Palace of Darkness (43 page)
“I was afraid of your strength. Afraid it would swallow me up, for I have given myself away to strength before.” She stopped before the central fountain, looking over the bubbling stone pillar to Julian’s face, still turned to the ground.
“But you are different, because you are a man of integrity. And God has shown me that when I trust myself to you, I trust myself to Him. And so I will.”
Julian looked at her then, his eyes full. He circled the fountain and took her hands in his.
Alexander ran to them and put his arms around their legs. Julian ruffled the boy’s hair and grinned.
“Will you show me the best places to climb now, Julian?” Alexander asked.
Cassia laughed, but the laughter caught in her throat and she thought she might cry instead.
Julian circled her waist with his arm. “First I must speak to your mother.” He turned his dark eyes on Cassia. “Alone.”
In a tiny room off Malik’s courtyard, Julian pulled Cassia into a crushing embrace and rested his chin on the top of her head. “I feared for you. For him.”
She closed her eyes and leaned into his strength. “I meant nothing of what I said that night, Julian. I wished to be strong, and somehow I believed that you and Aretas were the same sort of man, and that even your God could not be trusted—”
Julian tipped her head back with a gentle hand and silenced her
rambling with his lips. When he broke away, he bent to whisper into her ear. “I am not running, Cassia. Never again.”
She laughed at his words, and the sound was strange in her ears. “Is that a promise?”
His gaze on her was intense, serious. “It is only the first of many promises I will make to you.” He smiled. “And to Alexander.”
Sometime later, after whispers of family and future, Cassia led Julian back into the crowded courtyard, where Alexander and Decimus sat on the paving stones playing with a tiny green lizard.
Julian stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. “There is much work to be done here, Cassia. A different sort of work than we have yet done together. There are many new converts, and they will need much from us.”
Cassia took in the face of each person, felt the challenge of knowing each of them, and her heart filled up with both purpose and passion.
“We will love them all, Julian. In the strength of God, we will love them all.”
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY . . . AND BEYOND
I
N
AD 106,
THE CITY OF
P
ETRA BECAME PART OF THE
Roman Province of Arabia, and soon after it began to fall into decline. Before many centuries, its exact whereabouts between the towering cliffs had been lost to all but local Bedouins and faded into the stuff of legend.
When I traveled to Petra in the country of Jordan, our guide, Aladdin (yes, really!), had us shut our eyes as we took the final steps through the two kilometer-long Siq and rounded the corner to get our first glimpse of what is known as “The Treasury”—that amazing rock facade made famous in the movie
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
. It is indeed a marvelous site, as is the entire rock-carved city of Petra.
In 1812, adventurer-scholar Johann Burckhardt, disguised as a Bedouin, convinced the local inhabitants of a nearby settlement to lead him into Petra. His initial visit opened the way for other travelers and mapmakers, and eventually archaeologists, to document and study this fascinating culture and location.
A note about Scripture translations: In bringing you a picture of the early church in Petra, I wanted to convey the sense of how critical
Paul’s letters were to these people. I chose to paraphrase rather than use a modern translation that would not have been in use at the time.
There is so much more to share with you about the city of Petra and the people of Jordan! Please join me at TracyHigley.com to escape into the music, food, and feel of this place, to discover what is fact and what is fiction within the book, and to skim through my travel journals. I’ll also have a short story for you there, free for the taking. Come and share your heart with me!
Tracy sitting on the steps of “The Treasury,” typing her notes.
1. At the start of the story, Cassia has been involved in an unhealthy relationship for many years. Why do you think she has stayed with Aretas?
2. Have you ever struggled to walk away from an unhealthy situation? If you were able to get free, how did you accomplish it?
3. In what ways is Cassia’s tendency to find her identity through what others think of her challenged by the events of the story?
4. Cassia is confronted by the truth of the gospel in the course of the story. How did you feel about her acceptance of it? Did you feel there should have been more of a traditional “conversion” scene? Why or why not?
5. In what ways do the locations of the valley of Petra and the High Place mirror Cassia’s emotions and challenges?
6. What character did you most identify with? Why?
7. The events of the Roman conquering of the Nabatean kingdom and its capital, Petra, are historically accurate. How did you feel about the Nabateans submitting to Roman rule? Did you expect something different?
8. This story takes place in AD 106. How familiar are you with
the church’s history in this period? What new things did you learn about the history of Christianity through the story?
9. The end of the story involves some specific intervention by God, showing His power. Do you believe God still works in this way? If so, where have you seen or experienced it?
10. Cassia learns that true strength does not mean resisting connections to other people or refusing to rely on others for help. But what does it mean? How does Malik challenge her to find strength in the right place?
11. How difficult is this truth? Do you struggle with finding your identity and security in what others think of you? What can you do to break free of this?
12. Julian’s home church in Rome was the direct recipient of Paul’s letter to the Romans, and he loves this epistle as a letter from a good friend. How did his view of the book of Romans, and his use of its familiar passages, give you a new perspective on this New Testament book?
13. What does Romans 5:8 teach us about our identity?
14. Romans 8:38–39 talk about God’s love for us. How do these verses directly challenge us to break free of our bondage to the opinions of other people?
15. Petra is considered a “lost city” because its existence was unknown to the scholarly world for many centuries, and only a handful of Bedouin locals knew of its whereabouts. Why do you think we have such a fascination with “lost cities”?
16. In what ways do you feel that the author’s travels through Petra and other ancient lands have informed her writing? Would you like to travel to Petra, in the Muslim country of Jordan? Why or why not?
W
HILE WRITING BOOKS IS OFTEN SOLITARY
,
IT WOULD
also be impossible without all of the people whose names aren’t on the cover but who are a part of every page. I am grateful especially to each of the following people for their support and their help.
Thank you to the team of people at B&H Books, whose hard work to put my words into print is so appreciated: Karen Ball, my extraordinary editor; Julie Gwinn, marketing genius; Aaron Linne, digital marketing guru; Diana Lawrence, art director, and all the rest of you who are such a joy to work with!
Thanks to my agent, Steve Laube. You are always excited, supportive, and most of all, interesting! I appreciate your input. Thanks for sharing your love of history with me.
Thank you to my fellow “Pilgrims” who journeyed through Israel, Jordan, and Egypt with me: Carl Green, Bob and Ann Sloan, Kay and Barry Graham, Steve and Eilene Bauer, Tom Fink, Cindy Davies, Diane Hershey, Gloria Snyder, Sean Fox, Theresa Lambert, Wayne Rissmiller, Richard and Faye Simpson, Steve and Eileen Swymer, and my husband, Ron Higley. Thank you for waiting patiently as I lagged behind to madly type my research notes
and document every ruin with photos and video. What a great trip we had!
Thank you to each of my children: Rachel, Sarah, Jake, and Noah. Rachel and Sarah, you are so patient and supportive as I write and travel, and I appreciate both of you and your input to this effort. Jake, your book cover suggestions rock! And, Noah, someday when you’re older and read this book, I want you to know that every adorable and wonderful thing about the character of Alexander was inspired by you! I love all four of you very much!
Thank you to my husband, Ron, for your continued partnership with me in books and in life. You are my best friend, and I can’t imagine navigating life’s adventure without you!
AN EXCERPT FROM
THE QUEEN’S HANDMAID
