Adam Palmer - The Moses Legacy

‘That’s all pretty much well documented,’ said Gabrielle. ‘Apart from the actual blood relationships, which has always been a bone of contention between scholars.’

‘Holy shit!’

‘What is it?’ Gabrielle said, realizing that Daniel was responding not to what she had said but to what he had just read.

‘The… the next bit-’

‘What does it say?’ asked Gabrielle impatiently. Now Horemheb knew not Joseph…

It was just five simple words. But they had as devastating an effect on Gabrielle and the priest as they did on Daniel. Because they echoed some of the most ominous words in the Bible: Now there arose a new king over Egypt which knew not Joseph.

It was a portent to the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt. They had encouraged and supported monotheism and now that it was completely rejected by the new pharaoh, they were going to pay the price in sweat and toil – as slaves to the Egyptians. They had been loyal to the pharaohs who came before Horemheb, but all of that was forgotten. They were tainted by being associated with the wrong side. Now, with a change of regime and a change of policy, they were to be perceived as the enemy.

Gabrielle looked at Daniel; Daniel and the priest looked at each other.

But before anyone could speak, the door swung open and a tall and powerful man burst into the room. Daniel recognized him immediately. It was the man from the aeroplane.

Sarit never had been one for following orders. Besides, Dov hadn’t actually ordered her not to interfere. He simply hadn’t authorized specific action. He hadn’t told her not to go to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Indeed, there was no reason at all why she shouldn’t go there. It was a public place and the National Library, subject to certain security procedures, was a public building. So she wasn’t actually disobeying orders in going there.

She had driven there as soon as her conversation with Dov had ended – she didn’t want to waste any time. But she didn’t have a university pass, so she would have to park outside the campus and walk in. That would take a little longer.

She wasn’t really sure why she was doing this. Presumably they would phone the university to warn them if they thought there was any danger of Goliath turning up. Also Dov had told her that there was an armed guard with them in the lab. But how quickly could an armed guard respond? After all, the corridors of the National Library were full of unarmed civilians. Could an armed guard with a pistol in a holster respond quickly enough to a man like Goliath, and without harming any innocent passers-by?

And what did Goliath and the New Covenant actually want? If it was what Dov thought it was then it was not to be found at the Hebrew University. It would be somewhere in Jordan. Perhaps he thought that the manuscript would give him the precise location?

No, that doesn’t make sense!

If the information he needed was in the translation of The Book of the Straight then Senator Morris could have already given it to him based on Carmichael’s translation.

But maybe the translation was incomplete? Maybe there were gaps that needed to be filled? Maybe they were waiting for Daniel’s translation to put in place the last piece that would help them find the exact location?

Or maybe Goliath was still convinced that he needed a sample of their clothes, unaware that that approach was now obsolete.

‘I assume you know who I am?’ Goliath said.

‘I remember you,’ said Daniel, unsure of how to play it. ‘You were the man on the plane. We talked a bit about ancient Egypt and history and all that.’

More than anyone else in the room, Daniel realized that they were in deadly danger, although he sensed that Gabrielle must have at least some idea too. It was now clear to Daniel that the pushy man who had spoken to him on the plane was also the man who had tried to kill them at the tomb.

It made perfect sense. The guardian of the tomb’s neck was broken and this was clearly a strong man. Daniel knew that Gabrielle had figured it out too. Only the high priest was in blissful ignorance of the fact that standing before them was a deadly assassin.

But what was his cause? And what happened to the armed guard outside? This man was certainly strong enough to have dealt with him. But they hadn’t heard a thing. Just as at the tomb, they had only realized when it was too late.

‘Let’s not beat around the bush, Professor Klein. You know who I am.’

‘You’re the man who locked us in the tomb.’

‘Correct.’

‘Did you kill my uncle?’ asked Gabrielle.

‘That too.’

‘But why?’ she asked.

‘What is this?’ asked the high priest.

‘Shut up!’ yelled Goliath, delivering a vicious blow to the priest with the back of his hand. The blow drew blood.

Daniel took a step towards the big man. He was prepared to fight Goliath, despite his obvious size and strength. But the high priest held up a hand to stay Daniel’s advance.

‘What do you want?’ asked Gabrielle in an even tone.

‘I want… that!’

He pointed to the small papyrus scroll. She moved her hand away nervously, but held his gaze.

‘This scroll belongs to the world,’ she said quietly, but with a hint of defiance.

‘Enough! I didn’t come here to argue!’

They all fell silent. Daniel eyed the man carefully, wondering whether he stood a chance if he made a move. At the back of his mind was the thought that everyone has a weak spot, but this man had shown that he had speed as well as strength. He realized that any move he might make would endanger not only himself, but also the others.

He wondered if any support might come from outside. An armed guard had been posted at the door. But that was all rather perfunctory; no one had actually expected any trouble. And where was the armed guard now? Had he just gone to take a leak? Or had this man done something to him?

‘Give it to me,’ said Goliath, pointing to the clay urn that had housed the papyrus. He was staring at Gabrielle. She hesitated for a moment, looking at Daniel.

‘Do it!’ shouted Goliath, grabbing Daniel by the throat to show that they were powerless to resist him. Daniel felt a spasm of agony as the soft tissue of his throat was crushed in Goliath’s iron grip. He couldn’t kick Goliath, either in the groin or the kneecap because the man’s long reach held him too far away, and in any case he was in too much pain.

Then he remembered a self-defence technique he had learnt years before. Reaching over Goliath’s left hand he pressed hard on the thumb, forcing his attacker’s fingers to open. With Goliath’s grip broken, he pulled away, his hands to his throat as he coughed and sputtered.

His eyes met those of the big man, wondering how he would react to being thwarted in this David versus Goliath struggle. He expected to see anger and was fully prepared for an onslaught of rage. But instead he saw a smile, as if his attacker respected him for his effective display of resistance.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle was still hesitating. She looked at Daniel and although he stubbornly refused to nod, it was clear that there was no way they could defy this man. They could shout for help, but who knew how he would react?

So Gabrielle picked up the glass-encased papyrus in two hands and extended it towards Goliath.

‘No!’ shouted the high priest, diving forward to grab the precious relic before the big man could take it.

Through the haze of pain that still engulfed him, Daniel realized in that split second that the high priest was putting his life on the line. Now was not the time to resist, but Daniel’s reactions were not quick enough to restrain the high priest and halt his futile act of opposition. By the time Daniel was able to respond, Goliath had grabbed the high priest by his shirt and pulled him so that the priest was in front of him. With his free hand, Goliath produced a knife and with one swift move he slashed across the high priest’s throat, like a ritual slaughterer in a kosher abattoir, cutting through the priest’s carotid artery and jugular vein.