Hand of Miriam, A Bayla and the Golem Novel

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Gesher begged. "Please, my lord. Was my sin so great that I am to be interned as stone for all eternity?" 

The archangel slowly exhaled. "No. Nevertheless, you must endure punishment. I will send you back to earth as clay. To be summoned as a golem to do what you do best, protect." He produced a box. "This is the Gemmatridon. It will be used to give you life. Someday, a master might destroy the box, allowing you to return to your former angel form, one without wings but still meant to serve. I very much doubt any learned master will destroy the box." 

"My lord, can I someday earn back my wings?" 

Azarael protested. "He must not be given a chance, not ever." 

Michael ignored the angel of death. "If your master lets you destroy the Gemmatridon and you learn humility, then yes, it is possible." He raised his sword above Gesher's head. "Farewell, my friend."

Chapter 1

Mt. Jebel Ideid, Negev Desert, Ottoman Empire, 1888

Bayla Gideon opened her parasol to provide shade from the unrelenting desert sun and strode for the main camp in search of her husband. Harsh whispers behind the equipment tent caught her attention. She stepped closer to eavesdrop, careful her booted footsteps over the stones did not reveal her intent. Her husband of six months, noted professor of Ancient Archeology, Isaac Gideon, argued vehemently with his colleague Professor Erasmus Hix. And it was not about which map to follow. Not again. It was always "Mrs. Gideon this" and "Mrs. Gideon that." 

"I know you have modern ideas about women not being feeble, but my dear man, do you not realize the dangers out here?" said Erasmus. 

"Bayla is equipped with a blaster and her aim with guns is..." Isaac paused for much too long, "getting better." 

True, she had terrible aim with regular guns, but how could she go wrong with a blaster? Its steam-charger-propelled bullets in all directions. The danger was hitting everything and everyone in the vicinity. She winced. It was not her fault in regards to Professor Erasmus Hix's ill-placed laundry. Fortunately, he looked rather fetching in Bedouin garments. 

"What of the other dangers a blaster won't protect her from? It's not too late to escort her back to the Ibis before it departs." The desert dirigible would leave for Cairo in a few hours. 

Bayla edged closer. Other dangers? Professor Hix was starting to sound like Aunt Fannie. Orphaned at age nine, Bayla was raised by her overprotective aunt and uncle in a religious Jewish household. 

"My Reina, your place is at home not gallivanting around the world," Aunt Fannie had pleaded. She fretted Bayla would be stolen and sold as a harem slave. Such was the fate of many unwary young European women. Truth was, the biggest danger to her person were the venomous scorpions and cruel desert heat. 

Isaac laughed. "My wife would no more board the dirigible to return than you would. Besides, I need her assistance. She has proven invaluable on dating artifacts." 

"I'm not arguing with that. I myself have never seen a better chronicler of antiquities but she is unaware of our true purpose." 

She lifted a brow. What, pray tell, are they talking about? Was it related to their membership in that men's only club? Isaac said she should never question his loyalty to his secret brotherhood. Not old-fashioned, but for the one men's group, she relented to not pester Isaac on his one private pastime. 

"Balderdash! We're here only to test my theory, nothing more. And, I dare say, I've grown accustomed to having her radiant beauty around. Come now, would you rob me of a magnificent sunrise?" 

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⏰ Last updated: Sep 12, 2014 ⏰

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