When the boy had obeyed and seated himself once more, Canaan continued:
"By the decree of our forefather Noah, my parents delivered me unto Shem, that I should be his servant and dwell within his house. Thou knowest, no doubt, what Ham, my father, wrought against Noah, when he gave him wine mingled with herbs of delirium—a deed ignoble, that stained forever the honor of our house. And when Noah awoke and learned of the shame to which he had been subjected, he pronounced a curse without delay.
"Thus was I given unto Shem, and as his servant I lived all the days of his long life. Yet when Noah uttered his curse upon the seed of Ham, he spoke also a blessing over Shem, saying: 'Let God dwell in the tent of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.'
"Now my lord Shem was both wise and generous, and alone among men did he perceive the true meaning of that saying: 'Let Canaan be his servant.' For all believed that this word had come upon me as a curse; yet Shem understood at once that it was, in truth, a blessing—the very blessing that should have been spoken over my father.
"For the word given unto the house of Shem was to be thus understood: 'Let God dwell in the tent of Shem, and let Canaan be the servant of God, and not merely of the son of Noah.' In this manner did the holy and gracious God set me apart for His service—for the priesthood itself!
"And so my lord Shem instructed me in the sacred office, withholding from me only the right to minister within his own tent, for it was the private sanctuary of his house. In truth, while he yet lived, I never dared to offer sacrifice unto God. But when he granted me freedom, and I departed to settle the land that I have called Phoenicia, I gave myself wholly unto the God of Shem, serving Him as priest in the land I founded.
"Yet my brothers—Cush, Mizraim, and Put—turned to idols, and persecuted me for cleaving unto the God who had cursed the house of Ham. I, however, sought in all things to walk in the ways of Shem, and like my lord I journeyed through many lands, proclaiming the true worship of El.
"And that I might not be known in the regions of my wandering, I cast aside my former name and took upon myself the name Sidyk. Even so, I was hunted by my brothers, and was driven from Phoenicia, seeking refuge in Egypt, where for many years I wandered in caves and hidden places.
"When Nimrod resolved to destroy all the descendants of Shem and to blot out forever the sacred memory of El, he set a price upon my head, and I was hunted as though beneath every stone in Egypt. Finding no place of safety, I fled at last unto thy father in Akkad—but even then it was too late."
Heber looked upon him with solemn wonder and said:
"Then thou art indeed a priest of God?"
And he answered:
"Not by any worthiness in me—but because God chose me for His service. Dark are the days in which we dwell, my son; yet if we hasten to seek refuge in distant lands, it may yet be that we shall turn aside what is to come. For whatever designs Nimrod now weaves shall prove a stumbling-block unto all the world."
"He hath made covenant with spirits of darkness," said the boy, "for even the Rephaim obey him."
"It is not to Nimrod that they yield their allegiance," said Canaan, "but unto Queen Semiramis. That woman is shrouded in mysteries, and possesses powers whose nature is hidden from the knowledge of men. After I was driven into Egypt and my land fell beneath the dominion of that wicked pair, there arose Sanchuniathon, a priest of Phoenicia, who composed an account of the gods; and he himself hath spread abroad the tale that this woman was born of a great shell amidst the foam of the sea.
"I know not how much of what is spoken concerning her is true; yet I have come to suspect that her origin is akin to that of the Rephaim and of the other races of giants that walk upon the earth."
After pondering these things, Heber said:
"When he was in Akkad, Nimrod showed great interest in the oracles of Adam and of Seth. Would that I had known the cause of his curiosity…"
"I know it well," said Canaan gravely. "And I fear for the fate of mankind. What I shall now tell thee I learned by chance, some years past, while hiding from pursuit in the marketplace of Thebes. Unwittingly I overheard a conversation between Nimrod and an aged seer. At the time I suspected nothing; yet afterward I perceived how events began to align with what was then spoken.
"Nimrod hath conceived designs of great wickedness, and seeks to bring all the world under a yoke of vile servitude. Until yesterday, such ambition was but a vain dream; but now that he hath seized the raiment of Adam, nothing may hinder his success—unless…"
A sudden spark lit the boy's eyes.
"Unless what?"
Canaan snapped his fingers.
"Even so!" he cried.
And rising swiftly to his feet, he said:
"Come, lad—let us depart at once! If my suspicions be true, Nimrod will soon send men unto the ruins of Akkad, and it is not well that we should be found here."
"And why would they return?" asked Heber.
In answer, Canaan held forth the stones of Urim and Thummim.
"Because he hath need of these stones to accomplish his dark design. I doubt they would answer in his hands—but that matters little. What matters is that we are not here when they come."
"If they seek the stones, they will look for them upon my body," said the boy. "And when they find me not, they will know that I yet live."
"Let them think what they will," said Canaan. "We must go now—to the land of Asshur."
"To Asshur? Why thither?"
"Call it the foreboding of an old man," he said. "Such instincts thou must learn to heed. Nimrod hath destroyed the Pillar of Adam that stood in Akkad, and he will surely do the same in Asshur when he conquers it. We must consult the oracles before they are lost forever."