Author: Mari Walker

The greatest threats often come after the miracle. As joy spreads through Bethlehem, darker plans take shape in Jerusalem. King Herod’s fear turns deadly, and the lives of innocent children hang in the balance. Once again, those who know the truth must decide how far they are willing to go to protect it. In this Faith Story’s final chapter, loyalty is tested, wisdom outmaneuvers power and courage takes a quieter, but no less heroic, form. Part III of The Girl Who Guarded the King, written by Guy Johnson, brings the story to its conclusion, showing how faith, sacrifice and love carried one family and one brave girl safely home.

Read Part 1 and Part 2

The morning following the presentation of gifts, Melchior called his colleagues and men together to discuss plans. ‘We have accomplished our purpose,’ he said; ‘We have met the new king, knelt before him, and paid homage. Under normal circumstances, we might set out for home and continue our researches at the great observatory. But these are not ordinary circumstances. A powerful enemy in Jerusalem threatens us and the life of a newborn rival who has no earthly defenders. We have no way to contact the king of our own country for new orders. We don’t know what King Herod is planning to do next. I propose that we stay here a few more days while we seek information concerning what those plans may be.’ 

All agreed with Melchior, and one of the group was selected to go to Jerusalem as a spy to attempt to determine what the situation there was. Tobias was young and inexperienced but also quick thinking and clever; he was chosen to be the spy and agreed. 

Before he set out for the city, Tab and Adam advised him to go first to the kitchen of the palace and ask for Captain Hamilcar. Adam was sure that his friends there wouldn’t betray Tobias; Tab had confidence that Hamilcar would help. 

While waiting for Tobias to return, the magi waited restlessly. Tab and Adam continued helping out at the inn. Adam spent much of the time working with Joseph who was repairing the furniture of the inn which has been in use for many years and showed it. Tab had found a small blank papyrus scroll among the gifts brought by the magi along with a box of paints. She was making a story book for the little king to enjoy when he was a bit older. 

Mary and Joseph were making plans with Hephzibah and Simeon. The older couple assured the younger that they were welcome to stay as long need be but were concerned that danger from King Herod might strike any time. Much depended on the news Tobias would bring when he returned. 

To Tab the waiting seemed forever but on the fifth day just before the midday meal, Tobias returned to the camp. He spent most of the afternoon in conference with the magi, but he managed to see Tab and slip her a letter in secret. It was from her father. Tab quickly found a quiet spot where she could read the letter in private and hurriedly opened it. 

‘Ibrim, scribe and librarian,
To his well-loved child Tabitheus,
Greetings! May this letter find you well. 

Tobias has told me something about your adventures since I saw you last. It has not been so exciting here. When you and your friends made your getaway, General Microbius took it into his head that I was the mastermind behind it all. Luckily the king wanted the work on the library to continue so I am still breathing, although under house arrest. 

The general has been out of sight recently. Hamilcar says this is because a Roman friend of Herod has come to inquire about the fate of the magi, who it seems are under his protection. So Herod ordered Microbius to stay out of sight for a time and pretends to the Roman that he respects the magi and their mission. Since the Roman is a boyhood friend of Herod, he plans an extended visit here enjoying the hospitality Romans consider their due. 

It seems then that you all are pretty safe for the time being. It will be several weeks before the king can make fresh plans to attack you there in Bethlehem. I don’t like the idea of leaving a job undone, but if an opportunity arises I will join you there and we can go back to our comfortable ship in Memphis. I long to see you and the pyramids. 

Be well.’

Tab read her father’s letter twice, first in a rush and then slowly and thoughtfully. Then she ran into the inn to find Adam and tell him what she had learned. 

At the same time, Tobias was reporting to the magi what he had learned in Jerusalem. Pompilius Superbus had been sent by the prefect at Antioch to determine how Herod had received the magi. The Median emperor had mentioned in a dispatch to Antioch that the scientists planned a trip to Judea, and expressed concern for their safety. It was the task of Pompilius to avoid an incident which could restart war between Rome and Media. 

Pompilius and Herod had been boyhood friends in Rome. Herod seized on this friendship as the pretext for a lavish welcome for Pompilius who took advantage of this hospitality to extend his stay weeks longer than necessary. 

Herod did not forget the magi and their quest but would make no overt attack during his old friend’s visit. 

Tobias was able to report to the magi that they were in a protected position for a short time at least, as was the young king. In addition Captain Hamilcar had promised to send word immediately if the situation changed. 

Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar took counsel at once with Mary, Joseph, Simeon and Hephzibah. For safety’s sake, Mary, Joseph, and the baby needed a long term asylum. Egypt was close by and with the gifts of the magi, they could travel in comfort. In accordance with the Law, Mary and the young boy needed to be presented in the temple when he was forty days old. They could safely travel to Jerusalem while Herod was occupied with his friend. So it was agreed that the young family would remain at the inn for the time required by the Law and make a timely escape if Hamilcar warned them of the need. The magi, having completed their purpose and seeing plans for the wellbeing of the newborn king were settled, decided to return immediately to their observatory. For the time being, Tab and Adam would remain with Hephzibah and Simeon at the inn. 

And so it was that two days later, Tab and Adam said a long goodbye to their friend Darius who had taught them about the stars and how to ride a horse. The magi set out with their slow moving camels on the highway to the sea. They planned to find a ship there which would take them north to Tyre where they could find a caravan to take them to Babylon. 

Later, on the appropriate day, old Ezra drove Mary, Joseph, and the young boy to Jerusalem to the temple. They encountered no danger, but the baby was recognized by two elderly worshipers who spent their lives in prayer in the temple courts. 

Tab and Adam spent their days waiting, worrying, and expecting news. They kept busy helping the innkeeper and his wife. Then, one morning as she stepped out of the kitchen to scatter some grain for the chickens, Tab was met by two strangers, their faces hidden, their dark cloaks covering them from head to foot. The taller signaled her to be silent. The shorter gave her an unexpected hug. Looking up into his face she recognized her father.

When the king’s troops had marched out of sight on the road up to Jerusalem Hamilcar breathed a sigh of relief. 

‘That seems to have gone well,’ remarked Simeon. 

‘Yes, but we’ll still be on high alert for the next few days,’ the old soldier added. 

‘Surely we can bring the children home,’ said Ezra. 

‘That we can do, but we still can’t allow ourselves to become lax. Herod is full of tricks.’ 

The word was quickly spread and soon the mothers and youngsters were back in their homes. All continued to worry, however, until a messenger from Jerusalem arrived. 

The subaltern who had led the soldiers back to headquarters informed Hamilcar that the king considered their assignment had been successfully completed (the soldiers had prepared some robes stained with sheep’s blood for evidence) and Hamilcar was invited to return to lead the king’s forces, provided he returned with the library man and his assistant. 

Hamilcar replied with a message that he would be happy to return but that in the confusion of the attack the two book men had vanished. 

A second message from Jerusalem assured Hamilcar that the king was ill and had given up dreams of a great library. Hamilcar was needed at once to take command of the army. 

Hamilcar accepted the post by return message and prepared to return to the capital. Before he left, he spoke privately with Adam. ‘My boy, you have always said you wished to join the king’s guard. You are still a bit young for that, but you have proved your worth in defending the magi from attack and in saving the children. If you come with me now I will be able to give you a place on the guard under my command. Will you accept my offer?’ 

Adam thought carefully for several minutes before replying. ‘Thank you, sir, for this offer. It’s true that being a guardsman has been my dream. What I have seen these last few weeks has made me think again about what I want to do in my life. I always thought a guard’s job was to help people in need, to fight against cruelty and evil. That’s the kind of soldier I saw you were. I could serve under that kind of general but no one who would order me to murder defenseless children. I can’t follow the old king. I will follow the new king, the Messiah. I’m sorry I won’t be able to go with you. You have been a father to me.’ 

Hamilcar accepted Adam’s decision, thinking perhaps that if he himself were younger his own decision might have been different. He was almost ready to say a final farewell to his friends, when Tab knocked at his door. ‘Come in, boy!’ he shouted. 

‘Hamilcar, I’m sorry to see you go.’ 

‘I will certainly miss seeing you in your workshop in the palace, Tabitheus. But Egypt is your home. You have a future there. It will be a bright one.’ 

‘I don’t know about that. It will be full of books, thousands of books. That I do know. I have a little scroll here I made for you. It has some of the words of the ancient prophets, and for when you don’t feel like reading, I drew some pictures of the famous war of the cats and the mice.’ 

‘Thank you, Tab, I never had a book of my own before. I’ll keep it in my box of treasures. I must say you have really impressed me from the first day we met. You are so young and have learned so much in those few years, And you’re up for any challenge, ready to help where you’re needed. I will certainly miss you.’ 

After one more good-bye, Tab returned to her friends and Hamilcar buckled his saddle bags. 

As Tab, Ibrim, and Adam saw their friend off on his way back to Jerusalem, Ibrim was already planning his return to his workshop in Memphis. Simeon would be happy to provide him with a large, very old but still working four-wheeled covered wagon to journey in, he thought. He decided that he would bring up his plan at supper that evening. 

When the three returned to the inn, they found a message waiting for Tab and Adam:

‘Darius, son of Melchior Magus
To his friends Tabitheus and Adam
‘Greetings. 

I hope this letter finds you alive and well. There was still plenty to worry about when our party left Bethlehem. We arrived safely in Tyre and have been waiting here for quite a while hoping to find a caravan heading to Babylon the we can join for the trip home. But that’s not the good news. Dad got a letter from the head of the observatory in Memphis in Egypt telling him they have an opening there for a promising young scientist to study their methods and achievements. Well, there wasn’t anyone else around so it’s going to be me. I’ll be in Egypt all next school year! Tab, I hope you’ll be back home by then. Adam, you should try to come to Egypt, too. Then we can all get together for some new adventures!

Be well!’ 

Tab and Adam were still thinking and talking about the letter when Ibrim claimed their attention to travel plans. He began by asking Adam what he was hoping to do in his life. ‘Well, sir, you know I chose not to take a guardsman post with Hamilcar. I had never planned anything else. I can’t go back and work in the king’s kitchen. No one there would welcome me, though I am a demon at chopping turnips. Zach and Zeb have taught me a lot about being a shepherd, but as their father said I’m a city boy. While Joseph was here he taught me carpenter skills and I liked that work. What I do know is the someday not too far off the young Messiah will need helpers and followers. I would like to be one of them.’ 

‘I see,’ said Ibrim. ‘The Messiah at present is in Egypt where Tab and I are going. You should come with us. I can find you work in our shop. You could learn to prepare books, make book cases or cabinets. I don’t know just what you will end up doing but we’ll find something.’ 

So Adam agreed to go to Egypt with Tab and Ibrim. After a day of packing and another day for farewell celebrations with Simeon, Hephzibah, and the shepherds, the three travelers began their journey. Ibrim held the reins, with Tab and Adam beside him on the wide front seat. 

‘I’m glad you’re with us, Adam,’ said Ibrim. ‘I would be proud to have a son like you.’ 

‘But-‘ said Adam. 

‘And Tab,’ said Ibrim, “No father has ever been prouder of his daughter!’ 

‘What ?- ‘ said Adam. 

‘We’ll talk about this later,’ said Tab. 

As things turned out there was little time to talk. When they arrived at the shop in Memphis, Ibrim found a huge stack of work orders requiring immediate attention. He and Tab set to work at once putting in long overtime hours. Adam was kept busy helping where he could and learning the business from Tab’s uncle. 

When everyone finally had time to draw a quiet breath, Tab and Adam found they were happy no longer to be brother and brother but content to be brother and sister. Darius, when he arrived in the city, smiled and claimed not to be surprised at all. He had known Tab was a girl from the first moment he had seen her, he said, and had not considered it worth mentioning. The three shared several holidays together before Darius returned to Babylon. 

During the next few years, Tab and Adam worked together in the Memphis shop. When Ibrim opened a branch office in Alexandria, Adam, now a master of the business, moved to take charge of the new shop. Tab remained in Memphis and managed the home office when her father retired. 

For many years, neither Tab nor Adam heard any news of Mary, Joseph, and the young king. Then after almost thirty years later, Adam began to receive reports of a powerful prophet preaching and healing in Galilee and Judea. Tab confirmed that she had heard such stories, too. 

As the news accumulated, Tab became more and more eager to meet the young prophet. Adam was first to suggest that they make a journey north. It took some time to arrange work schedules and travel routes, but at last they were able to leave Egypt. 

It was the beginning of the Passover festival when they arrived in Jerusalem. The city was crowded with pilgrims who had come to worship in the Temple. 

‘Do you think he will be here?’ asked Tab. 

‘We will see the Messiah again.’ answered Adam.

Guy Johnson

Faith does not always stay safely within walls. Sometimes it must walk unfamiliar roads. Having escaped King Herod’s palace, Tabitha, Adam and Darius find themselves racing against time along the highway to Bethlehem. What began as a warning becomes a battle for lives and for the fulfillment of God’s promise. Along the way, courage is tested, friendships are proven and unexpected allies appear. Shepherds tell of angels. Warriors clash on rocky ground. And in a humble stable, a king receives gifts fit for royalty. Part II of The Girl Who Guarded the King, written by Guy Johnson, follows the journey from danger to deliverance, reminding us that God often works through ordinary people willing to act when the moment demands it.

Read Part 1

Adam led Tab through several dimly lighted hallways, up and down several twisting stairways, moving always cautiously and without a sound. At last they came to the lavish guest rooms where Darius and the company of magi were staying.

 At first it seemed that the rooms were empty. 

‘Darius! Where are you?’ called Tab. 

‘I’m in here,’ a drowsy voice answered. ‘What do you want? I’m trying to sleep.’ 

Tab and Adam followed the voice into the neighboring room where Darius was stretched out on a mountain of pillows. 

‘Get up, man!’ Adam shouted. ‘We have to talk! Where is everybody?’ 

‘Well on their way to Bethlehem by now.’ 

‘We missed them. We’re too late!’ worried Tab. 

‘They got a great send-off,’ continued Darius. ‘General Microbius was there, along with some other big wigs, promising them a great welcome when they come back with news of the new king.’ 

‘Why are you still here?’ asked Tab. 

‘The General pointed out how rugged the terrain is between here and Bethlehem and suggested it would be better if I stayed here till they get back. I’m a special guest of King Herod.’ 

‘Hostage you mean,’ Adam put in. 

‘What are you talking about?’ 

‘You need to hear what Tab found out after the meeting yesterday. Tell him, Tab!!’

So Tab repeated all she had heard of the general’s plans and instructions. Darius was dumbfounded. 

‘I’m not making this up, Darius. You and your Dad and his friends are in real danger.’ 

‘Something has to be done right away,’ added Adam. 

‘Well, well, what is this? Three conspirators at work planning mischief? We can’t have that!’ 

Two armed guardsmen had come into the room. 

‘What are we going to do with them, Captain? Should we get rid of them right now?’ asked one of them. 

‘No,’ answered the Captain. ‘Our orders were to lock one young foreigner up for now, but not hurt him. It turns out we have three kids here. Two of them work in the palace. We’ll head back to headquarters for new instructions. We’ll just lock them in until we get back. They won’t be able to go anywhere-the walls are thick and there aren’t any windows. We don’t even need to tie them up.’ 

The guardsmen bolted the heavy doors behind them and went back to report their find, leaving Tab, Adam, and Darius to worry. 

‘I couldn’t believe what you told me, Tab,’ Darius was the first to speak. ‘But it is all true. We’re doomed.’ 

‘There must be something we can do besides wait for them to come back,’ said Tab. 

‘Listen and learn,’ said Adam. ‘I told you I know this palace. And better than those guards do. Tab, you and Ibrim work in the old part of the palace. When I bring you your supplies, I have to carry them up by hand. But this is the new part of the palace. I put boxes and trays on a shelf in a little cabinet in the kitchen wall, pull on a pulley, and the supplies arrive here on that shelf in the wall over there.’ 

‘In my country, we call that a dumb waiter,’ commented Darius. 

‘Well, it’s modern technology here,’ went on Adam, ‘And we can use it to escape from this room before the guards get back.’ 

And so they did. The dumb waiter could accommodate them one at a time. Adam thought they should first go up to the room above them, which he knew was empty just then, and hide there till late at night when they could get down to the kitchen and make their way out of the palace without being caught. 

While waiting for the time they could make their move, they tried to plan what they could do next. 

‘We have to get to your Dad as quick as we can, Darius, and warn him about the ambush,’ said Tab.

‘Yes,’ said Darius. 

‘That’s the most important thing to do first. Dad and the others need to get ready to fight. We had to fight off bands of thieves twice on our way to Jerusalem, so we know how to defend ourselves.’ 

‘Do we know how to find them?’ asked Tab. 

‘I think I can locate the road to Bethlehem. But first we have to be extra careful getting out of the palace and the city. The dumb waiter will let us off in the kitchen. There won’t be many people there at midnight and most of them will be sleeping, but we can’t make a sound. When we get outside, the streets will be empty mostly, but we’ll have to be on the lookout for robbers. And we’ll have to hide near the city gate until dawn when it opens. Are here any questions?’ 

Tab decided to hold the many questions she had until later. Darius did the same. The three decided to rest as much as possible until it was time to put the escape plan in motion. 

At the darkest hour of the night, they descended to the kitchen one at a time in the dumb waiter. The pulley creaked a bit but did not arouse suspicion. Several kitchen workers were sleeping close to their duty posts but none awoke and the three tiptoed by. 

When they reached the great doors to the outside world, Adam noticed Tab looking at the row of woolen cloaks hanging on the racks. ‘One of those would make a good disguise when we’re on the road, and besides, it’ll be cold outside.’ 

‘I don’t think we should steal them,’ she said. 

‘We could borrow them for a while,’ said Darius. 

‘How will we give them back?’ Tab asked. 

‘We’ll think of that later,’ Adam finished the conversation. 

There was a small side door beside the great palace gates. They slipped through it and found themselves in the cold night air. 

The empty streets were pitch black. The three kept close together and made as little sound as possible. Adam led the way to the city gate that opened on the road to Bethlehem and the sea beyond. The first light of dawn was just becoming visible when they made it out just ahead. They hid behind a stack of barrels while waiting for it to open. While the gatekeeper was enjoying the fresh baked bread brought to him by a friendly baker’s maid, Tab, Adam, and Darius slipped past him into the open countryside.

‘Where do we go from here?’ Asked Darius. 

‘We have to get to Bethlehem to find your father as soon as we can,’ answered Tab. 

‘Yes,’ said Adam, ‘they’re probably still hunting for us in the palace, but it won’t take long for them to decide to start searching the road to Bethlehem.’ 

‘We can’t go very fast walking. We need some horses,’ Darius said. ‘My Lightening can outrun any horse they have.’ 

‘Well, until we can get hold of some horses, we have to walk and do the best we can. It won’t be long until this road gets crowded with people. We’ll have to keep a sharp lookout and stay out of sight as much as possible,’ Adam said. 

There was a low stone wall opposite the city’s gate they had just come through. It stretched ahead of them down the long rise on which Jerusalem was situated and bordered the highway to Bethlehem. 

‘Starting right now I think we should start walking on the other side of that wall,’ suggested Tab. ‘It’ll be easy to hide there and even if we’re slow at least we’ll be doing something.’ 

The others agreed. It wasn’t hard to get over the wall. The shrubs growing wild by the wall were more of a problem, but the three forged ahead with determination. 

No one complained as the morning advanced to midday and the temperature grew steadily warmer. Nor did anyone complain about bramble scratches, hunger, or thirst. Nevertheless, all three breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived at a level stretch of highway where a small village lay and where they saw a building that was clearly an inn. 

While the others remained hidden outside, Adam went into the inn to test it and determine if it was safe for the others to come in. The inn was empty at that hour. It was still too early for a lunch crowd. Only the innkeeper, the oldest man Adam had ever seen, was in the main room. 

‘Good morning, sir,’ Adam began. 

‘Welcome, young man,’ answered the innkeeper. ‘Why don’t you ask your friends outside to come in, too. You are all welcome here, and in no danger.’ 

‘How did you know-‘ 

‘My grandson drove here from the city this morning and noticed you on the opposite side of the wall. From what he told me, I guessed you all are in some kind of trouble. You don’t look like dangerous cutthroats. Come in and have something to eat. You must be tired by now.’ 

Tab and Darius joined Adam in the dining room of the inn. The old innkeeper was so friendly they came to trust him completely. Darius told him why his father and the other magi had come to Judea. 

‘Ah,’ said the inn keeper, ‘you came seeking the Messiah. All Israel is waiting for the Messiah. No wonder King Herod is frightened to learn he has been born.’ 

Tab went on to explain how she had found the prophecy that the new king was to be born in Bethlehem. Adam added that Tab had also discovered the general’s sinister plans but the magi had left the palace before they could be warned. Darius explained how they had escaped from the palace and how they needed to warn his father of his danger. 

‘What you’re telling me explains what I saw yesterday and the day before,’ said the innkeeper. ‘Yesterday morning, a large group of foreign dignitaries passed by on the road to Bethlehem. It was quite an impressive group, many people, horses, and a number of camels. They were moving rather slowly. Camels can’t be rushed.’

‘That would be Dad and his friends,’ put in Darius. 

The innkeeper continued, ‘The afternoon before, a fast moving group galloped by. They weren’t in uniforms but they had the look of Herod’s men.’ 

‘They must have been the ones the general sent ahead to ambush the magi,’ Tab exclaimed. 

‘Well, they have had plenty of time to get in place, but they haven’t attacked yet. They’re way ahead of their proposed victims.’ 

The innkeeper’s son stepped into the dining room. ‘Dad! I see three horsemen galloping this way from the capital!’ 

‘Ah,’ said the old man. ‘Those will be your pursuers. It’s taken them longer than I expected to get their act together. Not to worry. Son, guide our guests to the upstairs room. Don’t worry, young people, you will be able to hear everything from there.’ 

Tab, Adam, and Darius had barely enough time to climb the stairs when the general’s henchmen burst into the inn. The leader quickly took note of the remains of a lunch on the main table.

‘We’re looking for three young runaways from the castle. I think you took them in. Give them up, if you want to go on living,’ he shouted. 

‘Runaways, you say? There were three young men here not long back, but they were polite and didn’t seem dangerous at all.’ 

‘They’re traitors to the king! Where are they? Where did they go? If you protect them, it’s your blood that will flow.’ 

‘They were right here at the table when my son told us he heard your horses. I got up to get some food ready for you and when I looked around they had gone.’ 

The innkeeper’s son appeared in the doorway. ‘They might have slipped out the back way. There’s a field we didn’t plant this year back there. It’s all grown up with weeds. Lots of good places to hide there’, he said. 

The guardsman called his team together and gave them the command to search the empty field. 

‘Wait,’ the old man called. “You can’t take your horses in there. It’s not safe for them.’ ‘I’ll hold them for you,’ his son offered. 

When the three king’s men disappeared into the overgrown shrubs on the field, the innkeeper called Tab, Adam, and Darius down from their hiding place. 

‘Be quick now. Take those horses and ride to save your friends. When you find the little king, worship him for me. You aren’t stealing the horses, just borrowing them. You can leave them at the inn in Bethlehem.’ 

‘Thank you, sir. You’ve saved our lives,’ said Adam, and the others agreed. 

‘Don’t waste time thanking me, get on your way! And give my son a bit of a rap on the head, so those government agents won’t blame him for your getaway.’ 

It was a light tap, but Darius did knock the innkeeper’s son out. Then he had to show Adam and Tab how to mount their new found horses. The three rode off at top speed, Darius elated at riding once again, Tab and Adam hanging on for dear life expecting to fall at any minute. 

The general’s henchmen, humiliated at letting their quarry escape and losing their horses as well, concluded that the general would have them executed if they returned to Jerusalem. They decided to spend the next few years in Egypt. 

It was just after midday when Darius rode up to the grassy field at the side of the road where his father and his companions had stopped for lunch and a rest. He had just begun to make an explanation of his sudden appearance when Tab and Adam rode up to join him. 

Introductions were quickly made. Darius’s father Melchior greeted the newcomers warmly, as did his colleagues, Caspar and Balthasar. They listened attentively while the young people described what they had learned of the general’s plans to have the magi ambushed before they got to Bethlehem. 

‘You three have made it here just in time’, said Melchior. ‘They must be hiding in the hill country just ahead. Because of your warning, they won’t get the better of us. They don’t know we’ve come hundreds of miles through deserts and mountains and fought off robbers and thieves more than once. We owe you a debt of gratitude.’ 

After finishing their meal, the group prepared to continue the trek to Bethlehem in battle formation. The camels laden with gifts for the newborn king were placed at the center. Melchior led the group on his camel with two guards on foot on each side. Caspar was stationed at mid left and Balthasar at mid right. Each was accompanied by three guards on foot. Darius rode with his father. Adam was with Caspar and Tab with Balthasar; they chose to walk having had all the horseback riding they could take on one day. The remaining five guards made up the rear of the party. 

The attack came in the middle of the afternoon. The travelers were entering a stretch of the highway bordered by rocky formations with plenty of hiding places on both sides. Suddenly a horseman galloped from cover just in front of them. At the same time attackers emerged from the rocks at left and right. 

To the surprise of the attackers the intended victims were ready to do battle. The fighting was intense. Adam and Tab did not have swords but had long staffs which they used to good effect. In a short time most of the thieves were rounded up and put in chains. 

‘They are not carrying anything to identify them as king’s men,’ said Melchior. ‘We can treat them like the common criminals they really are and turn them over to the officials in Bethlehem for the appropriate punishment.’ 

All the travelers agreed this would be the best course, and all were relieved that none of their group had been injured in the battle. But when Tab and Darius searched through the crowd, they could not find their friend. Adam was nowhere to be seen.

When Adam opened his eyes, he realized the morning was well advanced. ‘I’ve never been this late,’ he thought. ‘The cooks will skin me alive!’ Then he thought again, ‘No, Tab and Darius and I were trying to get to Darius’s dad.’ Then he had a third thought, which was more of a question – ‘where am I?’ He sat up. 

‘Well, boy, you’re finally awake? You had us worried there for a while. Welcome back to the land of the living.’ 

Adam looked around. He was in a tent. It was fairly large in area but hugged the ground. The flap which served as a door was pulled back to let in the morning light. Inside close to the opening was a small fire over which a kettle was steaming. An old man was sitting on the ground by the fire. 

‘Yes, that was quite a blow on the head you took. But it looks like you’re going to make it.’ The old man smiled. ‘Are you wanting something to eat?’ 

‘Yes, sir. I think I am.’ 

‘That’s a good sign, too.’ He filled a small bowl with some of the stew heating on the fire. ‘Would you like to tell me your name and why you were fighting outlaws on the road to Bethlehem? You look like a city boy to me.’ 

‘I am a city boy. I’ve never been out of Jerusalem before. My name is Adam. I work in the kitchen of the king and always enjoyed what I was doing. Then my friend Tab came to work in the palace. He and his dad repair old books and they are fixing the king’s library.’ 

‘This seems to be a very long story.’ 

‘I suppose so, but I don’t know how to make it short. Tab and I got to be good friends. I showed him all the secret passages in the castle and he taught me how to read. Things were going along very well and then the magi came.’ 

‘Those are the strangers with the camels we saw in the battle?’ 

‘Yes, sir. They study the stars and told us of a great new star which foretold that a new king would be born here, a great new king who will restore the kingdom to Israel.’ 

‘The Messiah? They were talking about the Messiah? We have been expecting the Messiah since the time of the great prophets.’ 

‘They didn’t know where in Judea the new king would be born. They had assumed the present king could tell them.’ 

‘I doubt that King Herod would welcome news about a king who might take his throne.’ 

‘Tab had been working on a scroll of one of the ancient prophets and had learned where the little king would be born. The king passed on the information and asked the magi to return to tell him just where to find the baby.’ 

‘Certainly they know better than to do that.’ 

‘Tab and I discovered that the king’s general was sending a group of his men to ambush the magi. Along with Darius, the chief magi’s son, we managed to escape from the palace, and we caught up with them in time to warn them before they were attacked.’ 

‘You managed to save many lives but almost lost your own.’ 

‘I don’t know if I can remember just how things went. I remember we seemed to be winning. I saw one of the attackers running toward the horses trying to get away and get back to tell the king and his general what had happened. That’s all I can say for sure.’ 

‘Well, I know a bit more to tell you. You caught up with the man you were chasing and put up a good struggle to keep him from getting away. You were trying to pull him down from the horse when he kicked you off. You fell and struck your head on a rock and lost consciousness. You woke up just now.’ 

‘How did I get here?’ 

‘Two of my sons saw what happened. They had come down from the hill pasture hunting for some of the flock that had strayed. They saw the fight, the strangers in turbans and those outlaws going at it hot and heavy, and they saw you fall. You were unconscious and they saw you needed help. Your friends had all they could do fighting. So the boys brought you here for me to take care of while they went back to the sheep.’ 

‘I appreciate all you’ve done, and this stew is great, but I need to get back to the magi. The man I was trying to stop got away. He’ll tell General Microbius what’s happened and the general will send more troops against us.’ 

‘You don’t need to worry. Zeb and Zach will be along any minute and will take care of things. If you’re strong enough to walk, that is.’ 

Adam was eager to get back to his friends to warn them of danger on the way and to hear how the battle had turned out, but he was still feeling shaky and settled back to wait for the old shepherd’s sons. In just a few minutes, he fell asleep again. 

Loud voices woke Adam. Two tall young men who looked remarkably alike had come into the tent. 

‘You’re alive, after all! You had us worried! said one. 

‘We knew Dad would fix you up!’ said the other. 

‘This is Adam, boys, and he’s just about ready to get back to his friends,’ said the old shepherd. ‘Adam, these are my worthless twin sons, Zach and Zeb. They did do a good thing saving you though, I guess.’ 

‘Worthless? I think not!’ said Zach. 

‘Angels don’t have conversations with worthless folks,’ added Zeb. 

‘And angels do speak with us!’ said Zach. 

‘At least they did last night,’ they said together. 

‘I’ve told you more than once not to be disrespectful in sacred matters. What you’re saying is not acceptable,’ said the old man. 

‘We’re sorry, sir. We aren’t being disrespectful.’ 

‘It was so weird-wonderful, but weird.’ ‘It is so hard to understand, to believe.’ 

‘And we were there.’ 

‘What are you talking about?’ 

‘The angel. All the angels. What we saw and heard.’ 

‘It was the middle of the night. I was getting out the bread for a snack.’ 

‘I was trying to pull a lamb out of a thorn bush where it had got tangled.’ 

‘Then the whole hillside was suddenly full of light. I tried to look up but it was so bright above us that I couldn’t.’ 

‘Then we heard the voice telling us not to be afraid. It was an angel.’ 

‘There’s good news, the angel told us. The Messiah has been born in Bethlehem, the savior of all humankind. You can see him for yourselves; he is lying in the manger in the stable of the inn there.’ 

‘Before we could ask any questions-‘ 

‘We were too scared to ask questions-‘ 

‘Before we could say anything, there was a whole group of angels all singing. It was a song we had never heard before. The most beautiful melody you could imagine.’ 

‘I don’t know how long they sang, but when the angels had gone, we just sat there for a while stunned.’ 

‘But we finally roused ourselves and decided to go down to the town to see for ourselves.’ 

‘It was all just like the angel said. There in the inn stable was a young mother and her husband, and in the manger a tiny baby.’ 

‘I’ve never actually seen a baby before, but this child did seem special. It was as if a kind of golden glow surrounded him.’ 

‘We spoke a bit with the innkeeper and gave our good wishes to the parents and came here.’ 

‘We needed to check on Adam here and get him back to his friends.’ 

‘And we want to visit the young Messiah again.’ 

Zach and Zeb helped Adam up and made sure he was ready to make the trek down to Bethlehem. The old shepherd gathered together two loaves of bread and a jar of sheep’s milk. Then they set out on their walk to town. 

The battle had been fierce and lasted until late in the afternoon. The general’s men had been surprised at the strength with which the magi’s guards had met their ambush and one by one the attackers had been subdued and put in irons. 

Tab was exhausted but proud. She had fought like a real warrior and helped capture three of the ambushers. Balthasar had called her a good soldier. When camp was set up that evening on the outskirts of Bethlehem, she was ready to rest and fell asleep at once. 

Darius had done a good job also, fighting alongside his father. He was too tired to eat supper and went to bed as soon as his tent was set up. 

The next morning, everyone met for breakfast at the center of camp. Tab and Darius met as the group of magi and guards were assembling. The first question each had for the other was, ‘Where is Adam?’ Neither had an answer. Nor did anyone in the camp. 

Melchior addressed the assembled group as they finished a hasty meal. ‘This morning, while many of you will enjoy a well-earned rest after yesterday’s strife-and you all did a fantastic job-Balthasar and I will go into the town and make an effort to find the newborn king we all came to honor. My son and his friend Tabitheus, who warned us of the attack we had to face and saved our lives, tell me that the friend who came with them is missing. Young Adam fought valiantly with Caspar’s team. While Balthasar and I are in Bethlehem, Caspar will take a small group back to the battle site and search for Adam. If there are no questions, you are dismissed.’ 

It was a short hike from camp back to the part of the highway where they had fought. Tab and Darius searched along one side of the road while Caspar and his men searched on the other. They found a few lost helmets and a broken sword but no trace of Adam. 

‘Should we look farther off the road? Could he have gone up the hill there?’ asked Tab. 

‘ I don’t think he would have done that,’ answered Darius. 

When they all concluded that there was nothing there to be found, the group turned sadly to go back to camp. Tab was sorry to think she would not see her friend again. 

‘Hey, stop!’ they heard a voice cry. They turned and saw a familiar figure limping down the hillside accompanied by three men they did not recognize. 

‘Adam!’ shouted Tab and she ran to meet him. ‘I’m glad you’re not dead after all.” Darius added laughing. 

When they all met at the center of the road, introductions were made and explanations given. Adam explained that he was trying to keep one of the enemy fighters from escaping when he fell and hurt his leg. ‘And his head,’ added Zeb, who went on to say he and his brother had carried Adam to their father’s tent. ‘You all were too busy fighting to help,’ put in Zach, ‘and we were afraid he was done for.’ ‘He’s up and about again now,’ concluded their father Ezra. ‘We were on our way to deliver him back to his friends, when we met you.’ 

Tab, Darius, and Caspar thanked their new friends heartily for saving Adam’s life. ‘Come with us to our camp for a dinner to celebrate,’ invited Caspar. ‘We hope to be able to celebrate even more soon when we find the little king who has just been born.’ 

‘You are seeking the young Messiah? You do not wish to harm him, do you?’ asked Ezra. 

‘No!’ answered Caspar, ‘we bring him gifts. We seek to honor and worship him.’ 

‘May we tell him, father?’ asked Zach. ‘I think we should tell him,’ put in Zeb. 

‘Perhaps it would be best to wait till we are with the whole group of seekers,’ decided Ezra.

And so it was. At dinner when all were gathered to celebrate Adam’s safe return, Melchior spoke first. ‘The Imperial Census Takers cannot help us. They are almost finished tallying up the descendants of David here but know nothing about a recent birth.’ 

‘Sir,’ Ezra spoke up. ‘My sons and I are shepherds who watch over a flock on the hillsides around Bethlehem. Just last night when I was tending young Adam’s wounds and they were out with the sheep, they had a strange experience. I will let them tell you what they saw and heard.’ 

The story the two young shepherds told astounded the magi and their men. When the dinner was ended, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar went into Bethlehem with Zach and Zeb to visit the inn. 

Tab, Adam, and Darius sat together in Darius’ tent and shared their stories of the battle. 

Adam had felt a rush of excitement going into the fight. This was what it would be like to be a member of the royal guard, he had thought. He had traded blows with opponents enthusiastically and tirelessly at first. He had begun to tire, but when he saw one of the attackers make a break toward the horses with escape in mind he had rushed after him to stop him. That was about all he could remember till he woke up in Ezra’s tent, but he felt sure he was meant to be a soldier. 

Darius said fighting to defend the magi was part of his life, but not the biggest part. Studying the stars, observing their motions, discerning the hidden meanings behind them-those were the joys of his life to come. He knew he was meant to be a man of science. 

Tab had been surprised at how well she had handled a sword. Up to a point she had enjoyed fighting, something she had never imagined she would do. But on the whole she missed the books in the shop. The life she knew would be wrapped up in reading, creating, and restoring books, just like he father and uncle. 

When the magi and shepherds returned from their visit to the inn, the whole camp was assembled to finalize plans for the following day. The morning would be taken up unloading the camels and preparing the gifts for presentation to the infant king. Then at about noon all would go into Bethlehem to the inn to present the gifts, worship the Messiah, and feast. 

Early the next morning, when the magi and their men began unloading the gifts for the king, Tab and Adam decided to go on ahead to the town. Zach and Zeb offered to go with them and show them the way to the inn. 

Bethlehem is built on a long, low-lying hill. Over the years the population had grown and its houses and shops now extended well outside the old city walls. The inn to which the youths were heading was near the highway that ran between Jerusalem and the sea. It was a large building built originally as a home for a well-to-do family but now was converted into a hostel, and since the announcement of the general census was crowded with travelers returning to their roots to register with Caesar’s officials. 

As they approached the house, Zach and Zeb called out a greeting to the laughing older man who returned their shouts with a friendly wave. ‘Good morning, Mr. Simeon! How are your preparations going?’ asked Zeb. ‘We brought some friends along to help,’ added Zach. 

‘Thank you, boys, for that. We need all the help we can get,’ replied Simeon. ‘The regular business of the inn has to go on, we have foreign visitors to prepare a feast for, and a newborn baby to help look after, to boot. I don’t know how it will all get done, but I know Hephzibah will manage.’

‘Well, Zeb and I are here, and here are two new friends, Adam and Tab. Tab, Adam, this is Simeon, the keeper of the inn. He’s the one who is keeping it running. His wife Mrs. Hephzibah is the one putting a feast together and helping to take care of a baby. She’s the one we’re actually going to help. She always gives us honey cakes when we come by,’ Zach explained. 

‘Welcome, Adam and Tab, Glad to meet you! You two don’t look like visitors from Media. How did you get involved with these roughnecks?’ asked Simeon. 

Zeb was quick to reply. ‘They’re from Jerusalem. They found out about the attack that was planned on the magi and rode here to warn them. They helped fight the ambushers, too, and did a great job.’ 

‘I took a bad fall in the battle,’ said Adam. ‘Zach and Zeb saved my life.’ 

‘It looks like you survived in good shape, so good for the shepherd boys! Let me take you around to the kitchen. I don’t know if there’s much in the way of honey cakes, but there’s plenty of work.’ 

The kitchen was a whirlwind of activity, and at the center of it all stood Hephzibah issuing orders in a firm voice of command which could not be brooked. Tab could see her basic good humor though and warmed to her at once. 

Adam knew his way around a kitchen and was quickly set to chopping turnips for a stew. Zach and Zeb were sent back to camp to ask Ezra if the shepherds could spare a lamb or ram for the feast. Tab was given the chore of helping with the baby. 

Hephzibah had known at once that a musty stable was not the right nursery for a newborn. She decided to move Mary, Joseph, and their child into the inn. Since the inn was filled to capacity, she chose to put the young family in the room she shared with Simeon. The innkeeper was not overjoyed to be sleeping in his kitchen on a mat, but he had heard the angels’ singing and agreed. 

So Tab spent the morning with Mary and the young child, bringing food and fresh linen as needed and rocking the baby while singing to him the lullaby she remembered from her own childhood. 

Just after midday all was ready. The magi and their men arrived with two wagons loaded with gifts. The horses which pulled the wagons were to be gifts also but were not brought into the large common room of the inn as the wagons were. They were to be gifts also. 

The common room was crowded. Along with Joseph, Mary, and their child, the magi and their followers, Ezra and his sons were there, as were Tab, Adam, and the staff of the inn. After the most lavish feast the inn could provide, augmented by a lamb from the shepherds and Babylonian delicacies provided by the magi, the presentation of gifts began. 

The first gifts were the ceremonial ones, suitable recognition of what was due a mighty monarch at the beginning of an illustrious career. Melchior presented gold, a symbol of wealth and power. Caspar gave frankincense, for worshipful reverence. Balthasar’s myrrh pointed to a universal truth-the greatest career ends in death. 

Following ceremonial gifts came practical ones. Gold coins to provide the necessities of life, articles of clothing, preserved foodstuffs, wine, little things as well, luxuries perhaps but missed when not available, and to carry all these things and provide transportation home the wagons and horses. 

Mary and Joseph graciously accepted these gifts for their son. The baby slept through most of the proceedings but was awake during the gift giving and rested quiet on his mother’s lap. 

Guy Johnson

Some acts of faith happen far from crowds and pulpits. They begin quietly – in a workshop, with ink-stained hands and ancient words. When twelve-year-old Tabitha arrives in Jerusalem disguised as a boy to help restore King Herod’s library, she expects long days of careful work and little else. Instead, she finds friendship in unexpected places, hears whispers of a newborn king and uncovers a prophecy hidden for generations. As magi arrive from the East and danger begins to stir within the palace walls, Tabitha must decide whether knowledge is enough – or whether faith sometimes demands courage, action and risk. Part I of The Girl Who Guarded the King, written by Guy Johnson, introduces Tabitha, her father and the extraordinary chain of events that will pull an ordinary girl into God’s unfolding plan.

There was nothing Tabitha loved more than books. She had grown up surrounded by books of all kinds. Old or new, fresh from the scribes or tattered with age and overuse, plain or illustrated, she loved them all. 

She had learned to read by the time she was four and how to copy the many types of script she saw in her father’s shop by the age of eight. Now at twelve she was the best in the shop at repairing and refurbishing the antique scrolls her father’s clients brought in.

So, it was natural, when the offer came in, that her father wanted her to come with him as an assistant. It was a huge job, which might take a year to complete and would require her to leave her comfortable home in Memphis and travel miles to a strange new city, Jerusalem. The king of Judea had purchased a great shipment of old texts and needed a master technician to restore them to use. Naturally, the king’s agents sought out Tabitha’s father; he was known all over Egypt and Babylonia as the best in the field. 

And Tabitha was eager to go. Her uncle-he was her father’s partner-had a major objection, however. ‘Tabitha is too young to go. She wouldn’t be safe. And she is a girl.’ 

There was a lengthy discussion. The final decision was: Tabitha is the best qualified of the staff to go, so she will go. Of course, she will dress like a boy and we will call her Tabitheus. 

When Tabitha and her father arrived at the tradesmen’s gate of King Herod’s palace, they were met by Zander, the official in charge of the palace wing which housed the library, and Hamilcar, the guardsman in charge of safety in that wing. 

Hamilcar was a friendly giant of an old soldier and greeted them warmly. Zander extended them a formal welcome and turned aside to look for porters to carry their luggage and the tools they had brought with them. 

Hamilcar led Tabitha and her father through the long and twisting corridors of the palace until they finally reached the wing which held the library. Zander undertook the task of explaining to them what was expected of them and where they would work. 

‘His majesty is most eager to establish here in Jerusalem a library to rival the one in Alexandria. You, Ibrim of Memphis, were highly recommended for this task. Naturally, his majesty will expect and require work of the highest order from you and your son Tabitheus…

‘The library salon itself is regularly used for important meetings of state. You will hardly need to enter it at all. The volumes his majesty purchased and which you will refurbish are in the work room adjacent. Your living quarters lie just beyond. I think you will find them adequate-I was under the impression that you would bring more helpers and prepared for at least seven. You will be brought daily food rations from the royal kitchen, so you will not find it necessary to leave these quarters until your work is done and approved. Hamilcar may have some additional instructions for you.’ 

‘I can’t think of much to add to Lord Zander’s eloquent welcome,’ smiled Hamilcar ; ‘my job is to keep this wing of the palace safe. Unknown intruders are quickly dispatched. If you do need to go to any other part of the palace, let me know, and I’ll go with you to protect you.’

After Tabitha’s father had thanked Lord Zander and Captain Hamilcar for their help, the two were left to examine their new quarters. 

‘It does seem like we have everything we need,’ said Ibrim after examining their new quarters. 

‘It seems a lot like a prison,’ said Tab. 

‘It’s going to earn us a huge amount of gold coins, so we’ll make the best of it. Now, it’s been a long day and we’re tired. Let’s get some sleep and start work tomorrow.’ 

‘Hello!’ called a voice she didn’t know. Tab opened her eyes. 

Hello!’ called the voice again; ‘Food delivery! Get your daily supplies!’ 

Tab ran into the kitchen of their new home. A tall boy about her own age was standing at the work table with two large boxes. 

‘Good morning,’ he said. ‘Here’s your food for the day!’ 

‘We get our food like this every day?’ 

‘Straight from the royal kitchen. Some of it is leftovers from the king’s table; some of it from the cooks’ table. The part from the cooks is better tasting, believe me.’ 

‘Thank you, I suppose. I’ve never had food brought to me like this before. Who are you?’ ‘My name is Adam. My Mom is one of the royal cooks and I work in the kitchen doing all kinds of jobs helping. Next year I’ll be thirteen and old enough to join the king’s guard. Till then I’ll be bringing you food every day. And who are you?’ 

‘Call me Tab. My Dad is putting the library here in order and I’m helping. I can repair torn scrolls, clean stained pages, add illustrations, and write new passages as needed.’ 

‘You can read and write?’ 

‘That and a lot more.’ 

‘Could you teach me to read? I will be able to make rank in the guard quicker if I can read.’ 

‘If you’re smart enough, I can.’ 

‘I feel like I’m smart enough to do almost anything.’ 

‘Then when you bring the food, we’ll have class with breakfast.’ 

In the days and weeks following, Tab taught Adam how to read. She found him an apt pupil. In return Adam taught Tab all about the secret passages and rooms of the palace and how to avoid running into the guards that did not know them. He found her an apt pupil. The two became fast friends.

One morning, Tab woke up early before Adam arrived with breakfast. She decided to continue working with the scroll she had begun repairing the day before. 

It was a slender volume, the writing of one of the ancient prophets of Judea. There was a collection of such works in the huge mass of scrolls she and her father had come to work on. Ibrim was in the middle of refurbishing one of the longest of the scrolls. 

Tab had been given the short books to handle. She had completed work on a little scroll which told the story of an unwilling prophet who had been swallowed by a sea monster-the book had some very funny illustrations-and was starting another, more somber work. 

Tab was trying to decide which of her colors she could blend to match the border designs of the book when she heard Adam come in. 

‘Hey, Tab,’ he called. ‘I brought a new friend today. Meet Darius.’ 

Darius smiled as he followed Adam into the workroom. He was a bit taller than Adam and he was wearing a turban. 

‘Darius and his father are visiting from Babylon,’ continued Adam. “They’re scientists.’ 

‘Actually, we are magi, students of the stars,’ Darius put in. ‘The observatory in Babylon has been in operation for hundreds of years.’ 

‘I’m glad to meet you, Darius,’ said Tab; ‘my father and I are here in Jerusalem patching up old books for the king.’ 

‘I’m sure that’s a noble profession. Books are so fragile. The messages of the stars are forever.’ 

Tab was a bit taken aback. ‘What star messages have you read lately?’ 

‘A very great one. A mighty new king has been born here in Judea. My father and his colleagues have come to pay him homage.’

Adam spoke up, ‘None of us at the palace have heard anything about that. We already have a king and several princes.’ 

Darius continued, ‘Surely your king must know something about this. We have come here to learn where the newborn king may be found.’ 

‘Good luck with that. I can’t believe King Herod will be happy to learn he is about to be replaced,’ remarked Tab. ‘We don’t have a message about that. His chief ministers have agreed to meet with us tomorrow to discuss the matter.’

‘Well everything will be settled then,’ laughed Adam. ‘In the meantime let’s have some breakfast. I’m starving.’ 

Adam had brought a few extra honey cakes, so the breakfast was a pleasant one. Tab showed Darius some of her work. Adam described his plans to join the royal guard. Darius told the others about the star charts he worked on. 

Just as Adam and Darius were about to leave, Hamilcar entered the workroom. 

‘Good,’ he said; ‘I thought I might find you here. Tab and Adam, you need to know this, and Darius, you might as well hear it, too. This wandering about the palace at night may be fun for you, but it worries me and it’s dangerous. I’ve been able to keep you out of trouble so far, but security is going to get tighter with all this talk of a rival king going around. So watch your step and don’t be where you shouldn’t be. Understand?’ 

‘I hear and obey, sir,’ said Adam. 

‘Thanks, Captain Hamilcar. We’ll be careful,’ said Tab. 

‘I’ll try to stay out of trouble,’ said Darius. 

‘Now tomorrow, the king’s council is going to meet our visitors from the East in the royal library next door,’ continued Hamilcar, ‘so you’ll see a lot of strangers about. Don’t let that worry you. Just stay out of their way. We don’t expect any trouble. Now, it’s getting late. I’d better let Tab get back to work. Adam, they’re looking for you down in the kitchen. Master Darius, I’ll take you back to your dad. I don’t want you getting lost.’ 

The rest of the day passed without incident. The next morning began quietly. Ibrim continued working on the huge Jeremiah scroll, while Tab finished inking the border of the short volume of another prophet’s writing. 

Not long before midday Lord Zander entered the workroom followed by a tall, sinister looking official. 

‘Captain Hamilcar informed you, I believe, that the library will be used for the meeting of the Eastern visitors with the royal council today,’ Zander began. ‘This is General Microbius who will lead the meeting. He wished to inspect the workrooms prior to the meeting.’ 

General Microbius cleared his throat before speaking. ‘There is no cause for alarm. There is no reason to believe our guests pose any threat to national security. However, the king’s safety is vital to our nation, and we must be on our guard at all times. I will inspect these workrooms now and post Officer Hamilcar here during the meeting. You may continue with your regular duties, but do not leave your quarters for any reason until I release you. Are there any questions?’

 Hearing no questions the general proceeded to inspect each of the workrooms and storage closets. Then without further comment he left them to their work. Zander followed him from the room. 

As the day wore on, Tab heard unfamiliar voices and footsteps outside. She wanted to jump up and see what was going on, but Ibrim signaled to her to remain still. She was relieved when Hamilcar came in to take up his duty post. 

‘They’re about to begin the speeches,’ he said. ‘I don’t think it will go on very long. The visitors will make their request; the council will deny it; and that will be all there is to it.’ 

Tab and her dad continued working during the meeting. Hamilcar spent the time in the storage closet in the wall which separated the workroom from the library. Tab wondered what that could mean and was still thinking about it when the meeting ended. 

Hamilcar stepped out of the storage closet and joined Tab and Ibrim. ‘That was way more interesting than I expected,’ he said. 

‘What’s going on? ‘asked Tab. 

‘They say that a great and powerful king has been born. They expected to find him here but none of us knew anything about it and King Herod will not be happy to hear about it. At any rate, they want to know where to find the new king. The general did not want to look weak, so he promised to give them that information after consulting with the king. So they have set up another meeting for tomorrow, and now we have to find out where the little king is hiding.’ 

It was at this point that Zander rushed into the room. ‘Librarian!’ he cried. ‘Help! Microbius tells me I have twelve hours to come up with the location of the king that threatens Herod. There’s no talk about this on the street, he says. There’s must be something about in the old records. There used to be prophets in Judea he says. Look in them; see what they say. I can’t read that ancient language. I need help!’ 

‘I would certainly help, if I could,’ answered Ibrim. ‘I have been reading the ancient prophets. I have only been at the library here a few months. I don’t know all the resources. Right now I’m working on the writings of Jeremiah. I haven’t seen anything about the location of a future king’s birth. Many prophets told of a great leader who would come to restore the kingdom of Israel and usher in an era of peace and justice.’ 

‘Thank you, Ibrim. I don’t need a lecture. I need information I can use.’ 

‘Excuse me,’ Tab spoke up. ‘The scroll I’ve been working on might help. It talks about the anointed prince coming to save Israel and all the world.’ 

‘I don’t see how that little scroll can help me.’ 

‘Let me look at it,’ said Ibrim. He took up the scroll and began unrolling it as he scanned the columns of script. ‘This is a very old prophecy. Micah who wrote it lived when Assyria conquered Israel. Here it is. The Messiah will be born in a little town, Bethlehem.’ 

‘Quick. Let me have that book. I’ll get it to the General. You’re full of information I don’t want to know, but I think you’ve saved my life with this!’ 

Zander rushed off with the Micah scroll. The others relaxed and thought about their suppers. 

Hamilcar was wearing a grim smile when he came into the workroom the next morning. ‘You’d better stay close to your work desks this morning and not make much noise to draw attention to yourselves. His majesty himself will be at the meeting and there will be lots of guards about to keep him safe. I’ll be here in my regular post.’ 

‘Why is your post in a storage closet?’ asked Tab. 

‘It’s not a regular closet, young man. And don’t go poking around in it when I’m not here. Stay away from it. It’s a state secret. Now, what did Adam bring for your breakfast?’ 

After sharing the morning fig cakes, Ibrim and Tab settled down to work, Ibim still on his long book of prophecy, Tab picking up another short scroll. Hamilcar paced about the room while he waited for the conference to begin. 

There was more noise in the hall outside today as the participants assembled -more of the palace guardsmen and all of the visiting magi. Darius was there also, accompanying his father, the leader of the group. Finally, preceded by the royal trumpeters, King Herod arrived. 

Although it seemed to Tab to be going on forever, the meeting was actually brief and to the point. The visitors were dismissed first. When they had returned to the guest quarters, Hamilcar came out of the storage closet and breathed a sigh of relief. 

‘That’s that!’ he said. ‘They will be on their way tomorrow and things here will get back to normal. I’ll see you later.’

‘Wait, Hamilcar,’ called Tab, ‘what happened in there? What are they going to do?’ 

But Hamilcar had gone. Tab got up and began to pace around the room, too filled with curiosity to work. She passed by the storage closet and stopped. She opened the door and stepped in. 

At first, it seemed like any other closet, but as her eyes got used to the dark, she noticed two small openings about as far apart as a person’s eyes just above her head in the wall of the library. While she was examining them, she heard voices coming from the other side of the wall. 

‘You asked me to stay, sir?’ ‘Yes, I have orders for you that should be just between us for now.’ 

Very quietly Tab pulled an old chair under the openings in the wall and climbed up to listen. General Microbius was speaking to another officer, one she did not know. 

‘Things went well at the meeting, I thought, sir.’ 

‘Quite well. Those fools will be on their way to Bethlehem at daybreak tomorrow.’ 

‘But will they find the new king there, sir?’ 

‘There will be no new king, idiot. Our present king will handle that.’ 

‘We read the prophecies, sir.’ 

‘The fantasies of the ancients do not concern us. But we can’t have a pack of strangers stirring our people up with wild stories. Those astrologers must be eliminated. They will leave here tomorrow. Today you will take a small group of men you can trust and travel on the Bethlehem road. Find an isolated spot for an ambush. Make sure not one of them escapes your sword. And, since this is a confidential mission, go disguised, not in uniform.’ 

‘I know the men I need. We will be on our way within the hour. But their leader’s son who is to remain here as hostage…. ‘ 

‘Not your concern. I will handle him when you report your success.’ 

‘Yes, General.’ 

As the two conspirators left the library, Tab sank down in the chair aghast, her mind filled with questions she could not answer. She continued to worry the rest of the day and through a sleepless night. Perhaps when she saw Adam in the morning, the two of them could think of a way to help set things straight. 

Adam was a little late with the supplies on the following morning. Tab was beside herself with worry by the time he arrived. While Ibrim was lost in thought concentrating on their work, Tab hurriedly told Adam everything she had heard the general plan win his henchman. 

‘What can we do to help? Somebody has to warn Darius’s dad and his colleagues. Somebody has to figure out how to save Darius.’ 

‘That will be us. It has to be-we’re the ones who know what the danger is. And don’t forget that new born little king. Don’t think Herod will forget that threat.’ 

‘But what can we do?’ 

‘First of all, let’s go over to the guest hall where the visitors are. Maybe they haven’t left yet.’

‘Do you know how to get there?’ 

‘Trust me. I know this place.’ 

‘All right then, let’s go. Dad is really busy right now and won’t miss me for a while. I’ll leave him a note.’ 

Guy Johnson

If you would like to continue reading, you may find Part Two here.