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Part Four
AND THERE ARE THREE
Their camel caravan spread news from one man to another,
camel by camel. They were all in league for following this strange
star. Everyone was sure
it was actually leading them somewhere unique, and they were
delighted to be part of something unprecedented in all their
histories. Hadn’t
Belthasar and Gasper spoken of a
prophesy naming this star
and seeking a new ruler in Israel?
Daylight dawned brightly and the caravan stopped for food and
rest.
Shimei awoke with a start.
Something had startled him, what was it?
He heard a
rooster cock crow and decided that’s what woke him.
Looking around, he saw Gasper tending a fire; his Dad no
where in sight. He
slung his leg around the horn of the saddle and stepped down on the
ground. “ Ow!
Ahhh.” he wailed, wincing.
Gasper looked at Shimei.
Baanah trotted to his friend’s side. “You’re still not able
to walk?” Baanah asked,
his brow furrowed in concern.
“Well, I can put a little weight on it, but it still hurts a
lot.” Shimei said,
looking around. “Where’s Dad?”
Gasper brought him a sturdy staff.
“Try using this Shimei.
Put your weight on the stick, and see if this alleviates some
of the pain. Your Dad
is hunting for our food.
Baanah, please search for some fresh fruit.” he said.
Shimei put his weight on the stick and walked over to the
fire before falling to the ground. “Thanks, Gasper, this works
pretty well.” he admitted.
“So how far did we get during the night?”He noticed garments
drying on rock surfaces.
“Those things STILL wet?”
Gasper said, “You wake full of questions.
We made great progress, and think we’re one day from
Jerusalem…er, one more traveling night,
anyway.” Gasper
answered. “As for the
garments, your Dad’s idea for cleaning is to wash them down and lay
them to dry on rock faces so we’ll be presentable before the king.”
“The king?” Shimei asked, eye brows raised. “Do we expect to
find the baby tomorrow?
Really?”
Gasper said, “No, Shimei.
I’m referring to King Herod, in
Jerusalem.
We hope he’ll guide us where to search for Israel’s next
ruler.”
“Oh.” Shimei
said.
I thought Dad knew where to
find him already.
“Didn’t someone say Bethlehem?”
A tall dark-skinned man, wearing a multi-colored dashiki
over animal skin pants approached.
Shimei liked his turban that was encircled with feathers.
Boy is his hair black, it’s
blacker than mine!
he thought. Melichoir’s face hair was trimmed closely to his skin
all around.
“Greetings.
My name is Melichoir.
I come seeking the leader of this caravan.”
“Welcome, Melichoir.”
Gasper walked to him, his arm outstretched.
“My name is Gasper, from Babylon.
This young man is Shimei whose Father is joining me on this
journey. He and my
grandson are collecting food for us.”
The men grasped arms in salutation.
“Please, do join us.
I’m sure they’ll bring food enough for us all.”
Gasper waved to a place around the fire.
“Many thanks. I
came armed with my bow.
Next time I offer my services for supplying your compound.
I am on an urgent mission to
Jerusalem.” Melichoir said.
“You are in present company for that same purpose.
Where are you from?” Gasper asked.
“It’s been three months from Midian in Ethiopia for me.
The days are hot, my camel is trustworthy, but I am weary.
I took the wrong path, and must have gone too far.
I fear Jerusalem
is south of here.”
“Hail Gasper!
We’re returned with bounty.
Baanah found a grove with fig trees, mangoes, permanganates,
walnuts, and peppers.
And the Lord blessed us with these plump birds.”
Belthasar was ecstatic.
He and Baanah entered the camp ring victorious.
Looking at Melichoir he stopped.
“Forgive my impudence; I mean not to barge in unannounced.”
Belthasar said, looking from Melichoir to Gasper.
Melichoir stood and reached his arm in introduction.
“You have no need for apologies, my friend.
My name is Melichoir and it is me who is imposing on your
hospitality.”
Belthasar covered Melichoir’s hand in his own.
Looking to Gasper, he said, “You are welcome if you seek the
same answers that we seek. We, on this caravan, have joined together
on a common pursuit: to find answers and for safety on our king
quest.”
“My mission is very like the same, friend.”
Melichoir said.
“Jerusalem
is my aim; a king is also my quest.”
Tossing the birds at Gasper’s feet, Belthasar put his arm
around Baanah and said, “This young man is Baanah, Gasper’s
grandson. So, you’ve
already met my son, Shimei?”
He motioned Baanah towards the fire ring.
“Show the folks your treasure, Baanah.
We’re famished!”
The boys got to work fashioning grates for cooking the birds
over open fire, as the men plucked out their feathers. While the
birds were roasting, Belthasar couldn’t contain his eagerness any
longer. He reached out to Melichoir and began, “Gasper, from
Babylon, and me from
Sousa, Persia, saw a new star.
Is that what brought you?”
Melichoir looked around.
He sucked in a large breath and answered directly looking
into Belthasar’s dark eyes, “Yes, I saw a star.
It is new. It beckoned me.
It sounds silly, but I cannot refuse its calling.
You say there is a king involved in your quest?
I was headed for Jerusalem, but somehow went too far.”
Belthasar nodded his understanding.
“That’s wicked, missing your mark.
But you’re in luck, friend.
Join us on the way to Jerusalem!”
Melichoir smiled at the men.
He said, “Thank you.
I won’t be getting lost anymore!”
Belthasar couldn’t hold in the prophesy that had been ringing
in his ears for over a month.
He said, “Here is what hooked our coming. There is a prophesy
from old that says,‘there shall come a star out of Jacob’”.
Bethasar stopped and pointed to the sky.
“I studied the stars all my life, and this one is new.
It beckoned me, too.”
Belthasar continued, excitement gushing his words out in a
hurry, ”’But thou, Bethlehem
Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of thee shall he come forth onto me that is to be ruler in Israel’...That
sounds like a king to me. And
Gasper agrees. The
other people in our caravan hadn’t heard that prophesy, they are
just following this new star.
So, which is it for you, Melichoir?”
“Yes, I too, have heard that prophesy, Belthasar!
I brought a gift and am seeking this new king.
For what else could come—did you hear it correctly—‘out
of thee shall he come
forth into me’—that
sounds like God, himself talking!”
He took a breath and calmed himself before continuing, “The
prophesy grabbed my attention before the new star sighting.
When my astronomer friend showed me this new star back in
Midian, I grabbed by gift and started out immediately!
What else could this mean?
The ‘he that come
forth onto me’ can only
mean one thing, Belthasar.
This he is God’s
Son!”
Melichoir stopped. All the other’s faced him with open
mouths.
Gasper was the first to break the shock.
“This ruler will be God’s son?”
Belthasar jumped in, “We are monotheistic, Melichior.
Most of the others in our caravan worship more than one god.
They worship MANY gods.
Gasper and I worship the ONE true God.
If what you say is true…”
Baanah finished for him, “this new king is God’s Son!
WOW”
Shimei was at a loss of words.
He tried to say something that sounded like, “ThsthewerdstthngIevrherd!”
In the end, he exclaimed clearly, WOW IS RIGHT!”
Everyone looked at each other.
Finally, mouths closed shut again, their shock disseminating.
“We’re headed for
Jerusalem, right?” Melichoir finally said.
“We should be only one day away, Melichoir.”
Belthasar said, eyes gleaming.
“This is better than I imagined!”
“Then let’s get some rest after we eat and follow this star
as soon as it appears.”
Melichoir said, no longer weary.
“Yes, we’ll proceed directly.
You probably lost your way when it changed course in our
sights.” Belthasar
commented to Melichoir, who rubbed his chin, then nodded his
acceptance of that explanation.
Gasper collected and folded their freshly dried garments.
He arranged them into neatly stacked piles.
Explaining to Melichoir, he said, “The camels wouldn’t cross
the Euphrates on our raft, and they
freaked out during the swim. First a large fish pounding into one,
then a snake appeared. That was all it took for us to be tossed into
the drink!”
Melichoir laughed heartily, then said, “Isn’t it better to
find something funny when faced with near disaster?”
“Yes, indeed.” Gasper replied.
“I can laugh about it now.
We are all safe, and I retrieved my gift to the new king.
After my turban dried, I feel presentable again.”
Melichoir chuckled at the vision of everyone swimming
alongside the camels, raft floating empty.
He said, “I hope that King Herod will be presentable.
He has a nasty reputation for being paranoid over his
authority. Especially
his throne! He may not
be happy when we seek directions to find the new king.”
Gasper said, “I hope, for all our sakes, that Herod is
presentable.”
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