Shem leaned back and held out his open palm.
“No, it’s not raining yet,” Japheth said, laughing.
Shem shook his head, running his fingers through his gray-speckled hair. “It will be soon. You’d better finish those seams.” He turned back to his work, his brow once again furrowing.
“My seams are done.” Japheth crouched on the swaying bridge to get a better look at the joint his brother was checking. “Will it hold?”
Shem dug his fingertip into the crack. “It’s sealed underneath.” He clambered up a tall ladder and hoisted himself out of the trench. Now standing on the land side of the bridge, he peeled away a shred of dried pitch from his hand. “I think that’s all. We’re finally ready.”
Japheth scrambled off the bridge and handed Shem the rag. “Then why the long face?” He nodded toward a bank of boiling clouds spreading across the darkening horizon. “It’s coming, but we’ll be fine.”
Shem wiped his hands, meticulously stripping pitch from each finger. “Exactly. Rain is coming.” He gestured toward the boat with his head. “Inside that hull, hundreds of hooves are trampling straw on a thousand cords of gopher wood.” He laid the rag over his shoulder and began counting on his fingers. “We have a cantankerous camel that spits at Father whenever he walks by, a parrot that never stops shouting, ‘Kill the skunks!’ two dogs that shed enough hair to make wigs for all of humanity, and a pair of elephants that are always ” Shem grimaced. “Well, let’s just say that I brought an extra shovel and a stack of empty bags.”
“Prolific pachyderms?” Japheth pinched his nose and laughed. “But even a big stink is no surprise. We knew the stalls would get filled with ”
“Shhh!” Shem grabbed Japheth’s shoulder. “Father is coming.”
Noah exited a wide door in the main quarters on the top deck, “Adam’s door,” as they called it, and ambled across the bridge, brushing a sticky splotch of gray hair off his forehead with his sleeve. “Fool camel,” he grumbled. “You’d think I’d have learned by now.”
Japheth elbowed Shem’s ribs and smiled, but Shem’s frown deepened.
“Father,” Shem said, stroking his beard, “we have a problem.”
Their father’s gaze lifted toward the darkening skies. “Still no dragons?”
“No sign of them,” Shem replied. “I have been watching all day.”
Japheth copied his brother’s serious aspect, forcing himself to frown as he cleared his throat. “I have a comfortable stall ready for them on our level, better than my own quarters, but I haven’t seen a plume of smoke or a scaly wing anywhere.”
The old man clasped Japheth on the shoulder. “They will come. God promised at least two of every breathing creature, so the dragons will be here before the flood can sweep them away.”
Japheth held out his hand. Tiny droplets moistened his palm and began to form a pool. Rain. Just as his father had prophesied. Ever since God had called out to Noah by name, he had been in close conversation with the Almighty, so why doubt him now? The dragons would come.
Japheth shook the water from his hand. “Shall we untie the bridge? The dragons could fly to the main deck.”
Noah shook his head. “Your brother has not returned.”
“Ham is gone again?” Japheth glanced into the trench at the cargo door’s rope and pulley system, still broken from the recent gorilla incident. “Where did he go? We have to get the door fixed. We won’t survive long if we don’t get it closed.”
“To the market for more grapes. It seems that those odd cat-like creatures” Noah encircled each of his eyes with a thumb and forefinger “the big-eyed ones that came from the South yesterday, are quite fond of them. And I wanted more grapes anyway for seed harvesting. When the flood ends, I want to plant a vineyard and ” The popping noise of cart wheels on pebbles interrupted him.
“Speak of the devil,” Japheth whispered to Shem. “Our brother has arrived.”
“And check out his two minions,” Shem whispered back. “They look . . . well . . . unnatural.”
Japheth scanned the ox-drawn cart, filled to overflowing with bunches of purple and green grapes. Sitting at the back with their bare feet hanging near the path, two women dressed in black glanced all around, their lips thin and taut.
When the ox halted, the shorter woman jumped off and quickly smoothed out her dress, pulling and tugging to cover as much skin as she could. Ham, his muscles flexing as he strained on the ox’s harness, cast a glance at his father and nodded, then turned to unload the grapes. “I have done as you asked, Father,” he said, keeping his eyes on the cart. “I have taken a wife. Her name is Naamah, Tubalcain’s sister.”
“Tubalcain?” Noah’s teeth clenched, his face reddening. “You married in the line of Cain? Why would you bring such shame upon our family?”
Ham carried a load of grapes and stopped in front of his father, his face expressionless. “You said to find a wife for procreating. You didn’t ask to approve her genealogy.” He hoisted the grapes higher in his arms and lumbered toward the boat, calling without looking back. “We met the other woman at the marketplace. She seeks an audience with you.”
Naamah grabbed as many grape clusters as she could and followed Ham, glancing briefly at the other female passenger before scurrying to catch up. She and Ham balanced their loads across the sapling bridge and disappeared through Adam’s door.
The other woman stepped down and shuffled toward Noah, carrying a sheathed sword in her extended arms. Tear tracks stained her face. When she drew near, she dropped to one knee and bowed her head. “I come in the name of Elohim,” she said softly. “I am Morgan, and I seek shelter from the coming flood. I have heard of your mercy, that you would never turn away a repentant soul. I beg you to take me in, for I am a poor sinner in search of salvation.”
Japheth nudged Shem’s ribs and whispered, “We could use another hand behind the shovel, if you know what I mean.”
Shem kicked Japheth’s ankle. “Shhh! I want to listen.”
Lowering her body even further, Morgan laid the sword at Noah’s feet and pressed her palms flat on the ground, her voice faltering as she wept. “An angel . . . gave me this sword to offer as my price of passage. He said to . . . to tell you that he used it to guard the Tree of Life, and it will . . . it will serve you well as a shield for the ark.”
Noah picked up the sword and pulled it from its sheath. The blade flashed with light, and he gazed at it in wonder. “Amazing! It is Chereb, the sword of Eden!”
Shem stepped between Noah and the prostrate woman. “Father, you can’t seriously be considering this. Elohim said nothing about last-minute supplicants.” He waved his hand toward Morgan. “Besides, where was she during all the years we were building our refuge?”
“True enough, my son, but mercy covers both those who arrive early and those who arrive crying out with their last breath.” Noah slid the sword back into its sheath. “Did God say I am not allowed to take a refugee who has paid for her passage with the sword of Eden and with tears of repentance?”
“He said he found only you to be righteous.” Shem extended a finger at Morgan. “Not her.”
Noah knelt and placed a hand on the woman’s head. “Shem, are you my son? How can you be such a merciless judge?”
Shem kicked at a tuft of wiry grass and sighed. “I know I don’t deserve to go with you. If not for being your son, I would soon be food for sharks. But I’m not any kind of judge. I’m just imploring you to heed God’s word. If you don’t, we could all be lost.”
Noah straightened, nodding slowly. “Well spoken. But what of the sword and the angel’s message?”
“Sword or no sword, should you heed a secondhand account of an angel, when we know fallen angels roam the earth? Shouldn’t you obey the words God breathed directly into your ears?”
Noah laid the sword back down near Morgan’s hands. “Maybe we can ”
A loud shriek pierced the skies. A shining creature with coal black wings swooped over their heads. Two dragons followed side by side, shooting jets of flaming gas and bursting through their own wall of fire as they gave chase. Morgan jumped to her feet but kept her face toward the ground.
“A Watcher!” Japheth yelled. “Everyone to the ark!” He dashed across the bridge to the deck and latched on to both fastening ropes. “Hurry! I’ll keep it steady.”
“It’s Samyaza!” Noah shouted at the larger of the two dragons. “Makaidos! Beware of his eyes!”
Shem grabbed Noah’s elbow and hustled him toward the bridge. Morgan followed, the sword at her side and her chin against her chest.
Japheth flexed his muscles, fighting against the jerking ropes, but when Morgan tramped onto the bridge, he almost lost his grip. He cringed, grinding his teeth in pain. Should he stop her? Father had not said for sure. But with danger all around, how could he leave her behind?
As Noah and Shem neared the ark, the shining creature landed on the deck, grabbed Japheth, and dragged him away from the bridge, locked in a vicious clench. Japheth pushed against the creature’s huge, glowing arms, but they clamped down, squeezing his breath away. Shem turned around and hustled his father off the swaying bridge, nearly knocking Morgan over on his way back to solid ground. Morgan followed them to safety.
The two dragons stormed down to the boat, both bodies thumping the deck in awkward crash landings. Their claws scratched deep lines in the gopher wood planks as they scrambled to right themselves. Japheth fell lower in the demon’s grip, still trapped, but at least he could breathe.
Makaidos roared. “Fight us in the sky, you coward! Are you a Watcher or a washwoman?”
The Watcher laughed. “Who is a washwoman, the outnumbered angel, or the lizard who sputters brave words when a female is guarding his flank?”
Makaidos glanced at Thigocia and spewed black smoke from both nostrils. “I am not afraid to fight you. You have my word that Thigocia will stay on this deck.”
“But, Makaidos!” Thigocia said, slapping her tail on the planks, “we have been trained to fight together!”
Makaidos spat a ball of sparks that fizzled in the wet air. “Samyaza is just Lucifer’s marionette. A little fire will scorch his puppet strings, and he will die, just like the Naphil.”
Japheth tried to slip lower, but Samyaza hoisted him up to his massive chest and squeezed again. Japheth gasped. A popping noise sounded and stabbing pain ripped across his ribs.
Samyaza croaked, “At least this dragon speaks more bravely than his father did. Arramos whimpered pitifully before I killed him a few minutes ago.”
Makaidos’s scales flushed to a solid crimson. “You are a liar!”
“True,” Samyaza said, nodding. “I am a liar when it suits my purposes, but I have no reason to lie about my conquests. Arramos whimpered for mercy like a beaten dog.”
“Makaidos,” Thigocia hissed, “do not listen to him. He twists words. He even lies about when he lies. Arramos is alive. I know he is.”
Makaidos growled a whisper at Thigocia. “Whether he is alive or not, I need you to stay here and guard the refuge boat! Will you do it?”
Thigocia closed her eyes, her words barely audible. “If that is your will.”
Makaidos whipped his neck back toward Samyaza. “Just let the human go. No matter how you demons fracture your promises, a dragon’s covenant is never broken. I will fight you alone!”
“And if I refuse?” Samyaza replied, his brow lifting. “I could easily wait for the other Watchers to arrive. I have already signaled for them.”
Japheth thrust his body upward just enough to push out a gasping shout. “Torch the devil!” he yelled. “I would rather die as this ark’s signal beacon than allow it to fail!”
The demon slapped his hand over Japheth’s mouth. He grimaced at the stench as pain pierced his lungs.
Makaidos nodded solemnly at Japheth. “You have your answer, Samyaza. If you refuse, Thigocia and I will grant the human’s wish. You will become this boat’s signal torch.”
Japheth bit Samyaza’s broom-handle-sized finger. The demon slammed him to the deck and shook his massive hand in pain. With his ribs in agony, Japheth sat up, and as he clutched his sides, his gaze landed on Samyaza’s wounded hand. Were there five fingers and a thumb? Was the legend really true?
With a flurry of black wings, Samyaza burst into the sky. “Come then, lizard! If you really dare!”
Makaidos rolled an egg-shaped orb toward Japheth. “Keep the Ovulum safe. It belonged to the Oracle.” He then shot upward in pursuit of the demon.
Japheth picked up the Ovulum and struggled to his feet, pushing against the pummeling draft of the dragon’s wings. Stumbling to the bridge, he shoved the orb into his tunic and grabbed the ropes again, steadying the sway while Shem hurried their father across. His aching ribs screamed in agony, but he held on while Shem and Noah hustled past him and ducked through Adam’s Door.
Morgan, wrapping her arms around herself and the sword, tiptoed onto the bridge again. Japheth rolled his eyes. Now what? He couldn’t untie the bridge; she would fall to her death. And there was no one left to ask about her no human, that is.
He yanked on the rope, shaking the bridge. Morgan dropped to her knees and grasped the side with one hand, hanging on to the sword with the other.
“Stay there!” Japheth yelled. He spun to Thigocia. “Have you ever seen this woman before?”
Thigocia’s eyebeams danced across the low clouds as the rain steadily worsened. Roars and rumbles sounded from above, and flashes of light painted the foggy sky. Finally, she stretched her neck over the side of the ark. “Her face is familiar.” She squinted, her forked tongue darting in and out. “Hmmm.”
Japheth shook the bridge again, keeping Morgan on her knees. “Well?” he asked, pain still gripping his ribs.
Thigocia nodded. “I think I know who she is, but I cannot leave the boat, so . . .” She raised her head high and roared, “Samyaza! We have a hostage who is very dear to you!”
Japheth waited, glancing back and forth between the sky and Morgan. She lay prostrate, clenching the side of the bridge with her long white fingers. The flashes in the sky suddenly ceased. Seconds later, an ear-splitting screech sounded from above. Samyaza glided toward the ground clutching a limp dragon by the neck in one of his powerful hands. Black resin dripped from Makaidos’s face. He blinked weakly, his eyes glazed and his scales fading.