Tallis returned home in time to change back into his uniform and walk to the marketplace where Priam and his men waited. “All is well. Two of my soldiers remain at the south gate. They’ll leave their post when your troops arrive.”
“Thank you for coming to assist us today, Priam.” Turning to his men, Tallis ordered Ari and Yoel to relive the men guarding the south gate. “Habib and Lior, I want you to guard the north entrance. Everyone else, follow me.” The six remaining soldiers trailed their leader to the lake. Everyone appeared more relaxed after enjoying a few hours off. “I thought we should meet before we begin our patrols.” The Decanus waited until everyone sat on the bricks next to the tower. “This morning, I asked myself why Kaleb would arrive with an entire Conturbenium before I’d sent a runner to report the damage in our marketplace. Something suspicious is going on, but I don’t know what. Anyway, Priam and his men will return at sunrise and remain on duty until the Sabbath ends. I hope everyone enjoys their time off.” Next, Tallis created three teams to patrol the lakeshore and the streets of Hammath. “Keep a watchful eye, and sound the alarm if you need help.”
Tonight the streets remained empty, and Hammath enjoyed a peaceful evening. Facing a twelve-hour shift, Tallis focused his attention on what strategies his Conturbenium could use if the troublemakers returned. He still grieved for Masa and Kush and realized those who opposed his troops were not afraid to use force when confronted. Would another attack come soon, or will their enemies wait, trying to catch them off guard? Tallis hoped not. He expected they would stay away for another day or more before attacking the village again, suspecting the soldiers would change their patrol patterns, trying to confuse them. Adding another Conturbenium will help provide more options protecting their community. So would installing doors to secure the gates.
One more issue remained. Did Nikolaos want the soldiers protecting Hammath to succeed, or were they expendable? Tallis needed an answer to this question, fast. Right now, their future was in the Commander’s hands, and this made Tallis nervous.
Sunrise came and went, but Tallis hadn’t arrived home from spending the night on patrol. Abigail wasn’t pleased, and she didn’t want this new schedule to become permanent. The couple seldom spent time together, and she didn’t sleep well when her husband wasn’t home to snuggle with her. The sound of an opening door startled her, and Abigail ran to Tallis and held him tight. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too, Abigail. What a relief to be home, but Kaleb will come calling sometime this morning, and I will need to meet with him when he arrives.”
“We didn’t get to see each other yesterday. The trouble in our marketplace consumed your entire day, and then you worked the whole night. I saw you speaking with Kaleb yesterday morning. Did he bring good news?”
“For the most part, but I won’t know for sure until he returns.”
“You sound troubled, my love. What makes you think today will turn out worse?”
Tallis didn’t want to burden his wife with the details. “My soul aches, Abigail.”
“Did I say anything to upset you?”
“No. The problem began when Kaleb arrived yesterday morning leading a Conturbenium to assist us. I asked how he found out we’d had trouble in our marketplace when I hadn’t contacted the fort. He said Nikolaos told him about the damage.”
“At least he didn’t blame you and your men for the attack, but why does this trouble you so? Sometimes bad news travels fast.”
“I can’t figure out how Nikolaos found out we had trouble in our village when I haven’t had time to contact him. This isn’t the first time something like this happened. It makes me wonder if he’s plotting against us for some reason. I hope this isn’t the case, but what other reason would he have? What have I done to make the Commander upset with me?”
Abigail put her arm around the waist of Tallis. “What are you thinking about, my dear? You’re standing there rubbing your chin and deep in thought. What can I do to help? You know my soul aches when I see you troubled like this. Remember, our God is in control, so we have no reason to fear the future.”
“You might not be scared, Abigail, but I am. Yesterday I felt lucky. Today, I’m not so sure. Something doesn’t feel right. There’s more going on here, and I haven’t been able to put the puzzle pieces together. I need help, but nobody else knows the answers either.”
“I know you’re frightened, but God has blessed us. He is our rock, and we can go to Him in prayer when times become difficult. Don’t you remember your school lessons from Kiva? Why are you looking at me with such a funny expression on your face?”
“How am I looking at you, Abigail? I’m trying to recall what I buried in the back of my mind years ago.” I thought I could hide my feelings better than this.
“By remembering the truths you learned in synagogue school, you will move closer to God and feel His presence drawing nearer to you.”
What if my wife’s right? “Zosimos said the same thing a few days ago. He claimed God’s Messiah will come, and deliver our people from the Romans. Do you think He would deliver us from Herod too? How can one man overthrow the entire Roman Empire? I don’t understand. Does Nikolaos want to lead a rebellion? Why? Our Commander is not a Jew. He’s Greek. The God of Israel wouldn’t send a man from Greece to free His chosen people in Israel would he?” Tallis walked across the room and sat on a stool.
Abigail shook a finger at her husband. “You need to relax and have faith in what God can do. After all, He created everything so why can’t God provide a Greek Messiah to drive the Romans from our land?”
“What you’re saying doesn’t sound possible. What makes you think the Messiah is coming soon? How many years have the children of Abraham waited for deliverance? It’s been a while you know. How long must His people wait? Do you know the answer? I don’t.” The muscles in Tallis’s neck tightened. Rubbing didn’t help.
“Why are we arguing over this? God will make everything happened when He’s ready. It’s not up to us to make the decision for Him.”
Tallis took a deep breath and exhaled through his mouth, trying to relax. “You’re right, dear. I only wish it was sooner than later.”
“Are you saying you believe in God?” Tallis’s eyebrows rose at his wife’s comment, which surprised her.
“I’m not saying anything, dear. I made a simple statement. The interpretation is up to you.”
“If you say so, but I’m going to meet our mothers now. You can find me in the marketplace, or at the synagogue. Be careful today. I love you.”
Tallis tossed and turned, trying to sleep while Abigail was away. His body needed rest, but the recent struggles kept his mind spinning. Could Dan be the one spying on my soldiers? Did Tallis need to meet this young man? What if Dan’s one of the Zealots? He might report to Nikolaos. Did Dan visit my Commander the morning he bumped into my shoulder? … Addai. I need to chat with him. I hope he’s learned something new since our last meeting. The meeting shouldn’t take long, and Abigail was gone for the morning. She’d never know her husband wasn’t home sleeping.
The old man didn’t respond to knocks on his door. As Tallis turned to leave, he heard a deep cough, coming from inside the house. The Decanus knocked again, and the door cracked open. “Good morning, Addai. I hope I didn’t disturb you, my friend. How are you feeling? I thought I heard a terrible cough coming from inside your place. You may need to see a doctor.” I hope he’s not dying on me. I’d miss my new friend.
“I’m alright, Tallis. I spent my entire night thinking over what happened in the marketplace and keeping watch from my rooftop. Did you know you can see the whole lake from the roof? It’s surprising what you can see and hear up there. … Don’t look so surprised young man.”
Tallis had never given any thought to using his roof to watch the lake or anything else. Was his view as good as Addai’s? “Tell me, what did you see last night, my friend?”
“Your men patrolled the streets along the w
aterfront from dusk until dawn, unlike previous nights when everyone went home at the end of the second watch.”
“Did you see anything else, anything that might help me figure out who damaged our marketplace?” I’m glad Addai noticed we’d made a change.
“I saw people spying your soldiers as they patrolled the street next to the shoreline. They left before the fishermen cast off to begin their day. I don’t think anyone saw them except me.”
“People watch us from the lake? This isn’t good.”
“Four boats, Tallis. They must drop their anchors because they didn’t drift south with the winds or the lake currents. Whoever’s in the crafts sank down, making it hard for me to count how many men spied on our village.”
“Did you happen to see Dan, the young man you mentioned the other morning, observing our troops?”
“Couldn’t tell. It’s too dark to identify specific individuals. Like I said they anchored their boats too far from the shore.”
Tallis leaned back against the door. So they spy on us. No wonder our enemy figured out when our patrols ended. “How did they study our patterns when my men kept moving at various intervals and slipped into the shadows to hide from view on occasion?”
“Your soldiers did a good job searching for people traveling along the streets and alleyways, but they never focused their attention on the water. One thing you might try is to douse the torches lighting the streets at night. This would help your men see clearer when they look out across the lake.”
I never concerned myself with the torches. “What do you mean? I’m sure my troops looked at the lake. I ordered them to do so, but the moon didn’t shine last night so you couldn’t see in the dark.”
“Your men couldn’t see because the torchlight cuts down their vision, but I can, Tallis, because my roof is higher the flames lighting the streets. If you look long enough, your eyes will adjust, and you can see the boats bobbing up and down on the surface. The spies studied your men last night. The light made them stand out. I’m sure they noted how your troops moved, and they may return tonight to see if you change the way you patrol.”
So this is how they figured out when to come into town. “You can view this from your rooftop? I’m amazed, Addai.” Tallis began to pace, as he thought.
“Of course, young man. I’ve been watching people from my rooftop for years. You should try it sometime. You’ll learn so much, and the best part is, nobody, will know you’re looking at them.”
“Addai. Tonight I’m going to start spending time on my roof. Then we’ll have four eyes staring back at those looking at us.” Tallis wondered if some of his soldiers could commandeer a boat or two and slip behind their visitors. Could they catch take the spies by surprise? I’ll give the idea more thought when I get home. “You’re a smart man, my friend, and thank you for the tip.”
“I’ll keep my eyes open for Dan tonight. He might try to slip in and out of town without your knowledge.”
“Thank you for your help, Addai. I need to get back home. Abigail thinks I’m sleeping. I’ll visit with you tomorrow. Take care of your cough. If you’re not better in the morning, I’ll get you to the doctor, and I won’t take no for an answer.”
Chapter 15