Full of anticipation, Zack thought the day was never going to end. Moments crept slowly by and it seemed that night would never fall. At last, the sun's golden orb set in the clear, springtime sky, behind the western hills.

Though he was still anxious about his part in the plan, Zack had truly come to believe that it was the Lord's desire to help him extend the Aaron bloodline. He recalled Rabbi Shemaiha, his senior teacher during his rabbinical training, saying that God's plans for man were as varied as the grains of sand, and that His plan, even if its purpose seemed hidden, should never be questioned. Zack appreciated these words as never before. "Time to trust in His plan," Zack murmured to himself. It was God's will for him to father a child with his niece. Zack desperately wanted a child. Despite any trepidation he still felt, in his heart he knew that God's will and his own desire were one.

The rest of the party returned from their time at the caves and began preparing the evening meal. Eran went off to gather wood for the fire. After a day of soaking in the mineral springs, they were pleasantly tired. The sulfurous cave waters removed impurities from the body and increased circulation. Along with the health benefits, bathers were quite relaxed afterword. At Emmaus, people bathed and slept, ate lightly, then bathed and slept some more. There was nothing much else to do in this remote place, and that was the main attraction for visitors.

Liz went straight to her tent, complaining that she felt strange after her time in the waters and needed to rest. She was not expected to help much with dinner anyway, being the mistress of the house.

Against custom, Zack offered to help to set up the dinner meal. Bithia and Oscar assured him they did not require any help, but gratefully accepted the overture. They were tired after their spa day too.

The simple routine of setting out food bowls and wine cups comforted Zack and distracted him from the night ahead. The angel insisted that tonight was the night. The players were in place and the circumstances arranged. Now it was time for Zack to play his part.

Setting the table also gave Zack access to the food without calling attention, so he could dose Mary's food with the potion unseen. He spooned out lamb stew into the bowls, one for each person in the group. Discretely, he pulled the vial of potion from his pocket and mixed some into Mary's serving. During the meal, he would keep an eye on her, to track the effects of the drug. He had no idea how she would be affected. He also dosed Eran and Oscar's food to ensure that, whoever drew the watch, they would sleep soundly instead.

"Uncle," Zack heard Mary's voice behind him. Zack was startled and momentarily froze. Had she seen what he was doing? He cringed. The serving spoon slipped from his hand. He turned to see Mary behind him, and tried to mask his startled response with a broad smile.

"You are setting the table for dinner? I can help!"

"Such a generous child," Zack thought. It was just like her to offer to help. It was her idea of fun. She approached most things in life as an adventure -- a chance to learn, to do something new, to improve her abilities. Thankfully, she had not noticed his manipulation of the food. "Someone is watching out for me," he thought to himself, recovering from the initial shock of her surprising him.

At dinner the mood was especially quiet. Liz insisted that she eat alone in her tent, so it was just five of them sitting around the fire. Mary, usually full of chatter during meals, seemed internally focused and withdrawn. Was it the lingering effects of the mineral baths? Was it the potion taking effect? She was calm, not animated the way Zack had experienced the potion.

People supped quietly occasionally breaking the silence to ask for more wine, or sigh contentedly after a day of indulgence. Everyone was ready for a good night's rest before breaking camp tomorrow to continue their journey.

Zack kept his eye on Mary throughout dinner and watched closely as she got ready for sleep. He was not sure of her condition, though she did have a blissful look on her face, and she moved more languidly then usual.

To be sure that she was sufficiently sedated, Zack prepared a cup of warm goat's milk for Mary as a bedtime treat. He poured more of the potion into it and offered it to her before kneeling to sing his bedtime prayer:

Zack finished with an amen that rose off into the night. By the firelight he could see that Mary's eyes were just barely open. She was curled up in a fetal position in her blankets. Always fascinated by the stars, she lifted a finger to point toward a particularly bright one in the Ram constellation. But fatigue, and the drug taking effect, drew her small hand down and closed her eyes shut.

Zack had drunk some of the potion earlier himself, and now he finished it off. He wanted to be as insulated from his feelings as possible for the rest of the night. He knew it was the will of God delivered through the messenger, in answer to his prayers. He also knew it was the price to be paid for him to be a father at last.

Zack waited until the others slept, before moving to the next step. He could feel the potion's effects. He hoped they would help keep him awake for the night's work.

Sometime later Zack awoke, startled to find he had fallen asleep. Afraid that he might have missed the window of opportunity he'd waited for, he began in earnest the next phase of the plan. He gently drew aside Mary's blankets and nudged her to see if she was conscious. He repeated this a few more times to make sure.

The moon had moved further west and was now out of sight behind the hills. The darkness made hiking to the caves awkward and slow, especially while carrying an unconscious 12-year old and a lit oil lamp.

Once, Zack thought he heard someone breathing behind him. He stopped and turned to see if he'd been discovered. No one was there. "Have Faith," he thought, and continued on.

At the caves entrance, Zack stopped to catch his breath. He gently lifted the cloak covering Mary's face, grateful that she was still out. Her mouth hung slightly open, her small body light and lifeless in his arms.

Carefully he slipped into the hidden recess of the cave, a hidden crucible for the Fathers special promise to him, and a gateway to his longed for destiny.

(End of Chapter 14)