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Battle of the Godless – Ch. 16 | KT OLLA

JONATHAN heard the loud demand in four more rude voices.

‘Yes, answer! What is a priest doing in this house?’

The young man, together with his first assaulter, turned his head to look. And there ahead in the hallway stood Ajar’s companions, also curious about him.

Ajar went on to take a proper look at Jonathan’s garment. He stepped back and glared at him. And it was right then he realized that his victim was garbed in the priestly ephod.

So the middle-aged man felt stupid now. He felt silly that he hadn’t calculated this the whole while. And feeling awkward, he simply scratched his head.

Yes, in actual fact, the companions of this brash hunter had woken up that night and gone out looking for him. For when they didn’t find him in bed, they thought he was missing.

Particularly, the men thought Ajar had been held hostage by their host. Someone who had earlier welcomed them with a peculiar warmth.

The spies were alerted, thinking Micah’s family might be an enemy of their mission. So when they came and found their leader facing up with Jonathan, they went all the way forceful, too.

In a desperate effort to save their leader.

‘Are you deaf, or you can’t answer?’ one of the men yelled a query. He was sprinting towards their victim.

Then within a moment, the other three poured after him.

Jonathan was startled. He couldn’t stand up to those men. Those hot-blooded bullies. Right then he gave up resistance, and answered their question.

‘I am Jonathan, of the tribe of Levi. A Levite priest of the Lord from Bethlehem.

‘I recently came here to find a home and work. So now I work as a priest for this household.’

The man’s listeners gave a thoughtful nod where they stood. Then they just stood there and glared sheepishly.

Jonathan snickered lightly. He felt amused by the shock spelled out on the faces of those bullies.

He shrugged now and gestured broadly. ‘I’m sure I can now leave!’

Yet the priest wouldn’t wait for an answer before he turned round and began walking away in defiant strides.

Right there his assaulters watched him go, all cocky and proud. But there was nothing they could do to him anymore. They were the ones at fault, and they knew it.

Then after a bit, Ajar cleared his throat roughly and spoke up.

‘Can you… can you consult God for us about our mission? Priest of the Lord, can you ask if we will be successful on our way?’

Then he added in a weaker voice. ‘Please!’

Jonathan froze in his steps that moment. Then he turned round and had a really big laugh. It was a long, arrogant laugh.

Yes, the Levite priest laughed so much that the spies wished Ajar hadn’t talked. They were more embarrassed than they could stand.

That instant one of the men ran inside; then the rest knew that they’d lost it. That they’d just lost all the pride and dignity they had left.

When the young Levite was done laughing, he snapped his ear with a finger. ‘I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that!’ he said.

Then as he turned round to head out, he was met by the man who ran out earlier. That man had gone in to bring a small sack of copper coins.

He held it up in his eyes now and jingled the sack with one heavy thrust.

Jonathan looked at the man, then glanced back at Ajar their leader.

‘How much is it?’ he asked.

‘A hundred and fifty copper coins,’ came the reply.

Then the priest nodded and beckoned at the men.

‘Follow me.’

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