Light in the Lions' Den Read online

  “The containers hold meat,” Beth said.

  Captain Anu came over to Patrick and Beth. “Where did this meat come from?” he asked.

  Patrick answered honestly. “The sky,” he said.

  Captain Anu’s expression turned to joy. “A good omen,” he said.

  Captain Anu now studied the cousins. “Did you and the girl come from the sky too?” he asked.

  Patrick didn’t know what to say at first. Then he reasoned that the Imagination Station came from the sky. Just like the gifts.

  “Yes,” Patrick said finally. “We came from the sky.”

  Both men gasped at his answer.

  The soldier put down the cans of corned beef. He said, “My name is Duzi, chief scout for the king of Babylon. I offer you my services.”

  Captain Anu moved closer. The men knelt and bowed low in front of the cousins. The soldiers’ foreheads touched the ground.

  “We pay homage to you,” Captain Anu said. “Welcome, children of Adad.”

  “Adad?” Beth asked. “Who or what is an Adad?”

  The taller soldier lifted his head. “Adad is the god of lightning,” he said. “There was a rainless lightning storm this morning. We came to investigate such an unusual omen.”

  Patrick felt uneasy. “How do you know this Adad guy sent us?” he asked.

  Duzi held up the root-like formation. “This is a gift from Adad. It’s made when lightning heats the sand. This is a holy place.”

  Beth reached for the object.

  Duzi put it in her hand.

  Beth inspected the formation. “It looks hollow,” she said. She stuck her finger inside it. “It feels smooth like glass. But the outside is rough.”

  Captain Anu rose to his knees. He said, “The lightning storm is an omen.”

  “Omen?” Beth asked. “You used that word before. What does it mean?”

  “An omen means something is going to happen. The storm was a good omen from Adad. He sent you to us,” Captain Anu said. “We’ll take you to the temple.”

  Patrick knew the lightning was from the Imagination Station. It wasn’t from the false god named Adad.

  He also knew he should tell the soldiers something else. He worshipped the one true God, the Creator. But he wanted out of the desert. So he kept quiet.

  Patrick waved his hand. He motioned for the soldiers to stand. “Please take us to the city,” he said.

  “As you wish,” Captain Anu said as he stood.

  Duzi picked up the cans of corned beef. He also took some of the glass made from the lightning.

  Then the soldiers turned toward their chariots.

  “They’re not going to make us their slaves,” Beth whispered to Patrick.

  “At least not yet,” Patrick said.

  The wheels of Captain Anu’s chariot were as tall as Beth. The chariot had a front panel and two side panels. The back was open.

  Wood bars connected the chariot to the horse’s harness. The bars kept the chariot from tipping over.

  Captain Anu took Beth’s arm and helped her into the chariot.

  Patrick climbed in after her. “There are no seats!” he said.

  The brown horse was small but beautiful. It wore a red blanket with gold trim. Its leather halter and bridle were painted with tiny gold flecks.

  The captain held the reins in his hands. He flicked them, and the horse began to move. It surprised Beth how smoothly the chariot’s wheels cut through the sand.

  The chariots neared the city. Beth could see a wide river and a huge wall.

  Duzi drove his chariot to the gate in the wall. Three soldiers opened the wooden door.

  Captain Anu’s chariot passed through first. Then Duzi followed.

  Suddenly the desert vanished. An amazing terraced garden was inside the city walls. The top terrace was as high as a four-story building.

  “Wow,” Patrick whispered to Beth. “Is this the garden of Eden?”

  “Wrong Bible story,” Beth said. “But this garden does seem perfect.”

  The air smelled sweet and fresh. Trees and bushes bloomed. Green vines coiled around the ground. Birds chirped and sang. Fountains sprayed arcs of water. Small waterfalls flowed down the terraces.

  The chariots moved along a dirt road. Beth craned her neck upward to see the top levels of the garden. She gazed in wonder at its beauty. And seeing the water made her thirstier.

  Captain Anu pulled on the reins. The horse slowed to a walk.

  “How did this garden get here?” Patrick asked the captain. “Most of the land around here has only a few trees.”

  “A king built it fifty years ago. His wife had grown up in the mountains,” Captain Anu told them. “She didn’t like the flat lands of Babylon. So the king built this garden for her. We call them the hanging gardens.”

  Beth remembered the statue and the king who made it.

  Patrick must have too. He asked, “Was the king named Nebuchadnezzar?”

  Captain Anu stopped the horse. He turned around and looked at Patrick. “You are strange children,” he said. “You fall from the sky after a dry lightning storm. Yet you know nothing about our god Adad.”

  The captain paused and stroked his beard. “How can it be that your lips speak the name of a dead king?”

  Patrick said slowly, “Hasn’t everyone heard of Nebuchadnezzar?”

  Captain Anu agreed. “He was a famous king,” the captain said, “but he died. Later the Persians took over the land.”

  Beth was too thirsty to care. “Where does the water for the garden come from?” she asked. “How can I get a drink?”

  “I’ll show you,” Captain Anu said. He flicked the horse’s reins. The horse pulled the chariot around a corner. They passed a mound of bushes.

  Beth could see behind the branches. Two men were dressed in dull white tunics. One was turning a wooden crank. Water poured from a wooden pipe to make a waterfall. The other slave held a bucket. He was drawing water.

  Captain Anu called, “Slave, bring us some water.”

  The slave brought them a bucket and some clay cups. Beth and Patrick drank four cups of water each. They said thank you and handed back the cups. The slave gave a bow.

  Captain Anu snapped the reins, and the chariot moved on.

  “Slaves keep the water flowing to the garden,” Captain Anu said. “King Nebuchadnezzar’s counselors invented a watering system. It brings water from the river. Slaves also tend the garden and keep the animals.”

  The chariot passed a large boulder. Beth saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked up. She hoped to see a monkey or a peacock.

  Suddenly a lion leaped from the top of the boulder.

  “Look out!” Duzi shouted.

  The Gates of Babylon

  The lion landed on the horse’s back. Its claws dug in. The horse let out a deep moan.

  The big cat clung to the horse’s back. Beth screamed.

  The horse bolted and the chariot jolted.

  Beth fell out of the chariot and landed on the grass.

  Patrick jumped after her. He landed facedown. Pftt! Patrick heard an arrow zip by. He looked up.

  The arrow flew past the lion’s shoulder. The beast’s mouth was open. Its teeth were yellow and sharp.

  Duzi stood in his chariot. He was pulling his bow back to shoot another arrow.

  The lion jumped off the horse. In a flash, it moved back on top of the boulder. It shook its mane and roared.

  Captain Anu moved to the base of the boulder. His horse had run off. It was pulling the empty chariot down the path.

  Duzi released a second arrow. Pftt!

  It missed again.

  The lion growled and swiped a huge paw at Captain Anu.

  The captain dodged the claws. He raised his spear.

  The lion turned and leaped off the boulder. It sped into the bushes.

  Captain Anu shouted to Duzi. “Take Adad’s children to safety. I’ll track the beast.”

  The captain pulled a knife from inside his leather boot. He took his spear and climbed the boulder. He vanished into the bushes.

  Patrick helped Beth stand up. They hurried to Duzi’s chariot and climbed inside.

  Duzi yelled, “Be off!” He snapped the reins.

  The horse moved quickly. It seemed to want to get away from the danger too.

  “How did that lion get in here?” Beth asked Duzi. “The city walls are really high.”

  “King Darius keeps a pit of lions near the garden,” Duzi said. “I heard that one escaped last night when they . . .” The scout’s voice trailed off.

  “When they what?” Beth asked.

  Duzi hesitated. He seemed uncomfortable. “When they fed the lions,” he finally said.

  “Why does the king keep lions?” Beth asked. “Is this a zoo?”

  Duzi shook his head. “Most animals roam freely here,” he said. “But the lions are kept for special events. Lion hunting at festivals is popular. The king and his guards chase one until it’s killed.”

  “That is so mean,” Beth said.

  Patrick asked, “Why do you kill animals? Can’t you just eat cake or have a parade?”

  Duzi chuckled. “We do eat cake and have parades,” he said. “But the lion hunts show that the king is powerful. It proves he can protect us.”

  “So one trapped lion against a king and his soldiers,” Beth said. “That’s not fair.”

  Beth scowled at Duzi. Then she turned to look at the gardens.

  They passed over a moat and came to a fortress. Soldiers stood on the edge of a tower.

  The chariot clattered down a road paved with bricks. Tall walls on both sides were covered with colorful, glazed stones.

  Beth liked the artwork along the walls. Yellow, red, and white stone lions seemed to guard Babylon.

  “Do these lions on the wall mean anything?” Beth asked.

  “The lion is the symbol of the goddess of war,” Duzi said. “Her name is Ishtar.”

  This gate was more ornate than the one near the hanging gardens. The city gates were beautiful and tall. The doors were made from thick cedar beams. The beams were covered in blue-and-white stone. Images of bulls and dragons decorated them.

  Beth guessed there were more than a hundred of the beautiful animal figures.

  Patrick asked, “What do the dragons mean?”

  “The dragon represents Marduk,” Duzi said. “He is the god who protects our city.”

  “And the bulls?” Beth asked. “They look scary.”

  Duzi chuckled. “You’ll learn to love the bull symbol,” he said. “It is yours now. The bull represents the god Adad.”

  Duzi blew on his horn. The city gates slowly swung open.

  Beth could see men pushing on the massive cedar doors. The men. They wore the dull white tunics of slaves.

  Soldiers with whips stood behind them. They forced the slaves to work. Beth knew a slave’s life was a hard one. She felt sorry for the men who had to work so hard.

  The chariot rolled into the city.

  Beth smelled spices and roasted meat. In front of her was a crowded marketplace in a wide courtyard.

  Men in bright-colored clothes and hats sold food, candles, wool, and jewelry. Women were shopping and selling wares too. They wore gold bands around their heads. The bands decorated their long hair.

  Camels with goods on their backs walked through the market. Merchants led the camels as they called, “Apples, fresh from the orchard!” “Best leeks this side of the river!” “Pig’s-foot lotion. Cures all ills!”

  Duzi directed the horse around the marketplace.

  Beth could see several structures. “What’s that tall building in the middle?” she asked.

  It looked like a model made out of stone Legos. Each story of the structure was larger than the one above it. And each story was a different color of the rainbow.

  “It’s Babylon’s most ancient building,” Duzi said. “The Egyptians have their great pyramids. We have our great ziggurat. We call it a platform to heaven. It’s a temple to Marduk.”

  “Is everything here dedicated to the gods?” Patrick asked.

  Duzi turned around. He had a puzzled look on his face. “What else is there in life but to honor the gods?” he asked. “We owe our very lives to them. Without their protection, we would surely die.”

  The Temple of Adad

  The chariot crossed over a wide, low bridge. The river stretched out to Patrick’s right and left. The water was muddy. A few long, narrow boats floated on the river. Their single white sails flapped in the wind.

  Babylonian men and women hurried across the bridge. Some carried baskets. Others walked alongside donkey carts. A few camels were laden with baskets. The animals crossed the bridge on spindly legs.

  The chariot crisscrossed through straight, narrow streets. Duzi suddenly pulled back on the reins. The horse stopped moving.

  “Here is your new home,” Duzi said to the cousins. “The temple of Adad.”

  Patrick looked at the structure. The temple was part of a larger compound. A brick wall surrounded the grounds. The front gate was open.

  An old man waited at the gate. He was wearing an all-white tunic. A plain gold headband held back his long white hair.

  The man bowed to Duzi. “Blessings, favored servant of the king,” the man said. “I’m Tanzi. I offer my service to you.”

  Duzi motioned for Patrick and Beth to get out of the chariot.

  The cousins stepped to the ground.

  The old man studied them with open curiosity. But he said nothing.

  Duzi got out too. He held the reins in one hand. In his other hand was a red cloth bag.

  The scout handed the chariot reins to the old man. “See that the horse is watered,” he said.

  The old man bowed and took the horse by its halter. The man slowly led the horse to a watering trough.

  A tower stood just inside the gate. It loomed over the courtyard. Two guards stood on the top.

  Patrick watched visitors and other servants mill around the courtyard. Some Babylonians were kneeling at small stone altars.

  A large statue of a man was in the center of the courtyard. The man had on an upside-down bucket hat. He had a thick, square beard like other Babylonian men. He was holding a scepter.

  There were carvings on the courtyard wall. They showed the man with the sun, moon, and stars above his head. Some carvings showed people bowing to the man.

  Another building was attached to the courtyard. Patrick guessed it was a temple.

  Just then a beautiful woman walked into the courtyard. People moved aside to let her pass.

  The woman’s dress was made of bright, striped fabric. She wore a large gold headdress on top of her long, dark hair. The headdress looked like a pair of giant horns.

  Two men walked behind the woman. The men were dressed in striped tunics and robes. Their hats had gold trim. They wore thick gold bracelets. Their beards were so dark that Patrick could tell they were dyed.

  The woman came to Duzi.

  Duzi bowed to the woman. “Greetings, Anatu,” he said. “May Adad find favor with you.”

  “And with you,” Anatu said. She didn’t bow in return. “What business does the king’s chief scout have with Adad’s priestess? I’m busy with the king’s advisers.” She pointed to the two men.

  Duzi nodded. “I will be brief.” He motioned to the cousins, and his bracelets jingled. “I bring you temple servants, children of Adad.”

  Anatu glanced at Patrick and Beth. Her beautiful eyes were dark, almost black. They were rimmed with gray-and-red makeup.

  “Is that true?” Anatu asked. “Are you children of Adad?”

  Beth said, “Duzi seems to think so.”

  Patrick didn’t like hearing Beth tell a half truth. But he didn’t tell the truth either.

  Anatu seemed unimpressed with the cousins. “They have a foreign look,” the priestess said to Duzi. “They aren’t from Babylon. Nor Egypt.”

  “You’re right. The children aren’t from this region,” Duzi said. “I found them on the Plain of Dura. They appeared right after the dry lightning storm.”

  Anatu’s lip curled to a sneer. “The boy has pale eyes,” she said. “That’s a sign of weakness.”

  Patrick blinked. “My eyes are fine,” he said.

  Anatu waved her hand. “Throw the children in the river,” she said. “Let them serve the god of the underworld.”

  Patrick’s heart froze in fear. He felt Beth grab his hand. Her hand was cold.

  “But there was an omen,” Duzi said. “We don’t want to upset Adad.” He reached into his bag and took out the strange glass tube. “This was made by the morning lightning storm. The children appeared in the same holy spot.”

  Patrick noticed the two advisers listening intently.

  Anatu took the odd formation. “I saw the storm,” she said. “I was standing on top of the temple by the altar.”

  The woman’s eyes narrowed as she studied the glass tube. She raised an eyebrow. “Are there more?” she asked Duzi.

  “One more,” Duzi said. “But it will be a tribute to King Darius.”

  She frowned for a moment. Then she turned her eyes to the cousins.

  “This omen is for the girl only,” Anatu said. “Take the boy away. His blue eyes frighten me. They see into the future.”

  One of the men said, “Perhaps he is a seer.”

  “Then King Darius will want to consult with him,” Anatu said.

  Beth gasped. “No!” she said. “Patrick and I must stay together. If he goes, I go.”

  Patrick felt Duzi’s hands grab his shoulders. “Stop!” Patrick shouted.

  Beth watched as Patrick kicked Duzi’s shins. But the scout’s thick leather boots protected his legs.

  Duzi lifted Patrick off the ground. “Put me down!” Patrick shouted. He flailed his arms and legs.

  Duzi carried Patrick out of the courtyard and through the gate.

  Beth began to run after them. But Anatu grabbed Beth’s forearm. The priestess squeezed hard.

  “Ow,” Beth said. “Let go!” Beth thought her bone would snap.

  Anatu laughed and gripped Beth tighter.