Delilah. Eleanor Jong De

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СКАЧАТЬ brother, her arms spread wide. Ekron was shaking as he stared at the wet shards of pottery at his feet.

      ‘What did you do that for, sister?’

      ‘Pah!’ shouted Hemin. ‘You’re no brother of mine if you take your orders from that little Israelite cat.’

      Delilah felt her mother’s fingers squeeze her waist, and twisting around, she saw Achish’s jaw stiffen. This was her father’s special day. How could Hemin be so cruel? To cover her embarrassment, she tugged Achish’s embroidered sleeve.

      ‘These are lovely cakes,’ she said. ‘Tell me more about the bees.’

      Achish’s eyes fell to her and he smiled a little sadly. ‘They have a nasty sting, Delilah, but they’re just defending their territory.’

      Chapter Two

      Six years later

      ‘It’s just as well, Delilah, that it was I who had the purse today, and not Achish,’ said Beulah, smiling indulgently. ‘I’ve no doubt he’d have let you come away with four dresses, not just two.’ Delilah watched the housegirl squeeze through the narrow door into the cool recesses of the house, her arms piled high with cloth-wrapped packages.

      ‘But I really couldn’t decide, Mother. The colours were all so pretty.’

      ‘Thank goodness I managed to talk you out of those Egyptian reds, for there would be nothing left to spend on Hemin’s dowry if you had bought that particular dress.’

      ‘And the groom must be paid to take her off our hands!’

      ‘Tsk!’ Beulah scolded.

      Delilah couldn’t quite tell if her mother’s outrage was genuine or merely a warning, so she gave a neat little curtsey of contrition and tucked her hand into the crook of her mother’s arm. The seemingly bottomless well of Hemin’s meanness was directed at both of them, but Beulah bore it with an inexhaustible reserve of patience. Delilah snapped back as a rule, through stubbornness now, rather than real irritation.

      ‘Well,’ murmured Delilah, ‘the groom will have to have the courage of the god Ba’al, the wisdom of the goddess Asherah, and allow himself to be blinded by the earthy passions of the goddess Qadeshtu—’

      ‘You’re much too young to know of Qadeshtu,’ said Beulah primly, her eyes crinkled with amusement.

      ‘I’m nearly fifteen! I’d surely be married already if it weren’t for the difficulty of finding a man fool enough to take Hemin.’

      ‘Samson’s no fool. He is a catch, Delilah, make no mistake.’

      ‘But only an Israelite catch—’

      Beulah pressed her lips together in a look of mild pain. ‘Your lack of interest in your culture is nothing to be proud of. Samson’s already well regarded. Some say he’ll even be leader one day.’

      ‘Leader of what?’ Delilah asked. ‘A patch of sand which the Philistines can take away at any time.’

      Beulah waved a hand. ‘Land means nothing. If Samson is made a Judge of the People, he will control their hearts.’

      Delilah realised arguing would only drive a wedge between them. A part of her felt guilty too. It was true that since her father’s death, she’d enjoyed the life of a Philistine and conveniently forgotten the plight of her father’s people, living and working under Philistine rule. It was easy to, within the shady confines of the house. She offered her mother a smile. ‘All I’m saying is that it serves Hemin right after all her years of belittling us for being Israelites to have to marry one.’

      Beulah pulled away to look soberly at her daughter. ‘Achish’s example is one we should all follow. None of us is better than the other, and this match is Achish’s way of signalling that to his own community as well as to ours. He foresees a time when Israelites pay the same taxes as Philistines, when families can eat and shop together. When we’re equals.’

      Delilah bit back the easy retort that Hemin’s equal could only be found in Lotan, the God of Destruction. She seriously doubted that one marriage would sow the seeds of conciliation, but it was typical of her stepfather’s optimism. ‘Of course, Mother,’ she said.

      ‘Anyway,’ murmured Beulah, the corners of her mouth twitching into the slyest of smiles, ‘Hemin should be grateful for this match, for Samson is apparently quite without equal in one particular area.’

      ‘What do you mean?’

      ‘Well, I think it’s Hemin who will have to pray to Qadeshtu, for Samson is clearly one of her most gifted disciples already.’

      ‘Mother!’ squealed Delilah. ‘How do you know such things?’

      ‘Samson’s reputation goes far and wide—’ Beulah smirked. ‘Perhaps that’s not quite the right way to put it.’

      Delilah began to giggle, and soon mother and daughter were laughing together.

      On the floor above, a shutter opened and Ekron peered out into the courtyard. ‘What’s going on down there? I’m trying to study – Oh, Lilah, it’s you.’

      Delilah wiped her eyes with the corner of her shawl and pressed her hand on her ribs to calm her breathing. ‘We just got back from shopping.’

      ‘Did you manage to choose a dress for the betrothal ceremony?’

      ‘Two, actually,’ she said breezily. ‘Would you like to see them?’

      Ekron leaned further out through the window. ‘You’ll try them on for me?’

      ‘I suppose so.’

      ‘I’m coming down. Meet me in the hall.’

      Delilah shrugged at him but Ekron had already disappeared from the window and she could hear his bare feet on the rush matting upstairs.

      ‘You should be careful of Ekron’s feelings,’ said her mother.

      ‘A second opinion will be useful!’ Delilah replied.

      ‘You have never needed anyone else’s opinion. Besides, you know that you look beautiful in both dresses. And Ekron will surely tell you so.’

      Delilah ignored the awkward implications of her mother’s words and led her into the hallway. The housegirl had left the packages in two neat piles on a table by the stairs and Delilah picked through them, discarding rolls of napkins for the betrothal, and another parcel that they had collected for Ariadnh from the cloth merchant. The betrothal ceremony was to take place a full month before the wedding, as was the Philistine custom. Convenient as well, Delilah thought, in case either party wanted to back out.

      Ekron stopped halfway down the stairs and sank down onto a step, his head level with Delilah’s.

      ‘Did you have fun, Lilah?’

      ‘I wish you wouldn’t call me that.’

      Ekron rolled his eyes. ‘De-lilah.’

      ‘As СКАЧАТЬ