Chapter Thirteen
“And it came to pass one evening, that David arose from his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house;
and from the roof he saw a woman bathing;
and the woman was very fair to look upon.”
“So, how is the story so far?” Ro’el wanted some feedback from his listener.
“Not bad,” Tammi said, “and that’s from someone who hates stories.”
“That’s a strange statement, considering the profession you’ve chosen.”
“You know, I wasn’t always like this. Perhaps it’s because of my work that I’ve become very distrustful of simple stories, the kind that profess to differentiate between the good guys and the bad guys and try to organize the plot of like into some kind of logical order, with a beginning, middle and end.
When I begin to think about it out loud, I realize that I’ve never really come across a story with a chaotic plot.
Chaos, unlike its bad reputation, can be a wonderful thing.
It isn’t pretentious, it doesn’t require maintenance, it liberates and empowers, and, above all—it doesn’t pander to the same artificial format found in all those simple stories in which the hero sets out on an obligatory journey to fight the antihero, that always develop in some logical order.
Why do you, I mean the writers, find it so important to impose order on a disorderly reality? ”
“Where is the problem?” he asked.
“The problem is that people rely on your stories and think that their lives ought to look like that too, without the natural and essential mess that really characterizes life. Ro’el, our lives are more than a simplistic narrative about an organized journey of good against evil.
Life, in many ways, is a collection of chance encounters, it isn’t a story about a number of people who have conspired together on a predetermined plot.
And yet, your average writer and the simplistic stories will always prefer what was pre-planned over the spontaneous, and will always choose order over disorder. ”
“Okay, I don’t deny that. Let’s say you’re right, what harmful consequences does your theory have on the lives of the readers?”
“Like I said, the danger begins when they begin telling themselves these stories and linking them to their own lives.”
Ro’el still didn’t fully understand. “Give me an example,” he said.
“For instance… Just to get out of bed in the morning, you probably tell yourself a story in which your work is important and highly necessary and, in order to feel that you play a vital role in a chaotic world, you expand on this and tell yourself that the meeting you have at the office today is critical. And so you begin to believe these stories and they are what get you out of bed.”
“Okay, I understand, more or less… you still haven’t given one convincing explanation as to what is bad about it?”
“It’s bad because it isn’t truthful. Perhaps your work isn’t important and it isn’t necessary.
Perhaps your life is one big mess in a chaotic world, and no one has ever told you that it’s okay.
Let’s take you, for instance. What story do you tell yourself when you get up in the morning?
Do you think your work is essential and that you, in fact, represent the good guys and are fighting their battles against the bad guys?
Perhaps that’s the simplistic story you tell yourself, but it’s a mistake.
At times, you may be on the side of the good guys and at times you’re actually serving the interests of the bad guys.
Stop telling yourself simplistic, appealing stories about order and good versus evil.
Stop thinking in terms of a story line. Instead, I suggest that you focus on preserving the pleasure in disorder, in the naturalness of imperfection, and the sense of release that comes with leaving some loose ends. ”
Ro’el remained silent and she added frankly, “Until I was about nineteen, I was religious and observed all the Orthodox rules. Then in the army, far from home, I felt that I finally had the strength to leave the orderly world with its many exclamation marks and enter a world of chaos and question marks. You understand? In a religious world, everything is preordained and well-ordered, and there is an answer to every question. Simply put—everything is very clear. I never understood how everyone else found it all to be so clear. That’s why I moved on to a world in which you can express doubt and mock orderliness. ”
Ro’el gave her an inquisitive look. “In that case, as one who is surely well-versed in the biblical stories and wishes to question everything, I believe that you might find the rest of my story very interesting as the plot unfolds.”
“I doubt that, but go ahead, let’s continue.”
***
“Are you familiar with Greek mythology?” Yiftach asked Melody a moment before the next court session was about to begin.
“Not really. I once received a book as a birthday gift, a collection of Greek mythology. I never opened it.”
“Would you mind if I stop by at your place this evening and borrow it? Just for a few days.”
“Of course. But now you’ve remembered to ask? We’re calling him to the witness stand the day after tomorrow!” she chastised him. But it doesn’t matter, she thought, at least she will gain a visit from Yiftach to her home, she told herself as the session began.
“The prosecution wishes to call David to the witness stand!” Yiftach announced ceremoniously.
“Arrogant, and a jerk…” Love whispered to herself.
“Did you say something?” Judge Kedem inquired.
“That’ll work!”
“What?”
“My thumb hurts by some quirk,” he waved his hand at her.
“Oh…” Kedem said, still looking confused.
While this dialogue was unfolding, the audience in the courtroom focused their eyes on the main door. A fine-looking man with red hair and beautiful eyes entered the hall. He walked towards the witness stand with a straight back and sure steps, as the audience followed his every move.
“My talented friend…” Doctor Kena whispered to Weissman, “this is becoming more interesting from one moment to the next and from one witness to the next. Well done!”
Yiftach approached the man who stood behind the witness stand like a tall, upright cypress tree. “Sir, could you please introduce yourself?”
“David,” he answered disdainfully, intentionally sparing words.
“David who?”
“Aah… David the King. King David,” his voice remained mocking.
“Sir, could you please expand on that? Tell us who you are.”
“Why expand? What’s to tell? Let’s begin so that we can also end this. I must rush back to my royal duties. I have a sinking feeling that we will be forced to fight the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim.”
Weissman turned to Golan and whispered, “What year does he think he’s living in?”
“Around 1000 BC,” Golan answered and shook himself like a mammoth shaking off a fly.
Sabat felt a strong revulsion towards the impressive witness, which most likely stemmed from his feeling that David’s persona was overshadowing him.
Now, in this very hall and within his innermost citadel, Sabat felt that he was no longer the sole ruler.
Yiftach began his questioning. “The unfortunate event, in regard to which you have been summoned to testify here today, begins with the action you took of sending your army, led by Yoav Ben Tzeruya, to conquer Ammon. As everyone knows, you decide that you yourself will not go into battle and you remain in Jerusalem.”
“Look here, young fellow, don’t you start with that too. Such criticism is nothing more than childish ignorance.” Despite his desire to display indifference, the king was focused and sharp.
“What criticism? I haven’t said anything yet…”
“Don’t play the innocent, young fellow. You are criticizing a king for not having joined his soldiers in battle.
” The king remained aloof and authoritative, indifferent and imperial.
“When you grow up, you will understand that life isn’t black and white, and that a king must make difficult, official decisions while, at the same time, exercising broad judgment. ”
“How is that related to the matter at hand?”
“It’s related! There are advantages and disadvantages for a king to join his soldiers on the battlefield and he must find the delicate balance between the two.
Think about it. The advantages, for instance, are that he provides important moral support to the soldiers and is able to make crucial decisions quickly and in real time, while serving as a role model for his people, and so on.
On the other hand, a king who goes to battle leaves his kingdom and places its administration in the hands of others and, more importantly—if the king is wounded or killed in battle, it can lead to great chaos and an immediate defeat.
Your Honors, I am a serious, rational man and, therefore, during my reign—and after having carefully weighed all the pros and cons as just mentioned—I formulated the following rule regarding the participation of rulers on the battlefield: In fateful battles, waged to remove an existential threat from the kingdom, the king must also join the battle and fight with his soldiers against the bitter enemy.
On the other hand, in battles of less importance, it is better for the king to remain behind and deal with the day-to-day management of the kingdom.
That is the meaning of sagacity. Do you understand that, young fellow? ”
“Sounds reasonable,” Yiftach conceded, “and I understand that the battle described in the Book of Samuel II, Chapter 11 was a battle of no great significance?”
“What? What book? Speak clearly, young fellow!” Yiftach approached the king and handed him a bible. David carefully studied its contents. “Unbelievable, they really wrote everything down, they put in every single detail.”
“You haven’t answered my question, Your Highness. The battle in question, was it indeed of little importance?”