Chapter
179
©
Jeannie St. John Taylor
“Every seed from every corner of the earth.”
He lifted his chin and smiled at her through shuttered lids. “We might have
traveled even further than your father.”
His
flirty smile stopped her heart and she rose on wobbly legs. “We better get back
to work.”
He
leaned back against the table, elbows propped behind him on the top surface,
and stretched his legs into the room. “We also stored every tea imaginable.
What’s your pleasure?”
“I
don’t like tea,” she teased. “Got any chicory?”
“Chicory
and chicory substitutes: Nutsedge, Dandelion, Juniper, Coffee. . . . Want me to
go on?” He flashed a toothy smile, then sobered. “Father collected everything
the One True God commanded and God will have nothing missing when he renews the
earth.”
“After
the Flood.” She completed his thought as though she’d known him forever. The
sudden world-shattering shift of the conversation from bread to the end of the
world left her dizzy. Suddenly, disaster loomed imminent. She knew with
certainty she would have to hurry to bring Mother here.
“Want
to know the purpose of that desk over there?” Shem asked.
She
nodded. He led her into the alcove holding the elaborate desk and carefully
lifted a scroll out of the largest pot. This is the desk where Father will sit
when he inscribes copies of this scroll onto papyrus during the Flood. Shem
reverently unrolled a portion. Letters of gold flowed across a vellum surface
dyed darker purple than the Taro bread.
“Amazing.” She
carefully stroked the letters with her fingertips. “Vellum, right?”
“Yes.
The finest calfskin.”
“What
is it?” She almost thought she could feel holiness rising from the scroll. “A
scroll, I know. But who wrote it?”
“It’s the Book of Enoch, written by my great,
great grandfather, Enoch. He’s the only man in history who didn’t die. Because
he was righteous God took him up in a whirlwind when he was only three hundred
sixty-five years old. This scroll tells the story of everything Enoch saw and
did.”
Such
incredible information! It was almost more than Atarah could take in and Shem
must have seen. “Do you read?” he asked.
“Yes.”
She saw a glint of pride spark on his face. He must have assumed she hadn’t
learned to read because most women couldn’t. To Father’s credit, he encouraged
learning in the women of his household. Shem seemed to like the fact that she
possessed that skill.
“Good. You can
read this after the animals are settled in.” Shem rolled up the scroll and
eased it back into the pot. “Meanwhile, the sea lions on the bottom floor need
us.”
“Yes, there’s lots
to do.” Sadly, she could tell time was flying past and the Flood would start
soon. She would have to leave him to work alone for a week or two.
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About Jeannie St. John Taylor
Jeannie St. John Taylor, best selling author and two-time Gold Medallion finalist, is the author of five non-fiction books as well as fifteen books for children. She writes and illustrates in the office-studio her husband built on their beef farm ten minutes from the skyscrapers in downtown Portland, Oregon. She and Ray have three grown children. Her books include: Culture-proof Kids, Building Character in Your Children, AMG Publishers, Am I Praying, Kregel and How to Be a Praying Mom, Hendrickson Publishers
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