The Philistine Warrior Read Online Free PDF Page A

nominate him for a higher post; quite apart from the fact that he probably had no experience with leading charioteers.
    Maoch appeared pleased to accept my offer, and he asked me to prepare an estimate of the cost of sending a troop to Ekron. He then turned to Uncle Zaggi: “Chancellor, if it’s agreeable to you, our reply to the Sheren of Ekron will be consent in principle, with a suggestion that the details be worked out in conference between you,
    Captain Phicol, and Ekron’s Chancellor and military staff. As I recall, we have something of a backlog of business to take up with them anyway.”
    “Agreed, my Lord,” Zaggi answered.
    But Councilor Pai—always worried about anything that might siphon funds away from his oceanic commerce—appeared reluctant to let the matter of finances for the campaign slip past him. “Might I reserve a place for myself at such a conference? I do have some increased expenditures, and I’d like to have a hand in arranging supplies for the expedition.”
    Zaggi sounded annoyed: “It seems to me,” he growled, “that it’s more important to push inland and rough up the Danites than it is to build more dock facilities for a declining trade.”
    “Perhaps it wouldn’t decline if we paid more attention to it—and to our Navy,” Pai retorted with some heat, for this was an old argument between the two.
    “I agree with the Chancellor,” Warati snapped—although he was no more than a guest at our Council meeting.
    The Sheren then spoke: “Gentlemen, let’s not quarrel over an issue that is mostly academic at this point. Certainly Pai will have a chance to state his case. Essentially, it’s a matter of sharing the
     
    economic burden not only with Ekron, but also with the other great Philistine cities. And how much can one troop of chariots cost, in any event?” Maoch preferred calm meetings. Yet he made good sense.
    I raised my hand. He said, “Go ahead, Captain.”
    “M’Lord, surely there’s enough money for both docks and Danites—because my charioteers have to be paid, anyway. All we need is to stockpile and transport their supplies while on expedition.”
    Zaggi scowled. I continued: “So it won’t be as if we’d be abandoning the naval and commercial side.”
    Amphimachus, often a respected neutral in such discussions, came up with a compromise: “My Lords, when the time comes to settle details with Ekron, we—together in our own Council—we can decide how much we can afford, while considering Pai’s requests. In that way, we can send the Chancellor to confer with Ekron without a divided Council behind him.”
    Meaning, that is, without giving Zaggi and Pai a chance to argue with each other in front of the Ekronites—or, worse, the
    Gathites! And meaning also that Warati would not have much of a say, if any, since he was not a member of the Council.
    “On the basis of that idea, can we postpone further debate on the question?” Maoch asked, hopefully.
    Pai, however, remained displeased, obviously fearing that, in private, Zaggi would sway the Sheren’s mind away from docks and ships. “Then let it be formally noted,” Pai insisted, “that the full Council will consider my requests before agreeing on the amount of aid to send Ekron.”
    “May I have an opinion from each of you on Pai’s motion?” the Sheren asked, wearily.
    In the ensuing discussion, Zaggi and Warati expressed thinly veiled hostility toward Pai; but the High Priest, myself, and, of course, Pai, were in favor of the motion. Since Warati was not a member of the Council, our vote was overwhelmingly against the Chancellor. Maoch wasn’t obliged to accept the majority’s view, especially since this was not the full Council; but he seldom overruled a clear-cut majority.
    “It will be so noted,” the Sheren said at last, motioning to me in relieved fashion.
     
    Zaggi cast another disapproving glance at me. I thought the whole argument was a bit petty, but, of course, I was new to the