Queenmaker Read Online Free PDF

red. But he might have calmed had Abner not said, in his dry way, “So the son of Jesse had two strings to his bow. Better that, I suppose, than five smooth stones.”
    Abner somehow made the last three words a mockery of all David’s beautiful songs.
    “Can no one talk of anything but that damned shepherd’s son?” my father bellowed, striking the table. It shook and the rolled maps jumped. “First Jonathan, now you—praise Yahweh that Merab listened to her father—that one of my children is free of his spell! Now get out, girl, and go to your room! And I’ll tell you when you can leave it!”
    Too shattered to move, I managed to say, “But Father—I love David.”
    He turned on me and for the first time in my life I was afraid of him. “David—David—always David! I swear by Yahweh that the next person who says that name to me shall be—”
    Abner coughed. It was a little sound, but it caught my father’s attention and he rounded on Abner. I would have fled then, but I could not make my legs obey me.
    “Listen to me, cousin,” said Abner quietly. “Princess Michal’s suggestion has a certain merit.” My father glared at him, eyes rolling
like a wild bull’s. “Yes, a certain merit,” Abner repeated. “There is, after all, something owing to David—”
    “Owing ! I’ll show that damned upstart who owes—”
    “—and there would be the question of the bride-price,” Abner finished calmly. “Perhaps even such a price as we were just discussing. You know I felt it was not necessarily wise to deny him Princess Merab—perhaps Princess Michal will serve as well.”
    The dull red faded from my father’s face. His eyes were shrewd once more, the strangeness vanished. “Yes … Yes, Abner, you may be right. Michal!” He swooped upon me; I flinched, but he merely flung one massive arm about my shoulders. “So you would marry our fair young hero, eh? Well, well, so it shall be. Now run along, child, run along. We have work to do. Yes. Run to David, Michal, and tell him to come here to me.”
    He bent and kissed my forehead, just as David had and upon the very spot David’s lips had blessed. There was a light in his eyes that made me uneasy, but I could not tell why.
    “Go, child,” King Saul repeated.
    I went, and did not look back.
     
     
    My bride-price was to be one hundred foreskins taken from the Philistines. So my father said to David before the priests and judges in the open court. David and Jonathan came to me with the news, to tell me before others could. It was the first time I heard Jonathan call our father mad. But I do not think King Saul was truly mad—not then.
    “But Jonathan—” I was so shocked that I could think of nothing to say. How could anyone pay such a price? One hundred Philistines! David was a great warrior, but even David could not hope to kill one hundred men before I was too old to care whether I married or not. I would not even think that the Philistines might kill David instead.
    “If he is not mad, why should he set such a price for you?”
Jonathan demanded. “Who has ever heard of such a thing before in all the land?”
    “But—but he said David might have me!”
    “And he has not said I may not.” David put an arm around me. “Now do not cry, Michal—and Jonathan, do not look as if you already mourned me.”
    I sniffed, but obeyed, and David smiled. He could always draw back a smile from me; this time my smile was an uncertain thing, but it made him hug me a little. “That is better, Michal. Understand, I still mean to marry you, but you will have to wait longer than we thought before you put on your bride-clothes.”
    “Where are you going?” said Jonathan. “And what do you mean to do?” He did not sound as if he thought he would like what he would hear in answer.
    “Why, I am going to Philistia, to fetch back the price King Saul has set on his daughter—I will hear no words from you, Michal, for I will have you for my wife, and that is a