Mika's Song, Chapter 24
The throne room of King Herod the Great was humming with an air of muffled excitement. It was early evening and the king and his cabinet had finished dining in the great hall when he had been informed of his strange, distinguished guests from the East. Now as he made his way to the throne room, courtiers clustered around the entrance and servants peeked through doorways.
The throne room of King Herod the Great was humming with an air of muffled excitement. It was early evening and the king and his cabinet had finished dining in the great hall when he had been informed of his strange, distinguished guests from the East. Now as he made his way to the throne room, courtiers clustered around the entrance and servants peeked through doorways.
Mika, who had been prevented entrance with the Maga, had found a friend in a curious servant girl, who was willing to take him into the palace in exchange for information about the mysterious visitors. The two children came through the servants' entrance and slipped unnoticed behind a rich drape at the back of the throne room behind the great throne. Mika's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he gazed around at the great columns, the finely carved etchings, the rich drapes, and the colorful paintings along the walls. The throne itself was gold.
In front of the throne, the twelve Maga stood waiting. Finally there was a stirring in the passageway and the king himself entered with his attendants. As the great man moved from the passageway to his throne, Mika looked hard at him. He realized he had been expecting the king to be a handsome man, but he was not. He looked to be about as old as Master Ghasaan, but instead of the dignified air of the Maga, his face looked so hard and cruel it made Mika feel suddenly cold and frightened. He pulled further behind the drape as the king sat heavily on his throne.
The Maga bowed their faces down to the floor until the king ordered them to stand. "What is the meaning of this visit to His Royal Highness, King of Judea?" asked a nobleman who appeared to be the spokesman for the king.
Master Toutak, who spoke eloquent Yisra'el, stepped forward. "Please, Your Excellence," he began, "where is he who has been born king of the Yisra'el. For we have seen his star from the east, and we are come to worship him."
The king leaned forward, not answering for a moment. Finally he spoke in a gravely voice, "I am the only king of the Yisra'el."
"Please, Your Excellency," Master Toutak said again, "Is there no newly born king or heir in your court?"
The king looked sharply at his nobleman who shook his head slightly. The king stood and turned his back on the Maga. "Where did you hear of this king?" he asked flatly.
"Your excellence, we are stargazers from the east," Master Toutak looked respectfully at the floor, "We have seen the star of the newborn king. The stars and the prophecies do not lie."
Though a shadow lay across the kings face, Mika saw an expression so intense, so hateful cross his face, that the boy shivered. The servant girl leaned in close and whispered in Mika's ear, "The king will not allow any opportunity for his throne to be taken. He has already killed some of his own family to secure his position."
Mika turned to her questioningly. "If he built the temple, doesn't he also look for the coming of the deliverer?" He asked.
"If King Herod loves anything besides himself, it is his building projects," said the girl, who was a bit older than Mika, and quite knowledgeable regarding the ways of the state. "My father told me the king has no real respect for Yawhe, he only wishes to appease the Yisra'el. But mind you don't speak of that if you wan to keep your head." She put her finger to her lips.
"Please, Good Sir," Master Ghasaan spoke. "We know the Yisra'el are expecting a deliverer. Can you tell us where he is to be born?"
The king turned. His face had gone flat again, and Mika heard him say, almost cordially, "Perhaps my scribes can help," then he called loudly, "SCRIIIIIIIIIBE!"
Very soon there was a scurrying in the passageway and small man with a long nose and a shiny hairless head hurried into the courtroom. He bowed before the king, nearly losing his grip on the bundle of scrolls under his arm. "Your Highness," he muttered, and then, at the king's command, he stood upright. Two servants scurried in behind him carrying a stool and a small table.
"Where," the king seemed to speak painstakingly slow, as if talking to a child, "is the great deliverer of the Yisra'el expected to be born?"
Mika watched the little man sit on the stool and spread the scrolls out before him. He wondered how a people who were constantly talking about their coming deliverer could be so ignorant about his birth place. The scribe nervously rustled his scrolls as if to prove how hard he was searching. King Herod stepped down from his throne room and leaned heavily on the small table. The scribe seemed to shrink in front of him. The Maga shifted. Servants whispered.
Finally the scribe cleared his throat, "Ah, yes," he said hoarsely, "the anointed one, the deliverer of the Yisra'el, the Meshiak--"
"WHERE?" Boomed King Herod.
The scribe jumped. "Uh, yes, yes your Royalty, the prophets declare the one you seek is expected to be born in Bethlehem of Judea."
"Bethlehem!" the King said loudly, standing so abruptly that several scrolls rolled off the little table and the scribe scrambled to pick them up. He and the servants hurried from the room as the King stepped back up toward his throne. He did not sit, but stood again with his back to the Maga, and again Mika saw the look of hatred cross his face. The king held a tight fist to his mouth for a moment, as if trying to control himself. He turned quickly,
"The king of which you speak is expected to be born in Bethlehem," he said almost cheerfully, "That is only half a day's journey from south from Jerusalem."
Mika saw a look of relief pass over the faces of the Maga, who had looked tired and discouraged only moments before.
"Please," the king said earnestly, "go find this newborn king, and when you have found him, come and tell me, so that I may worship him, too!"
Mika's heart pounded. Would the king harm the child? He watched as the Maga were escorted out, waiting nervously for the right moment to dash out of his hiding place and back through the servants' quarters. But instead of leaving, the king began to pace back and forth in front of his throne. A moment after the Maga were out of sight, a frightened-looking servant hurried in and whispered something to the king's nobleman, who then spoke quietly to the king. Mika couldn't hear what was said, but when the king quickly strode towards the front entrance of the throne room, the boy and the servant girl wasted no time in getting out as well.
As soon as he was outside, Mika ran the length of the palace wall. But as he passed the corner of the building, he saw that the king was outside gazing up into the sky. Mika only had time to realize there was a bright light shining down, and he heard the king utter an oath before his terrified feet carried him across the courtyard, and out of the inner gate to where the Maga were just reuniting with their own servants and moving towards the outer gate.
Once they were all out in the street, they stopped to look up at the sky. There, hanging low and promising towards the south, was the star, shining as brightly as the first night Mika had seen it with his father.
In front of the throne, the twelve Maga stood waiting. Finally there was a stirring in the passageway and the king himself entered with his attendants. As the great man moved from the passageway to his throne, Mika looked hard at him. He realized he had been expecting the king to be a handsome man, but he was not. He looked to be about as old as Master Ghasaan, but instead of the dignified air of the Maga, his face looked so hard and cruel it made Mika feel suddenly cold and frightened. He pulled further behind the drape as the king sat heavily on his throne.
The Maga bowed their faces down to the floor until the king ordered them to stand. "What is the meaning of this visit to His Royal Highness, King of Judea?" asked a nobleman who appeared to be the spokesman for the king.
Master Toutak, who spoke eloquent Yisra'el, stepped forward. "Please, Your Excellence," he began, "where is he who has been born king of the Yisra'el. For we have seen his star from the east, and we are come to worship him."
The king leaned forward, not answering for a moment. Finally he spoke in a gravely voice, "I am the only king of the Yisra'el."
"Please, Your Excellency," Master Toutak said again, "Is there no newly born king or heir in your court?"
The king looked sharply at his nobleman who shook his head slightly. The king stood and turned his back on the Maga. "Where did you hear of this king?" he asked flatly.
"Your excellence, we are stargazers from the east," Master Toutak looked respectfully at the floor, "We have seen the star of the newborn king. The stars and the prophecies do not lie."
Though a shadow lay across the kings face, Mika saw an expression so intense, so hateful cross his face, that the boy shivered. The servant girl leaned in close and whispered in Mika's ear, "The king will not allow any opportunity for his throne to be taken. He has already killed some of his own family to secure his position."
Mika turned to her questioningly. "If he built the temple, doesn't he also look for the coming of the deliverer?" He asked.
"If King Herod loves anything besides himself, it is his building projects," said the girl, who was a bit older than Mika, and quite knowledgeable regarding the ways of the state. "My father told me the king has no real respect for Yawhe, he only wishes to appease the Yisra'el. But mind you don't speak of that if you wan to keep your head." She put her finger to her lips.
"Please, Good Sir," Master Ghasaan spoke. "We know the Yisra'el are expecting a deliverer. Can you tell us where he is to be born?"
The king turned. His face had gone flat again, and Mika heard him say, almost cordially, "Perhaps my scribes can help," then he called loudly, "SCRIIIIIIIIIBE!"
Very soon there was a scurrying in the passageway and small man with a long nose and a shiny hairless head hurried into the courtroom. He bowed before the king, nearly losing his grip on the bundle of scrolls under his arm. "Your Highness," he muttered, and then, at the king's command, he stood upright. Two servants scurried in behind him carrying a stool and a small table.
"Where," the king seemed to speak painstakingly slow, as if talking to a child, "is the great deliverer of the Yisra'el expected to be born?"
Mika watched the little man sit on the stool and spread the scrolls out before him. He wondered how a people who were constantly talking about their coming deliverer could be so ignorant about his birth place. The scribe nervously rustled his scrolls as if to prove how hard he was searching. King Herod stepped down from his throne room and leaned heavily on the small table. The scribe seemed to shrink in front of him. The Maga shifted. Servants whispered.
Finally the scribe cleared his throat, "Ah, yes," he said hoarsely, "the anointed one, the deliverer of the Yisra'el, the Meshiak--"
"WHERE?" Boomed King Herod.
The scribe jumped. "Uh, yes, yes your Royalty, the prophets declare the one you seek is expected to be born in Bethlehem of Judea."
"Bethlehem!" the King said loudly, standing so abruptly that several scrolls rolled off the little table and the scribe scrambled to pick them up. He and the servants hurried from the room as the King stepped back up toward his throne. He did not sit, but stood again with his back to the Maga, and again Mika saw the look of hatred cross his face. The king held a tight fist to his mouth for a moment, as if trying to control himself. He turned quickly,
"The king of which you speak is expected to be born in Bethlehem," he said almost cheerfully, "That is only half a day's journey from south from Jerusalem."
Mika saw a look of relief pass over the faces of the Maga, who had looked tired and discouraged only moments before.
"Please," the king said earnestly, "go find this newborn king, and when you have found him, come and tell me, so that I may worship him, too!"
Mika's heart pounded. Would the king harm the child? He watched as the Maga were escorted out, waiting nervously for the right moment to dash out of his hiding place and back through the servants' quarters. But instead of leaving, the king began to pace back and forth in front of his throne. A moment after the Maga were out of sight, a frightened-looking servant hurried in and whispered something to the king's nobleman, who then spoke quietly to the king. Mika couldn't hear what was said, but when the king quickly strode towards the front entrance of the throne room, the boy and the servant girl wasted no time in getting out as well.
As soon as he was outside, Mika ran the length of the palace wall. But as he passed the corner of the building, he saw that the king was outside gazing up into the sky. Mika only had time to realize there was a bright light shining down, and he heard the king utter an oath before his terrified feet carried him across the courtyard, and out of the inner gate to where the Maga were just reuniting with their own servants and moving towards the outer gate.
Once they were all out in the street, they stopped to look up at the sky. There, hanging low and promising towards the south, was the star, shining as brightly as the first night Mika had seen it with his father.