Persian rule, and he put the rebellion down quickly and efficiently. But he is outraging the party at court that wants him to continue the war against the Greeks by refusing to do so.” He looked at her somberly. “I don’t know what he will do, and the not knowing makes me nervous.”
“Ahasuerus was supposed to be a good king in Babylon, wasn’t he?”
“He was a very good king. Darius sent him there when he was only eighteen years old, fully expecting him to fail. But he surprised everyone. The people in Babylon loved him. And he has brought back a contingent of his councilors from Babylon to whom he appears to listen. Darius’ people are furious because they are not the ones who have the king’s ear.”
Esther shook her head. “It all sounds complicated, Uncle. The Babylonian party, the Persian party, the Greek War party, the anti-Greek War party. It must be hard to keep it all clear in your head. But surely you must know someone in the palace whom you can approach to find out how the king stands on Palestine.”
“I don’t,” was Mordecai’s grim reply. “I work in the Treasury, chicken. I am too far removed from the political scene to be acquainted with anyone who might know the king’s mind.”
Esther let her eyes run around the simple room, with its ceiling supported by plain wooden columns and its whitewashed mudbrick walls. She had arranged some bright ceramic vases on a small wooden table to give the room color, and an old Persian rug added its faded tints as well.
As she regarded the parchment roll her uncle had brought home from work, she had a thought. “Why don’t we Jews imitate the Edomites and send our own letter to the king? They have written that they want their rights to our land confirmed, then we should write that the land is legally ours and it should be confirmed to us.”
Mordecai smiled. “My clever girl. That is exactly what we have decided to do.”
“You should make me part of your council, Uncle.”
Mordecai laughed, as she had intended. He stood up and stretched. “The sun has gone down. Perhaps we might find a breeze in the courtyard.”
Esther rose easily to her feet and followed her uncle outside.
Summer in Susa was not pleasant. The sun burned relentlessly over the plain upon which the city was situated, and no breeze arrived from the surrounding mountains. In the summertime, Susa baked.
The Great King had gone to his summer palace of Ecbatana, taking with him most of the court, so the issue of Palestine was set aside for the moment. Life in the Jewish community went on as usual, although most of the socializing took place in the evening, when the heat abated a trifle.
Abraham had continued to accompany his sister on her visits to Esther and, by August, she realized that he might want to marry her. This idea was strengthened when Rachel told her she was going to be betrothed to another of the young men in their congregation.
Esther was surprised and said so.
Rachel laughed. The girls were sitting in Rachel’s courtyard, which was much bigger than Mordecai’s. A few other community families were there as well, but Rachel had taken Esther aside to give her the good news.
“How can you be surprised?” Rachel gave Esther a quizzical look. “We’re both of the age to be married. We’ve spoken about it.”
Esther put her hand over Rachel’s as they sat side by side on a small wooden bench in the corner of the courtyard. “I know, I know. I suppose I kept thinking it was still in the future . . .”
“I thought Jacob would ask for me.” Rachel sounded pleased with herself. “He always talked to me at supper after synagogue.” She looked into Esther’s eyes. “Do you think he’s handsome?”
Jacob was not quite as tall as Esther, but then Rachel was small. And his ears were big. Esther looked back into her friend’s eager eyes and said, “He’s very handsome, Rachel. And nice too.”
Rachel beamed.
Abraham chose this moment to come into
“Ahasuerus was supposed to be a good king in Babylon, wasn’t he?”
“He was a very good king. Darius sent him there when he was only eighteen years old, fully expecting him to fail. But he surprised everyone. The people in Babylon loved him. And he has brought back a contingent of his councilors from Babylon to whom he appears to listen. Darius’ people are furious because they are not the ones who have the king’s ear.”
Esther shook her head. “It all sounds complicated, Uncle. The Babylonian party, the Persian party, the Greek War party, the anti-Greek War party. It must be hard to keep it all clear in your head. But surely you must know someone in the palace whom you can approach to find out how the king stands on Palestine.”
“I don’t,” was Mordecai’s grim reply. “I work in the Treasury, chicken. I am too far removed from the political scene to be acquainted with anyone who might know the king’s mind.”
Esther let her eyes run around the simple room, with its ceiling supported by plain wooden columns and its whitewashed mudbrick walls. She had arranged some bright ceramic vases on a small wooden table to give the room color, and an old Persian rug added its faded tints as well.
As she regarded the parchment roll her uncle had brought home from work, she had a thought. “Why don’t we Jews imitate the Edomites and send our own letter to the king? They have written that they want their rights to our land confirmed, then we should write that the land is legally ours and it should be confirmed to us.”
Mordecai smiled. “My clever girl. That is exactly what we have decided to do.”
“You should make me part of your council, Uncle.”
Mordecai laughed, as she had intended. He stood up and stretched. “The sun has gone down. Perhaps we might find a breeze in the courtyard.”
Esther rose easily to her feet and followed her uncle outside.
Summer in Susa was not pleasant. The sun burned relentlessly over the plain upon which the city was situated, and no breeze arrived from the surrounding mountains. In the summertime, Susa baked.
The Great King had gone to his summer palace of Ecbatana, taking with him most of the court, so the issue of Palestine was set aside for the moment. Life in the Jewish community went on as usual, although most of the socializing took place in the evening, when the heat abated a trifle.
Abraham had continued to accompany his sister on her visits to Esther and, by August, she realized that he might want to marry her. This idea was strengthened when Rachel told her she was going to be betrothed to another of the young men in their congregation.
Esther was surprised and said so.
Rachel laughed. The girls were sitting in Rachel’s courtyard, which was much bigger than Mordecai’s. A few other community families were there as well, but Rachel had taken Esther aside to give her the good news.
“How can you be surprised?” Rachel gave Esther a quizzical look. “We’re both of the age to be married. We’ve spoken about it.”
Esther put her hand over Rachel’s as they sat side by side on a small wooden bench in the corner of the courtyard. “I know, I know. I suppose I kept thinking it was still in the future . . .”
“I thought Jacob would ask for me.” Rachel sounded pleased with herself. “He always talked to me at supper after synagogue.” She looked into Esther’s eyes. “Do you think he’s handsome?”
Jacob was not quite as tall as Esther, but then Rachel was small. And his ears were big. Esther looked back into her friend’s eager eyes and said, “He’s very handsome, Rachel. And nice too.”
Rachel beamed.
Abraham chose this moment to come into