People of the Ark (Ark Chronicles 1) by Vaughn Heppner Read Free Book Online

hands . It all seemed to happen in slow motion: Kedorlaomer lunging forward, his knife-hand outthrust—the end of the gopher-wood staff cracking against the nut-brown wrist—the curved dagger tumbling end-over-end onto the leather mat—Kedorlaomer reeling backward into the hands of his grandsons.
    “ Go,” Noah said. “Depart this place while you are able.”
    A mewl of pain escaped Kedorlaomer as he cradled his broken hand . The grandsons glared with rage. But with the hounds growling and baring their teeth and with Noah towering, holding his staff crosswise…
    “ Don’t think that—” began the meanest looking grandson.
    Noah lifted a single admonitory finger . “No more words unless you wish to repent of your ways to Jehovah.”
    The narrowness of their eyes showed the likeliness of that . They turned to go.
    “ Of course,” Noah said, “you must leave without the slaves.”
    Kedorlaomer whirled back around and stared at Noah in wonder . “Now you would cheat us of our property?”
    Noah leaned upon his staff and gazed calmly into the nomad ’s eyes.
    Kedorlaomer dropped his gaze . “I will not forget this, sir.”
    “ I know,” Noah said. “But I hope you will leave these parts without any acts of vengeance. Surely, you have felt Jehovah’s presence here. So if you would live out the days granted you then you’ll do as I say.”
    Kedorlaomer hissed to his grandsons, and they hurried from under the awning and toward the north gate.
    Ham stepped up. “You’d better release the hounds before they turn around and take out their bows.”
    Noah made no response.
    “They’ll slip back during darkness and slit our throats,” added Jubal.
    Noah shook his head.
    “You can’t know that,” Ham said. “They might do it.”
    Noah studied his youngest son.
    Ham flushed. He admired his father’s courage. And he was proud of how easily Noah had disarmed the sneaky nomad. Few could best his father in a fair fight. Yet…he didn’t understand his father’s overwhelming moral authority.
    “ Let’s get back to work,” Noah said.
    “ What about the men you freed?” Shem asked.
    “ I’ll talk to them,” Noah said. “Oh, and don’t forget to haul up the lumber,” he told Ham.
    “ I know.”
    “ The ropes need checking, too.”
    “ I remember!”
    Noah paused . Then he nodded and headed for the freed slaves.
     

3.
     
    Gaea, Noah’s wife, smoothed the pleats of her long dress, taking a deep breath, reminding herself that Europa couldn’t help herself. Once a king’s daughter, always so, and Europa had been the oldest born, taught the ways of royalty and to look out for her brothers and sisters. It didn’t matter that her father’s small castle had been sacked and burned, and the tiny kingdom destroyed many years ago. Europa strove to bring her brothers and sisters together, to first free them from slavery, and second to find them wives and husbands, and third, if possible, to rebuild what her father’s vainglory had so disastrously lost.
    Slavery was wicked, certainly, and Europa had to be commended in her efforts in freeing her siblings . Yet a greater servitude enthralled a world. Blackest sin had multiplied to outrageous proportions and enraged a holy Jehovah. His wrath promised doom: a doom imminent, certain and dreadful.
    Gaea composed herself, glancing out the window . Small Rahab—a girl barely in her teens—was dark, raven-haired and had a shy manner like a rabbit hiding from foxes. She held wheat in the fold of her skirt, tossing tiny handfuls to each chicken in turn, laughing at the strutting roster, talking to him. Gaea smiled. Dear little Rahab, she was an orphan with a terrible past. Gaea knew because sometimes at night when she came to tuck Rahab in the poor thing tossed in her sleep, mumbling strange nightmares. Gaea wished Rahab would speak about these things, but she understood why Rahab didn’t and why she looked frightened most of the time.
    Gaea moved to the window .