Danger on a Silent Night Read online

Beth didn’t have time to protest. Judith pulled her across the courtyard.

  Footsteps

  Beth followed Judith through the palace. They descended a steep flight of stairs. In a back room, a lonely door was tucked in a dark corner. Judith opened the door and then stopped to listen.

  “What?” Beth asked.

  “I thought I heard footsteps,” Judith answered. “But they’ve stopped now.”

  Judith turned to face Beth. “This is as far as I dare go,” Judith said. “Follow that alley. It will lead you outside the palace grounds to the city. Make your way to the city gate. A large caravan from the East won’t be hard to find. Ask anyone.”

  Beth hugged Judith. “Thank you for everything,” she said.

  “Don’t forget to give the Baby my gift,” Judith reminded her.

  Beth touched the pouch on her belt. “I won’t.”

  “God be with you,” Judith said. Then she stepped back through the doorway. She pulled the door closed.

  Beth looked up at the clear night sky. “God, please be with me,” she said. Then she walked quickly up the alleyway.

  Twice, Beth thought she heard footsteps as if someone were following her. But they seemed to stop every time she slowed.

  She found a slave working in the olive grove. He told her exactly where the strange caravan was. She would find it just beyond the city gates.

  Patrick waited outside a large tent. Apellus was inside the tent with his father. The prince was telling Datis everything that had happened with King Herod.

  Patrick used the time to think. The story from the Bible came to his memory in pieces. He knew that Herod shouldn’t be trusted. Herod was the kind of king who wouldn’t give up his power easily. He would crush anyone who tried to take it.

  A noise interrupted Patrick’s thoughts. He turned toward the sound. A servant was pulling a girl by the arm. She was wearing a dark cloak. They were headed for Datis’s tent.

  “Stop it! Take your hands off me!” cried a voice. A familiar voice.

  “Beth!” Patrick shouted. He saw that a servant was pulling her toward the tent.

  “She was sneaking around,” the servant said.

  “I wasn’t sneaking,” Beth argued. “I was looking for Patrick and Apellus!”

  “And here I am,” Patrick said to the guard.

  The guard let go of Beth’s arm, bowed, and retreated.

  Beth raced to Patrick and hugged him. Patrick kept the hug short, but he patted his cousin on the back.

  “Are you all right?” asked Patrick. “I didn’t think Herod would let you go until we came back.”

  “He wasn’t going to let me go. He was going to kill me,” Beth said.

  Patrick was shocked. “But he said—”

  “Forget what he said. He lied to you and Apellus,” she said. “I was hiding in the throne room when you met him. And I was there after you left. I heard his plans. We have to warn Mary and Joseph! Baby Jesus is in danger.”

  Patrick didn’t know what to do about this terrible news. Should I interrupt the meeting between Apellus and his father? he wondered.

  Just then, Apellus stepped out of the tent. He looked at Patrick. Then his gaze went to Beth. He bowed low and introduced himself to her.

  Beth bowed too and gave her name. Then she quickly told Apellus what she’d said to Patrick. “Please,” she said at the end, “we have to warn Mary and Joseph before it’s too late! Herod’s men will follow the star.”

  “Which star?” Apellus asked.

  Patrick looked at him. “Which star?” he asked, confused. “The star you followed here.”

  “Look to the skies,” Apellus said. “We haven’t seen that star for a while. That’s why we went to Jerusalem. We assumed it was guiding us there. Herod has told us otherwise. Now we’ll have to search for the Child in Bethlehem.”

  “Really?” Beth asked. She was relieved. “There’s no star for Brutus to follow? I thought the Bible said the wise men followed a star to Bethlehem.”

  Patrick looked up at the night sky. There were millions of stars shining. But they all looked the same to him. Patrick couldn’t remember what the Bible said about the star. “So we don’t have to worry about Herod and his men?”

  “God is protecting Jesus,” Beth said softly.

  “We’d be fools to wait,” Apellus said. “I have persuaded my father to take the caravan to Bethlehem. When we arrive, we’ll see what we can find. You can ride with us.”

  “Ride?” Beth asked. She sounded worried.

  Patrick grinned. “You get to ride Old Neb with me,” he said.

  “Who is Old Neb?” Beth asked.

  “He’s a camel,” Patrick said. “His real name is Nebuchadnezzar, like in the Bible. You’ll like him.”

  “A camel?” Beth said. “You’re not getting me on a camel.”

  “It’s the only way to get there fast,” Patrick said.

  Apellus led them to the corral where the camels and horses were kept. Old Neb was resting on the ground. He let out a loud groan and puckered his lips.

  Beth winced. “He looks like he’s chewing on a sour lemon,” she said.

  “Watch out!” Patrick cried. He grabbed Beth’s arm and pulled her away.

  Kersplat! Old Neb shot a big glob of spit at them. It landed on the ground right where Beth had been standing.

  “Ewww!” Beth cried.

  Patrick and Apellus laughed.

  “You want to watch out for camel spit!” Patrick said.

  “It stinks too,” Beth said, holding her nose.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Patrick said. He climbed onto Old Neb’s saddle.

  Apellus helped Beth get on behind Patrick. Old Neb groaned, snorted, and bellowed.

  “Hold on!” Patrick shouted. He and Beth swayed back and forth as the old camel stood up.

  The rest of the caravan was ready. Patrick was amazed how such a large band of men could pack up so fast.

  Apellus mounted his camel, too. “It’s about an hour’s ride,” he said.

  Within minutes, the caravan was headed down the road. They were on their way to Bethlehem.

  By camel, an hour would seem like three hours. And it was late.

  Old Neb soon fell to the end of the caravan. The beast’s slow rocking motion made Patrick sleepy. Once or twice Patrick felt Beth’s head bump his back. He wondered if she’d dozed off.

  Patrick pulled a small pouch out of Neb’s saddlebags. It held figs and cashews Apellus had given him. He shared them with Beth.

  Old Neb followed the caravan down the dusty road. It was cold. Patrick stretched. His neck was a little stiff. He turned it to the left and right to loosen it up.

  A moment later he thought he heard something behind him. He turned in the saddle to look. Beth jolted upright.

  “What’s wrong?” Beth asked. “Are we there?”

  “I think someone is following us,” he said, peering back into the darkness.

  Beth spun to look. “I don’t see anything.”

  Apellus brought his camel to a slow walk to allow them to catch up. “Do you see?” he asked.

  “What?” Patrick he asked.

  Apellus pointed to the sky.

  Patrick and Beth looked. There, shining brighter than all the other stars, was the star.

  “It’s leading us to Bethlehem,” said Beth with awe.

  Patrick felt a flash of hope. But it quickly faded. “If we can see it, then Herod’s people can see it too.”

  “But we have an advantage,” Apellus said. “We’re ahead of them.”

  Patrick looked back. “We’re not as far ahead as you may think,” he said.

  Apellus followed his gaze. “Is someone there?”

  Beth groaned. “Brutus could have followed me from the palace. I led him to you. And now we’re leading him to Jesus.”

  Patrick peered into the darkness behind them again. “What are we going to do?” he asked.

  Beth suddenly brightened. “I have an idea!”
>
  The Baby Jesus

  “This way to the newborn King!” Beth shouted. Patrick and Apellus had agreed to her plan to break away from the caravan.

  Apellus was on his camel up ahead. Patrick and Beth urged Old Neb to a gallop.

  “Hurry!” Apellus called back over his shoulder.

  Beth tried hard not to look behind them. They would lead Brutus on a wild-goose chase. They’d head toward the star and then away from Jesus.

  “I hope this works,” Patrick said.

  “We only need to stall for time,” Beth said. “The caravan has to get there first. Then Brutus won’t dare to hurt baby Jesus.”

  Beth’s heart beat like a wild drum. The three raced through the darkness. Soon the shadows of a village appeared in the moonlight. They were near Bethlehem.

  Apellus and Patrick urged their camels on. Beth hoped that Brutus was following them. They raced down one street. They raced down another street. Beth looked back but couldn’t see anyone.

  “Is he following?” Patrick asked.

  Beth was afraid they’d made a mistake. “I don’t think so,” she said.

  Then suddenly, a rider on a horse rounded a hut. Beth caught a glimpse of a soldier’s helmet in the moonlight.

  “Yes!” she said. “He’s coming!”

  Then Beth realized he was gaining on them fast. The caravan of men wasn’t there to protect them now. Brutus certainly wouldn’t be afraid of two kids and a teen.

  “He’s catching up!” Beth said loud enough for Apellus to hear.

  Apellus slowed his camel. “Get in front of me,” he cried out.

  Patrick pushed Old Neb forward.

  Apellus trailed along behind them. Beth saw him reach into a bag. He pulled his hand out and threw something over his shoulder.

  Ka-pow! A thick cloud of white smoke suddenly appeared. Flashes of light filled the street behind them.

  “That will slow him down!” cried Apellus. He pushed his camel faster and retook the lead. He turned his camel down a different street. Old Neb galloped after him.

  They raced down more streets. They darted around corners. Finally the two camels came to a stop.

  Apellus held open his outer robe. He reached into its pockets and pulled out two small leather pouches. He handed them to Patrick. “If these powders are mixed together, they explode,” he said. “Be careful. They’re dangerous.”

  “I’ll be careful,” Patrick said. He tucked the pouches in his belt.

  Beth was still worried. “How do we find Jesus?” she asked. “We’re as lost as Brutus.”

  Apellus looked at the bright star in the night sky. He seemed to be thinking hard. “This way,” he said.

  They followed Apellus down several narrow streets. Dark houses stood on either side. A man appeared in a doorway. He gave the travelers a curious look.

  They turned the corner and came to an open field. A house stood in the middle of it. Lamplights flickered. Then Beth noticed that a caravan of camels surrounded the house.

  “My father is here,” Apellus said. They nudged their camels on. They arrived just as men with torches were dismounting their beasts. Beth saw a tall feather on one of the men’s turbans.

  “Father!” Apellus said.

  Apellus’s camel and Old Neb knelt for their riders to get off.

  The men gathered at the doorway. Datis came over to Apellus.

  “How did you get here so fast?” Apellus asked. “We sprinted ahead of the caravan. We should have been way ahead of you.”

  Datis smiled. “Once the star appeared in the sky,” he said, “I knew exactly where it would lead us.” He put his hand on Apellus’s shoulder and said warmly, “You never studied properly.”

  “It’s a good thing this time,” Apellus said. “One of Herod’s men was following us. We think we’ve lost him.”

  “I hope so,” Apellus’s father said.

  Apellus quickly introduced his father to Beth. Datis bowed. Beth curtsied.

  Just then, a servant approached. He handed Datis a small brown dish. A flame burned inside it.

  Datis and the other wise men went to the door. Each of them carried a small box. The boxes were gold and covered with jewels.

  Apellus stood next to his father. Datis signaled to a man nearby. The man handed Apellus a chest made of gold.

  Beth and Patrick joined the wise men.

  Beth gasped with excitement. “Is this it? Are we going to see the baby Jesus?”

  Patrick put a hand on her arm and shook his head.

  “What’s wrong?” Beth whispered.

  “They all have gifts, and we don’t,” Patrick whispered back.

  “I have a gift,” Beth said. She reached into her belt and brought out a pouch. She pulled the stuffed toy lion out of the pouch. “Judith gave it to me.”

  Patrick smiled. “It’s better than nothing,” he said.

  Beth looked at the gift and suddenly felt unhappy. “It doesn’t seem like much,” she said.

  “Does it matter?” Patrick asked. Then he teased Beth and said, “Or would you rather sell this gift? You could give the money to the poor.”

  Beth scowled at him.

  A man holding a lamp appeared in the doorway. He looked as if he’d just woken up. He stared at the crowd with a puzzled look on his face. “I’m Joseph,” he said. “What do you want?”

  Datis stepped forward. “We have come from afar to honor the infant King.”

  Joseph stood silently for a moment. He glanced around at the group that had gathered. Then he nodded as if he understood. “Come in,” Joseph said and stepped aside.

  The wise men filed through the door. Beth and Patrick followed behind Apellus.

  Beth was caught in the wonder of the moment. But she hadn’t forgotten the warning she had to give Joseph.

  The house was a little room with one small window. The window was nothing more than a hole in the wall with bars across it. The walls looked as if they were made of mud. Bundles of clothes, straw, jars, and bowls lay on the floor. Beth was surprised there wasn’t any furniture.

  She looked through a rear doorway. A donkey was standing in a stall. It munched on a bale of hay.

  Joseph set his lamp on a ledge carved into the wall.

  Beth saw a woman on the other side of the room. She knew it was Mary. Mary was sitting on a mat. She held a baby in her arms.

  Mary smiled at the visitors. She put her finger to her lips. “Shhh,” she whispered, “He’s sleeping.”

  The wise men and Apellus knelt and began to whisper in a different language. Beth realized they were worshipping the Child.

  Patrick knelt. Beth took off her cloak and laid it on the floor. Then she knelt next to Patrick.

  “I don’t know what to say,” Patrick whispered.

  Beth nodded. It was one thing to worship God at church. It was another thing to kneel before Jesus and worship Him.

  Datis stood and said, “Now we present these gifts to honor the newborn King.”

  The group of wise men set their boxes on the dirt floor.

  “Thank you,” Joseph said. His eyes were filled with tears.

  Beth stepped forward. “Patrick and I brought a gift for Jesus too,” she said, stammering. “He’s my cousin. Patrick, I mean. And Judith made the gift. She’s Simeon’s niece.”

  The Baby suddenly stirred, wiggling. Mary laughed softly. She looked up at Beth. “Would you like to hold Him?” she asked.

  “May I?” Beth asked. She handed the toy lion to Patrick. Then she sat on a basket.

  Mary picked up Jesus and put Him in Beth’s arms.

  Beth realized Jesus wasn’t a newborn. She guessed that He was a few months old. His face was the most beautiful she’d ever seen.

  Then He scrunched up His tiny face. Waa-aaa! Jesus cried. His face turned bright red.

  “What do I do?” Beth asked in a panic.

  Patrick knelt down. “Look here, Jesus,” he said. “We brought You a toy.” Patrick held the stuffed lion out to
Him.

  Baby Jesus stopped crying. He reached out His little hand and grabbed the lion. He waved the lion in the air. Then He smiled and gurgled.

  Everyone laughed.

  Beth couldn’t believe she was holding Jesus in her arms. She felt like laughing and crying at the same time. She leaned over and kissed His soft cheek. The Baby gave a toothless grin.

  Beth sighed with joy. Then she handed Jesus back to Mary.

  She turned to Patrick with a smile as she stood up. The window was beyond Patrick’s shoulder. To her horror, she saw a face looking in at them.

  It was Brutus!

  Trapped!

  Patrick was watching Mary and the Baby. Beth tugged at his sleeve. She looked upset.

  “What?” Patrick whispered to her.

  “Brutus was at the window,” she whispered back.

  Patrick looked, but no one was there. “Let’s make sure,” Patrick said. He walked through the men to get through the door. Beth followed.

  Brutus rounded the corner on foot as they stepped outside.

  “There!” Beth said.

  Brutus saw the cousins, spun on his heel and ran.

  Without thinking, Patrick said, “After him! We can’t let him get back to Herod!”

  Patrick and Beth raced after Brutus.

  Brutus dodged down a narrow street. The cousins followed. Brutus pushed over large empty water pots to slow them down. Patrick and Beth had to dodge the broken fragments.

  Brutus turned onto another street. Patrick and Beth raced after him.

  They found themselves in an alley. A high wall was in front of them. It was a dead end. Where was Brutus?

  Patrick noticed barrels and baskets in the alley. He thought about stacking them. Then he and Beth could climb over the wall. He picked up an empty barrel.

  Just then, Brutus leaped out of a doorway behind Patrick and Beth.

  Patrick hadn’t thought about what to do if they caught up to Brutus. He hadn’t made a plan. Now they were trapped!

  Brutus held a dagger in his hand. His mouth was drawn into a sneer. His pointy nose crinkled upward.

  Patrick tipped the barrel and rolled it toward Brutus. But Brutus easily stepped out of the way.