The Bronze Bow - Elizabeth George Speare [31]
"No!" he exclaimed. "No, Joel! It is not your quarrel."
"But it is!" cried Joel. "Mine and every other Jew's. Your father is only one—out of thousands who have died at their hands. We must do anything—anything to make the country free again."
It was what he had wanted, what he had come to Capernaum to accomplish. But he was not sure. To drag Joel out of his safe scholar's life into the dark danger of his own world?
Thacia understood. After one gasp of dismay, she sat huddled against the wall, staring at her brother with terror in her eyes. But behind the terror there was pride.
Joel turned to her. "You see it has to be this way, don't you, Thace? I can't go on burying my head in a book while things like this are happening. You must see it. We've always seen things the same way."
Thacia looked back at him, struggling against her fear, and there flashed across to Daniel something of what it must mean to be a twin. Then she drew a long breath.
"Yes," she said steadily. "I do see. If I were a boy I would make a vow too."
Suddenly Joel's fire leaped up in her face. "Why can't I?" she cried. "Why can't a girl serve Israel too? What about Deborah and Queen Esther? Let me swear it too, Joel! I promise to help you."
Jealousy beat suddenly up in Daniel. "No!" he exploded. "This is a man's vow! It's not for a pretty child!"
Her face went white. At the hurt in it Daniel cursed himself. What had made him say a thing like that to her?
But this time Joel came instantly to his sister's support. "Then we will make a new vow," he said. "The three of us together. We'll swear to fight for Israel—for—for—" He hesitated.
"For God's Victory," said Thacia swiftly. "Remember the watchword of the Maccabees?"
"Yes! That's it! Come swear it together. Now—on the Book of Enoch here. What could be better? Put your hands on mine, both of you. Swear to stand together. The three of us. For God's Victory."
Thacia laid her hand firmly over her brother's. "For God's Victory," she repeated. They looked at Daniel, waiting. The three of us, Joel had said, taking him, who had always stood outside, into the close circle of their lives. With an effort he leaned over and laid his hand over the girl's. He felt the small fine bones under his palm.
"For God's Victory!" he choked. He drew back quickly into the shadow, afraid for them to see his face. But they were far too lost in their own excitement to notice his.
"Now we must plan what to do," said Joel solemnly. "Tomorow night I'll bring—"
"Oh—" Thacia remembered. "Tomorrow night will be the Sabbath."
Joel considered. "We can come anyway," he decided. "The Law doesn't forbid visiting the sick."
"We can't unbind the wound or put on a fresh dressing."
"No matter," put in Daniel. "The wound is almost healed."
"I'll bring the food before sunset," Thacia promised. "Enough to last through the Sabbath."
"We must plan," Joel went on, still lost in the wonder of his new resolve. "When you go back to the mountain I'm going with you."
"No," objected Daniel. "That's not what Rosh wants of you. He wants a man here in Capernaum. Right now it's better for you to stay in school."
He could see that in spite of his vow Joel was relieved. "I'm willing to give up school," Joel insisted. "I mean it. I'll do anything."
"Stay in school, then. We're not ready to fight vet. We've got to wait and work for it'. Rosh has something in mind for you. I don't know what it is, but he'll send you word."
"You're sure?"
"Yes. You can count on it."
"I've been thinking of a plan," Joel said. "If you should bring a message from Rosh, or if you should ever need to get away from the Romans again, there's an opening in the outside wall, at the angle where this passage joins the storage room. It's used to bring the sacks of grain in from the street, and it's just big enough for a man to crawl through—I tried it. I'll make sure it's kept unlatched, and you can push it open. That way no one will ever suspect