11.09.2018

Judith Slays Holofernes, Pt IX

At last she sighed heavily.

“I must pray on this, Ku-Aya, and ask the God of gods to reveal his will to me.”

“How will you know His will?” I asked, for again- I have never spoken with the Judaean god.  But, of course, that does not mean He does not speak to His followers. The Council’s records indicate that he is a sky god, primarily concerned with the doings of his chosen people, and does not bestir himself on the behalf of others- but he is powerful within his sphere, commanding storms, wind, and skyfire to devastating effect.

“I will know,” she said, simply, and I was left to be satisfied with that.

Now I wait, recording the events of these past few days, and contemplating what my ward said to me about children.  There is no doubt that her first duty is to her God, her second to her husband, and her third will be to her children, should she have them.  I might work her devotion to her god (well-known to abhor those creatures that dwell in darkness) to my advantage. But loyalty to family can only interfere with her Slayer duties- which is why, of course, we try to take Potentials as young as possible.

Damn Sennacherib, anyway.  Why could he not leave Babylon alone?  He is like a willful child, discontent with what he has, and unwilling to let others have anything he cannot himself possess.  Would that I could turn a Slayer on him and his demonic appetites.

But dwelling does me no good.  I shall turn my thoughts instead to the coming festival.  The barley harvest should begin within days and then, the other servants tell me, we shall celebrate the first fruits of the year with a week of feasting and song.  They say that Manessah himself works alongside the men, to show he does not feel himself above any in the service of their god. I find I have developed a grudging respect for my ward’s husband- he is a good man, not afraid of hard work, and with an open palm for any who need assistance.  And he is kind to his servants- myself included- and his young wife. If only he’d waited one more year to marry her.

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