The Days of Peleg (65 page)

“Shem is over three hundred years old,” he said without further explanation.

Reu looked back to Shem and stared up into his face for a moment, and then slowly began laughing.

He reached up and grasped Shem by the forearm to assure him that he was not the object of his mirth.

“If that is true,” he said, smiling, “then it would appear that
many
people throughout the world are your great-great-great-grandchildren! What is so special about
our
family?” He gestured to include his father.

“Apparently Shem is interested in
my
descendants,” said Peleg.

Shem opened his mouth to speak again, but Peleg quickly interrupted. He was sure that Shem was about to make his speech about the coming
Zeh-ra
, and Peleg was not ready for that—at least not yet.

“Thanks again for the clothing and hospitality,” Peleg said hurriedly. “It is most gracious of you.”

“You are most welcome,” said Reu.

He turned towards Bernifal, apparently unable to ignore his dress any further.

“Is something wrong with your suit?” he asked, with apparent concern.

Before Bernifal could try and answer, Peleg spoke.

“Bernifal is just learning our language,” he said to Reu, switching to the language of Uruk. “In fact, neither Shem nor Bernifal know
this
tongue. I’m sure he appreciates the gift, but he is certainly not used to such clothing.”

Reu nodded, and then turned to Shem.

“Shem, can you please inform young Bernifal that I would prefer he wear the clothing I provided for him? Tell him that it is for his safety.”

Shem looked perplexed for a moment, then turned to Bernifal and spoke quietly to him. A murmured exchange took place, and eventually Shem turned back to Reu.

“Bernifal says he is exceedingly thankful and appreciative of your gifts, but, unless you insist, he would prefer wearing the clothing to which he is accustomed.”

Shem looked down at Reu with a look pleading for understanding.

Reu stared back for a second, and then nodded.

“What did you mean by ‘safety’?” asked Peleg.

Reu turned to Peleg, but did not answer. Eventually, he stepped back slightly, and raised his arms.

“I would like to invite you to my library,” he said, speaking to all three. “We can continue our visit there, and we have much to discuss.”

He looked into Peleg’s eyes.

“And I’m sure you have much to share with me,” he said to Peleg.

“Follow me.”

Reu led them out into the hallway where they turned right and continued past more mosaics, sculptures, and more polished bronze mirrors. Bernifal walked with them in his animal skin covering (somewhat obstinately, in Peleg’s opinion).

Peleg pulled up to walk beside Reu, intending to ask about the ‘safety’ comment. But before he could speak, Reu presented his own question.

“How is my mother?” he asked.

Peleg was somewhat startled, but immediately thought of Talah-Barsuu, Reu’s mother. Although Reu was his first-born, she had not been his first wife but his second. His first wife, Saret-Tarshe, had not produced any children, but had died when a section of the
Citadel
(which was under construction at the time) had collapsed, trapping her along with seven other people. They had been married only eight months, and the child who
would
have been his first-born had died with her.

He quickly replaced the pain of that memory with memories of Reu’s mother—suddenly realizing he had not answered his son’s question.

He shook his head slightly.

“You probably know more about your mother—and my household in Ur—than I do, since I have been away with no contact for almost thirteen years.”

Reu nodded slightly, realizing he had forgotten his father’s long absence.

“That is true,” he acknowledged. “I suppose I should be telling
you
the latest news from home.”

They turned left into a small passageway, and Reu continued.

“Of course I heard that you had been selected for the Great Discovery, but I assumed you had been lost, since only two ships ever returned—neither of them the
Urbat
.”

“Only two?” Peleg was astonished, and also somewhat saddened.

“Yes,” replied Reu. “Only the
Parsu
and the
Tabannusi
returned. The
Tabannusi
returned on schedule, but with a great deal of storm damage. However, the
Parsu
arrived almost two years early. The crew was dying of starvation, and they barely managed to float into port. Apparently their ship had narrowly escaped a volcanic explosion in the south polar regions, and they had circled, lost for months until they stumbled on the correct longitude to bring them home.”

Peleg nodded somberly, flashing back to his own fears during his time in the
šeg
-covered land. He pushed the unknown fate of the
Kibrat Erbettim
from his mind.

“Unfortunately,” Reu continued, “the entire crew of both ships was immediately quarantined, and no one—not even their families—has ever met with any of them since.”

Peleg was dumbfounded. The returning travelers of the Great Discovery should have been met with awards and celebrations—not silence.

“How could this happen?” Peleg asked. “Surely there must be some demand or protest to see the crews.”

Reu shrugged.

“Not really,” he said. “The entire Great Discovery is a largely forgotten part of history.” He stopped and looked Peleg in the eye.

“A great deal has happened in the last thirteen years.”

A cold shudder went through Peleg’s back. Reu’s words were eerily reminiscent of Shem’s earlier admonition.

“Are you saying that no one cares about the Great Discovery Expedition?”

“No, of course not,” said Reu as they resumed walking. “One reason I maintained an interest was because my father—I mean, you—were aboard one of the vessels. And another reason was…”

He paused as a sheepish grin played out over his face.

“Well,” he began, “I maintained a lottery in honor of the Great Discovery. Investors purchased certificates which bore a ship’s name and the date which they believed it would return. I did enjoy rewarding one large payout when the
Tabannusi
returned, but unfortunately, no one placed bets on the unexpected early homecoming of the
Parsu
. Naturally, since none of the other vessels ever arrived, the remaining investments have, sadly, remained safe with me.”

Peleg was stunned. The most ambitious and scientifically significant adventure of his lifetime had been reduced to a gambling game by his son.

He didn’t have much time to remain offended, however. Reu’s next comment was cause for even greater concern.

“Of course, if you were to return to Ur, there are those who might feel they deserve a small disbursement.”

Peleg looked sharply at Reu, who seemed not to notice. Apparently he was speaking to himself.

The four men passed through a large archway on their left and then, after two more rights, they entered into a large room which could only be a library.

Numerous pillars, which rose halfway to the ceiling, were placed throughout the room, and small tongues of fire flickered from their tops, lighting the area. Two large stone tables sat near the far wall, and shelves containing scrolls and various artifacts rose above them.

The remaining walls displayed artwork, along with some charts and a few maps. One map (obviously Phoenician) outlined the Great Western Sea—which elicited an angry memory as Peleg could approximate the location where the
Urbat
had been destroyed.

Reu motioned for them to be seated in four large carved-wood chairs just inside the doorway. Peleg sat across from Reu, with Shem on his right, and Bernifal on his left.

A steward mysteriously appeared with a carafe of wine and four flagons, and offered drinks to the men. They all accepted except Shem, who wordlessly declined.

Reu spoke first, with a slight smile in Shem’s direction.

“So father,” he began. “Since your friend is so interested in our family, perhaps I can start by telling you about my children.” He shifted to address all three.

“I have three sons, the oldest of whom is Serug, and seven daughters, one of whom runs my southern office.”

He turned back to Peleg.

“You will be pleased to know that Serug excels in linguistics much as you did. He is currently employed in Babylon constructing a new language from a combination of all the Shinar tongues. Sargon has employed him to craft this language to facilitate commerce. It is a mixture of Chaldean, Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian, designed to remove the barriers brought about by the Great Awakening.”

Peleg suppressed a response. He had never once considered that the Great Awakening was something that should be reversed. He also noticed Shem react briefly to the mention of Sargon, and suddenly realized that Shem probably felt that he was deep within enemy territory.

But Reu was now speaking as if he were addressing a classroom.

“Anything that promotes commerce and develops wealth is to be encouraged. That is what we do. I help people create business and provide them with investments and commodities. I can either help you establish your own enterprise, or I can help you direct your funds towards the best possible returns. I have discovered one of the most powerful mathematical concepts ever. I call it compound interest. Let me ask you this: Are you aware of the significance of the number ‘seventy-two’?”

Without waiting for an answer, he hurried on, oblivious to his audience. He was obviously in the middle of a lecture which he gave often.

Peleg was somewhat mortified that the beautiful science of math was being denigrated in such a fashion. But he knew Reu had left home to study finance, and given the city he had traveled to, this was to be expected.

Reu continued on speaking about returns, doubling, and “deviations above twenty percent”. He also presented scenarios where an investor could reap inconceivable amounts of money in as little as one hundred years simply by building upon the initial outlay.

Eventually Shem had endured enough, and he stood slowly, bringing the dissertation to a halt.

“You must forgive us,” he said slowly, towering over the three men who were still seated. “Although all that you say is true, I believe you were speaking of your family. Do you have any grandchildren?”

Shem slowly returned to his seat as a stunned Reu stared blankly at him. He had never been silenced in such a manner, but it was hard to say whether he was more upset at the interruption, or the implication by Shem that his message was nothing new.

He slowly turned to Peleg, who shrugged.

“I’m sorry, Reu,” he said. “Shem is like that. He is very fixated on the issue of our lineage.”

Reu remained still, his shock slowly turning to anger. Peleg quickly tried to diffuse it by changing the subject.

“I noticed a new structure being built on top of the city’s Citadel,” he said. “It wasn’t there the last time I was here. Is it in honor of something?”

Reu shook his head slowly, thankful for the way out. He put on his best businessman’s smile (again) and answered.

“It is a small temple in honor of
Anu
,” he said. “It is a symbol that we believe can unite the Plains in a spirit of economic unity. A belief in the ‘positive’ benefits us all.”

Peleg was familiar with
Anu
, the smiling, horned, demigod. He supposedly blessed humanity indirectly (and unintentionally) by keeping the forces of poverty and want at bay. Peleg was also quite offended.

“Why would you endorse such superstitious nonsense?” he asked, a little too harshly. “I
know
I taught you better than that, although it was long ago.”

Reu laughed.

“Father,
please
,” he responded. “I said it was a
symbol
. No one is going to regard such concepts literally.” But even as he said it, it seemed to Peleg that Reu was not entirely convinced.

Reu turned to Shem, acquiescing to his desired topic.

“I have a young grandson, Nahor, who is twenty-six, and he is currently establishing franchises for me in Ur. He has discovered many artisans and craftsmen who are only too eager to use him as they develop their trade. Our proven system has created a great deal of wealth there among many who would otherwise have remained quite average. I am especially proud of him, considering his youth. Of course, as a child, he matured
so
quickly. In fact, at less than two years of age young Nahor was speaking fluently, and had mastered a great deal of mathematics by age five.”

Reu smiled in remembered amazement and continued.

“I have just received word that he is betrothed to a young lady he met in Ur. I just hope she doesn’t distract him from his business…”

“I should like to meet him,” Shem interrupted.

Reu looked across at this strange Mentor who had disrupted his discourse twice in as many minutes. He then tossed an angry look towards Peleg who shrugged and looked down in embarrassment. Shem was clearly obsessed.

After a long pause, Reu spoke.

“I’m not sure it would be wise for you to travel to Ur at this time,” he said slowly.

“Why?” asked Shem and Peleg in unison.

Again a pause as Reu seemed to struggle to find the best way to answer them.

“Although most have forgotten the Great Discovery,” he began, “informants are under orders to constantly watch for news of returning ships. There are sentries at every major port, and even if the remaining ships never return, they know that individual survivors might arrive by foot after traveling long distances through the mountains or across the deserts. Sargon has been most adamant about this.”

Another pause as Peleg allowed this to sink in.

“How can you know this?” he asked. “Are you saying they intend to hold anyone who was part of the Great Discovery?”

“I know this because of letters from mother,” he answered. “She tells me there are agents posted near your home at all times, in case you should appear. As to your second question, I can only speculate. Perhaps members of the
Parsu
discovered something that Sargon wants never to be revealed. Perhaps he wants to destroy all memory of the Great Discovery. Either way, his desire is absolute in this respect, and no one has ever heard from members of either of those vessels since they were detained.”