Dream Shadow

Chapter 5

Balaam rolled up the scroll and handed it to Balak.
"My report is completed. However there is one bit of disturbing news which I must impart to you, lord king. I was in the Israelite camp when I heard Moses command his leaders to rally their men and prepare to attack the Midianite camp."
Balak sat up, a worried look on his face and said, "This is indeed distressing news. They have been friendly towards us, allies in fact, during this last endeavour. I must think what can be done."
The king arose and started pacing up and down. Suddenly his face turned pale and staring at Balaam he exclaimed, "What about us....did Moses say anything about attacking us? Perhaps he found out that you were in our employ and means to attack us as well!"

Balaam also arose and held up his hand. "Do not be alarmed O king. Moses said nothing concerning the Moabites. He will not attack you....at least not now."
Balak's expression of worry did not diminish as he said. "What do you mean 'not now'?"
Balaam calmly continued. "I had a dream before I came here. War with the Israelites will come, but not soon."
"When! Tell me, when?" Balak demanded.
Balaam answered. "I don't know"
"Well what did the dream say?" Balak begged.
Balaam gave a deep sigh, closed his eyes and started swaying from side to side. After a while he raised his hands and sang.

"This is the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty:

I see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near.

A star will come out of Jacob ;
a scepter will rise out of Israel.

He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
but Israel will grow strong.

A ruler will come out of Jacob
and destroy the survivors of the city."

Balaam fell to his knees and remained silent for some time before he said. "More I do not know."
Balak replied, "Thank you prophet. But I must ask you one last service before you depart. I will increase your reward. Go to the Midianite camp. Warn them of the impending danger. Let them decide whether they will fight or flee. We owe them this warning. Go now. I hope we are not too late."

Balaam sat astride his donkey, deep in thought. The donkey plodded along but Balaam didn't have the heart to beat the animal to go faster because it was carrying a heavy load. He smiled at the thought of the sizeable reward in the bags hanging on either side of the donkey.
The thought crossed his mind to buy a horse for the journey home. He could afford it now. But he thought better of the idea. The local horses were no better than donkeys. He would wait till he arrived home. An Arabian stallion would be most fitting for his new station in life.

Even from afar, Balaam sensed there was something wrong. He saw smoke coming from the Midianite camp. As he drew closer he could hear screaming and shouting. He stopped, contemplating whether he should go any further. The awful realisation hit him. He was too late.

Balaam led his donkey along the street. Bodies were everywhere...dead bodies. Water barrels were thrown over. As the water ran down the road it mingled with blood, making sinister patterns that looked like little red devils dancing in the stream. Suddenly two Israelite soldiers ran out of one of the tents. With swords drawn they grabbed hold of Balaam. He pushed their hands off, and in disgust growled. "Unhand me, murderers! Do you not recognise a prophet when you see one. Do I look like a Midianite to you that you treat me so.?"
They let him go but suspiciously asked, "What are you doing here?" Balaam answered, "I am just passing through. My donkey is in need of straw and water." Lying he continued, "I didn't expect to walk into a battle field."

The soldiers had by this time relaxed a little and sheathed their swords. Balaam took up the lead rope of the donkey and started to move on. One of the soldiers had a puzzled look on his face and called after the man leading the donkey, "Haven't I seen you before?"
"I doubt it" Balaam replied.
The soldiers started following the prophet and called out again, "What is your name?"
Without thinking, Balaam answered. "Balaam the seer"
One of the soldiers stopped. Thinking hard he mumbled. "I thought I recognised his face. That name, it plays in my mind."
The other soldier also stopped and stood nearer. The first soldier asked his mate, "Did Moses and our judges not speak about the 'Council of Balaam'.  The prophet who was responsible for all the Midianite women who led our people into immorality and idolatry.  He was the cause of the plague that killed our brothers.  Could this be a coincidence or do we have the son of satan right here in our grasp?"
The other soldier replied, "How will we know?
The first soldier said,  "It is said he received a great reward from the Moabite king.  Let us see what is in those bags that weigh that poor beast down."

The soldiers ran till they caught up with Balaam.  Ordering him to stop, they lifted their swords, one on either side the donkey, and slashed open the bags.  Gold, silver and other precious items fell to the street.  The soldiers looked at each other, their amazement turning into murderous glares.  Before the prophet could react, he found himself with two swords driven through his heart.  The last sound he heard was that of the soldiers shouting, "for our brothers....for our God!"
The last thing he saw was the sorrowful face of his donkey as he collapsed before his beast.  He thought it said something, but he never heard, he was dead before he reached the ground.

The soldiers ran on, searching the tents for any Midianite scum that might have been missed by the main army.  The donkey stood by his master, patiently waiting for the next command, which would never come.

Witness to the scene that had just played out was a young Midianite prince.  Brother to Kosbi.  Seeing his family and friends being slaughtered by the Israelites he had emptied a water barrel and hidden himself inside.  Now he saw a chance to escape.  There, in front of him stood a donkey.  It's master killed by the soldiers.  The prince looked around, seeing no-one, he climbed out of the barrel and donning the prophet's cloak, jumped on the animal's back. 

Kicking the donkey's flanks, he made off down the road.  Unfortunately for him, the two soldiers, who had killed Balaam, had just emerged from one of the tents.  Seeing someone fleeing on a donkey, they started running in pursuit.

The Prince, looking behind and seeing he was chased, turned the donkey's head and headed down a side alley in an attempt to loose his pursuers.

The Midianites were nomadic people.  Knowing the need for dependable pack animals, they took good care of their horses, mules and donkeys.  In this side street had lived a person who looked after his animals.  That very morning, he had broken open a fresh bale of fodder and filled the portable trough with  clean water for his animals tethered to the hitching rail.   Then the Israelite soldiers had come.  The man and his family killed.  The animals sensing death, frightened and wild, had broken the cross piece of the hitching rail and run away, leaving only the sharpened uprights behind.

Halfway down the alley the donkey caught the smell of fresh fodder.  It's eyesight wasn't too good but it's sense of smell was excellent.  In his haste to leave king Balak's court, Balaam had not fed his donkey.  The animal was now very hungry.  As the donkey and it's rider reached the food, the donkey stuck it's two front legs into the ground and kicked it's back legs as high as they could go.  The prince went flying through the air in a complete somersault and landed on the hitching post.  The sharpened upright penertrating his back and protruding out of his chest.

When the two soldiers reached the alley they saw an unexpected sight.  Moving closer they noticed a man splayed on a hitching post and quite dead.  Next to the post was a donkey, calmly munching away at some straw and lapping water from a portable trough.

The one soldier slapped the other on his back and mocked.  "The Lord doesn't think much of our sloppy soldiering, He's using donkeys to get things done!"

                               The end