Chapter
183
What had come over
Atarah? An iron clamp gripped Shem’s heart as he watched her stagger,
ashen-faced, in a circle, her eyes dark stagnant pools. “Atarah.” He touched
her arm to calm her. She shook him off causing his emotions to jolt and tumble.
“You knew about the Flood.”
Didn’t she? Yes.
They’d talked about it. He remembered talking with her about the Flood, but had
he told her how soon?
Unseeing
eyes shifted to his.
Shem’s
feelings about the Flood before he met Atarah flashed into his mind. Though he
had understood the inevitability of God’s punishment, he hadn’t been ready for
the Flood. Not until he met Atarah. And even now he experienced occasional
feelings of fear. Who knew if they would survive?
“You’re not ready
for the Flood yet?”
She
blinked. “My mother.”
At
the sound of her voice, relief buoyed his emotions.
“I can’t let my
mother die in the Flood.”
His understanding
of her intent skipped ahead of her words and his heart plummeted to his
stomach. “You know it’s impossible to find her and bring her here in three
days.”
Her back stiffened
and determination sparked from her eyes. “I can if I go through the
underground.”
“No, you can’t!”
Her illogic infuriated him. She knew the journey would take weeks. “You don’t
know the way.”
“I know one of the
tunnels down there leads to the city.”
“You may not be able to find it again. If you
do, you could still be accosted by Peleg or Dagaar or . . .” Anger coagulated
the names in his throat, preventing him from listing all the threats to her
safety. “You don’t even know if your mother would want to come onto the ark.”
“She will when I
explain everything.”
“You don’t know
that. She’s had years.”
“She didn’t want
to leave Father. Or the rest of us. But things are different now.”
“Why?” He saw
hesitancy flicker in her eyes. “I don’t want you to go. I don’t want you to
die!” The instant he heard the pathos in his own voice, Shem’s anger
evaporated. What did Father say about anger, that the emotion covers fear? Shem
suddenly understood that his anger sprang from fear for Atarah’s safety and
fear of losing her. He felt his eyes soften into a plea. “I love you!”
Unfortunately, his
declaration came out as more desperate than romantic. He chided himself.
Liquid sapphire
shimmered in Atarah’s eyes before she dropped her head. Tears fell to the plank
floor where they grew into dark circles. “Mother thinks I hate her.”
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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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