Photo © 2008 Jenjke Bykov CC 2.0 BY NC ND
From the moment they appeared at my door, I knew the two men weren’t from around here. The first of them introduced himself as Salmon, told me they were seeking my services, said that Avi had sent them. I looked him in the eye for a few seconds. Good-looking, not too eager. I try to be careful about making mistakes, because there are some services I don’t provide, and I’ve been burnt before. But they looked okay, and they knew Avi. Business travelers, I thought, slumming it up in the red-light district. I let them in.
They gave the room a once-over, my humble abode. I told them where to sit, in the dark corner near where I had been weaving flax into rope. I poured them each a drink, gyrating and throwing them each a wink. I described to them the services I offer—and told them which ones I don’t offer—and how much it would cost. Nods all around.
One of them started a conversation. Nothing about that seemed out of whack. Men often enjoyed a little casual talk before satisfying their baser urges. Salmon said he had heard that I sometimes met high-ranking officials. Even that didn’t make me suspicious. I just told him I couldn’t discuss who I know or don’t know. I may be just a whore, but privacy is still pretty important in my line of work, and I don’t want to get on the wrong side of some of my clients.
“What have you heard about the nomads camped on the other side of the Jordan?” the other man asked.
I think that’s when I first started to suspect something wasn’t quite right about these two. I looked back at him. He sipped his wine. “Not much,” I said, without giving away what I was thinking. “What have you heard about them?”
“They’re probably just camping out near the river,” Salmon said. “That’s what I’d do.”
“But that’s not their way,” I said. “They’ve come through, blowing away anybody who gets in their way. And now, suddenly, they show up on our doorstep? Some people say they’re planning an attack.”
The two men looked at each other for a split second, not long enough to be obvious, but I noticed.
Salmon shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said. “Besides, you all are pretty safe. I don’t see how anyone could make it past the walls of this city.”
Before I could stop myself, I snickered. I had already given up hope that if the Israelites attacked Jericho, that we would survive. Even if my family and I could escape into the inner city, even if the city could withstand their attack, we would still lose our houses and everything we had. And based on what I was hearing from some of the king’s advisers—as you may have guessed, I do indeed know some prominent people—they considered that optimistic. These Israelites posed a genuine problem, and Jericho was reeling from fear.
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to save his ego. “I didn’t mean to laugh at you. You must not be from around here. Everyone’s talking about these Israelites, and how invincible they are.”
He smiled. “No one’s invincible,” he said, sadly, like he was just telling me what I wanted to hear, but he didn’t want to, like he was protecting me from the truth. Someone else might not even have noticed it, but I made a living picking up on subtle signals from men.
“Yeah. I’m with that,” I said casually. “So what’s your pleasure, gentlemen?” getting back to business.
“Can I tell you the truth?” the second man answered my question with a question.
“Always,” I said. “Just remember to respect my rules.”
“We were really just looking for somewhere to spend the night, somewhere where they’ll respect our privacy and no one will ask too many questions. Do you think you could do that?”
I nodded. If they were on the run, that would explain some of the signals I had been getting. “My brother will be visiting me on his way home from the fields,” I said. “But he respects my business, and won’t ask questions. I’ll tell him you’re out-of-town guests. There’s a place on the roof where you can sleep, not a luxury hotel but it’ll keep you out of sight, out of mind.”
The two men looked to each other for approval. Salmon turned back to me. “That sounds fine,” sweetly.
The second man pulled from his sack several gold pieces. “Will this be sufficient?”
“Yes,” I said blandly. It was enough to keep us well through the year even if the harvest were to turn up completely empty. Whatever they were running from, whatever they had done, I thought, it had apparently been quite lucrative.
Salmon and I spent the rest of the afternoon and into the evening talking, as his companion stood guard. Salmon asked about my family, our life. I began to notice him noticing me, and I began to enjoy it. For a few moments anyhow, I think I finally touched happiness. I would have liked, I thought, to have him as a regular guest. I didn’t see how that could possibly be. I confided in him my fears, the inside story. Despite what the king has been telling us, he’s been panicking, trying to shore up defenses for a sustained war against a superior foe. Those aren’t my words; they’re what one of the king’s advisers told me to expect. Salmon was right to get out, to run as far as he could as fast as he could.
As the sun set, I noticed the king’s men marching toward us on the road, with full-on torches and swords. What they told me, though, changed my life forever.
I’m not a traitor. I just want to live.
Note: Read some of the story behind the writing of this story at this post at BeTheStory.com.
В статье рассматриваются различные стратегии борьбы с зависимостями, включая проверенные методы и реальные истории успеха. Читатель узнает, какие подходы наиболее эффективны и как начать путь к выздоровлению.
Посмотреть подробности – капельницы от запоя в Муроме
migliori bonus benvenuto scommesse (Senaida) motomondiale
uk Horse racing sportsbook
racing cards with free betting tips
bonus scommesse aams nuovo papa dove giocare
В этой статье мы подробно рассматриваем проверенные методы борьбы с зависимостями, включая психотерапию, медикаментозное лечение и поддержку со стороны общества. Мы акцентируем внимание на важности комплексного подхода и возможности успешного восстановления для людей, столкнувшихся с этой проблемой.
Всё самое вкусное внутри – проводить вывод из запоя круглосуточно
wettformat sportwetten bonus ohne einzahlung steuern schweiz
list of horse racing bookmakers uk
Also visit my web page … Greyhound fast results today – https://grayhound-betting.com/ –
free bet grand national
Review my site greyhound racing tip sheets (Jamison)
gambling advertising canada, 5 dollar min deposit casino united states and online casino franchise uk, or bingo online
for money united kingdom
Here is my page … highest payout casinos in vegas, Connie,
casino london uk, best online pokies united kingdom forum and craps why chinese like gambling (Carmel) uk,
or how to win at united statesn roulette
blackjack bube dame könig
my webpage; klassische Slots echtgeld
new zealandn no deposit bonus pokies, gambling disorder (Del) ad canada and free spins on card registration usa,
or yukon gold blackjack
casino mit mastercard
Look into my web page; Beste Slot seiten
casino mit prepaid karte und bonus
Also visit my web-site :: Roulette Technik
free pokies canada aristocrat, gambling revenue canada and $50 no
deposit mobile casino new zealand, or best online roulette for real money united
kingdom
Feel free to visit my webpage: bingo Halls open today
beste casino tischspiele casinos
my web site: 3 Euro Startguthaben Ohne einzahlung
online casino bonus auszahlung
Feel free to visit my web-site :: Spielautomaten Ohne einsatzlimit
jeton casino mit Hoher gewinnchance willkommensbonus
online Startguthaben Casino Deutschland (http://Www.Gazipasatickets.Nl) mit ethereum
einzahlung
Baccarat free Game Download for pc online pokies usa, casino
sites in usa and casinos in united states vancouver, or new zealandn online casino pokies
Этот информативный текст сочетает в себе темы здоровья и зависимости. Мы обсудим, как хронические заболевания могут усугубить зависимости и наоборот, как зависимость может влиять на общее состояние здоровья. Читатели получат представление о комплексном подходе к лечению как физического, так и психического состояния.
Читать далее > – вывод из запоя цена
crash spiele um echtes geld
Here is my site roulette live online kostenlose [Kristal]
usa free spins no money deposit, real slot machines for sale canada and usa online casinos for real money, or
all united kingdom bingo lantana
my blog … why gambling is Legal In goa
online Casino Ohne 5 sekunden Paysafecard ohne beschränkung freispiele
ist risiko ein glücksspiel
Feel free to visit my blog post – Online casino 1 euro jeton
casino ohne umsatzbedingungen klarna
my web site … welches blackjack spielen
best poker website australia, first casino in united states and traditional native united
statesn gambling games, or online real casino usa
Also visit my website: where is it legal To gamble at 18
new zealandn online casino that accept ach payments (Lucie) pokies au reviews, new zealandn roulette table and no wagering casino
bonuses uk, or united kingdom casino slots
online casino mit 4 euro startguthaben
my web-site :: echtgeld slots respins
spielautomat geld einzahlen
Feel free to visit my web-site bonus buy slots mit bonus;
http://Aerotermicaarredobagno.it/2026/04/28/exklusive-mobiles-casino-boni-2026-nur-fur-registrierte-spieler/,
casinos adventskalender
Review my web blog … Live Casino Paysafecard Auszahlung
aposta esportiva regras
Here is my web-site … Basketball-wetten.com
new zealandn roulette tips and tricks, online gambling uk statistics and play free usa bingo, or uk gambling license conditions
Look at my website :: What Is A Hole Card In Blackjack
live casino mit eps und bonus (Hazel) casino trustly
horse racing cheltenham bets tips (Iris) bet of the day
ted online casino game – Oliver,
casino canada real money roulette, united statesn online casino win real money and whats the largest casino in australia,
or united statesn poker tournament
are the top online pokies and casinos in new zealand right now,
real money slots free spins usa and best online pokies in new zealand with
neosurf, or top Is casino games fixed
in united states for real money
betsoft casinos united kingdom no deposit bonus, casino toronto canada and top poker sites in united states, or usa real money slots no deposit bonus
Take a look at my site: Whats A Gambling Marker
500 free spins no deposit united states, new zealandn roulette table and free online united kingdom casino, or 2021 usa online casino no deposit
bonus codes
Visit my web-site :: blackjack 21 blackjackist, Delilah,
australia no deposit online casino, canadian gambling statistics
2021 and can you play online blackjack for money (Sheldon) casino uk 5 deposit, or online casino australia best payout
virtual poker with friends uk, casino age limit uk and online casino franchise uk, or new online casino
australia 2021
Here is my website: Baccarat Odds Of Streaks
casino spiele mit 1 euro einzahlung (Marti) nachrichten
las vegas usa casino internet archive reviews, winner slots uk and play aristocrat
pokies online australia, or top online pokies and casinos real
money canada
usaash bingo usa, canadian gambling laws and online casino united statesn legal gambling age in macau (Ernestina) real money no deposit bonus, or online casino
slots real money australia
online casino ab 50 euro litecoin
my page … GlüCksspielrechtliche erlaubnis Nrw
live casino echtgeld handyrechnung
Here is my blog Mines Spiel Mit Paypal
online free casino united states, free deposit casino uk and real online casino australia, or awesome online casino new zealand
My webpage; can casinos cheat At Roulette
roulette guaranteed profit
Look at my web page live baccarat online; Jannie,
casino 150 euro einzahlen 450 euro spielen (Dante) kreditkarte ab 10 euro
В этой статье рассматривается комплексный подход к избавлению от зависимости. Читатель узнает, как сочетание физического, психологического и духовного восстановления помогает достичь стойкого выздоровления.
Открыть полностью – Нарколог на дом в Новокузнецке