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It seemed to her that a light line was suddenly running from the left angle of the above geometric structure- downward and then upward, shaping a CROWN.
Priest Mathan heard Athaliah’s cry from excitement:
“I see a crown!” she said.
“Not in vain,” said Mathan, “I have killed the crown Claimant this morning, dear Queen!”
“Have you called me: Queen!?” Athaliah jumped from joy and fell into the priest’s arms, “Do you really want it to happen, dear Baal worshiper and astrologist?”
Mathan was feeling her touch of his arms by both her hands. She was looking into his eyes, a strange expression on her face .
“I envy the high priest of God,” said Mathan to her, “Yehoyada has got his position so easy: By a marriage to the old king’s daughter!
“My daughter!” said Athaliah, “Yehosheva.”
“Honorable Queen: Like Yehoyada had been nominated – y o u can also bless me with a similar...nomination.”
Mathan was kissing Athaliah’s palm on the upper side, and she was smiling.
“I have an idea!” she said.
Mathan was looking deep into her eyes, and said:
“Dear Queen, like you- I am also desperate from what God of Judea and Israel has done, to our king, to your family, to all our people.”
Athaliah was moving both her hands in front of her. She dangled her palms, like weighing some material goods by that.
“Well. In my First step as a Queen,” she said, “I shall publicly announce a dual Religion in Judea: Of ancient God of Israel- and of Phoeniocian idols Baal and Ashera.”
“Baal- and Ashera!” said Mathan, and kneeled befoe Athaliah, theatrically,
“Yuu’ll nominate me as their Chief Priest? You can do that, Queen!”
“I shall,” said Athaliah..
“I am so grateful, my Queen.”
Mathan rose on his feet and was looking again at the stars. He took Athaliah’s hand again in his hand, and pointed above- far away on the sky.
There began a vision of STARS FALLING, CLOSE TO THE HORIZON LINE: Many asteroids were droppng, pulling down short lighted tails behind them.
“These are... torches- aren’t they?” asked Athaliah.
“You should interpret what they mean, dear Queen,” said Mathan. He raised his hand and held her palm in his.
“You- Mathan, should use burning torches in my service. This is what we’ve seen. Use also poison: it never hurts the poisoner.Wait here, I‘ll just take something.”
She entered the palace hall and went to a small store in a side wall. Then she came back outside, bringing a burning lantern, which was in those days a ceramic small jug filled with oil, that would burn by putting into it cotton threads, that would burn slowly.
She gave her hand to Mathan, like they were both children. They walked toward a little half-sized door in the edge of the paved courtyard. It was leading to narrow stairs. Athaliah was breathing soundly in the darkness, and praised the fresh air which was up there. They came to a second floor of the palace, which included only one balcony. It was a square plain area covered by a light wooden roof. The breeze wind was waving freely from the north-west, its regular Jerusalemite direction.
Athaliah and Mathan were both standing at the balcony, leaning on the wooden balustrade, looking around, vewing the nightly scenery of southern Jerusalem.
Lights were flashing from over the dark mountains. Some were flickering and some extinguish suddenly. Athaliah was meditating for about two minutes in silence. Then she pointed to the center of the mountains’ dark silhuoette.
“Watch those lights there carefully,” she declared, “They mainly come out from two villages.”
“We see courtyards and houses,” said Mathan, “illuminated by oil lamps and candles. Perhaps – out of the villages we see shepherds’ fires, that they lit to warm themselves... They may also cook something on a stone stove. I come from such a place, from the village of Anatoth.”
“Still tonight,” she said, “you should rush over there, with torches!” she said that in a commanding voice, without any pretence of being sociable any more with him.
“I can’t go there alone!” he protested, “Think about that, Queen.”
“Don’t worry for your soul. It’s now in my hands, Priest. Take with you whoever you need; but of course - keep it top secret.”
Athaliah pulled out a small leather wallet from her dress’ pocket. She had opened it and dropped a few golden coins to her second palm, and puts them back. Mathan’s eyes followed her movements. He knew that she had prepared that before.
“Take this.” She ordered, “It had belonged to my husband, late King Joram... Do your job very quickly and cautiously.”
She pointed to the village on the left, far away.
“Who is dwelling there?” asked Mathan, who had begun to understood her plot.
“The other sons of my late husband… They were born to his third wife.”
“Every order will be fulfilled, my Queen. We’ll deal with all, including sons born to concubines.”
Athaliah nodded, and began to descend back to the first floor.
“That’s what I had intended to order you to do next,” she said. They were both already in the big Hall. She walked toward the ornamented copper snake hanging on the wall.
“Great Moses had such a snake,” she said, “you know that, ex-God’s priest, Mathan. Moses needed that snake, for making miracles or for soothsaying. I am purely enjoying it as a fine arts, per se.”
“Shall I bring here some of the would-be-heirs?” asked Mathan, speaking very concretly .
“that’s a good idea,” she said in sarcasm, “Just for my check-up, eh? Ha, ha!”
Athaliah approached Mathan and touched his arm, then stretched her nice hand with a gold bracelet on it. She was caressing mathan’s hair, then stretched her hand and touched his. He grabbed it, kissed her fingers, and turned toward the front door.
“It was a fruitful night, let me say…” she said, and he turned his face back. “Are you married, dear priest?” Athaliah asked.
He shook his head : no. She was satisfied, but added:
“No time for women, eh? Or d’you love men? Or principally a monk? Ha ha…Priests are allowed to marry in Israel and Judea, as well as in Tsydon, my Mom’s native town. In Egypt they marry their sisters, I heard. Or the kings do that, I don’t remember. Ah! The king is also the High priest!”
She smiled and waved with her hand to indicate he could leave now.
He wondered if she would care for him. He should execute that dangerous task. ‘I hope for the best to come,’ he reflected. ‘She does not know that a poor priest in this kingdom may break his head, if he would wish to raise a family in relatively good living conditions. I was sneaking once a month to an Idols’ whore near Beth El. Half of my poor salary, deriving from peoples’ bringing the tenth part of their income- was spent on her. . . She had a nice hiding place, a cave under a small cedar tree, brought from Lebanon by old king Solomon, so they say.’
CHAPTER 9