Garden of Madness
A
DVANCE
A
CCLAIM FOR
G
ARDEN OF
M
ADNESS
“Mystical as the Seven Wonders, exotic as the Hanging Gardens. Higley has outdone herself with this exquisite story of intrigue, elegantly told and rich with all the flavors of ancient Babylon. Simply magnificent.”
—T
OSCA
L
EE
,
N
EW
Y
ORK
T
IMES
BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF
H
AVAH:
T
HE
S
TORY OF
E
VE
AND THE
B
OOKS OF
M
ORTALS
S
ERIES
“
Garden of Madness
is a beautifully told tale, lush with details and rich with fascinating history. Tracy Higley just keeps getting better and better!”
—G
INGER
G
ARRETT, AUTHOR OF
D
ESIRED:
T
HE
U
NTOLD
S
TORY OF
S
AMSON
& D
ELILAH
“
Garden of Madness
is a superb rendering of a dynasty and kingdom rich in notoriety, opulence, and arrogance. Higley’s characters are as complex and tiered as the fabled Hanging Gardens in which this story unfolds its brilliant plots and twists. Complex and heart-stirring characters make this story un-put-downable! To not love this story would be . . . well, madness!”
—R
ONIE
K
ENDIG, AUTHOR OF THE
D
ISCARDED
H
EROES
S
ERIES
“Even more riveting than the historical background is the mystery that Higley creates as the backdrop to her exploration of the ancient world . . . Readers will not be satisfied until they have discovered the truth along with Tiamat.”
—S
HANNON
R
OGERS
F
LYNT
, P
H
D, S
AMFORD
U
NIVERSITY
“Each of Tracy Higley’s historical novels is more powerful than its predecessor, and
Garden of Madness
continues the trend. I was drawn into the ancient Babylonian world from the very first page and held spellbound until the last, savoring every moment of Tia’s journey from despair to redemption. Whether you’ve read Higley’s previous works, or are just discovering her amazing stories, you must not miss this one!”
—J
ANELLE
C
LARE
S
CHNEIDER, AUTHOR AND SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR
GARDEN
of
MADNESS
GARDEN
of
MADNESS
TRACY L. HIGLEY
© 2012 by Tracy L. Higley
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Scripture quotations taken from the
Holy Bible
, New Living Translation. © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Higley, T. L.
Garden of madness / Tracy L. Higley.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4016-8680-2 (trade paper)
I. Title.
PS3608.I375G37 2012
813'.6--dc23
2011052659
Printed in the United States of America
12 13 14 15 16 17 QG 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my fantastic “Ffrinds”—
Randy, John, Jim, Rick, Tosca, Meredith, Camy, and Mary
This book has bounced along a road with lows and highs,
and through the ride you have offered encouragement,
support, advice, and hugs.
I am honored by, and grateful for, your friendship.
WORD LIST
ashipu—
a member of the Babylonian clergy with both healing and cultic responsibilities
ashlû—
measurement equivalent to about fifty yards
asû—
a Babylonian physician
bêru—
measurement equivalent to about five miles
haruspicy—
a form of divination, often using the entrails of animals
heptascopy—
examination of the liver, specifically, as a method of divination
kalû—
priests employed as singers and chanters in ritual worship
kanû—
measurement equivalent to about eight feet
tanbûr—
a fretted, stringed instrument, similar to a lute
There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets . . .
—D
ANIEL
2:28
CONTENTS
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY . . . AND BEYOND
Babylon, 570 BC
My name is Nebuchadnezzar. Let the nations hear it!
I am ruler of Babylon, greatest empire on earth. Here in its capital city, I am like a god.
Tonight, as the sun falls to its death in the western desert, I walk along the balconies I have built, overlooking the city I have built, and know there is none like me.
I inhale the twilight air and catch the scent of a dozen sacrifices. Across the city, the smoke and flames lift from Etemenanki, the House of the Platform of Heaven and Earth. The priests sacrifice tonight in honor of Tiamat, for tomorrow she will be wed. Though I have questioned the wisdom of a marriage with the captive Judaeans, tomorrow will not be a day for questions. It will be a day of celebration, such as befits a princess.
Tiamat comes to me now on the balcony, those dark eyes wide with entreaty. “Please, Father.”
I encircle her shoulders in a warm embrace and turn her to the city.
“There, Tia. There is our glorious Babylon. Do you not wish to serve her?”
She leans her head against my chest, her voice thick. “Yes, of course. But I do not wish to marry.”
I pat her shoulder, kiss the top of her head. My sweet Tia. Who would have foretold that she would become such a part of me?
“Have no fear, dear one. Nothing shall change. Husband or not, I shall always love you. Always protect you.”
She clutches me, a desperate grip around my waist.
I release her arms and look into her eyes. “Go now. Your mother will be searching for you. Tomorrow will be a grand day, for you are the daughter of the greatest king Babylon has ever seen.”
I use my thumb to rub a tear from her eye, give her a gentle push, and she is gone with a last look of grief that breaks my heart.
The greatest king Babylon has ever seen
. The words echo like raindrops plunking on stones. I try to ignore a tickling at the back of my thoughts. Something Belteshazzar told me, many months ago. A dream.
I shake my head, willing my mind to be free of the memory. My longtime Jewish advisor, part of my kingdom since we were both youths, often troubles me with his advice. I keep him close because he has become a friend. I keep him close because he is too often right.
But I do not want to think of Belteshazzar. Tonight is for me alone. For my pleasure, as I gaze across all that I have built, all that I have accomplished. This great Babylon, this royal residence with its Gardens to rival those created by the gods. Built by my mighty power. For the glory of my majesty. I grip the balcony wall, inhale the smoky sweetness again, and smile. It is good.
I hear a voice and think perhaps Belteshazzar has found me after all, for the words sound like something he would say, and yet the voice . . . The voice is of another.
“There is a decree gone out for you, Nebuchadnezzar. Your kingship has been stripped from you.”
I turn to the traitorous words, but no one is there. And yet the voice continues, rumbling in my own chest, echoing in my head.
“You will be driven from men to dwell with beasts. You will eat the herbs of oxen and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men. To whom He wills power, He gives power.”
The tickling is there again, in my mind. I roll my shoulders to ease the discomfort, but it grows. It grows to a scratching, a clawing at the inside of my head, until I fear I shall bleed within.
The fear swells in me and I am frantic now. I rub my eyes, swat my ears, and still the scratching and scraping goes on, digging away at my memories, at my sense of self, of who I am and what I have done, and I stare at the sky above and the stones below and bend my waist and fall upon the ground where it is better, better to be on the ground, and I want only to find food, food, food. And a two-legged one comes and makes noises with her mouth and clutches at me but I understand none of it, and even this knowledge that I do not understand is slipping, slipping from me as the sun slips into the desert.