He Who Lifts the Skies (49 page)

One toddler approached Keren jauntily. He was a handsome, husky baby with glowing tawny skin, clear green-brown eyes, fluttering plumes of dark hair, and a remarkable dimpled chin. But his fine looks were nothing beside his charm. He confidently settled into Keren’s lap, inspected her gold cuffs, then showed his approval by cheerfully raising his eyebrows and mouthing an O of mock surprise. Keren laughed.

“Little man! Who are you?”

“He’s my youngest, Kaleb,” one woman confessed, embarrassed. “Don’t let him persuade you to spoil him.”

“Kal,” the toddler said brightly. Then he spied the leather cord around Keren’s neck, which held a new gold pendant created by I’ma-Annah. She let him play with the pendant while she talked with the women. Kal’s older brothers, and his mother, Pakhdaw, couldn’t lure the little boy from Keren’s lap.

At last, as Laheh’beth stood to go outside, Keren said, “If you don’t mind, Pakhdaw, I’ll tend Kal for a while.” Pakhdaw smiled gratefully.

Outside, the men were inspecting the horses and Zekaryah’s weapons.

Zekaryah grinned as Keren approached. “You stole someone’s baby.”

“He stole me.” As Keren spoke, Kal pointed to the horses, making Keren hold him toward Dobe.

While Kal happily patted Dobe, Zekaryah said, “Beloved, they’ll build us a dwelling if we’ll share our horses and teach them to hunt with our weapons.”

“Oh.” Keren wasn’t sure that she wanted to teach anyone to use weapons. However, if the tribe of Ashkenaz was going to shelter her, then it might be best for them to be able to defend themselves against Nimr-Rada’s followers. The thought made Keren ill.

Zekaryah distracted her by tousling the toddler Kaleb’s dark, red-tinged hair. “He chewed your pendant,” Zekaryah observed.

Keren laughed, seeing small tooth marks in the new gold disc.

“Rascal. It doesn’t matter; our children will add their marks to his.”

Clearly pleased by the thought of children, Zekaryah kissed her, unabashed by everyone’s hoots and laughter.

Their teasing made Keren feel completely accepted. She kissed Zekaryah tenderly, then said, “Come, Kal. If your mother agrees, you’ll be the first in your tribe to ride a horse.”

Triumphant, Sharah rode with her cherished, perfect toddler-son through the streets of the Great City, followed by her servants and guards and Nimr-Rada’s prized leopards—reminders of the Great King’s power. The citizens’ adoration had eased Sharah’s violent grief at Qaydawr’s death—grief everyone had wrongly attributed to her mourning Nimr-Rada.

Never in her life would she forget the instant when Ra-Anan had placed Qaydawr’s unmistakable, long-lashed severed eyelids before her, announcing his death. She had screamed, wept, and raved for days.

I haven’t forgiven you, Ra-Anan
, Sharah thought.
But you are necessary for me to finish my tower and rule my kingdom. One day I’ll tell my son the truth, and then you’ll die. Perhaps I’ll even be rid of Kuwsh
.…

“Little Son of Heaven!” a woman cried to Sharah’s child.

Elated, Sharah held her son high. He delighted everyone by laughing and raising his small fists to the skies.

Glossary

Abdiy
(Ab-
dee
) Servicable.

Achlai
(Akh-
lah
-ee) Wishful.

Achyow
(Akh-
yo
) Brotherly.

Alatah
(Al-aw-
taw
) To cover; dusk.

Annah
(
Awn
-naw) A plea: “I beseech thee” or “Oh now!”

Arawm
(
Arawm
) Highland.

Ashkenaz
(Ash-ken-
az
)? Meaning unknown.

Asshur
(Ash-
shoor
) To guide. To be level.

Azaz
(Aw-
zawz
) Strong.

Bachan
(Baw-
khan
) To test (especially metals).

Becay
(Bes-
ah
-ee) Domineering.

Bekiyrah
(Bek-ee-
raw
) Eldest daughter. Firstborn.

Chaciydah
(Khas-ee-
daw
) Kind (maternal) Bird, i.e., a stork.

Chashum
(Khaw-
shoom
) Enriched.

Chayeh
(Khaw-
yeh
) Vigorous: lively.

Darak
(Daw-
rak
) To tread.

Demamah
(Dem-aw-
maw
) Quiet.

Dobe
(
Do
-beh) To be sluggish, i.e. restful.

Eliyshama
(El-ee-shaw-
maw
) God of hearing.

Erek
(
Eh
-rek) Length.

Ethniy
(Eth-
nee
) Munificence.

Gebuwrah
(Gheb-oo-
raw
) Force. (By implication, “victory.”)

Ghinnah
(Ghin-
naw
) Garden.

Gibbawr
(Gib-
bawr
) Valiant.

Hadarah
(Had-aw-
raw
) Decoration: beauty, honor.

I’ma
(
Ame
-aw) Derived from “Im” or “Em” and the syllable “Ma.” Mother. Bond of the family.

Kaleb
(Kaw-
labe
) Forcible.
Kana
(Kaw-nah) To bend the knee.
Karan
(Kaw-ran) To push or gore.

Kebuwddah
(Keb-ood-
daw
) Weightiness, as in “glorious.”

Keren
(
Keh
-ren) A ray of light.

Kharawsh
(Khaw-
rawsh
) Craftsman.

Khawm
(Khawm) Heat, i.e., a tropical climate.

Khawvilah
(Khav-ee-
law
) Name of lands in the preflood world. “Circular.” Son of Kuwsh.

Khemdaw
(Khem-
daw
) Goodly; precious.

Khuldah
(Khool-
daw
) A weasel (from its gliding motion).

Kuwsh
(Koosh) Possible meanings: To scatter. Confusion. Chaos.

Laheh’beth
(Lah-
eh
-beth) To gleam. A flame. Or the point of a weapon.

Lawkham
(Lawkham) To feed on or (figuratively) consume.

Ma’adannah
(Mah-ad-an-
aw
) Pleasure. Dainty. Delight. Also, A bond or Influence.

Mattan
(Mat-
awn
) A present. Gift.

Meherah
(Me-hay-
raw
) Hurry.

Meleah
(Mel-ay-
aw
) Fulfilled, i.e., abundance (of produce or fruit).

Merowm
(May-
rome
) Height.

Meshek
(
Meh
-shek) Sowing; also, a possession: precious.

Metiyl
(Met-
eel
) Bar. In the sense of hammering out or as forged.

Meysha
(May-
shah
) Safety.

Mitzrayim
(Mits-
rah
-yim) Derived from Matsowr (Maw-tsore.) A limit. Fortified. Egypt.

Miyka
(Mee-
khaw
) Abbreviated from “Who is like God.” Miykayah.
Na’ah
(Na-
ah
) To be at home: i.e., beautiful.

Naomi
(No-om-
ee
) Pleasant.

Nekokhah
(Nek-o-
khaw
) Straightforward. Integrity.

Neshar
(Nesh-
ar
) Eagle.

Nihyah
(nih-
yaw
) Doleful.

Nimr-Rada
(Nem-
ar
-raw-
daw
) From Nimar—Leopard and Radah—To tread down. Subjugate.

Noakh
(
No
-akh) Rest.

Pakhdaw
(Pakh-
daw
) Fear.

Perek
(
Peh
-rek) To break apart. Severity. Cruelty.

Qaydawr
(Kay-
dawr
) Dusky.

Ra-Anan
(Ra-an-
awn
) Prosperous: green, flourishing.

Rahmaw
(Rah-
maw
) The mane of a horse—as in “quivering in the wind.” Son of Kuwsh.

Ramah
(Raw-
maw
) To delude or betray.

Revakhaw
(Rev-aw-
khaw
) Relief; breathing. Respite.

Ritspah
(Rits-
paw
) Hot stone.

Sabtaw
(Sab-
taw
)? Unknown meaning. Compare to Sebaw. Son of Kuwsh.

Sabtekaw
(Sab-tek-
aw
)? Unknown meaning. Compare to Sebaw. Son of Kuwsh.

Sansannah
(San-san-
naw
) A bough.

Sebaw
(Seb-
aw
)? Unknown meaning. Similar to Saw-baw: To become tipsy. Son of Kuwsh.

Sharah
(Shaw-
raw
) A fortification. Wall.

Shaw-Kak
(Shaw-
Kak
) Rush. To be eager. Greedy.

Shem
(Shame) Denotes honor. Literally means “Name.” Also, Appointed One, and To desolate.

Shemesh
(
Sheh
-mesh) The sun.

Tebuwnaw
(Teb-oo-
naw
) Intelligence.

Tekhinnah
(Tekh-in-
naw
) Entreaty; favor.

Tirtsah
(Teer-
tsaw
) Delightsomeness.

Tselem
(
Tseh
-lem) To shade; a phantom. Illusion.

Tsereth
(
Tseh
-reth) Splendor.

Tsinnah
(Tsin-
naw
) A hook. Also, a large shield.

Uzziel
(Ooz-zee-
ale
) Strength of God.

Yabal
(Yaw-
bawl
) A stream.

Yeiysh
(Yeh-
eesh
) Hasty.

Yelalah
(Yel-aw-
law
) Howling.

Yepheth
(
Yeh
-feth) Expansion.

Yishrah
(Yish-
raw
) Uprightness.

Yithran
(Yith-
rawn
) Excellence.

Zehker
(
Zeh
-ker) A memento.

Zekaryah
(Zek-ar-
yaw
) God has remembered.

Zeva’ah
(Zev-aw-
aw
) Agitation, fear.

More Historical Fiction from Moody Publishers