Judah dipped his head. “You have heard a lie.”
“This is not true? How can I trust a man who would demand I leave my gods for his to escape death?”
“This is not believed by so many,” Judah said.
“The Jews have only one kingdom, ruled by one god,” the old man persisted. “Any who do not convert are to be counted evil and consumed in fire.”
“No, no, this is a lie,” Judah reassured him.
“It is not true that your god is for only your king?”
“Yes, this is true. And yet we have no king now.”
“A Bedu serves no king. None. How then can you serve a god who curses those who are not of his kingdom? Perhaps you are not Bedu after all.”
“The Jew is no better than any who is not Jew. Even now I am your humble servant.”
The sheikh regarded him with suspicion, and Judah pressed on.
“Most honored sheikh, I would speak.”
The sheikh offered a shallow nod.
“It was when Saman bin Shariqat, sheikh of all Thamud, overtook Dumah for all of its plunder not ten days ago that we rose with him. Indeed, he now commands those Kalb who do not wish to perish. We were to bring the news to the farthest clans in the Nafud, but we lost two camels in a storm and the well at Sidin is putrid. If it please you, it is our honor to be welcomed into your tent to exchange the news and be on our way to fulfill the wishes of Saman bin Shariqat.”
The sheikh did not respond.
“Also, Judah is now my brother,” the boy Arim said.
The sheikh gave him a harsh glance. So Arim upgraded his claim.
“My brother, Judah, will pay ten times the price for each camel we offer him. It was for this I took him captive.”
“You have taken your brother captive? Which is it, boy?”
“It is both.”
The old man looked at Arim as if he were daft, but then regarded Judah.
“You would attempt to have our camels for ten times their value, Arim says. Is this true?”
No such promise had been made, but neither Judah nor Saba objected. I didn’t know how much coin they carried, only that Judah kept it on a belt around his waist. Surely Rami had anticipated great need.
“We had not discussed a price.”
“And yet I heard one,” the old man said. I saw then that Bin Haggag was far more shrewd than he was strong.
Judah glanced at the boy, who gave a quick nod as if to encourage him.
“Yes,” Judah said. “Ten times.”
“Ten times,” the sheikh said, lifting his hands and spreading his fingers.
Judah nodded. “Yes. The price of thirty camels.”
“For three camels.”
“For three.”
After a moment Fahak bin Haggag, mighty sheikh of the Nafud, used a walking stick to slowly push himself to his feet. He stared at me, frowning, then at Judah.
“She is your wife?”
“No. My sister.” He cast me a side glance.
“She is Nada,” Arim offered. “She is not claimed.”
“Nada.” The old man nodded. Then his face softened and a sparkle came to his eyes. He found no displeasure in looking at me.
Employing great drama, Bin Haggag spread his arm toward his tent behind and offered a thin smile. “You, Judah, brother of Arim, are indeed a friend of all Thamud. Drink my tea with…” He paused. “And what is your name, black warrior?”
“Saba.” My father’s servant dipped his head.
“With Saba, the great bald-headed warrior, and allow us to share our great fortune as the gods have willed.”
There was a murmur of approval at such wisdom.
To his clan the sheikh lifted a bony fist in triumph. “We will slaughter the goat and a camel to honor our guests! Though they come from the Kalb, who know less than the Thamud, we will make them wise. This is the will of your sheikh, who is myself, and the will of the gods!”
A great cheer arose in that valley and I knew then that we, for the moment, were saved.
SABA WAS NOT eager to spend more time in the Thamud camp, but Judah insisted that we rest at least until the late night so as not to offend our host. We were only a week from Sepphoris and we needed the rest. So we remained, I with the women, watching and aiding in preparing a feast that made quick use of the goat and an old camel slaughtered for the occasion.
As with any Bedu feast, great pride was taken in the preparations. Foods that surely had been carefully saved were brought to the pot, for the measure of any Bedu is found in what they can serve a guest.
The Thamud cooked in cauldrons in which every part of the goat was put to use—its liver, its heart, its ears, feet, eyes, even its tail, for the tail may be chewed to clean the teeth. These all mixed with spices and the marrow boiled from bones to make a broth to be poured over meal.