The Scroll

10 - Coins

Benjamin strode over to the desk. His face was grim. "A reward has been offered to locate you. Fortunately Mariah has been discreet and has only passed it on to her more devious connections in the city."

"Is there a charge to go with it? What am I wanted for?"

"Mariah is more cunning than that. She said she is looking for an older man who was like a father to her. To invite him to her wedding."

Kohelet raised his eyebrows. "Like a father to her?"

Benjamin nodded toward the window. "We must leave the city."

"Where would we go? We have no money, and without our friends here in the market, we would starve. You would be under suspicion as a runaway slave no matter where we went. We would be found out quicker on the run than if we just stayed here."

Benjamin leaned out the window and gripped the sill. "The wedding will take place on the eve of the Feast of Booths, and that's still weeks away. With the reward circulating out there, someone will eventually turn us in."

Kohelet eased the large man away from the window. "Then we need to keep this quiet. Caleb is just across the way, and he is up early this morning. No doubt he has connections to those who may know about the reward."

Benjamin's face flushed, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm sorry, Master. I did not think of him. Caleb would have no issues in turning us in for a reward."

"So we must be very careful for the next two weeks. You keep listening for any news on the street. I have a scroll to complete, so I will stay inside as much as possible until the Feast of Booths arrives and the wedding is complete."

"That is a good plan. Deira told me that Daniel and Mariah will leave on a trip to Egypt the day after the wedding. If we can avoid her until they leave, this trouble will fade away, and we can work at selling your scroll." He looked down at the desk. "It looks like you are making great progress."

Kohelet picked up the scroll. "It has been going well. I like how this last part worked out." He raised the words closer to his failing eyes and spoke them aloud.

"'Everything that exists has certain characteristics, and mankind is no exception. People are limited in their ability to argue with one who has supreme knowledge, yet they continue to try even though it is futile. Not one of us knows what is best to do during the few and fleeting days we pass through like a shadow, for we cannot know what will happen on the earth after we are gone.

"So I say a good reputation is better than a lavish funeral, for it makes the day of one's death even better than the day of one's birth. Indeed, it is better to attend a funeral than a party, for death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart. Mourning is better than laughter because grief makes us wiser. Although the wise embrace sorrow, fools seek only pleasure.'"

Benjamin nodded eagerly. "That is very good. You have combined those teachings well. Fools avoid funerals because when they listen to people talk about someone they loved, it exposes their self centered life as a sham. They prefer to find a party where they can celebrate and not be challenged to see a different way of living."

"That is exactly what I wrote next.

'It is better to be criticized by the wise than praised by the foolish, for the chatter of fools is like the crackling of burning twigs under a pot: a lot of noise, but nothing is accomplished. Excessive praise, however, can turn the wise into fools, for flattery corrupts the mind.'"

Benjamin clapped his hands and grinned. "Those are some of my favorite proverbs."

Kohelet nodded. "Mine too, for they paint a clear picture of contrast between the wise and foolish and yet also show how fluid that distinction is. I have seen it many times, and I have experienced it myself. A wise person starts listening to others praise them for how knowledgeable they are and then they become proud and loose all perspective. A proud person who thinks they know a lot about many things is the biggest fool of all."