The Moses Legacy - Adam Palmer [104]
Daniel took a step towards the big man. He was prepared to fight Goliath, despite his obvious size and strength. But the high priest held up a hand to stay Daniel’s advance.
‘What do you want?’ asked Gabrielle in an even tone.
‘I want… that!’
He pointed to the small papyrus scroll. She moved her hand away nervously, but held his gaze.
‘This scroll belongs to the world,’ she said quietly, but with a hint of defiance.
‘Enough! I didn’t come here to argue!’
They all fell silent. Daniel eyed the man carefully, wondering whether he stood a chance if he made a move. At the back of his mind was the thought that everyone has a weak spot, but this man had shown that he had speed as well as strength. He realized that any move he might make would endanger not only himself, but also the others.
He wondered if any support might come from outside. An armed guard had been posted at the door. But that was all rather perfunctory; no one had actually expected any trouble. And where was the armed guard now? Had he just gone to take a leak? Or had this man done something to him?
‘Give it to me,’ said Goliath, pointing to the clay urn that had housed the papyrus. He was staring at Gabrielle. She hesitated for a moment, looking at Daniel.
‘Do it!’ shouted Goliath, grabbing Daniel by the throat to show that they were powerless to resist him. Daniel felt a spasm of agony as the soft tissue of his throat was crushed in Goliath’s iron grip. He couldn’t kick Goliath, either in the groin or the kneecap because the man’s long reach held him too far away, and in any case he was in too much pain.
Then he remembered a self-defence technique he had learnt years before. Reaching over Goliath’s left hand he pressed hard on the thumb, forcing his attacker’s fingers to open. With Goliath’s grip broken, he pulled away, his hands to his throat as he coughed and sputtered.
His eyes met those of the big man, wondering how he would react to being thwarted in this David versus Goliath struggle. He expected to see anger and was fully prepared for an onslaught of rage. But instead he saw a smile, as if his attacker respected him for his effective display of resistance.
Meanwhile, Gabrielle was still hesitating. She looked at Daniel and although he stubbornly refused to nod, it was clear that there was no way they could defy this man. They could shout for help, but who knew how he would react?
So Gabrielle picked up the glass-encased papyrus in two hands and extended it towards Goliath.
‘No!’ shouted the high priest, diving forward to grab the precious relic before the big man could take it.
Through the haze of pain that still engulfed him, Daniel realized in that split second that the high priest was putting his life on the line. Now was not the time to resist, but Daniel’s reactions were not quick enough to restrain the high priest and halt his futile act of opposition. By the time Daniel was able to respond, Goliath had grabbed the high priest by his shirt and pulled him so that the priest was in front of him. With his free hand, Goliath produced a knife and with one swift move he slashed across the high priest’s throat, like a ritual slaughterer in a kosher abattoir, cutting through the priest’s carotid artery and jugular vein.
Gabrielle stifled a scream. Daniel looked on with horror. The high priest had trusted them and they had sealed his fate. There was no other interpretation of the facts. Now Daniel suddenly realized that it was him the big man was interested in. That was why he had been on the same plane when Daniel went to Egypt, and he had been following him ever since. In other words – it finally dawned on Daniel – he had effectively led the man here. And this vile man had killed the high priest when he tried to protect his sacred scroll.
But the question that haunted him now was what should he do? Should he dive for the exit and try to raise the alarm? That would merely endanger Gabrielle. Should he throw himself at the man and give Gabrielle a chance to escape? What, indeed, was this man