But now, all was restored. She felt a profound peace, despite her misgivings about the girl and Kadesh’s motives for taking her. She wanted to see, to feel, to worship and rejoice with the others. She felt the girl squeeze her hand and the dark eyes looked up at her in a silent plea for reassurance.
“It’s all right, my little one. I’m here. I won’t leave you. We must hurry – I have to show you something wonderful.”
“I want my mummy,” the girl spoke for the first time since the plane had touched down. “When is she coming?”
Ahead of them in the dim glow of the tunnel Ruth could see Kadesh’s tall figure walking purposefully onwards. Ruth heard the gentle thrumming of song and knew that they were close to their destination. “Your mummy will be fine,” Ruth told her. “She’ll be pleased that I’m looking after you.”
“But she doesn’t know you,” the girl said. She stumbled and fell onto one knee. Ruth bent and helped her up.
“It’s only a graze. You’re all right.”
The girl bit her lip and began to cry. “I want to phone her. I don’t like it here.”
“Look, here’s your dolly,” Ruth said. She bent down and stroked Natasha’s cheek. “Give her a cuddle and you’ll feel better.”
The girl took the doll and held it close. They walked on, towards the light.
Ruth was sitting quietly in her chamber where she had made a bed for Natasha. The room was furnished with colourful embroideries and wall hangings, many of which dated back to when Ruth was a girl herself. “Do you like them?” she asked Natasha, who was running her hand up and down the silk curtains enclosing Ruth’s bed. “I can make some for you as well.”
“Am I staying for a long time?” Natasha asked quietly. She flicked the curtains back and forth.
“I don’t know, Natasha. It’s not my decision. Kadesh will tell you when he is ready.”
“I’m scared of him. I don’t like him.” Natasha sat on the bed, hands clasped together. “This is a funny place. Why do you live here? What were you singing about in that cave?” She toyed with her hair, looking around the chamber with curious eyes.
“Here, let me plait it for you. It’ll keep you cool.” Ruth sat next to the girl and began to work on the thick, dark tresses, wondering how much to tell her. “You have beautiful hair. I imagine your father is proud of you.”
“I don’t see my daddy much.”
“Oh? Does that make you sad?”
“Sometimes. My mummy has a new boyfriend, though. He’s my daddy now.”
“Well, that’s nice. But your daddy will always be your daddy. I expect he misses you a lot.” Ruth’s hands worked dexterously, twisting and looping. “Is your daddy a nice man?”
“Yes. But he gets a bit impatient sometimes. Mummy says that’s because he’s very clever.” Natasha brightened. “He said he was going to take me swimming.” She turned to Ruth and the confusion showed in her face. “But I don’t know when – maybe he came to see me and I wasn’t there.” Now her face crumpled altogether. “And my mummy doesn’t know where I am. I want to see her. Please .”
“Oh, Natasha.” Ruth held the girl and rubbed her heaving shoulders gently. “I’m so sorry. You weren’t meant to be here. I don’t know why he –”
“You know.” Kadesh was standing at the chamber entrance. “You know very well why.”
Ruth felt Natasha jump in fear, and hugged her protectively to her breast. She raised her chin defiantly. “Why prolong this any further? Let the girl go. At least let her speak to her mother.”
Kadesh stroked Natasha’s hair. “Not until I have what I want.”
Ruth felt the girl stiffen in her arms. But I want you. Can’t you see that? Despite everything, I still want you. She held her head up proudly. “Is that what this is all about? About you, and what you want? Since when has that ever been the right way? We are not made for self, Kadesh; we are made to watch and to protect. Nothing
“It’s all right, my little one. I’m here. I won’t leave you. We must hurry – I have to show you something wonderful.”
“I want my mummy,” the girl spoke for the first time since the plane had touched down. “When is she coming?”
Ahead of them in the dim glow of the tunnel Ruth could see Kadesh’s tall figure walking purposefully onwards. Ruth heard the gentle thrumming of song and knew that they were close to their destination. “Your mummy will be fine,” Ruth told her. “She’ll be pleased that I’m looking after you.”
“But she doesn’t know you,” the girl said. She stumbled and fell onto one knee. Ruth bent and helped her up.
“It’s only a graze. You’re all right.”
The girl bit her lip and began to cry. “I want to phone her. I don’t like it here.”
“Look, here’s your dolly,” Ruth said. She bent down and stroked Natasha’s cheek. “Give her a cuddle and you’ll feel better.”
The girl took the doll and held it close. They walked on, towards the light.
Ruth was sitting quietly in her chamber where she had made a bed for Natasha. The room was furnished with colourful embroideries and wall hangings, many of which dated back to when Ruth was a girl herself. “Do you like them?” she asked Natasha, who was running her hand up and down the silk curtains enclosing Ruth’s bed. “I can make some for you as well.”
“Am I staying for a long time?” Natasha asked quietly. She flicked the curtains back and forth.
“I don’t know, Natasha. It’s not my decision. Kadesh will tell you when he is ready.”
“I’m scared of him. I don’t like him.” Natasha sat on the bed, hands clasped together. “This is a funny place. Why do you live here? What were you singing about in that cave?” She toyed with her hair, looking around the chamber with curious eyes.
“Here, let me plait it for you. It’ll keep you cool.” Ruth sat next to the girl and began to work on the thick, dark tresses, wondering how much to tell her. “You have beautiful hair. I imagine your father is proud of you.”
“I don’t see my daddy much.”
“Oh? Does that make you sad?”
“Sometimes. My mummy has a new boyfriend, though. He’s my daddy now.”
“Well, that’s nice. But your daddy will always be your daddy. I expect he misses you a lot.” Ruth’s hands worked dexterously, twisting and looping. “Is your daddy a nice man?”
“Yes. But he gets a bit impatient sometimes. Mummy says that’s because he’s very clever.” Natasha brightened. “He said he was going to take me swimming.” She turned to Ruth and the confusion showed in her face. “But I don’t know when – maybe he came to see me and I wasn’t there.” Now her face crumpled altogether. “And my mummy doesn’t know where I am. I want to see her. Please .”
“Oh, Natasha.” Ruth held the girl and rubbed her heaving shoulders gently. “I’m so sorry. You weren’t meant to be here. I don’t know why he –”
“You know.” Kadesh was standing at the chamber entrance. “You know very well why.”
Ruth felt Natasha jump in fear, and hugged her protectively to her breast. She raised her chin defiantly. “Why prolong this any further? Let the girl go. At least let her speak to her mother.”
Kadesh stroked Natasha’s hair. “Not until I have what I want.”
Ruth felt the girl stiffen in her arms. But I want you. Can’t you see that? Despite everything, I still want you. She held her head up proudly. “Is that what this is all about? About you, and what you want? Since when has that ever been the right way? We are not made for self, Kadesh; we are made to watch and to protect. Nothing
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