4-092, Decisions, Decisions!!!

The woman closed her hands around the girl’s, hiding the money from view.  “For you…?”  She looked away.  “Being a good wife and mother will not always be easy.”

Ishtar was not satisfied with the woman’s answer.  She could see her skirting the question. Once more she asked, “What is the price of that road, and what of the other?  You do not tell me yet what the second road is.  How shall I choose wisely if you do not tell me?”

The woman was surprised.  “Is the first road not good enough for you?  Why must I tell you of the other?  Enjoy your gifts.  You have earned them.  They are a reward for all your sacrifice.”

Ishtar was becoming impatient.  “What is the second road from which I may choose, and what is the price demanded for taking it?”

Slowly shaking her head, the woman sighed, “So much like your uncle you are…  Little knowledge is a dangerous tool.”

Ishtar pressed her for an answer.

The woman surrendered to Ishtar’s will.  “All right, I will tell you…  Your Lord said that some of his servants would speak before kings and governors.  They would stand in front of crowds in defense of his God.  They would prove his enemy a liar.  That is the blessing of your second road.”

The woman grasped Ishtar by the arms and stared into her eyes.  Great sadness grew on her face and a tear rolled down her cheek.  “Take the monies and go.  Unsung is the hero who succeeds in secret, but a hero that person is nonetheless.  Yet to fail while attempting the sublime will only bring one shame and humiliation.   You have run your race to the full.  Enjoy your reward.”

Ishtar was quick with her reply, and her tongue sharp and scolding.  “You offered me two roads.  It is my choosing as to which one I take, not yours.  Now, please, it is your turn to confess to me what the fate of the second road is.  It is my right to know.”

“Yes…  Yes, I did.” The woman softly replied.  She could not look the child in the face.  “The tiller man is not kind when the tempest descends upon the sea.  He exacts a high wage to deliver one to safe harbor.  There is no safe harbor to be found on this second path.  Only the black abyss of death awaits the sojourner…  There is no escape from that destiny.”  She looked up into the girl’s eyes.  “So why trouble the spirits with such a fatal choice?  Enjoy the blessings already offered you.”

Enjoy other posts: 

Prologue,

Destiny's Road 1-001, 1-002, 1-003, 1-004, 1-005, 1-006, 1-007, 1-008, 1-009,

1-010, 1-011, 1-012, 1-013, 1-014, 1-015, 1-016, 1-017, 1-018, 1-019, 1-020,

1-021, 1-022, 1-023, 1-024 & 1-025

Of Councils Great and Small 2-026, 2-027, 2-028, 2-029, 2-030, 2-031,

2-032, 2-033, 2-034, 2-035, 2-036, 2-037, 2-038, 2-039, 2-040, 2-041, 2-042,
2-043, 2-044, 2-045, 2-046, 2-047, 2-048, 2-049 & 2-050

Legend's Heroes 3-051, 3-052, 3-053, 3-054, 3-055, 3-056, 3-057, 3-058,
3-059, 3-060, 3-061, 3-062, 3-063, 3-064, 3-065, 3-066, 3-067, 3-068, 3-069,
3-070, 3-071, 3-072, 3-073, 3-074 & 3-075

Forges of Hell 4-076, 4-077, 4-078, 4-079, 4-080, 4-081, 4-082, 4-083, 4-084,
4-085, 4-086, 4-087, 4-088, 4-089, 4-090, 4-091, 4-092, 4-093, 4-094, 4-095,
4-096, 4-097, 4-098, 4-099 & 4-100

Or find your own book at:

Amazon.com; Smashwords.com;

Diesel-Ebooks.com, BN.com; ebookstore.sony.com