earlier.
"Please, Joseph."
Their voices died down to incomprehensible whispers.
I sank to the floor. I did not want to imagine what was happening in there. I believed Joseph to be a good person, but Zalikha could be a fine actress when she wanted to be.
A strange sound cut through the eerie silence.
A cloth had ripped.
What on earth had happened?
There were footsteps. Someone was running.
I held my breath as the footsteps passed by me and faded away.
Someone screamed.
It was Zalikha.
I heard several people rushing through the corridor.
"Mistress, what happened? We heard there was trouble."
"It's Joseph," she cried. " He tried to rape me. "
The words filled me with bloodlust.
I no longer feared Lady Zalikha. But I hated her with every ounce of my being. If murder was legalised, I would rip her apart without a second thought. She was truly an evil, evil creature. She had no heart. Or if ever she had a heart, it was black.
But now, I had to look for Joseph. I had to save him somehow. I peeped out from my hiding place. The last of the servants disappeared into Zalikha's room.
I fled and found myself back in the loggia. I did not know where to begin looking. But I had to help Joseph escape.
"Asenath, what are you doing here?"
I turned to see Lord Potiphar.
He hurried over to me. "What happened? Are you all right?"
Normally, I would have apologised for intruding into his private territory. But now was not the time for etiquette.
"Lord Potiphar." I looked at him straight in the eye. "There is something I must tell you."
"What is it?"
"We found him, my lord." Two burly guards appeared with Joseph. They dragged him over and shoved him to the ground.
One of the guards kicked him in the stomach. The other one grabbed his hair and forced him to kneel. The first guard raised a fist to strike.
"That's enough," Potiphar said.
I was dismayed. Joseph looked flushed. His skin was glossy, covered in sweat. A ragged piece of cloth was wrapped around his waist, like a sorry excuse for a kilt.
Sharp footsteps clicked behind us. I turned to see the cursed woman. The fiend! She wore no makeup and her squinted eyes made her look like the snake she truly was.
She pointed at Joseph. "See him? See how pathetically he covers himself? This is what he left behind after he failed to have his way with me."
She held up Joseph's torn kilt. She rolled it into a ball and hurled it at him. It slapped his face before falling to the ground.
"This Hebrew." She pointed again. "This Hebrew that you brought here, husband, has tried to make sport of us. Of me ."
Before I knew what I was doing, I stepped forward.
"She's lying!" I yelled. "I came into the house and overheard everything. She was the one who tried to seduce Joseph."
"Shut up!" Zalikha screamed. "You don't know what you're saying."
I rushed over to Joseph. I knelt by his side. The guards glanced at me, but did nothing.
"But I do," I said. "I heard every single word. It was you , Zalikha."
"Can you prove it?"
Alas, I knew I could not. I opened my mouth to fire back, but the words deserted me.
She laughed.
I spat at her.
Her eyes widened with rage. She began to head toward me. Potiphar grabbed her arm. She tried to pull away, but he was too strong.
Finally, she shrugged. "Well, husband? What then?"
Potiphar stared at his wife for a long time. His usually stately features were twisted with agony. Then he turned to me and Joseph huddled on the ground.
"What do you have to say for yourself, Joseph?" he asked.
"Are you blind ?" Zalikha said. "Can you not see what he tried to do to me, your wife ?"
Potiphar held up his hand for silence. He turned his back to us.
"Take him to prison," he said.
"No!" I said.
The guards yanked Joseph from me. He made no move to resist.
"No, stop! Let him go! "
They ignored me and disappeared with him.
I sank to the ground in defeat.
All was silent for a while. Then Potiphar clapped his hands sharply.
"Get back to work," he said to
"Please, Joseph."
Their voices died down to incomprehensible whispers.
I sank to the floor. I did not want to imagine what was happening in there. I believed Joseph to be a good person, but Zalikha could be a fine actress when she wanted to be.
A strange sound cut through the eerie silence.
A cloth had ripped.
What on earth had happened?
There were footsteps. Someone was running.
I held my breath as the footsteps passed by me and faded away.
Someone screamed.
It was Zalikha.
I heard several people rushing through the corridor.
"Mistress, what happened? We heard there was trouble."
"It's Joseph," she cried. " He tried to rape me. "
The words filled me with bloodlust.
I no longer feared Lady Zalikha. But I hated her with every ounce of my being. If murder was legalised, I would rip her apart without a second thought. She was truly an evil, evil creature. She had no heart. Or if ever she had a heart, it was black.
But now, I had to look for Joseph. I had to save him somehow. I peeped out from my hiding place. The last of the servants disappeared into Zalikha's room.
I fled and found myself back in the loggia. I did not know where to begin looking. But I had to help Joseph escape.
"Asenath, what are you doing here?"
I turned to see Lord Potiphar.
He hurried over to me. "What happened? Are you all right?"
Normally, I would have apologised for intruding into his private territory. But now was not the time for etiquette.
"Lord Potiphar." I looked at him straight in the eye. "There is something I must tell you."
"What is it?"
"We found him, my lord." Two burly guards appeared with Joseph. They dragged him over and shoved him to the ground.
One of the guards kicked him in the stomach. The other one grabbed his hair and forced him to kneel. The first guard raised a fist to strike.
"That's enough," Potiphar said.
I was dismayed. Joseph looked flushed. His skin was glossy, covered in sweat. A ragged piece of cloth was wrapped around his waist, like a sorry excuse for a kilt.
Sharp footsteps clicked behind us. I turned to see the cursed woman. The fiend! She wore no makeup and her squinted eyes made her look like the snake she truly was.
She pointed at Joseph. "See him? See how pathetically he covers himself? This is what he left behind after he failed to have his way with me."
She held up Joseph's torn kilt. She rolled it into a ball and hurled it at him. It slapped his face before falling to the ground.
"This Hebrew." She pointed again. "This Hebrew that you brought here, husband, has tried to make sport of us. Of me ."
Before I knew what I was doing, I stepped forward.
"She's lying!" I yelled. "I came into the house and overheard everything. She was the one who tried to seduce Joseph."
"Shut up!" Zalikha screamed. "You don't know what you're saying."
I rushed over to Joseph. I knelt by his side. The guards glanced at me, but did nothing.
"But I do," I said. "I heard every single word. It was you , Zalikha."
"Can you prove it?"
Alas, I knew I could not. I opened my mouth to fire back, but the words deserted me.
She laughed.
I spat at her.
Her eyes widened with rage. She began to head toward me. Potiphar grabbed her arm. She tried to pull away, but he was too strong.
Finally, she shrugged. "Well, husband? What then?"
Potiphar stared at his wife for a long time. His usually stately features were twisted with agony. Then he turned to me and Joseph huddled on the ground.
"What do you have to say for yourself, Joseph?" he asked.
"Are you blind ?" Zalikha said. "Can you not see what he tried to do to me, your wife ?"
Potiphar held up his hand for silence. He turned his back to us.
"Take him to prison," he said.
"No!" I said.
The guards yanked Joseph from me. He made no move to resist.
"No, stop! Let him go! "
They ignored me and disappeared with him.
I sank to the ground in defeat.
All was silent for a while. Then Potiphar clapped his hands sharply.
"Get back to work," he said to
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