Apprentice (26 page)

“So soon?” I couldn't hide my shock. Newandukh and I were the same age.

“Rami can wait a few years since he's still young, but my uncle is almost thirty,” she explained. “He's been waiting a long time already.”

I didn't know how to respond. It seemed improper, somehow, for a man to marry a girl less than half his age, and I silently thanked Father for choosing me a youthful husband. But Newandukh wasn't the only girl to marry so young. Several of the mothers I'd inscribed amulets for were only slightly older than me. We danced together until Devora brought Guria over to make a threesome, and we continued circling and twirling with the other women until I was so tired that it was a relief when the men reclaimed the dance floor.

Before I knew it, the sun was setting and it was time for the evening meal. The musicians who'd accompanied Pazi's litter were replaced by a new group who'd play until dawn. I was so hungry after all the dancing that it was only when Achti praised the food that I realized the menu we were being served was different from earlier. Beer and wine flowed like the Tigris and Euphrates, while the guests' conversations sounded more boisterous as the time drew closer for Tachlifa and Pazi to leave the banquet and enter the huppah.

Abaye was juggling so many balls that I couldn't count them, when the music suddenly stopped. Father stood up, welcomed all the guests,
and recited the seven wedding blessings for the newly married couple. Then, almost stealthily, Pazi, Tazi, and their mother departed from the
traklin
, leaving Tachlifa alone at the bridal table.

Aware that Tazi and her mother were preparing Pazi to receive her new husband in the marital bed for the first time, the women's mood grew sober, shattered only by an occasional giggle or nervous laugh. Those with children took their youngsters upstairs to bed, while others decided it was a good time to use the privy or get some fresh air in the moonlit garden. Zahra begged me to excuse her, promising to be in our
kiton
when I needed help undressing later.

I was debating what to do, when the men began teasing Tachlifa about how to perform under the huppah, each comment more lewd than the last. The men's backs were toward me, so I kept near the wall and listened. I could clearly hear their jokes and songs, whose content all related to sexual matters. My face burned as the most obscene of these came from my brothers, who taunted Tachlifa mercilessly. Ukva was slapping his thigh and laughing uproariously, but Rami looked more uncomfortable than enthusiastic.

Part of me was appalled and wanted to leave, but another curious part wouldn't let my legs move. So I remained rooted to the spot until my brother Keshisha discovered me.

“What are you doing here?”

“Same as you, listening and learning.”

“This is for men only…not for girls.” His words were slightly slurred, and I could smell the wine on his breath.

I knew that was true but I wasn't going to let him bully me. “And what are you going to do about it?”

He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door. “If you don't leave, I'm going to tell Mother and Father.”

I fled toward the room that Mother used for visitors. It had a door to the garden that I intended to use as soon as possible. But the room wasn't empty. Instead of the usual cushions on the floor, an enormous curtained bed was illuminated by a woman holding a lamp.

I could hear Mother's voice addressing someone within. “Shall I go tell Tachlifa that his bride awaits him, or does Pazi need more time to prepare herself?”

A muffled reply came from behind the curtains. “Just a little longer. She's almost ready.”

I couldn't get to the garden this way, and I didn't dare return to the
traklin
. So I waited and hoped that Mother wouldn't think I'd been spying.

When Mother eventually did come out, she seemed surprised to see me, but not angry. I accompanied her partway into the
traklin
, where a path through the throng of men opened for her. With a jerk of her chin, Mother indicated that I should head for the kitchen, where I found the musicians gulping down their evening meal.

“Has the bridegroom left yet?” one of them called to me.

“Not yet, but Mother went to get him.”

“Hurry men,” the lead musician urged them. “We don't have much time until we have to start playing again.”

Dancing and drinking continued well into the night, both in the torch-lit
traklin
and in the courtyard bright under the nearly full moon. Guests shed their excess clothing, with mounds of men's tunics and women's veils piling up against the walls. Some women even removed their trousers, but as much as I wanted to show off my jeweled anklets, I was too shy to emulate them. Instead I hiked the legs up and created some fancy footwork to draw attention to my ankles as I danced.

The moon was high overhead when I was finally so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open. This was the latest I'd ever stayed up and definitely the most I'd danced, and drunk, in one day. I staggered up the stairs and headed for my
kiton
. I couldn't wait for Zahra to get these silks off me so I could go to bed.

My hand against the wall to guide me in the dark, I stumbled down the hall until I came to a doorway. Shafts of moonlight outlined two people within, and I peeked in to get a better view.

Ha-Elohim! It was a man and woman—embracing like Tachlifa and Pazi were supposed to be doing in that big curtained bed downstairs.

I couldn't tear my eyes away. The couple shifted position, and I had to stifle a gasp. The man was my brother Keshisha, and I was afraid that the woman was my niece Guria. I was wondering what I could possibly say to Yenuka in the morning, when the couple moved again and I recognized that the woman was not Guria at all but my slave Zahra.

Without thinking, I ducked into the next room, where I could make out Imarta and Haruta asleep in their bed. Thank Heaven I'd found my
kiton
. My head may have been dull with drink, but I knew I had to get Zahra away from my brother.

“Zahra,” I called as if she were inside my room. “Wake up, Zahra! I can't get these clothes off without your help.”

Sure enough, in an instant Zahra was responding, “I'm here, Mistress. Shall I light a lamp?”

“Not if you can undress me without it.” Heaven forbid Zahra should see the expression on my face, or I see hers.

She expertly removed my silks and hung them up. Tomorrow morning she'd see if they needed to be cleaned or repaired. But I couldn't decide what to do about tonight. Part of me wanted to drag Keshisha downstairs and turn him over to Father and Yenuka's wrath. But I was only a girl. What authority did I have to chastise him in front of our guests and spoil Tachlifa's wedding? Keshisha hadn't actually broken any laws, so I might be the one to get in trouble, for violating his privacy.

Too upset to lie down, I was still fuming when Zahra threw her arms around me and burst into tears.

“Thank you so much for rescuing me,” she whispered.

“I rescued you?” It hadn't looked like she needed rescuing.

“If you hadn't showed up just then and called for me—and yes, I could see it was you in the doorway—I don't know how much longer I could have endured it.”

“Did my brother hurt you?” My choice was easy—I would have to tell Yenuka if Keshisha had mistreated Zahra.

“No,” she replied with a sniff. “He was quite gentle, considering how drunk he was. But it brought back so many horrible memories.” She hesitated for so long that I was surprised when she continued, “That's why I asked you to let me go upstairs early. Because he was there.”

I had to ask who “he” was.

“My former master.” Her voice was bitter. “Once he saw me, I knew I had to escape before he found a way to get me alone and assault me.”

My anger flared even more than with Keshisha. “He wouldn't dare do such a thing. You belong to us now, not him.”

“A slave is a slave.” She sniffed again. “Any man who wants to can just take her. And if she's not his slave, so what? Should the owner object, the worst that happens is that he pays the owner for the slave's time.”

I knew that was true, which only made me more upset.

“You have no idea how unusual your father is,” she continued. “I know masters who make their slave girls dance naked at banquets, and then encourage the guests to use them however they want.” The way she shuddered
made me realize that this had happened to her, probably many times.

“Not rabbis,” I protested. “My father and his colleagues would never do anything so immoral.”

“Your father, no. But I don't trust his friends.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Rav Nachman has his male slaves bed the females, making them switch partners each time so they don't get too fond of each other. Rav Sheshet prostitutes his female slaves to the Arabs.”

Zahra's tone was so fierce that she had to be telling the truth. I nearly choked on my outrage and disgust, yet I was helpless when it came to these men. Keshisha, however, was a different matter. “What am I going to do about my brother?”

“I don't think he will bother me once he's sober, and with any luck, in the morning he won't even remember what happened.” Zahra squeezed my hand. “I'll have to try to avoid him at banquets from now on though.”

It infuriated me that Keshisha would escape any repercussions, but I didn't want Zahra blamed for seducing him. “Do you need something from Shayla so you don't get pregnant?” Father didn't like our slaves having babies; it would be years before the children could be productive and in the meantime he had to feed and clothe them.

Zahra yawned and lay down. “Let's wait to see if I'm late.”

I yawned widely in response. I would deal with these things in the morning, if necessary. I quickly said my bedtime prayers, adding the blessing thanking Elohim for not making me a slave.

As it turned out, I didn't have to do anything. Keshisha continued to act toward Zahra exactly as he had before that night, and Zahra became
dashtana
before we'd finished celebrating the seven days of Tachlifa's wedding. After some consideration, I decided not to tell Yenuka what I'd seen. That way I'd have a weapon in reserve the next time Keshisha threatened to tell Mother or Father about my misbehavior.

Also within that week, Tazi gave birth to a healthy baby girl, which saved Mother from having to host all these people another week for a brit milah. As Grandfather predicted, several of Pazi's relatives were pleased to receive a proven traveler's amulet from me. All I needed to do was wait to hear that three of them had completed successful journeys, and then I'd be an expert amulet scribe.

Once our guests finally left, it was time to harvest dates, and after
that to begin brewing beer from them. By the time all our beer was sealed in its jars, Achti's pregnancy was obvious. But just when I could visit her without advance notice, because she rarely left home, I scarcely had any opportunity to do so.

All winter long I rarely got to see Achti, and when I did, it was under Pushbi's watchful eye. I came to rely on Rami to keep me informed about my sister's condition, though I knew Achti would never entrust him with any complaints, especially about his mother. In less than a year I would be too old to revoke our betrothal, and how Pushbi treated Achti after the baby was born could well influence my decision.

When we celebrated the new moon of Adar, Achti was starting to have mild contractions. The entire household waited eagerly each morning for Rami to arrive, hoping for news of her progress. A week went by, then another, but the baby didn't come. We all knew that Mother preferred that Achti give birth at our villa, just as we knew that Mother's desire would likely be thwarted. My sisters-in-law performed their tasks quickly and quietly, and if possible, someplace away from her presence. Mari and I visited my land to watch the tenant farmers plant flax seeds and to gauge how well the wheat crop was growing.

Sometime that night I was awakened by our geese honking wildly. The racket increased, and I heard men running about downstairs. When light appeared from below, I slipped on a tunic and peeked out to see what had caused the commotion.

To my shock, Rami was standing in the entry hall, breathing heavily while Timonus interrogated him. The next instant, Mother raced past me, fully dressed. Shayla was close on her heels, carrying the medicine basket, followed by Mariamme, Beloria, and two older slave women. Before I could catch my breath, Timonus grabbed a torch and they followed Rami out.

Oh no! Achti must be in labor at Pushbi's—where Father's piety couldn't protect her.

FOURTEENTH YEAR OF KING BAHRAM II'S REIGN

•     287
CE
     •

T
he next morning, after a nearly sleepless night, I persuaded Father to let me and Zahra leave for Pushbi's at first light. He lectured me sternly to stay out of the lying-in room if Achti hadn't given birth yet and made Imarta accompany us for good measure. But he needn't have worried; we met Rami halfway there.