Tovar looked down at the two objects on the bed. “We must not allow these to be taken by the Babylonians. If they were to fall into the hands of our enemies, I fear that Israel will never be able to rise from the ashes. Nebuchadnezzar would be unstoppable, from the far reaches of Asia all the way to the foreign lands to the west. No army could ever stand in his way.”
His grim words hung in the air and reverberated off the marble walls.
He turned his attention to the older apprentice. “Lamesh, you have served me since you were just a boy. You have always done as I asked and have been loyal to the one true God of our people. What I ask you to do now, both of you, could get you killed. But I must ask: Will you serve your high priest and your God one last time?”
Lamesh nodded without reservation. Daniel did as well.
Tovar swallowed hard. “I wish there was another way. I truly do. If I were younger…” His thought trailed off. “Lamesh, you must take the Hoshen with you. Wear it under your robe. Take it far from here to a place not yet touched by the empire of Babylon. I have the fastest horse from the royal stable ready for you. Go through the southern gate where Nebuchadnezzar’s presence is weakest. Ride hard through the night, keep to the tree lines, and you should be safe.”
“Daniel, the king will be expecting you to return from your diplomatic mission. Carry this bag with you. It is imperative that Nebuchadnezzar never knows its contents. If the stones in that bag are ever reunited with the breastplate by the forces of evil, all will be lost.”
Daniel’s gaze lowered to the pouch that the high priest had placed in his hand. There was barely any weight to it, but he knew that inside, the fate of the nation, perhaps the world, rested in the balance. He looked back up at Tovar, his eyes full of question. “Master, keeping it so close to the king could be very risky. Should I not ride far to the west and hide it there?”
Tovar’s eyes filled with peaceful determination. His kind expression instantly relaxed the two younger men. “Nebuchadnezzar knows about the Hoshen, and the two stones. You both must understand something, something only the high priest knows.”
They waited breathlessly to hear what their rabbi had to say.
The old man took a breath and let his eyes wander around the room as if trying to find the right words. “These relics are not the first of their kind. The Babylonians have their own. They call them the Tablets of Destiny. Nebuchadnezzar’s tablets, however, are useless. His pagan priests tell him things as if the tablets are answering their questions, but the king is no fool. He knows that there is no power in those false relics. But he has heard of these.” Tovar pointed at the breastplate and then the pouch in Daniel’s hand. “Nebuchadnezzar knows that our relics are blessed by the one true God, and that with these there is very real power. After he sacks the temple and finds that these holy objects have been removed, he will search far and wide for them. So we must hide them in the only places he will never look. One of those places is right in front of him, in the pockets of someone he trusts.”
It suddenly made sense to the two assistants. The plan was perfect, and Tovar was right. The king would never in a million years think to check the people in his own court.
“What about me, master?” Lamesh asked. “Where should I go?”
The old priest put his hand out and pressed his palm into the young man’s shoulder. He stared into his apprentice’s eyes with calm, blue orbs. Something about Tovar’s eyes was soothing, reassuring. “Your task is equally as dangerous, though should you succeed, your danger will come to an end as soon as you are relieved of the Hoshen.”
“Relieved?”
Tovar nodded. There was something in his expression that almost seemed mischievous. “There is a new religion in the lands to the east. Rather than serving gods and idols, they look to purify themselves through deep, inner reflection. By doing this, they believe they can attain heaven, or a place they call Nirvana. They are a peaceful religion, and their priests and monks believe in the preservation of life. You are to take the Hoshen to a monastery in the east. It stands where the impassible mountains meet a sacred valley.”
He reached into his robes and withdrew a scroll. It was tiny, only six inches in length and maybe one in diameter.
“This will tell you how to get there,” the high priest said as he placed it in Lamesh’s hand.
The young man looked down at it and back up into Tovar’s face. “These priests to the east, they will protect it?”
“Yes, my Son. They have a deep respect for all religions and the things those religions hold sacred. They will keep the Hoshen hidden, and safe. To the outside world, it will be lost for thousands of years.”
Lamesh nodded. “Then I will ride swiftly.”
Tovar grinned approvingly, but his satisfaction only lasted a few seconds. A new sound flooded in with the chaotic noises from the streets and wall. A low, heavy thud came every five or so seconds. All three of the men knew what it was. The Babylonians were hammering the gate with their battering ram.
“It will not break today,” Tovar said, more hopeful than certain. “But you must hurry. When night falls, you both leave.”
Two hours went by, and the high priest was proved correct. The gate did not break that day. As predicted, the Babylonians retired to their tents for the night. Sounds of jubilation rose up from the walled city like a plume of joyful smoke into the heavens. As darkness set in, one star after another appeared in the endless black sky until there were millions of them twinkling overhead. A few fires burned in their pots along the wall’s ramparts, the orange flames recklessly licking the night air in the occasional cool breeze.
Outside the royal stables, Lamesh and Daniel readied the horses Tovar had arranged. The ponies were small and milk chocolate brown in color, likely a breed that came from the eastern lands. They slung saddles over the animals’ backs and fastened the buckles. They both knew it was highly unlikely that they would ever meet again. For the first few minutes, neither said anything. Finally, having packed his satchel and made sure the pouch in his pocket was secure, Daniel spoke up.
“Ride safely,” he said, putting his hand out to the other.
Lamesh turned around and clasped Daniel’s forearm. “You as well, Brother. I do not envy your task. You must always keep vigilant. In a few days, my burden will be lifted.”
Daniel smiled and looked down at the ground. “I will survive it. The king has found favor in me and my friends. It can only be the will of God that makes it so and preserves us in the enemy’s house.”
“I pray it is His will that we survive the night,” Lamesh grinned. His eyes drifted off to nowhere in particular.
“Well,” Daniel said. “It’s time. Good luck.”
He stepped into the strap on the horse’s left flank and swung his leg over the saddle.
Lamesh copied the maneuver. “You as well.” He took off at a slow trot and picked up speed, staying just below a gallop as he weaved his way through the vacant streets. Daniel clicked his tongue, and the horse turned left and headed in the opposite direction.
Thirty minutes later, Daniel left the walls of Jerusalem and let his mount run a little more freely as the animal sprinted into the valley and up to the ensuing hills. The wind smelled good as it washed over him, whipping his robes, belt, and headpiece. He wondered how Lamesh was faring. He’d already be beyond the city walls as well, streaking toward the east and whatever dangers it posed.
He slowed his horse as he approached the Babylonian front lines. Even though he was an emissary of the king and one of his most trusted advisors, Daniel knew that he wasn’t a favorite among many. Some of the pagan king’s priests detested Daniel because he’d been able to interpret the king’s dreams when the others could not. For a Jew to rise to power so quickly in Babylon was something that caused quite a stir. That stir could easily spill to a well-bribed archer on the front lines. It would be easy to say that he fired his arrow because he thought an assassin was approaching.