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The Tishbite
The Untold Story of Elijah

By Kurt W. Schuller (USA)

Chapter 29

This manuscript (currently titled "the Tishbite" but I am considering "A Man of God") is unfinished This Is a fictional account of the life of Elijah. It is raw and powerful reflecting the actual state of life at the time.It has a strong sexual theme which is necessary because of the story it tells. It is both inspirational as well as entertaining. It was written to entertain the reader first.` Your feedback is welcome I hope you enjoy.

Part one: A Man Of God

Chapter Twenty-nine

Chapter 29
Obadiah and Benjamin walked into Rabah’s meeting chamber together.
“And who is this?” Rabah enquired
“This is Benjamin, my new personal assistant.”
“I wasn’t aware there was an old personal assistant.” Rabah said with a grin.
“And who is paying his wages?”
Obadiah shook his head. “He is my responsibility, sir.”
“He is indeed, in more ways than one. I hope you are sure of him.”
“Quite certain, my lord.”
“I’ve been reading your reports. They are full of wild stories that turn out to be false when investigated. How do you account for this?”
You told me of the importance of my research, so I thought it best to leave no stone”-
“Leave not stone “ interrupted Rabah throwing the report into the air. “You seemed to have looked under all the pebbles as well.”
Rabah was now visibly angry.
“This report is your last. If you have nothing good to tell me, I ‘m going to have you killed.- along with your personal assistant.”
Benjamin had not expected this and he looked as if he was going to try to run when Obadiah reached out his hand and looked in his eyes.
“Don’t worry” he whispered. “This day will not be our last.”
Obadiah turned back to face Rabah. “My thoroughness lord has paid off. I believe you will be very happy when you hear what I have to say.”
“Well then. By all means begin. I could use some good news.”
Obadiah pulled out a scroll and began to read from it.
“Elijah, born some 28 years ago in the hills two days travel from Gilead. Father dead for more than four years. His mother died a few months ago, before he came to our attention. He owned a retail business in Peniel. While the shop was open for seven years it always struggled to make ends meet. Reports indicate the man is a long time alcoholic. His fellow merchants detested him and he had few friends. With regards to romantic interest there were seemingly none. He was by all accounts a loner as well as a strident Jehovah worshiper which leads me to believe the man is a repressed homosexual, unwilling to embrace this side of his nature so he shuns all company. I interviewed several people that described his mother as strong and emotionally distant and his father as being of a timid nature.  I believe we are dealing with someone whose homosexual guilt, fueled by excessive drinking has driven him mad. As evidence of this I offer you the testimony of my personal assistant Benjamin, who acquired Elijah’s business the day he went over the edge.”
Benjamin had been so impressed by Obadiah’s skills as a con man that he could only listen and smile. Someday, he thought, the two of them could make quite a living fleecing the gullible. When he heard his name he stopped smiling and turned towards Obadiah.
“Benjamin. What price did you pay for the Store and its contents?”
“A pair of sandals,- sir.” He threw the sir in at the last minute, thought it was a nice touch.
“Used sandals, weren’t they?”
“Yes sir, they were at that.”
“And what  was his demeanor?”
Benjamin looked at him confused and raised his eyes and shrugged slightly
“How did he act?”
“ OH! Crazy, if you ask me. He kept going on and on about being responsible for a lot of deaths. And another thing, he looked as if he had been rolling around in the dirt, it was all over his cloak. He even had dirt on his beard and face. Oh and when he put his hand on me it felt- unnatural if you know what I mean.”
Benjamin smiled. He knew how to play along with a good con.
“Thank you Benjamin.”
“ Elijah left Peniel that day and resurfaced here in the palace three days later when he made his wild claim about stopping the rain. Here ends my report.”
Obadiah rolled back up the scroll and put it away.
Rabah sat there for a moment, saying nothing. And then he started to chuckle and smile, the laugh growing louder and the smile growing broader.
“I have been chasing a crazy drunken faggot?”
“Yes sir. Apparently you have.”
“Well done.” Rabah chuckled “Well done indeed!”
“Call back the spies.” He barked. “I’ll waste no more time or energy on this -Prophet.
As of today this man is now a wanted criminal. Alert all the magistrates and circulate his description. Put a bounty of - “
Rabah thought for a moment.
“-10 shekels. That’s about all the drunk is worth.”
Rabah looked back at Obadiah. “Welcome back Obadiah. The palace has missed you. I look forward to your resumption of your duties. You are dismissed. I can’t wait to tell Jezebel.”
Obadiah bowed slightly and the two of them left the chamber.
As they walked to Obadiah’s quarters Benjamin stopped.
“Let me see that scroll.”
“Why?”
“To satisfy my curiosity,”
Obadiah reached into his pocket and handed it to Benjamin.
He unrolled it and started to chuckle. The scroll was blank
“I thought so. You are good! You sir, are a natural born con man. You have all the skills,” He raised the scroll in the air. “- even down to the use of props.”
“I am not a con man! I am a bureaucrat. The difference is in the intent. The con man uses his skill to steal. The bureaucrat uses them to obtain a desired result. It’s called persuasion.”
“Whatever you call it, you are among the best if I say so myself. But aside from getting you in good with a formidable enemy what did you accomplish.? I thought the guy was supposed to be some kind of messenger of God, but the way you described him today how could he be?”
“It doesn’t matter now what he might have been in the past. That is not who he is anymore, but Rabah and Jezebel will never understand that- until it is too late.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Of course you don’t, because you yourself have spent your life trying to hide from God. Elijah is now His right arm here on earth, He is as far from the failed drunken merchant as the east is from the west or the sky is from the land.”
Obadiah paused in front of a window to watch a fiery red sunset.
“He is now- a man of God.”

Rabah couldn’t wait to tell Jezebel what he had learned. He found her at Baal’s altar kneeling in prayer. He paced back and forth impatiently, waiting for her to finish. Jezebel, distracted by his steps, finished her prayer and got to her feet.
“What is so important?” she snapped
“I had sent Obadiah out to dig up all that he could on our “prophet”, and he has learned a great deal about him. In addition to his problem of self loathing because of his sexual orientation”-
“So that’s where he’s been.” She said with a surprised tone.. “Wait a minute!” Jezebel shot out her hand. “Are you saying he is gay?”
Rabah looked confused. “Obadiah?”
Jezebel rolled her eyes into her head. “No, Elijah!”
Rabah tilted his chin down and opened his eyes wide, nodding slowly.
“Funny, I didn’t get that from him in the palace. I got the feeling he was. . .
She paused for a moment, tapping her forefinger against her cheek.
-Aroused by me. Are you sure of this?”
“Obadiah presented a rather convincing case. The man was a dismal failure of a merchant. He was never seen in the company of women, drank heavily on a regular basis and made friends with no one. Obadiah looked into his past and found he had been raised by domineering mother and a weak willed father; the perfect recipe for making little boys into full grown queers.”
“Allright, what else did he learn.”
“A few days before coming here to the palace he started acting crazy, practically giving away all that he had.”
“I’ve heard enough. It changes nothing.”
Rabah was confused. “But what do you mean? This faggot is growing into a living legend and it’s all based on lies and half-truths. We need to discredit him.”
“No! what we need to do is stick to the original plan. That he is gaining in stature with the people is going to work in our favor. The higher he rises, the further he and his God have to fall.”
Rabah looked disappointed. Jezebel leaned in very close and put her hand gently behind his head. It had been a long time since they had made love. She brushed her cheek against his, warming his face with her sweet breath.
“It is enough for us to know his secrets” she whispered in his ear.
Like a snake her tongue darted and danced around his ear lobe.
Rabah took her in his arms and looked into her eyes.
“It is enough” he said, voice quivering with passion.
He backed her toward a curtain-draped alcove lined with silk pillows and, laying her down, he closed the curtain.

Continued Next Week