Till Shiloh Comes (14 page)

Ufa scowled. “If Joseph will allow us to be of some help,” he sneered. “He thinks nothing can be done without his approval.”

A smile tugged Masud's mouth upward at the corners. He knew that Ufa hated Joseph with a deadly, cold passion and would love to find some way to undercut him. “Joseph is probably no better at running the estate than you, Ufa, but he has one quality that neither you nor I will ever have.”

“What's that?”

“He has the ability to draw people. Have you noticed how all the freeborn servants and all of the slaves love him?”

“They're trying to use him,” Ufa snapped. “They're all fools!”

“You're wrong about that. They really care for him, and he doesn't have to work at it. Whatever it is in a man that draws people to make them trust him, this young man has it.”

Ufa's face grew crimson, and he blurted out, “Well, the mistress cares for him. That's plain enough to see.”

Masud fixed his eyes on Ufa's face. “What is that supposed to mean?” he asked quietly.

Ufa stuttered, knowing he had gone too far to back out. “You've seen it as well as I have. She's dying to get him into her bed.”

“A dangerous statement! If Potiphar were to hear such a thing, it would be perilous for the bearer of the tale.”

“I make no charges,” Ufa said and finished off his goblet of wine. “But one day something will come of it. You see if it doesn't.” He lurched to his feet, nearly overturning the game board, and staggered off to bed, much the worse for wine.

Masud sat quietly at the table, not moving. He stared unseeingly at the board before him, his mind working rapidly.
So Ufa has seen what is clearly evident. He's a fool in some ways, but Joseph is in danger from this man
. Rising to his feet, he started for his room and murmured, “I must talk to and warn Joseph.”

****

The years of service under Potiphar had changed Joseph from a boy into a man. He had grown even more attractive than he had been as a youth, for now he had not only the physical features that were pleasing to all, but he had also developed the confident bearing of a man who is self-possessed and powerful, impressive to all who met him.

Had others been able to see the inner changes in Joseph, they would have been even more impressed. After an early life in which he was entirely dependent on family relationships, he had been cut off from his own blood ties. Now isolated in an alien land, he had so mastered his duties as steward that he could perform them to perfection, without conscious thought, leaving his inner life free to go where it would. His memory of his family had not grown dimmer, for he had a flawless memory. He could go back in time to his early childhood and remember insignificant details of going to a village market with his father, holding his hand, and he spent part of every day thinking of his brothers.

The memory of their treachery was real, but just as real were the earlier days when he was a selfish and prideful young man. That part had been stilled now, and he had arrived at a state of repentance. He had thoroughly grieved over his early failings, and his attitude had completely changed.

Joseph's youthful selfishness had been burned away by his brothers' betrayal and the loss of all things he held dear. It was this that drew the servants of Potiphar to Joseph. At times he had to be stern with them, but it was the sternness of a father with a mischievous child. Though his expression might be severe, his eyes were kind and his lips never hardened into a sneer. He ruled the house of Potiphar with gentleness and kindness, something that Ufa would never understand.

During these years Masud had been the one individual with whom Joseph felt free to speak freely. Joseph was as close to having a friendship as was possible with a man like Masud, who built a wall around himself and was incapable of giving the innermost part of his heart to anyone. Still, he had an affection of sorts for Joseph, and occasionally that affection would override his natural caution and the two men would spend time together in a more intimate fashion.

It was on one of these occasions one evening that Masud decided to try to warn Joseph of the pitfall that lay ahead of him. The two men had worked hard all day and were now sitting on a bench in the garden. The air was fragrant with the blossoms of the flowers so carefully cultivated under Joseph's direction, and overhead the stars were glittering like diamonds against the black velvet sky. The two men talked awhile of inconsequential things, but finally Masud said, “I must speak with you, Joseph.”

Joseph turned and was able to trace Masud's features by the faint light of the moon. “We
have
been speaking. Is something troubling you?”

“I've been thinking of how well you have done here.”

“God has favored me—although I'm sure you don't believe that.”

“I would like to,” Masud said simply, “but I have no faith in any god. Listen, Joseph, I must warn you that Ufa would do anything to see you cut down, to have you disgraced in Potiphar's eyes.”

“Of course he would. I've known that ever since I came to this house.”

“So far,” Masud said, “you've been able to avoid him, but there's one area in which he may be finding a handle to hurt you.”

“What area is that?”

Masud hesitated, finding it hard to put his warning into words. Even before Ufa had let it slip that he was watching the behavior of Lady Kesi, Masud had noticed her interaction with Joseph. It had been more than a year ago that Masud had first noticed the mistress going out of her way to spend time with the handsome young steward. But it had been a stealthy sort of behavior, nothing a man could really put his finger on.

“I must warn you about our mistress.”

“Lady Kesi? What about her?”

“Joseph, you're not a fool,” Masud said half angrily, for he knew Joseph could not have missed the attention the woman had paid him. “She has eyes for you.”

Joseph shook his head. “That's impossible. She has only the normal affection that a mistress of a great house will have for a slave.”

“Now you talk like a fool! You know she doesn't care for anyone but herself.”

Joseph knew this was true and said quickly, “Well, I can't answer your accusation.”

Masud stared at the young man and said, “I know your heart is good, but hers is not. She is a woman who should have a husband who can satisfy her. Since her husband cannot, I have been waiting to see whom she would try to entice into her bed, and I am convinced you are the man. You are young and strong, good-looking. You're intelligent and witty, but you're a slave. She is certain you will do her bidding no matter what it is.”

“Never!” Joseph said quickly. “That would be a sin against God.”

“It would be a mistake that would get you thrown to the crocodiles, that's what it would be,” Masud said testily. “Wake up, Joseph! All your wisdom won't save you if you let this woman have her way with you.”

Joseph sat there silently. He could not answer Masud because he had noticed the same thing himself. Yet he shook his head. “I will be faithful to the master,” he promised.

“You need to get out of this house, Joseph. Spend more time in the fields. Don't
ever
let that woman get you alone without witnesses nearby.”

“I'll do the best I can,” Joseph said. Then he smiled, reached over, and squeezed Masud's shoulder. “You're watching out for me, aren't you?”

“Well … I'd have to go to all the trouble of breaking in a new steward if the crocodiles ate you.” Masud roughly covered his affection for the young man, and Joseph understood that he had received the only warning from Masud he would ever get.

****

Joseph spent a great deal of energy and most of his time seeing to Potiphar's estate. As head steward he was essentially the master of the house. Potiphar had his own pursuits, and from time to time would call Joseph in to give him a report. But as often happens with a trusted servant, all he wanted was a general overview, and he left the details up to Joseph. By some means not quite understood by Potiphar himself, he had put all the other servants under Joseph's authority, for he found this convenient.

During this time Kesi and Asenath had suffered some breach in their friendship. At first Asenath could not understand it fully, but she knew there was a change in Kesi. Being an intuitive woman, she put her mind to the problem, and it was at a religious festival that she began to figure it out.

The two women had gone into Memphis on one of their outings, and, as always, the religious part of the festival occupied them but little. They spent the rest of the time meeting with their friends, gathering the gossip of Pharaoh's court, and wandering the streets of the great city under guard and protection of faithful servants.

Late one afternoon they walked by the temple of the moon goddess. Asenath paid little attention to the temple prostitutes who were part of the goddess worship, but Kesi stopped with such a strange look on her face that Asenath said, “What's wrong?”

“Look at those women.”

Asenath, accustomed to the sight, said, “Why, they're just the temple prostitutes. What about them?”

“I wonder what their lives are like.”

Asenath had never wondered such a thing. She gave little thought to the masses of people, and was even less concerned about any woman who gave herself to men for the sake of a goddess. It was beneath her. “Why would you think about such a thing?”

But Kesi was staring at the temple steps as a man came up to one of the prostitutes. The woman was no longer young and attractive, but she spoke to him in a sultry, enticing tone. “Come. Make your offering, and we will love together to worship the goddess.”

Kesi seemed to be fascinated and said with some irritation, “Come on. Let's go. We'll be late.”

They began to walk on when Kesi suddenly turned and said, “Asenath, have you ever known a man?”

Asenath stared at her. “Why in the world would you ask me such a question. You know I have not.”

Kesi's eyes were hooded, and she said, “I have known a man. My husband was strong when we were first married, and he knew how to please a woman.”

Asenath was shocked and astonished. It was the first time her friend had ever referred to the physical side of marriage she had experienced before her husband had been rendered impotent. “It's not proper to speak of such things.”

“Don't you ever feel desire for a man, Asenath?”

Asenath reared her head back because Kesi had touched on a sore spot. She had indeed had thoughts of what love would be like, but being a proud young woman, she had not yet found a man who would satisfy her ideas of an ideal husband. “I'm leaving if you're going to talk like that.” Asenath waited for Kesi to respond, but when she saw that her friend's eyes were still taking in the scene on the temple steps, she turned and angrily walked away. She could not tell if her anger was for Kesi's insolence or for the passion that suddenly had been stirred in her own breast. Such emotion was unusual for Asenath, for she was a woman who knew her place, and Kesi's question had suddenly made her life more complicated.

****

A while after Kesi's dispute with her friend Asenath, the noblewoman began to admit that something drastic had occurred within her. She could not pinpoint when it had begun, but it was clear now that she was besotted with desire for the young steward Joseph. Since his refusal of her advances in the garden, she had struggled against these feelings, but they had only become worse. She had literally become intoxicated, entranced, by the thought of possessing him.

Lady Kesi became oblivious to everything except the feelings that stirred within her. More and more she put herself in Joseph's way and made it impossible for him to be away from her presence. When he tried to go into the fields, she commanded him directly to stay and take care of the household affairs. And she always saw to it that she was there to “help” him with such things.

She began drinking more wine, spending her days intoxicated with alcohol—but also with the desires that raged within her. When she could no longer bear the struggle, she gave in to the desires, and they became one with her own will. Without any guilt, she began to make overt approaches to Joseph.

She hunted him down late one afternoon when the sun was falling. Joseph had gone out to view the gardens, and when she found him, he at once bowed and said, “I was just going in, Lady Kesi. I will leave you to your privacy.”

“No. Stay. I need to talk to you, Joseph.”

Joseph could not disobey a direct command, and he stood there while she began to speak. Her comments made little sense to him, and he saw that she had been drinking rather heavily.

“Come and sit by me. I'm tired.” She stopped, took his arm, and drew him down on one of the benches. Joseph tried to withdraw his arm, but she clung to him. She turned to face him, and as the scent of her perfume alerted his senses, he saw the strangeness in her eyes. She leaned against him, and there was no way he could avoid the soft curves of her body pressed against his side. “Joseph, I am unhappy.”

“Unhappy, my lady? But why? You have everything a woman could want.”

“No, I do not. You must know as everyone else that I have no solace.” She pressed closer against him, and her lips were soft and parted with desire. “I have no husband, and I get so lonely.”

Joseph could not speak, for her meaning was unmistakable. He longed to get up and flee, but to refuse her advances could mean death.

“I get so lonely,” she said, reaching up and touching his cheek. “Don't you get lonely, Joseph?”

“All people get lonely, my lady.”

“But there is no need for it.” And then Lady Kesi put her arms around Joseph and drew his head down. She kissed him full on the lips, and her voice was thick as she said, “We need each other, Joseph. Come, lie with me. Let us take our fill of love!”