The Eternal Jew’s Tale, #155, Batkol’s Journal, 11

In this episode will there be no end of tears?
Warning: there is some unsavory language in this episode.

The Eternal Jew’s Tale
Nineteenth Era, Part 5, ~1425 C.E., back in Genoa
Batkol’s Journal, part 11
The Lesser Yikhud,* The Sorceries of Lilah bat Eve

* Hebrew: union, merging, divine or human

…Knock on the door. Another knock. The door creaks open. A hesitant voice…

“Mistress Lilah? Be you here? It’s me, Brunah, you know the one with the sickly girl all crampy and frail. Mistress Lilah, might I come in? I brung a candle, some sugar, some salt.”
A grizzled woman pokes her head in and looks around, timid and awed. When she seen me she steps back, a startled gasp, and backs out, hissin’,
“Plague go away!”

Not long after, I hears a shout, then chitter and chatter and soon enough here come Lilah holdin’ the arm of Brunah, and fairly draggin’ her in, while she be squealin’,
“Plague be gone!”

Thunderous lightning, panic in bolts shoots thru my chest; stupefied thoughts; like I’m chokin’, my words clot in my throat. Just gurgle and gasp in the face of death. I hear Lilah who’s lyin’ some more, reproachin’ this Brunah for exposin’ the truth, that I be dyin’ of the plague.
“Calm youself. This ain’t the plague. Just a woman beset by fever and fear…”

And now like an angry mother bear, growlin’ and roarin’ and crashin’ the door, Saadia, my husband barges inside, bellowin’,
“Where’s my wife, Batkol? I knows she’s here. Show me where.”
I thought he were like to break Lilah’s neck, or maybe that were just my wish.

But furious, Lilah grabs a blade while Brunah is screechin’, crouched by a chair. And me, I wonder, ‘is this a dream?’ Certain, nothin’ makes any sense.

Then Saadia seen me in this pile a straw, and wary of Lilah he waggles his club and jabs it at her,
“Stay where you are, and I won’t bash your brains out. Just back off.”
And eyein’ her, he backs to me, and kneels beside me and whispers, hoarse,
“What’s goin’ on? Are you alright?”

And Lilah be screamin’, her face aflame like that Greek Gorgon or the Furies themselves.
“No fuckin’ man come into my house! Get you fuckin’ ass outa here. *I stick my knife right down you throat* and cut you stones off to feed the crows. Get you fuckin’ ass outa here.”
And she’s stickin’ her knife straight out at him and inchin’ towards him, foam on her lips, an animal wild look in her eyes.
*-* Midnight Rambler, Rolling Stones

Then up jumps Saadia and grabs a stool.
“Put down that knife and back away, and let us leave or I’ll kill you right now.”
Then he dashes the stool in the fireplace and sparks and coals and embers fly out and he growls at me,
“Take my hand and don’t let go. We’re leavin’ now.”

With all my strength I rise to all fours and grabs his hand and staggers up, unsteady and dizzy and tremble-kneed, as he lifts and drags me towards the door.

Now Lilah’s howlin’ curses at us, and foam and spittle flies from her mouth…
“Belial, call you rabid wolves and attack they twain and tear they apart. Demon brothers and sisters, all, you myriads come and swarm my hills; behind each tree, beneath each leaf, lurk, and as they pass you, strike! Poke out they eye; tear out they tongue; castrate him and then rape her!”

And such like curses, evil and wild. I won’t repeat all of them here. Evil they were, all fury and hate. Still fifty paces down the trail we clearly hear her cursin’ us, like the tortured howls a madman cries.

I hardly remember our trek back home, just harsh sensations and fractured scenes:
Horrid raisins he forced me to eat; cramps in my legs; a gang of crows cawwin’ about how good I’ll taste; flies swarmin’ my eyes and mouth. Dragged in a litter, jitter and bounce, till every bone in my body felt broke, Saadia talkin’ to himself all day.

~~~~~~~~~~

In the next episode, back to a calm and simple life in Majorca facing down the Inquisition.