘Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’ Amen.” Isaiah finished the psalm. He rested his hand on Eliakim’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, son. He’s gone.”
    Eliakim buried his face on his father’s chest. “But why?” he cried. “I don’t even know why. . . .”
    ———— When Dinah opened her eyes, she was lying in a strange bed in a room she didn’t recognize. Her neck felt bruised and swollen. She remembered the soldier’s hands around her throat, choking off her life, and she cried out.
    “Shh . . . it’s all right, Dinah. They’re gone now.” She struggled to sit up and was startled to see King Manasseh standing beside the bed.
    “My grandfather! They hurt my grandfather!”
    “Shh . . . he’ll be all right. I promise you,” Manasseh said. He sat down on the edge of the bed.
    “Oh, thank God.” She began to weep, and Manasseh pulled her into his arms to comfort her. She felt his hand stroking her hair as she wept against his chest. After a while she dried her eyes and sat up again, ashamed of what she had done. It wasn’t proper for an unmarried woman to be in a man’s arms, even if he was practically a member of the family. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I shouldn’t have done that. But I was so scared.”
    “I know. It must have been a terrifying experience for you.”
    She looked into his eyes, and her heart quickened. King Manasseh was so handsome, his brown eyes so unusual, as if they contained flecks of topaz. Like all of her friends, Dinah had often dreamt that she would one day marry King Manasseh.
    “They wanted Joshua, Your Majesty. They said they would kill my grandfather and me if we didn’t tell them where he was. But I don’t know why they wanted him. What did he do?”
    “I’m still trying to find out the truth myself.” He held her shoulders, and she felt the warmth of his hands through her clothes. “Dinah, I can’t find Joshua, either. Do you know where he is?”
    “Yes, he went to Yael’s house to talk to her father. He wants to marry her.”
    Manasseh looked relieved. “Good. Now listen, Dinah, I need you to answer some questions for me