A.D. 30(87)

Her voice rang out to rob the room of breath.

“The pig took me as his wife only to satisfy you, Father, but you know this already.” Her jaw was taut as she leveled each word in accusation. “Now his longing has been satisfied with Herodias, the wife of his brother, Philip the tetrarch, and he conspired to have me die of illness, fearing that to divorce me would enrage you.”

“Impossible!” Aretas roared.

“Is this not in keeping with the ways of his father, Herod the butcher? He has cast me aside and I would surely be dead, but for Maviah. It was she who learned of this plot and demanded that I return to you with Judah and Saba to save me from death. She came even knowing that you would despise her. For this she should be celebrated, not accused of betrayal!”

The revelation had taken them all by storm, and neither Aretas nor his queen could immediately speak.

“You must hear her, for she is—”

“Divorce?” Where Aretas had been angry before, his face was now pale.

“How can we know this is true?” Shaquilath demanded. “She told you this?”

“You question my word?” Phasa demanded.

“I question her!” The queen pointed at me as she approached. “She was the one who told you that the king would take up with another woman and divorce you. How do you know this is true?”

“Because I know my husband,” Phasa cried. “I should have known many months ago, but my eyes were blinded by my own captivity. Herod would have me dead. He will take up with Herodias, you will see.”

Aretas seemed not to hear their exchange.

“They think I am too old to defend my own honor?” His hands were fists and he paced away, staring at the floor. “They have forgotten what we did to the Greeks when they tried to defy the Nabataeans? To the Romans when they sought to suppress our control?”

He spun back to us and thrust a finger in the air, face scarlet. “No man can defy the power of the Nabataeans and live! I will crush that insolent little bastard. I will crush his armies and scatter their bones. How dare he cast aside his covenant with me for his own lust!”

“We cannot know this to be true,” Shaquilath said. “Herod may be weak but he is not such a fool.”

“Do you know him?” Phasa demanded. “Have you bathed him and fed him too much wine?”

They were lost in passion and I knew that unless reason was brought to bear, the outcome might not favor me, so I stilled my heart and spoke in a calm voice.

“All will be known soon enough. If our words lie, then judge as you see fit. But I am sister to Phasa and have delivered her to safety at my own peril. For this I ask only that you hear what I have to say. There is a way to deal with Herod for his treachery.”

“How dare you tell the king how to deal in matters of state!” Shaquilath hissed.

Phasa glared. “Is a queen’s word so worthless, Mother?”

“She is no queen!”

“I am,” Phasa said. “And I say that she is.”

“Silence!” The king’s jowls shook. He caught his wife’s angry stare, hesitated for a moment, then regarded Phasa, speaking in an even tone. “Mind how you speak to your queen.”

Phasa thought better of pushing the matter.

“Yes, Father.” Then, to Shaquilath, “Forgive me.”

“If what you say is true,” Aretas said, “then I swear before Al-Uzza that all of my fury will rain down upon Herod and all of his armies.”

“If what she says is true,” Shaquilath said. “We will not take the word of a slave from Dumah.”

Aretas glanced at me. “No, we won’t.”

“Put her in chains until we have word.”

For the first time since our entering the courts, Judah’s passion took over and he stepped forward.

“I beg you, as Judah, mighty warrior of the Kalb who does not know the meaning of a deceitful tongue, what my queen speaks is true. I beg you have mercy and honor her as your guest.”

“She is your queen?” Shaquilath said. “And you, a Jew who knows only treachery. How dare you speak in my court!”

“Forgive me, I only—”

“Do not speak to my queen,” Aretas said. And then, to the guard behind us: “Put them all in chains.”

“Father—”

“Separate them,” Shaquilath said, turning back to the platform.

Aretas glanced at his daughter but did not defy his queen.

“Separate them and put them in chains.”





CHAPTER TWENTY





MY FIRST THOUGHT when the guards seized me and pulled a hood over my head was for Judah. He would go gracefully, I knew, because Judah was not threatened by any dungeon. But I was the cause for this, his second imprisonment far from his true calling in the hills of Galilee.