Ark(34)

They made their way through the thronging city to Japheth’s room near the wall. Uresh and Irkalla were asleep, Irkalla still in his arms. Aresia was awake now, lying on the pallet on the floor, watching the door with panic in her eyes as Japheth entered.

“You left, Japheth. I woke—and you—you . . . weren’t here.” She reached a trembling hand for him, unable to lift her arm more than a few inches off the bed, tears spilling from her eyes at the pain from simply breathing, simply lifting her hands.

“I have a healer. I’m here now, I’m back.” Japheth knelt beside her, taking her hands in his. “Can you tell her how you’re hurt?”

“Everything,” Aresia whispered. “He . . . he hurt . . . everything.”

The healer knelt on the floor beside Aresia, pulled the blankets aside, and then had Japheth help remove Aresia’s clothes so she could examine her more thoroughly. Anger boiled hot and hard through Japheth at the mass of bruises covering Aresia’s body; fingerprints dotted her upper arms, her stomach and ribs were a solid mass of bruises in various states of progression, some older and yellowing, others fresh and angry blue-black. By the time she was undressed, Aresia had passed out once again from the pain.

The healer tsked and clucked her tongue, shaking her head, sinking back on her heels. “This poor girl has been beaten badly. I don’t think she has a single rib intact. It’s a miracle she’s alive. Elo—I mean . . . Innana has shown her favor.”

Japheth caught the slip. “It’s okay, mistress—you may call on Elohim without fear.”

The healer turned her piercing blue eyes on Japheth, searching for deception. “You did this to her?”

“No! I swear on my life, I swear on the name Elohim, The One God. I did not do this. I love her.”

The healer nodded, accepting Japheth’s word at face value, and turned back to Aresia. “She is no commoner. Her skin is too fine and well cared for beneath the bruises. Her fingers are too soft to have known work. Who is she?”

Japheth saw no reason to lie. “She is Aresia, daughter of Emmen-Utu, and wife of Sin-Iddim, king of Larsa.”

“God above, boy! What is she doing here? And in such a state? You’ll get us all killed!”

“Not if no one speaks of this. The only ones who know she is here are those two, and they will not speak. The other girl may need your attention as well. She has the look of one who has been raped.”

“Unless she’s bleeding, there’s little I can do for that. She’ll either move on, or she’ll never be the same. It’s the lot of a woman, in this life.”

“It should not be.”

The healer looked hard at Japheth. “You’re a warrior. You mean to tell me you’ve never looted a city? You’ve never taken the spoils of war?”

“I’ve killed in battle, and I’ve looted my share of goods, but I’ve never raped a woman. I take no pleasure in the pain of a woman.”

As she conversed with Japheth, the healer was wrapping rags around Aresia’s torso, binding her broken ribs with poultices to reduce the swelling. When the healer began to examine Aresia’s womanhood, Japheth turned away and stared out the window, trying in vain to push down the rage boiling in his gut.

“You love her,” the healer remarked.

Japheth could only nod, still looking out the window.

“She will recover,” the healer said. “Elohim has spared her life. I would not have expected her to live, if I had seen her but a few days ago. She is a strong young woman. But . . . I would not expect her to want to lay with you any time soon. She has been through much suffering.”

“I know. I wouldn’t—I mean . . . no. She is alive, and she is with me. That is enough.”

The healer rose and stood next to Japheth at the window, touched his arm and met his gaze. “There is more. She may not wish you to know this, but I think you should. She has lost a child in the recent past. Her womb is still tender, still slightly hard to the touch, as of a woman who has been pregnant. I suspect she may have used certain herbs to cause this to happen.”

Japheth buried his face in his hands, stifling a shuddering groan. “She was with child? It was his child then. It would not surprise me if she took something to rid herself of a child fathered by that monster.”

“You speak of Sin-Iddim?”

“Yes. He is a demon.”

“I have heard stories of him. His brutality is legendary, even here. I tended a boy once, who had served in Sin-Iddim’s court. He spoke of sodomy.”

“Yes. It is common in his court, from what I know.”

The healer’s voice was pitched low now, hesitant. “She has suffered this as well, I am afraid. I’m sorry.”

“I wish I could say I was surprised.” Japheth handed the old woman a coin. “Thank you. Is there anything I should do to care for her?”

“Willow bark, boiled as tea; it will help the pain. I have some I can give you. Send for me in a few days, and I will change the dressing on her ribs.” She shrugged and pocketed the coin. “Everything else is only a matter of time. See that she eats and drinks, let her rest, and do not upset her. Just . . . give her your love, patience, and understanding, and Elohim will see to the rest. Pray.”

“Thank you again. I will send my Larsan friend there to fetch you in a few days’ time.”