The Bronze Bow - Elizabeth George Speare [10]
"Rosh is the finest leader you could ask for. He pretends to be careless, but actually he leaves nothing to chance, not the slightest trifle. He has eyes in the back of his head. That's why he's been successful, and his band is growing, while other bands break apart or get captured. And he is afraid of nothing on earth, nothing. He laughs at the Romans.
"There are more coming to join us every day. Someday there'll be enough. Rosh asks of them all just one thing. They must hate the Romans, and be willing to go on fighting till the last cursed one of them is driven from the land and Israel is free. We live only for that. And so will you. Rosh knows he's not taking much of a chance with you. Any man who has worn these things on his wrists will die before he'll have them on again. Do you know what I'm saying, Samson? I can see you don't. But soon I'll show you something you can understand."
The fire had died down to a flicker and the night was far gone when the last of the four iron bands had worn thin. Daniel whistled to the guard, who jumped nervously to wake two comrades. The three stood watching, swords in hand.
Daniel picked up the chisel and mallet. The bands fell with a clatter that woke half the camp. Then he stood back. The slave still knelt, looking down at his hands, not moving. Finally Daniel bent toward him, touched his shoulder. The heavy man shifted, heaved up, and reared over Daniel. For an instant Daniel knew a shaft of real fear, as the massive arms slowly reached, stretched to their appalling length, and the chest expanded in a deep breath. Then suddenly, in one incredible swift motion, the man went down on his knees, and before Daniel could move he had seized the boy's foot in his huge hands and bent to lay his forehead against it.
Daniel jerked his foot away. "Get up!" he snapped. "It is Rosh who freed you." When the slave did not move he turned and walked away. "That's done," he said, trying to hide from the guards his quivering embarrassment. "I could sleep for a week."
He located his sheepskin cloak, wrapped it around him, and lay down just outside the circle of firelight. Samson came crawling toward him and hunched at his feet. Exasperated, he got up again, rummaged in the cave for another tattered cloak, came back and flung it over the naked shoulders, and lay down again. Then he pulled his own cloak over his head and slept. He was too tired even to wonder why he was not afraid.
3
UNDER THE MIDDAY SUN the rock would blister one's fingers. The air over the smelting oven quivered. When Daniel bent over it to poke at the doughy mass of red-hot ore, the fumes scorched his nostrils. He glanced at Samson, who for a full half-day had been kneading the bellows without ceasing. Perhaps Samson, wherever he had lived, had learned early to endure the heat of the sun. Daniel had had enough for this day. The small lump of iron could be left now till it had cooled enough to be broken into pieces.
He picked up a goatskin bag, tipped it up, and let the warm water run down his throat and splash over his chin and chest. Then he handed the bag to Samson. After almost four weeks in the camp, Samson still never helped himself to anything. Daniel had to have it forever on his mind that the man might be hungry or thirsty. Now, watching the water sloshing out carelessly, he reminded himself that the man had earned it. They had twice as much water in the camp now that Samson helped to haul it from the spring.
Had the big man any idea that he was free? He seldom made a move without an order from Daniel. Rosh had given him up in disgust. Rosh was used to seeing men jump when he gave an order, but no matter how he shouted and cursed at Samson the giant stood immovable. Baffled, not sure whether Samson was utterly stupid or only defiant, Rosh had shrugged the man off on Daniel. All day long the giant was at the boy's heels, and at night he slept so close that Daniel could barely stretch his legs without kicking him. It was like being chained to a huge rock, having to drag it