mercy, that you would never turn away a repentant soul. I beg you to take me in, for I am a poor sinner in search of salvation.”
Japheth nudged Shem’s ribs and whispered, “We could use another hand behind the shovel, if you know what I mean.”
Shem kicked Japheth’s ankle. “Shhh! I want to listen.”
Lowering her body even further, Morgan laid the sword at Noah’s feet and pressed her palms flat on the ground, her voice faltering as she wept. “An angel . . . gave me this sword to offer as my price of passage. He said to . . . to tell you that he used it to guard the Tree of Life, and it will . . . it will serve you well as a shield for the ark.”
Noah picked up the sword and pulled it from its sheath. The blade flashed with light, and he gazed at it in wonder. “Amazing! It is Chereb, the sword of Eden!”
Shem stepped between Noah and the prostrate woman. “Father, you can’t seriously be considering this. Elohim said nothing about last-minute supplicants.” He waved his hand toward Morgan. “Besides, where was she during all the years we were building our refuge?”
“True enough, my son, but mercy covers both those who arrive early and those who arrive crying out with their last breath.” Noah slid the sword back into its sheath. “Did God say I am not allowed to take a refugee who has paid for her passage with the sword of Eden and with tears of repentance?”
“He said he found only you to be righteous.” Shem extended a finger at Morgan. “Not her.”
Noah knelt and placed a hand on the woman’s head. “Shem, are you my son? How can you be such a merciless judge?”
Shem kicked at a tuft of wiry grass and sighed. “I know I don’t deserve to go with you. If not for being your son, I would soon be food for sharks. But I’m not any kind of judge. I’m just imploring you to heed God’s word. If you don’t, we could all be lost.”
Noah straightened, nodding slowly. “Well spoken. But what of the sword and the angel’s message?”
“Sword or no sword, should you heed a secondhand account of an angel, when we know fallen angels roam the earth? Shouldn’t you obey the words God breathed directly into your ears?”
Noah laid the sword back down near Morgan’s hands. “Maybe we can ”
A loud shriek pierced the skies. A shining creature with coal black wings swooped over their heads. Two dragons followed side by side, shooting jets of flaming gas and bursting through their own wall of fire as they gave chase. Morgan jumped to her feet but kept her face toward the ground.
“A Watcher!” Japheth yelled. “Everyone to the ark!” He dashed across the bridge to the deck and latched on to both fastening ropes. “Hurry! I’ll keep it steady.”
“It’s Samyaza!” Noah shouted at the larger of the two dragons. “Makaidos! Beware of his eyes!”
Shem grabbed Noah’s elbow and hustled him toward the bridge. Morgan followed, the sword at her side and her chin against her chest.
Japheth flexed his muscles, fighting against the jerking ropes, but when Morgan tramped onto the bridge, he almost lost his grip. He cringed, grinding his teeth in pain. Should he stop her? Father had not said for sure. But with danger all around, how could he leave her behind?
As Noah and Shem neared the ark, the shining creature landed on the deck, grabbed Japheth, and dragged him away from the bridge, locked in a vicious clench. Japheth pushed against the creature’s huge, glowing arms, but they clamped down, squeezing his breath away. Shem turned around and hustled his father off the swaying bridge, nearly knocking Morgan over on his way back to solid ground. Morgan followed them to safety.
The two dragons stormed down to the boat, both bodies thumping the deck in awkward crash landings. Their claws scratched deep lines in the gopher wood planks as they scrambled to right themselves. Japheth fell lower in the demon’s grip, still trapped, but at least he could breathe.
Makaidos roared. “Fight us in the sky, you coward! Are you a Watcher or a washwoman?”
The Watcher laughed. “Who is a washwoman, the outnumbered angel, or the lizard who sputters brave words when a female is guarding his flank?”
Makaidos glanced at Thigocia and spewed black smoke from both nostrils. “I am not afraid to fight you. You have my word that Thigocia will stay on this