When they arrived in the western courtyard, Pekah saw that all the tents had been packed, and most of the company of Amon stood together. Others arrived about that same time, including Tavor and Ezra, captains of Uzzah and Daniel. Jonathan and Eli moved to stand next to Amon, and Pekah took his place with his fifty of Gideon. All present greeted the newly appointed general.
Amon acknowledged their salute and then spoke to the entire crowd.
“My brethren, you are gathered as part of an army that never has been assembled before. The Brothers march together…”
His deep voice trailed off, almost with an echo. Amon looked all around at the eager faces, each soldier waiting for orders. Standing tall, he spoke with a powerful, drum-like inflection.
“A terrible thing happened outside these walls last night as the sister suns sank below the horizon. I made a promise to my general.. ” Amon paused. “… my friend. I promised him I would find all others who might be of Rezon’s covenant. Before we travel together today, I must be certain that I am among friends. For that reason, I am asking every one of you to remove your weapons where you stand. Lay them on the ground. That is an order!”
Pekah saw that a few soldiers present hesitated at first, but in the end they all did as commanded-even the captains.
“Ezra, Tavor, Pekah, my friends Jonathan and Eli… retrieve your weapons and stand with me.”
The five men did as requested, and moved to stand next to Amon.
Amon then raised his voice again. “Earlier today, I made a covenant with these five men, a vow that will not be broken. They have placed their hands under mine. And now I wish you to do the same.” Amon’s expression was one of determination. “Are there any here who are part of Rezon’s covenant?” he bellowed.
Not a soldier moved. None responded.
Like the other leaders, Pekah searched to and fro, watching every face for signs of distress. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“Come forward then. I want to see your hands!”
A line started to form in front of the general. In an orderly fashion, soldiers presented themselves and offered their right hands, palms upward. The first man stepped forward, and the captains examined his palm, looking for the tell-tale scars. Passing the test, the man then placed his hand over Amon’s.
“Do you swear by your honor that you will serve your tribe, renounce Rezon’s war, and join with all Three Brothers in peace?” Amon asked.
“Yes,” the soldier said.
Amon then committed each man present, whether of Gideon, or Daniel, or Uzzah, to the same oath, each one in turn. Every Danielite and Uzzahite swore it, and nearly all of the Gideonite soldiers did the same. But then Amon came to a soldier of mixed descent whose features reminded Pekah of Eli. He appeared to be very nervous.
At first, the man did not approach. But all those who had passed through the line previously were now armed, and Amon’s entourage stood there with swords glinting in the morning suns-light. After a short hesitation, the soldier cleared his throat and stepped up to Amon, pride in his countenance.
Amon held the man’s palm open, and Pekah could see marks on the soldier’s hand. The scars overlapped, causing a wide, white, jagged trail across his palm, evidence that he had been part of Rezon’s covenant for quite some time. A hush came over the entire company.
“Please stand over here,” Amon ordered with a gesture.
The man complied, and the remaining soldiers were checked. To the surprise of all, one additional soldier with dark, wavy hair presented a scarred palm. Amon made the two of them stand together. They seemed to recognize each other, but Amon did not ask their names.
Pekah watched the general with interest. Amon stood in silence, grinding his teeth and breathing hard. The expression on his face reminded Pekah of the pain caused by betrayal. When Amon spoke again, his voice was harsh.
“Where did you get these scars?”
Neither of the men answered.
“Your presence here has endangered the safety and peace of all around you. A very good man died last evening because of the wicked acts of your associates. The Brothers have banded together to end this war. You cannot stop it. I suspect that your leader, General Rezon, will not wish to join us. Do you agree? ”
Both men again refused to answer. Each man’s gaze was intently focused on the toes of his own boots.
With a deep, almost mournful sigh, Amon said, “You will forfeit your lives for the covenant you have made. That is what you swear, is it not? You swear by your throats? Well, that time has now come.”
Four captains stepped up at the order of the general to bind the hands of the two men. Amon’s entire contingent then marched the traitors through the home-lined streets north of the Council Hall, out of Hasor through the north gates, and around the village to the western side, not far from Izri’s former camp. Rezon’s men were placed up against the village wall. The rising suns shone brightly upon their faces.
“Bowmen at the ready!” Amon ordered. “Take your aim! Fire!”
Both of the traitors fell with three arrows each.
Amon shook his head. He directed the captains to have the men buried.
Pekah studied the crumpled bodies before him. What a waste, he thought. If they had only spent some time among the Danielites, maybe they wouldn’t have listened to Rezon’s lies. Instead, they would have seen that Jonathan’s father had no intention of attacking Gideon. Pekah sighed, suddenly very grateful he never had been given the opportunity to join with this group of wicked men who had pledged their lives to Rezon’s service.
“We ride within the hour!” Amon thundered.
Chapter 29
As the company dispersed in order to prepare for their departure, Jonathan, Eli, and Pekah stayed behind with those digging the graves for the executed men. Jonathan watched in silence for a few minutes before asking Eli and Pekah to come with him. “Before we leave for Ramathaim, I want to visit the gardens of Hasor.”
A lump in his throat, Jonathan squared his shoulders and started around the village wall in the direction of the gardens. The smooth flagstone path hugging the wall made their way easy. Rounding the southwest corner of the stone wall, Jonathan could now see the olive groves, vineyards, and vegetable gardens nestled between the guard towers.
He glanced up at the southwest tower platform above him as they entered the gardens, remembering his escape in the dark. It seemed like a long time ago. His boots now clicking on the cobblestone path, he fought to control his emotions. When the olive grove came into view, he looked at Eli. Eli’s nod confirmed the place. Walking the rest of the way into the grove, Jonathan left the path and passed trees with numerous grafts, many of their branches looking like the tail of a porcupine. Ducking under one limb as he went, he touched the coarse bark as he passed, remembering that he had worked with his father on that very tree the previous fall.
Avoiding another branch, Jonathan noticed that Eli and Pekah were no longer behind him.
He did not need to be led to the burial site of his father, a spot intimately familiar to him. This had been his and Samuel’s favorite olive tree-tall, full, grand. No other tree in the garden was as impressive. Although olive trees were somewhat rare for this part of Gan, trade winds from the East Ocean blew sufficiently inland to moderate the climate around Hasor. This transplanted tree had prospered. With nearly perfect symmetry, it looked more like an aging oak displaced from the nearby forests than an olive tree.
As Jonathan drew near to the east side of its massive trunk, he found the mound of backfill from a recently dug grave several paces away. He removed his sword, bow, and quiver, and then knelt at the edge of the mound. Fists resting on the ground, he poured out his soul in prayer. At first he could only think of the scene within the Council Hall-the glow of his sword, the vandalized book shelves and debris piles, and his father clothed in blood-
