No Woman So Fair Read Online Free Page A

sculptors had adorned the inside with many statues. Most of the men depicted in the wall murals had long, curling beards and long hair parted in the middle. They were bare chested and wore skirts drawn in severely at the waist. The women on the frescoes wore their hair in braids coiled around their heads. Abram passed by many of these sacred paintings, pausing from time to time to offer a brief prayer.
    When he arrived at the goddess Ishtar, he prostrated himself before the statue, which was made in the form of a beautiful woman wearing a clinging robe, with eyes wide and staring. Abram began praying vehemently.
    Two men approached, one wearing the garments of a high order of the priesthood. His name was Rahaz, the high priest of the temple. No more than medium height, he was vastly overweight. Even at the age of sixty there were no lines in his face, which was as smooth as marble. He was completely bald, and his skin glowed with the oil he had anointed himself with. Though not attractive, he had an authority about him. He stopped, as did the priest by his side—a tall, thin man with a name as short as he was tall, Huz.
    â€œMaster,” Huz said, “he’s here again.”
    â€œYes, I see him.” Rahaz was gazing steadfastly at the prostrate Abram. He listened as the young man cried out loudly to the goddess and examined the worshiper as if he were a rare insect. Indeed, Rahaz had come to consider most of the populace who dwelt in Ur and the farms roundabout as nothing more than insects. Earlier in his life he had known human compassion, but he had lost that virtue along the way as he had become more and more entrenched in the despicable life of the temple priesthood. The generous offerings given to the temple granaries had made religion powerful and persuasive, a power that mostly benefited the priests and their temples. For the people who faithfully brought their oblations, the religion of Ur offered no hope of freedom from their servile existence. According to the generally accepted story of creation, the gods had fashioned people out of clay for the sole purpose of using them as slaves. Anyone who failed to appease these deities with offerings would be subject to catastrophes, such as floods or pestilences or raids by neighboring tribes. Such calamities frequently did occur, and Rahaz was always happy when they did. It meant that the people would bring even more offerings to increase the wealth of his kind.
    Huz shook his head. “He stayed here through most of the night yesterday.”
    â€œYes, I saw him.”
    â€œI wish,” Huz said thoughtfully, “that everyone in our city were as devout as Abram.”
    Rahaz, however, did not smile. “He’s not content with worshiping our gods. Three thousand gods are not enough for him.”
    Huz was shocked. He had never heard of such a thing. Most people complained that there were too many gods. “I can’t believe that, sire!” he exclaimed. “What’s the matter with him?”
    â€œHe wants more.”
    â€œMore of what, master?”
    â€œFanatics never know what they want.” Rahaz bit off his words. “He wants what he can’t have. A god all his own, I suspect. His grandfather was exactly like him. Nahor—he was before your time.”
    â€œI thought Nahor was one of Abram’s brothers.”
    â€œYes, Abram has a brother with the same name as their grandfather. But it is Abram who is more like the grandfather. Always asking questions. Demanding answers. He’s got the same hunger inside.”
    â€œHunger for what?”
    â€œHunger for the gods, of course.”
    â€œBut isn’t that a good thing, master?”
    â€œIt ought to be, but it causes trouble for us. What we want are people who will bring their offerings, worship one of the gods—whichever one pleases them—and keep their mouths shut.”
    Huz was shocked. “I don’t understand,