could crush him like a berry with a single downward stroke, if he chose to.
Even so, he cleared his throat and spoke wordsthat had been drummed into him over many years. “My father says there can be no king in the Creator’s garden.”
Tubal-cain stared at him. A long moment passed.
Then, with a gruff bark of a laugh, the huge warrior held out the axe, offering the handle to Ham.
Ham looked up at him, wondering if this was some trick, but Tubal-cain gave a single encouraging nod.
Tentatively Ham reached out and took the weapon.
* * *
“There!” Japheth said quietly, pointing.
Noah saw the dark shapes of the men approaching through the trees.
“Go to your mother,” he said grimly.
For a split second Japheth looked as though he might protest, but then he nodded meekly.
“Yes, Father.”
He hurried away. By the time Tubal-cain and his entourage emerged from the tree line into the clearing, marked here and there by large scattered rocks, Noah was standing, apparently alone, in front of the Ark, waiting for them.
Though the men were battle-hardened and steeped in blood, they gazed up at the Ark with childlike wonder, clearly awestruck by its sheer size and staggered by the ambition and achievement of this single man who stood defiantly before them.
Noah, however, barely registered their reaction. The instant he had clapped eyes on Tubal-cain, and on the reptile skin draped around his shoulders, his face had hardened to stone.
Tubal-cain stared back at Noah without recognition in his eyes. Beside him stood Ham,gripping the warrior’s axe in two clenched fists, holding it proudly upright even though it was clear from his trembling arms that he found it incredibly heavy. Tubal-cain’s gauntleted hand rested lightly on Ham’s shoulder, a gesture that could be interpreted as fatherly, affectionate… or as that of someone claiming ownership of a new possession.
Ten paces from Noah, Tubal-cain came to a halt. For a moment there was silence as the two men took the measure of one another.
Then, quietly, Noah spoke.
“Ham. Come here.”
Tubal-cain grinned his terrible grin and tightened his hand on Ham’s shoulder.
“Don’t take my best soldier.”
Noah’s voice was cold. “He is nothing of yours.”
Tubal-cain released a derisory huff of laughter.
“Look at his hand on that weapon,” he replied. “I believe he
is
something of mine.”
This time Noah didn’t grace Tubal-cain with a reply. He glared at his son.
“
Ham!
” he barked.
Ham scowled. Regretfully, dragging his feet, and still holding the axe out before him, he moved away from Tubal-cain’s side and toward his father.
“Leave the axe,” Noah said firmly.
Ham paused and looked up at him, an appeal in his eyes. “But he gave it to me.”
Noah’s voice was sharp. “
Do as I tell you!
”
Ham hesitated a moment longer, and then, his features scrunching in anger and humiliation, he threw down the weapon and stomped away, heading toward the ramp of the Ark, refusing to look at his father.
Tubal-cain watched him go with amusement, and then he turned his attention back to Noah.
“When I heard the talk of miracles, I dismissed them. Water from the ground? A great forest from nothing? Nonsense. But when I saw the birds, from everywhere, flying here… I had to come.”
“What do you want?” Noah asked bluntly.
Tubal-cain jerked his head up at the Ark. “I’ve come to see your miracles.”
“They are not
my
miracles.” Noah half-turned away and said dismissively, “There is nothing for you here.”
“Nothing for me?” Tubal-cain roared. “This is
all
mine! This land, this forest, your…” he gestured contemptuously up at the Ark. “What
is
that? A stronghold?” He sneered. “You think you can protect yourself from me in
that
?”
Noah came to a halt, though he was still standing side-on to Tubal-cain, his body half-turned away from him. “It is not protection from you,” he muttered.
“Then what is
Even so, he cleared his throat and spoke wordsthat had been drummed into him over many years. “My father says there can be no king in the Creator’s garden.”
Tubal-cain stared at him. A long moment passed.
Then, with a gruff bark of a laugh, the huge warrior held out the axe, offering the handle to Ham.
Ham looked up at him, wondering if this was some trick, but Tubal-cain gave a single encouraging nod.
Tentatively Ham reached out and took the weapon.
* * *
“There!” Japheth said quietly, pointing.
Noah saw the dark shapes of the men approaching through the trees.
“Go to your mother,” he said grimly.
For a split second Japheth looked as though he might protest, but then he nodded meekly.
“Yes, Father.”
He hurried away. By the time Tubal-cain and his entourage emerged from the tree line into the clearing, marked here and there by large scattered rocks, Noah was standing, apparently alone, in front of the Ark, waiting for them.
Though the men were battle-hardened and steeped in blood, they gazed up at the Ark with childlike wonder, clearly awestruck by its sheer size and staggered by the ambition and achievement of this single man who stood defiantly before them.
Noah, however, barely registered their reaction. The instant he had clapped eyes on Tubal-cain, and on the reptile skin draped around his shoulders, his face had hardened to stone.
Tubal-cain stared back at Noah without recognition in his eyes. Beside him stood Ham,gripping the warrior’s axe in two clenched fists, holding it proudly upright even though it was clear from his trembling arms that he found it incredibly heavy. Tubal-cain’s gauntleted hand rested lightly on Ham’s shoulder, a gesture that could be interpreted as fatherly, affectionate… or as that of someone claiming ownership of a new possession.
Ten paces from Noah, Tubal-cain came to a halt. For a moment there was silence as the two men took the measure of one another.
Then, quietly, Noah spoke.
“Ham. Come here.”
Tubal-cain grinned his terrible grin and tightened his hand on Ham’s shoulder.
“Don’t take my best soldier.”
Noah’s voice was cold. “He is nothing of yours.”
Tubal-cain released a derisory huff of laughter.
“Look at his hand on that weapon,” he replied. “I believe he
is
something of mine.”
This time Noah didn’t grace Tubal-cain with a reply. He glared at his son.
“
Ham!
” he barked.
Ham scowled. Regretfully, dragging his feet, and still holding the axe out before him, he moved away from Tubal-cain’s side and toward his father.
“Leave the axe,” Noah said firmly.
Ham paused and looked up at him, an appeal in his eyes. “But he gave it to me.”
Noah’s voice was sharp. “
Do as I tell you!
”
Ham hesitated a moment longer, and then, his features scrunching in anger and humiliation, he threw down the weapon and stomped away, heading toward the ramp of the Ark, refusing to look at his father.
Tubal-cain watched him go with amusement, and then he turned his attention back to Noah.
“When I heard the talk of miracles, I dismissed them. Water from the ground? A great forest from nothing? Nonsense. But when I saw the birds, from everywhere, flying here… I had to come.”
“What do you want?” Noah asked bluntly.
Tubal-cain jerked his head up at the Ark. “I’ve come to see your miracles.”
“They are not
my
miracles.” Noah half-turned away and said dismissively, “There is nothing for you here.”
“Nothing for me?” Tubal-cain roared. “This is
all
mine! This land, this forest, your…” he gestured contemptuously up at the Ark. “What
is
that? A stronghold?” He sneered. “You think you can protect yourself from me in
that
?”
Noah came to a halt, though he was still standing side-on to Tubal-cain, his body half-turned away from him. “It is not protection from you,” he muttered.
“Then what is
Similar Books
