The_ORDER_of_SHADDAI Read online

  Gideon sighed.

  He snapped the reins and the horse sped him away toward one of the secret passes through the Thornhill Mountains which would bring him out close to Millertown.

  Ethan watched him go, trying to ignore his wounded pride. Gideon was still his friend, but this odd behavior had him worried. Ethan helped Joseph and Micah finish loading the wagon, praying silently for Gideon’s safe arrival in Hopple as planned.

  Sarah watched from the side of a nearby building as the Royal Emissary from Macedon entered his private coach, preparing to leave Millertown. The falcon had returned with a message from the Temple. The Order intended to send the Word out to Macedon within the next several months. There had been no indication, whatsoever, that priests from Shaddai were already en route.

  Nightfall approached as the ranks of soldiers, accompanying the Emissary, prepared to escort the man home. Strange that they would leave at night, she thought.

  A hand clasped around Sarah’s mouth, pulling her behind the building. She tried to scream as the dark figure in a cloak and hood pulled her close. However, as soon as the hood fell down, she almost screamed in exultation.

  “Gideon!â€�

  He shushed her with his finger as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ve missed you so much. What are you doing back so soon?â€�

  “I’m on a mission to take the Word of the Shaddai to the Isle of Macedon.â€�

  Sarah cast her gaze mournfully toward the ground. “What’s wrong?â€� Gideon asked.

  “Gideon, you’ll be gone for months, trying to get to Macedon and back…if you make it back at all.â€� Tears began to stream down her face.

  Gideon tipped her chin upward. “I’ve always come back. And after this mission, I’m sure Ethan will be capable of going on without me.â€�

  “You mean you’ll leave The Order?â€�

  Gideon smiled and took a deep breath. “Yes, I will leave The Order after this mission.â€�

  Sarah had wanted to hear those words for so long. And she had hoped to hear them from Gideon before she shared her own news. “My love, I have something to tell you.â€�

  Gideon looked into the eyes of his young bride, trying to discern what it was she might be about to tell him. Nothing could have prepared him for the actuality.

  “I’m with child, Gideon.â€�

  Gideon tried to breathe, but no air moved in or out of his body. “Did you say?â€�

  Sarah stared into his eyes, watching him stammer for the first time since she’d come to know him. It’s quite enjoyable, seeing him this way, she thought.

  “Yes, my love, you and I are going to have a baby.â€�

  So many things happened to Gideon at that moment. His breathing labored, his palms became clammy, perspiration gathered on his upper lip and brow, his knees felt weak and his heart rate ran rapid. Not knowing what to say, he simply held his bride tightly. She returned the embrace, shedding joyous tears. Everything was going to be all right, finally.

  They lingered in town only a moment longer. Gideon helped his bride onto his horse and then climbed up into the saddle behind her, being as gentle as he knew how. They rode slowly toward their home. They would celebrate there and enjoy each other’s company for one last time before he left for Hopple and the mission to Macedon—his final mission for The Order of Shaddai.

  What had not been apparent to Sarah or Gideon, but which undoubtedly would have been clearly seen by his young apprentice, was the demon watching them as they stood by the building in the dimming light of dusk.HJJJ He watched them as they held one another. And he listened as they exchanged joyous information between husband and wife.

  The demon did not know exactly where this man was going other than to Macedon. But it did realize who he was. The puzzling thing had been, the whereabouts of the priest’s companion, the boy. The demon had been assigned to watch for the Deliverer in Millertown, by Jericho himself, but only Gideon the priest had come.

  Nevertheless, the implications of Gideon and Sarah’s conversation were not lost on the demon. He knew, as well as most, that priests of Shaddai were bound to The Order and did not marry. This was something new and interesting to see.

  The demon followed the couple riding horseback to their home on the property owned by Sarah’s parents. He watched and listened more. Then he left the home during the night to find Lord Jericho and report the valuable information he had acquired.

  HOPPLE

  As expected, it took Ethan, Joseph, and Micah several weeks to get to the small fishing village of Hopple. Only five hundred people living in modest dwellings occupied the village, pulling their livelihood from the sea. Their location did have other advantages, however, as it provided a place for ships to make port with goods from Wayland and places north of Nod, if they happened not to be going to Emmanuel City.

  For this reason, the harbor system, with its docks and loading trolleys, had actually expanded to become the largest thing in the village. When the seasons were right for fishing, the villagers made their primary living that way, but during off seasons the main work became mooring vessels, loading, unloading cargo, and playing host to seamen who came ashore to spend their wages.

  Hopple might have become nearly as large as Tilley Town were it not for the fact that the weather was quite harsh during certain seasons and most people did not want to live in the region. The natives lived a comfortable but simple life, having all that they ever needed in quality without the desire of quantity.

  There were caves eastward where people generally did not dwell because of the rough terrain and the presence of wolves. But this was of little consequence to priests of Shaddai. Ethan and the others had found a suitable cave in which to make camp and hide the chest containing the Word. Ethan had decided he would enter the village alone and try to find his shipping contact or Gideon or both.

  Isaiah had told them that the man who owned the ship they would be sailing upon would find them. It made little sense to Ethan. But he trusted the High Priest and did not ask any more questions about it. Ethan even wondered if perhaps Isaiah had given Gideon more information about their contact, but with Gideon still traveling from Millertown, it mattered little right now.

  Ethan understood well that The Order maintained a carefully crafted sense of mystery, with secret locations, hidden vaults, and death defying entryways and exits. The fact was, Isaiah had only known Ethan for five months. He did not expect to be told all there was to know about The Order. It was enough to know Gideon was the best The Order could offer and happened to be his mentor and partner in this expedition. Better to search for Gideon, if I’m to search for anyone at all, he thought.

  Ethan had been careful to wear his commoner’s clothing on this journey, as had his fellow priests. This was no time for bold assertions of their priesthood. They had run across a number of patrols along their journey to Hopple from Millertown, but had managed to avoid them. Demons had been seen scouting for the patrols and spying out nearby villages. Ethan was glad for his special sight, more than ever.

  Evidently Mordred was searching hard for him, even after all of these months since the battle with Jericho in the throne room. But by the Lord’s providence they and their precious cargo had remained undiscovered. Ethan only hoped Gideon’s foolhardy trip back to Millertown had not compromised the mission. And even more, he hoped to see his friend safe again.

  Ethan left the chest of scrolls with Joseph and Micah inside the large cave they had found, while he walked the remaining several miles into the village proper. Ethan heard wolf calls on several occasions and once during the trip he had even realm shifted, hoping to avoid detection by a hungry pack on the hunt.

  When Ethan finally arrived in the village of Hopple, he was surprised by the size of the docks, the ten or so large ships docked there, and by the miniscule amo
unt of buildings actually built on the shore. For all intensive purposes, the dock system was three times the size of the village and looked like a small town afloat in the calm waters of the harbor.

  The onshore dwellings were simple wooden structures—single family homes, mostly, with cobblestone lanes running between them. There were a number of larger buildings supported by stilts, anchored to the seafloor in the harbor. Ethan supposed they might be taverns and other such places where the wages of weary sailors could be spent on frivolity and wickedness.

  These were excellent places to find the sort of people who undertake mysterious voyages. Ethan trod down the path, winding through lanes of lantern-lit windows—families settling in for a good night’s rest. He proceeded from shore to the docks and the revelry of fools eager to part with their money in the establishments beyond.

  When Ethan reached the sea, it surprised him to find the cobblestone lanes simply continued unabated as bridges, extending into the harbor. Normally the docks would have been constructed of wood, but the people of Hopple had built a highly organized system of stone walkways likely standing a good ten feet above the water, even at high tide.

  Ethan heard music filtering out of several larger buildings, so he decided to head for the closest. A few people milled about on the stone pathways. Then Ethan noticed a man in uniform. Hoping not to arouse suspicion, he did not pause or quicken his pace.

  The man happened to be one of Mordred’s soldiers. He was not as large as the Wraith Riders and may have been one of the men conscripted from Nodian villages. Ethan continued on, past the man, toward the tavern.

  When Ethan reached the door, he passed two more soldiers. Fortunately he had worn commoner’s clothing. The sign hanging over the door read, The Salty Dog. Lively musicians played at the far end of the building and a great number of people danced and drank intoxicating beverages. Soldiers danced as well, slinging ale from their mugs in every direction in the process. Armed men and strong drink, never a good combination, he thought.

  The Salty Dog was not an elegant place. In fact, it lacked refinement in every way imaginable. There was little more to the structure than a bandstand for the musicians and tables for gamblers and drinkers. A bar along one wall served intoxicating beverages of every sort. This is where Isaiah has arranged for us to find a ship to take the Word to Macedon?

  A cloud of smoke hung in the room fed by a plentitude of pipes. Ethan sputtered and coughed, hoping he wasn’t too conspicuous. Nevertheless, he was acutely aware of the fact that his young age was apparent. Anyone remotely alert wonder why he was here.

  Ethan reconsidered his decision to enter the Salty Dog. He turned and noticed the two soldiers approaching him from across the room. He walked more quickly, heading back toward the door when a foot moved out into his path, tripping him. Ethan fell to the floor, landing on his palms as though he would begin a set of pushups. He bounced back to his feet quickly, only to find a ragtag sailor shoving his chair away. “You stepped on my foot you little puke!â€� the man bellowed.

  The sailor was unshaven, lanky in appearance, with a mop of black hair sprouting like roots out from under a dirty seaman’s cap. He smelled absolutely awful, reeking of body odor and strong drink. Ethan was about to apologize to the man, when he noticed the soldiers again. While he wasn’t paying attention, the sailor hauled off and smashed him across the cheek.

  The blow shocked him back to the confrontation with the drunken sailor. The man prepared another telegraphed punch, which Ethan blocked with ease. “Please, I don’t want to hurt you, sir.â€�

  He felt it wasn’t even a fair fight, until the drunkard managed to fade with his next punch and get by Ethan’s defense. That punch doubled Ethan over. The man came at him again as the patrons around them began cheering for anybody who could do the most damage. Ethan blocked again and threw his first punch at the man, but the sailor anticipated it with ease and countered. A lightning fast succession of hand-to-hand, feet-to-hand, and feet-to-feet maneuvers quickly followed until the soldiers broke them up. They grabbed Ethan and slugged the sailor in the gut with a club. The soldiers drew their swords. Ethan wasn’t sure what to do.

  “I told you never to come down to this stinking tavern,â€� a man yelled from the crowd. He ran up to Ethan and snatched him by the scruff of the neck away from the soldiers. “Thank you kindly, officers,â€� the man said, regarding them before he chastised the boy again. “Your mother has been worried something fierce, and here I find you drinking with the devil in this place. You’re going to get the beating of your life, that’s what!â€�

  Ethan stood flabbergasted until he noticed the man wink at him while his back was to the soldiers. Ethan recognized the man as Levi Bonifast. He wore a crude disguise with a full beard and different clothes, but it was him. Ethan almost hugged him, but Levi tore his leather belt out of his trouser loops and began thrashing it at him. “Boy, you had better run your hide home, if ya know what’s good for ya!â€�

  The soldiers stood there dumbfounded. “Hey, I want to see—â€� began one of them.

  “Aye, officer, your right, I’ll skin him alive, if I give him a lick. He’ll get the beating he deserves!â€� Levi said. Then he chased Ethan out of The Salty Dog at the end of his belt.

  Levi left the soldiers with the drunken sailor still hanging limp between their arms. “What about this one?â€� they asked of their commander.

  “Throw him out!â€� the commander said. And so they did.

  The soldiers carried the smelly urchin just outside the door—he moaned the entire time. Then, giving him a grand heave-ho, the two soldiers sent him reeling into the dark waters of the harbor.

  Levi ranted at Ethan the entire way until they had passed the bridge leading them to shore and the housing district of Hopple. Then he settled down and looked around, searching for any soldiers who might be lurking in the streets. “How ya doin, lad?â€� Levi said with a toothy grin.

  Ethan grabbed his outstretched hand and shook it as though he’d never been so glad to see anyone in his life. “I can’t believe you’re here in Hopple!â€�

  “I better be, if I’m to bear you and Gideon to Macedon with the Word of Shaddai.â€�

  “You? You’re providing our passage?â€� Ethan could barely contain his excitement.

  “Aye, it was Isaiah who sent me here,â€� Levi confessed. “He’s a crafty old man.â€�

  “I suppose he is,â€� Ethan said. “We’ve got to get back to Joseph and Micah. They’re keeping watch over the chest in a cave not too far from here.â€�

  Ethan turned intending to lead Levi through the village toward the cave in the badlands beyond. But standing there, soaking wet and angry, was the smelly sailor whom Ethan had brawled with in The Salty Dog. “Where do you think you’re going?â€� he shouted.

  Ethan prepared for another round with the disgusting brawler when the man stopped short and pulled off his seaman’s cap. His black head of hair came off with it. Underneath, a short layer of black hair bristled. Instantly, the puzzle pieces clicked into place.

  “Gideon!â€�

  “Shhh!â€� he hissed.

  Gideon reached out a hand to Ethan, and his body odor wafted toward their noses.

  “Oh, man…whew! Gideon, you really do stink!â€� Ethan said.

  “I know, it’s disgusting ain’t it?â€� he flashed a rancid grin, teeth caked in something green, akin to algae.

  “Let’s not dawdle, lads,â€� Levi warned. “We’ve got to get the Word loaded onto my ship and shove off without alerting those soldiers. The sooner we get back to the cave, the more likely we can get out of port unnoticed during the early morning hours.â€�

  They ran at a brisk pace
up the hill toward the boundary of the village.

  “Gideon?â€�

  “Yes, Ethan?â€�

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to run ahead of you.â€�

  “Aye lad, good idea,â€� Levi said. “If I don’t get upwind of his foul funk, I’m liable to lose my dinner.â€�

  SUCH SWEET SORROW

  As it turned out, Gideon’s bath was sooner forthcoming than expected. He and the others arrived at the cave in good time where Joseph and Micah stood watch over the Word. And having taken the chest from the two priests, they bid them a safe journey back to the Temple and sent them on their way with the horses and wagon. The best way to get the chest to Bonifast’s new ship was by water.

  They walked back to the sea, apart from Hopple, and entered the harbor with the chest. The air-filled container floated weightless on the water as Ethan, Levi and Gideon swam with it around the docks toward Captain Bonifast’s new ship. In the partial moonlight, Guards patrolled on the stone walkways above, but they paid little attention to what might be lurking in the water below.

  They drew near the new ship, which was moored to the outermost dock. “What’s it called, Captain?â€�

  “Yeah, what’s the name of your new girl?â€� Gideon said, grinning.

  He gave the priest a cynical look. “Well it’s not the grungy priest, that’s for sure,â€� he hissed. “She’s called The Trinity.â€�

  Ethan and Gideon considered the excellent choice of name. “I like it,â€� Gideon said. “It’s very appropriate.â€�

  They swam around to the port side, facing away from the dock. There they found one of Levi’s new crewmembers waiting for them. He climbed down a ladder hooked on the rail and helped his captain carry the chest up to the main deck.