The Eternal Jew’s Tale, #181, Who to Trust

In this episode is it mutiny?

The Eternal Jew’s Tale
Twenty First Era, Part 2, 1492 C.E., Iberia

Each emotion thick compiles from images all superposed, all flickery and splintery and all transparent to the eye; fleeting shadows, so they seem, thin as air, hardly there, and then they’re gone. And yet our souls be chiseled deep and permanent, tho how and why be lost to us.

… a baby suckles at a breast… children play… a bird chirps… a goat slaughtered, bloody spray… old grandmother sick in bed, fouls herself… a local priest holds a crucifix high as he passes a Jewish study house… wood pops and spray of sparks in a fireplace… roaring flames… thick smoke, scream and cry as a town burns to the ground… a ship sailing rough seas, a child fallen overboard… rain patters on a roof… did you hear that faint scream?… dirges sung, a hearse squeals, keening women… blowing leaves…

And so our thoughts compile from thinnest shades of images, faint feelings in memory, and as they mix they melt and merge and fuse into a single thought the source of which can’t be extracted since we’re just thought observing thought.

Three hundred faces turn to us, each with emotions thick compiled, and yet a single tone to all: desperate, helpless, hopeless hope, imploring the captain, imploring me:

“Can we trust a brutal Turk?”

Our captain howls out,

“Lemme go,”

And the corsair nods to his burly studs, and brakin’ free he struts to the helm.

“If you say you are friends of us, prove it! Leave my ship at once, and let us parley amongst ourselves.”

The corsair signals; his men retreat from positions in the rigging and down on deck, and escort him back to their war ship. As he climbs the rail he turns to us,

“I leave yous peace, but if yous makes a bad moves, I sink you ship.”

In a dozen ways our captain repeats his single thought about the Turks:

“Nothin’ good ever come from them.”

But many rumors have come to me that the Ottoman Porte might welcome us, and here we seen a clear sign that this is true, so I incline to pin my hopes upon their word and go to Constantinia. The captain violently curses me, declarin’ I’m an ancient fool who’s instigating mutiny, and wants to have me gagged and chained. And then Batkol steps up and shouts,

“The time of words is come and done. Women, gather your children and things. We’ll supplicate that Ottoman to take us aboard his worthy ship. I trust that Turk and believe his word!”

There’s a great stir and hustle and rush with many shoutin’ arguments.

See there, Yael; her children cling to her skirts as she hisses at Yitskhak, her man,

“These many days we been lost at sea and this escort comes for a safe port, and you, like a beaten dog, growl and want to bite whoever comes near.”

And Yaphet breaks from Yosi’s grip,

“Batkol’s right and I’m goin’ with her. If you want to stick with me and your boys you best climb over that rail with me.”

And there’s Yuval, a gale of tears streamin’ off of her puffy cheeks, ‘cause Yonah’s afraid of that corsair Turk. And see, Yannai rushin’ about with his five children and sickly wife, gatherin’ baskets, blankets, books. He’s had enough of this leaky tub.

Meanwhile, Batkol climbs the rail to see if that Turk will take us aboard. And before the sun has set that day about half the refugees have lain their fate in that corsair’s hands.

~~~~~~~~~~

In the next episode, a change in the wind…