Babylon Rising 2. The Secret on Ararat Read online

  "I sent him to the great city of Enoch for help, but he has not 120 returned. He may have been killed by the enemy. Four days have passed."

  Dawn was turning the horizon a muted pink as Noah began to walk through the city to survey the damage. Many of the homes were just smoking ashes. Some of his men were gathering the dead and carting them to the storage building next to the temple .

  Every now and then he would stop to talk with the wounded, trying to encourage them and thank them the best he could. Women and children were crying. Some women were sitting on the ground, rocking dead loved ones in their arms and staring off into space .

  Noah stopped and closed his eyes for a moment. How he hated war. How he hated the taking of another man's life. But a man must protect his family against those who threaten them. He had no other choice. And in recent years the threat of evildoers had become too much to ignore. Tears streamed down Noah's face as he began to search the crowd for Naamah. He wept for all the dead, for the widowed mothers, for the fatherless children. But he knew if he had lost his own wife his heart would break and he would not be able to carry on .

  After an hour of increasingly frantic searching, Noah found her. She was with Achsah, Bithiah, and Hagaba, his sons' wives. Their once-fine clothes were filthy and stained with sweat as they tended to the wounded as best they could. Naamah stood to get another jar of water, wiped the hair out of her face, and turned to see Noah. They embraced without speaking for long moments and then she began to weep .

  "Have you had word from Tubal-cain?" said Naamah finally, with a look of desperation in her eyes .

  "No," Noah admitted with a heavy heart. "But I am hoping that Massereth was able to get through the enemy lines to 121 your brother. He is our only hope. Supplies will only last for another day."

  "What if he does not come in time?"

  Noah looked away .

  "Noah, what will happen to our people?" said Naamah with fear in her voice .

  Noah held her shoulders firmly. He couldn't lie to her. "Zattu and his army are wicked men. They will take no slaves. They will kill the women and children."

  Noah drew her into his arms as she dissolved into hysterical sobbing. "God will somehow protect us. We have trusted in Him since the beginning. He will not let us down."

  It was noon when Japheth came to Noah with the bad news .

  "We have about ninety men who can still fight. Our supply of arrows is low, and most of the water is gone. Our only weapons are rocks. We may be able to resist one more attack."

  Noah sighed, then gathered his spirits as best he could. "Start organizing the men and take all of our supplies to the walls. Heat up the rocks in the iron pots. We must prepare for their next attack."

  "Yes, Father," said Japheth with determination .

  "I will have Ham gather any of the women who can fight, along with the older children. It is our only hope."

  Noah mounted the wall and walked from tower to tower. He could see several thousand of Zattu's men spread out over the plain, readying themselves for another attack. They knew Noah was almost beaten. This time they would strike in broad daylight .

  Noah called to his sons and officers, "We do not have much 122 time left. Their army is beginning to form ranks! Gather the people!"

  It was like being in an ill-omened dream, watching the enemy move slowly toward the city. They were coming like a swarm of ants ready to devour a juicy date. Noah knew that his people would not endure the next attack for very long. He began to pray .

  Ham, Shem, and Japheth, along with Naamah, Achsah, Bithiah, and Hagaba, gathered around Noah as they watched the approach of the army. No one spoke. There was nothing to say and nothing to do until the final onslaught began .

  Suddenly the silence was broken by a shout from one of the towers .

  Noah and his family turned and looked in the direction the soldier was pointing. It took them a moment to register the cloud of dust on the horizon and discern the glint of armor in the distance .

  Noah was infused with a new surge of energy. "Praise God! It is the great army of Tubal-cain! Massereth has succeeded! We must hold on until they arrive!"

  The attack began in the heat of the day. Women, children, and even some of the elderly joined with the men. Some gathered stray arrows from the enemy, and the stronger ones dropped rocks. Everyone who could stand gathered on the walls in the hope they could somehow keep their city from being destroyed. They knew that once the walls were breached, they were as good as dead .

  Zattu did not see Tubal-cain's approach until it was too late. With their rear unprotected, the slaughter was great. Tubal-cain's fighters were fierce, and they wielded weapons far more deadly than the curved iron swords of Zattu's army. Their swords made a high ringing sound when they clashed 123 against shield or helmet--thus they were known as Tubal-cain's "singing swords" --and the metal seemed unbreakable and impervious to rust or decay. For many hours the swords did their deadly work, until, as the light began to fade, Zattu's army had finally been reduced to a pile of corpses. Tubal-cain's men roamed the plain, stripping the dead of anything of value. Their harsh laughter mingled with the groans of those not quite dead yet .

  Against this grisly background, Tubal-cain was comforting his sister. "You and your family almost died," he said. "You must move out of this place. There is much wickedness here. Zattu's army of scavenging dogs is destroyed, but his brothers will seek revenge."

  "But this is where we raised Ham, Shem, and Japheth," said Naamah .

  "What does that matter! If you stay you will be killed. You have no army to protect you anymore. Many of your people are dead. The city of Enoch is too many miles distant." He shook his head. "I tell you, this is not a safe place for women and children. You and Noah and your sons and daughters must leave."

  "But where should we go?" said Naamah .

  "The forest of Azer," said Tubal-cain. "You would have everything you need. And no one has settled it yet. You would be safe from the evildoers."

  "That is many miles distant," said Noah. "I need to stay here and instruct the people about the Great God of the Heavens."

  Tubal-cain smiled and said, "These people don't care about your God talk. They will kill you for a few sheep. Even I do not believe in your God, Noah. I came only to save my sister, not to proclaim a victory for your God. And the next time evil strikes at you, I may not be able to help you in time."

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  "We must pray about this," said Noah firmly .

  "What is there to pray about?" said Tubal-cain, spitting in the dust. "You either move or you will die!"

  During the following months Noah and his family repaired the city as best they could. Many of the widows moved out of the city and went back to their relatives in distant villages. Others wandered out into the wilderness, fearing another attack on the city more than they did the threat of starvation or the predations of robbers .

  The city began to dwindle before their eyes .

  "Do you think Tubal-cain is right, after all? Should we move to the forest of Azer?" said Naamah one day .

  Noah understood her anxieties .

  "I have been praying about it. Of course, I know that it is not safe here any longer. But I do not know yet that God wants us to move. I will spend time today to seek His will."

  "Where is Father?" asked Japheth later. "I have not seen him all day."

  "He will return for the evening meal," responded Naamah calmly. She looked out over the plain. "See! Is that not your father coming now?" But her relief turned to fear as she saw that he was running. Soon the rest of the family had gathered, awaiting Noah's return. Could it be that Zattu's brothers were on the march? They clutched one another in fear as a breathless Noah finally entered through the gate and they shut the great wooden door behind him .

  "Come, come !" said Noah when he had recovered himself. "I have something I must tell you all."

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  Soon the sons and wives gathered around their table .


  "God has spoken to me today!"

  A look of shock settled on their faces .

  "No, no. It is true. God spoke to me today. He said, 'Take your wife, Naamah, Shem and Achsah, Ham and Bithiah, and Japheth and Hagaba, and build an ark of safety. The world is filled with wickedness and violence. The people have corrupted themselves. I am going to destroy them with a flood. But you and your family will be saved from destruction .'"

  As his family listened in astonished silence, Noah went on to describe how the ark of safety was to be built. "We will be moving to the forest of Azer. We will need the trees there for the building of the ark of safety. I will travel to the great city of Enoch and let Tubal-cain know that we will be leaving."

  A few days later, Noah was sitting in the cool shade of Tubal-cain's garden. "You have made a wise decision, Noah," Tubal-cain said. "The forest of Azer will be a safe place for you and my sister and your children. I will send some of my trusted men to protect you during your journey. Zattu's brothers may be lying in wait for you."

  "I appreciate your kindness, Tubal-cain. You have protected us on more than one occasion."

  Tubal-cain nodded. "I do have one suggestion, however. Don't tell anyone about your ark of safety. Or that God spoke to you. They will laugh you to scorn. Or worse."

  "But it is true!"

  "True or false, it will just stir up trouble. I don't want my sister subjected to any more danger."

  Noah bowed his head. He was truly grateful to Tubal-cain, despite his lack of faith, and he had no desire to antagonize him .

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  Tubal-cain seemed mollified. "Before you leave, I have some special gifts for you. The first is one of my singing swords and a dagger. They may be of some protection to you in the future. I also have a box with some things that may help you in your foolish plan to build the ark of safety that you talk about. You must promise that you will not share these secrets with anyone."

  Noah nodded in agreement and bowed once more. When God had first told him what he must do, he had not known how such a task could be accomplished. Now, as Tubal-cain explained the nature of his special gifts, Noah believed for the first time that it really could be done .

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  FOURTEEN

  "JUST A MINUTE THERE, Murphy!"

  The harsh voice had an air of command in it, and Michael could feel a hand grabbing his shoulder and gripping hard. Turning instinctively, Murphy faced Dean Archer Fallworth. He was as tall as Murphy and had wispy blond hair, and his whitewashed face with his high eyebrows and long nose was set in a familiar scowl. You didn't need to be a mind reader to know he wasn't happy.

  Murphy maintained a bland expression and willed himself to relax. It was a foolish and possibly dangerous thing to grab someone like Murphy from behind like that. Hundreds of hours of martial-arts practice had honed his reactions to a razor's edge, and the whole point of the exercise was that your body would counter a threat instinctively, before your conscious mind even knew the threat was there.

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  Luckily for Dean Fallworth, Murphy's sixth sense had told him that he was not about to be attacked.

  At least not physically.

  Realizing that he had Murphy's attention, Fallworth cleared his throat. "Got you at last, Murphy! You can be a hard man to track down, you know. And I have better things to do than chase around the campus after one of my professors because he can't stick to a timetable."

  Murphy smiled. "Then why don't you go do them?"

  Fallworth's pallor paled even further. "Watch what you say, Murphy. I think I've had just about enough of your disrespect."

  "But you just keep coming back for more, don't you?" Murphy teased, almost beginning to enjoy himself.

  Fallworth realized he was losing control of the situation. "Listen here, Murphy. We have an important issue to discuss. We could discuss it now, or ... at a departmental disciplinary meeting." He smirked. "Up to you."

  Murphy sighed. "I have things to do too, Dean. So why don't you just get whatever it is off your chest right here and now?"

  "Fine. I hear reports that you have been lecturing about Noah's Ark, telling the students that it's sitting on Mount Ararat, as large as life. What next, Murphy--a seminar on Jack and the Beanstalk? Or are you going to mount an expedition to find the old lady who lived in a shoe?"

  "I don't deal in fairy stories," Murphy said, his temper rising.

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  "Is that right? What would you call a tale of a big boat filled with two of every animal in the world? It certainly doesn't sound like history to me. I believe we have an agreement," he continued, jabbing a forefinger in Murphy's face. "You are at liberty to present your beliefs as just that-- beliefs . This is a reputable university, and we cannot have ridiculous Bible stories presented to impressionable young students as if they are fact. Do you understand me, Professor Murphy? You've got to stop preaching religion in the classroom. This is a place of higher learning , not a church!"

  Murphy waited until Fallworth was finished, then started counting on his fingers. "Number one, I am not preaching. I'm giving a class lecture. Number two, many reputable scientists believe Noah's Ark is on Mount Ararat. And number three, my students are free to question my presentations at any time. Nothing is being rammed down their throats. And besides that, you were not in attendance and have no idea what you are talking about."

  Murphy could feel his Irish temper coming on strong. Fallworth's complexion was reddening too.

  "Have you heard of the separation between church and state, Murphy?"

  "Hold on, Fallworth. Where do you come up with this church and state stuff? Preston is a private university. It has nothing to do with the state."

  "It's in the Constitution!"

  Murphy made an effort to get a grip on his emotions.

  "Really? Just where in the Constitution?"

  "I don't have it memorized, but it is somewhere in the First Amendment!"

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  "Well, Archer, that's interesting. I do have the First Amendment memorized! It says, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of a religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or of the right of the people to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

  "See, what did I tell you? No establishment of a religion!"

  "I'm not Congress, in case you hadn't noticed. I'm not establishing a religion. I'm exercising my free speech rights. You believe in free speech rights, don't you, Archer?"

  "Certainly, but Thomas Jefferson said there is to be a separation between church and state!"

  Murphy could tell that Fallworth was now just rattling off a well-worn phrase without a decent argument behind it.

  "And in what context did President Jefferson make that statement?"

  "He said it. That's the important thing," Fallworth blustered.

  "Let me help you out, Archer. It was in a letter written to the Danbury Baptist Association on January 1, 1802. The Baptists were afraid that Congress might pass a law establishing a state religion. Jefferson wrote back and said there is a wall of separation between the church and the state . In other words, the state could not break down the wall and establish a state religion. It had nothing to do with keeping religion out of government. Most of our founding fathers were deeply religious men. If you read Jefferson's writings you will see many places

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  where he encourages the free exercise of religion. It's just the opposite of what you are saying."

  "There should be a wall both ways."

  "You know, Archer, I gave a lecture to the Russian Archaeological Society last year in Moscow. I informed them that certain archaeological discoveries were made possible by information received from the Bible. I went on to say, 'I know that this used to be a communist country and many of you might be atheists and do not believe in the Bible.' The professor in charge said to me, 'Everyone in this lecture hall has at least a master's deg
ree. There are twenty-two PhDs listening to your lecture. We are quite capable of hearing what you have to say and determining if it is valid for us or not. Aren't the educators in the United States capable of doing that?' I said, 'Sadly, many are not.' I think you have just proven me right."

  Beaten back by Murphy's command of detail, Fall-worth tried a different tack. "You're always talking about the Bible and Bible discoveries. The Bible is notoriously filled with myth and legend. How could Noah possibly get two of every kind of animal on the ark anyway?"

  "When I find the ark," said Murphy with a smile, "I'll tell you."

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  FIFTEEN

  MURPHY WAS DRUMMING his fingers on the table as the phone rang.

  "Hello." A tentative female voice.

  "Is Isis there, please?"

  "I'm sorry, there's no one here by that name. You must have the wrong number."

  Murphy was sure he had dialed the right number.

  "Look, my name is Michael Murphy and this is the number Isis gave me. She said that she was staying with her sister in Bridgeport."

  There was a pause at the other end.

  "Mr. Murphy, I'm Hecate. Isis's sister. She said you might be calling. I'm sorry for the deception. The police told us not to let anyone know Isis was here. She's outside on the patio. Let me get her."

  Hecate . Murphy smiled to himself. Old Dr. McDonald sure had a thing about those ancient goddesses. 133 What was more surprising was that Isis had never mentioned a sister before. Then again, there were plenty of things he didn't know about Isis, and there was no reason for her to confide every detail of her personal life to him, was there? But for some reason the fact that she had kept her sister's existence a secret made him feel a little hurt.