Origin of the 12th

Chapter 6: Rahab

As I was rushing to get to Jonathan and King Nacaan, I noticed something lying on the ground that seemed unfamiliar. I picked it up and discovered that it was a law book. I opened it to try to find some hint as to who it belonged to, but I immediately realized something. The law book was not one of Jericho's laws, but of some foreign culture that did not have any of Jericho's values. I could tell because it outlawed prostitution, which was the most populous career for women in Jericho.

"What could something like this be doing around here?" I thought, searching for some word to identify its origin. Then I found it; the words "no other gods before me" was evident in the middle of the law book. This was a monotheistic culture, and the only one remotely near the area were the Israelites. One of their law books appearing in Jericho could only mean that there were spies in the city. If those spies lived till tomorrow, then my defensive plan would be revealed and all of it would fail.

There was no time to waste. Panicked, I flew towards where I knew Jonathan and King Nacaan were in a matter of seconds. Jonathan looked as if he had aged several years, and both of their eyes widened when they saw me. "Well Katrina, we were just talking about you." King Nacaan said pleasantly before coughing a little.

"Spies. In the city. Found Israelite law book. Must eliminate. Ruin plan." I panted, a little surprised myself on how quickly I had managed to cover that distance. Suddenly, I remembered that guy near the wall. Gilash the Shiite, a man who supposedly had arrived two hours before and didn't know about the Israelite invasion. "I met one earlier today, but I didn't realize at the time." I said slowly. "How could I have missed it? Your Majesty, let me remedy this."

"If there are spies in Jericho, then we must act swiftly." King Nacaan said, motioning to the two nearest guards. "If you would like to deal with them Katrina, then I don't see why not. Jonathan and these two shall accompany you." I bowed and ran off, Jonathan and the guards struggling to keep up behind me.

"Katrina, do you even know where these spies could be." Jonathan yelled over the increasing distance. I skidded to a halt and put together the pieces that I had. If they were spies, then they would be located somewhere that someone from Jericho wouldn't expect them to be. Based on my assumption that Gilash was one and the first thing I saw in the law book, the spies were most likely.

"Yes I have a good idea." I responded, picking up pace again and heading towards the outskirts of Jericho. The night was already deep, and I was sure that the guards were having difficulty seeing, but I went on. I arrived at the brothel shortly, Jonathan and the guards right behind me.

Bormur, the owner of the brothel, turned around and surveyed our party. He flashed a toothy grin. "Well look who it is. To what do I owe this honor? Hopefully Lady Katrina is willing to sign up. Nearly every gentleman in the city would sell themselves into slavery for you."

"Can it, fool! I just want to know where Gilash the Shiite is right now." I demanded, ignoring his lewd comments. I generally did not go near the brothel because it made me very angry whenever I was forced into close proximity to it because of what it stood for. But some situations demanded it like this one.

"The visitor? The last time I heard, he was staying at Rahab's house." Bormur replied fearfully, backing away from us once he saw the mood of the group. "He and his friend left about an hour ago. I'm quite sure that they would be there right now."

I ran out the door at the moment he finished. Rahab. She was the most successful prostitute in Jericho, known for her dealings with the wealthiest and one of the few to have her own house. Ever since Queshemech's death, she had lost a significant portion of her income, but she was still widely renown for the men she's had. Her house was very close to the brothel, so I wasn't going to allow Bormur to keep me there for any longer.