No Woman So Fair Read Online Free PDF Page B

“He said he heard a god whispering to him. He spoke to me about it often before he left.”
    Abram turned to his mother, his face animated. “What god did he hear?”
    â€œI never quite understood that.” Metura shrugged her shoulders. “But he was a good man. One of the best I’ve ever known.”
    Terah shook his head furiously. “He was good only until he went crazy!”
    â€œBut what did he do?” Abram asked anxiously.
    â€œThe same thing you’ve been doing. He went around asking the priests questions that no man needs to pry into. And the local gods weren’t good enough for him. Oh no. Of course we’ve got several thousand gods, but he had to have his own!” Terah’s mouth twisted with bitterness at the painful memory. He ran his hand through his thick hair and pulled at it in despair. “You know what he wanted? I can hardly believe I’m telling you this.”
    â€œWhat was it he wanted, Father?”
    â€œHe wanted this god of his to talk to him face-to-face. Now, you can’t get any crazier than that!”
    Abram sat rigid. He recalled his question to the high priest— “Do any of the gods ever speak to you?” —and how Rahaz had denied such a thing. And now to learn that his own grandfather had heard the voice of a god. He started to ask another question, but Terah got up and paced the floor angrily. “Finally he went completely mad,” he said. “He started making trips.”
    â€œTrips to where?” Abram asked.
    â€œTo the cities around here. He went to the temples of all the gods looking for the one who had spoken to him—or so he said. The trips kept getting longer, and he kept staying away, until finally he stayed for months. And then”—Terah’s face twisted in shame at the memory—“he went away, and he never came back. A fine father he was!” Bitterness glittered in Terah’s eyes, and he stared at Abram with accusation in his manner. “And you’re getting to be just like him.”
    Abram sat quietly listening as Terah paced back and forth, spewing bitter diatribes against his father, Nahor. After venting his anger, Terah faced his son and declared, “I’ll have no more of this craziness, Abram. I’ve made a plan for you.”
    â€œA plan? What sort of plan?” Abram asked with apprehension. He was not particularly happy about his present life, but he knew that his father was capable of launching him into a life he would like even less. More than once Terah had suggested that Abram help his brother Haran with his business in the city of Ur. Abram hated business, much preferring to be out with the flocks, but he understood that his father wanted him in town where he could be more easily controlled.
    â€œI’ll have no more of your craziness,” Terah repeated. “You’re going to get married and have a family. You’re going to settle down like your brothers and live a normal life.”
    â€œWell, I will one day, of course, Father.” Abram hoped to appease his father with such a promise, but Terah was well beyond that.
    â€œNot one day. Now! And I’ve got the woman picked out.” Then Terah hesitated, seeming unsure of himself. “She…she’s a relative.”
    â€œA relative?” Abram asked. “What sort of relative?”
    â€œOh, that’s not important. Her family owns homes in Ur and Uruk. We’ve been doing business with her brother, Garai. It’ll be a good thing for both families, this marriage.” He cheered up at the thought. “We can expand our trading venture. Garai owns many boats, and we’ll send them up and down the river trading.”
    â€œBut what about the woman?” Metura asked nervously. “What sort of woman is she?”
    â€œHer name is Sarai,” Terah said. “She’ll bring a fine dowry.”
    Abram was appalled. He had not