Terror and Tranquility

Based on the Bible story about the city of Jericho being destroyed by soldiers surrounded by their women and children! It is focusing on the viewpoint of a harlot looking on.

Rehab's arm brushed against a small patch of downy moss when she looked out of the casement at the acres of tents. They were spread out on the other side of the River Jordan. An ant attempted to crawl up her sleeve, but she flicked it off. The moon was brilliant tonight and the worshipers of the moon goddess could be heard wailing and dancing in the streets.
Rehab was deeply impressed by the ordered and precision represented by the rows and squares of tents, so different than the chaos and confusion directly behind her.
   They are a people whose caliber is far superior to anyone on this side of the river,  she thought almost reverently.
   In her type of business, she met people from many different nationalities. Many of them did not realize how well she understood their different tongues, and she preferred to keep it that way. For several months now, both foreigners, and fellow-citizens alike babbled fearfully, almost incoherently at times, about the exploits of this so great a people.
  " They have risen from the Nile. "
One imbibed stranger had shaken a trembling finger at her while making this proclamation. "No one has ever heard of them before, and now they are everywhere! They are taking the world by storm!"
  "Nay, they are harvesting the world like wheat," his companion argued. "everywhere they turn they scythe is unsheathed and they fall before them in a most awful slaughter.
  He grabbed Rehab and clutched entreatingly at her garment. "What are we to do? Tell me, what are we to do? Even our leaders are cowering in their bedchambers."
   Rehab pried his claw-like fingers off her shoulders and brushed them aside." Come, now!" she cried, "What does a man like thyself expect me to do? I am but a woman!"
  He fell to his knees and grabbed imploringly at her robe.
   "Tell me, what hast thought heard that hast frightened thee so?" she demanded, pushing him away.
   "That they have turned the River Nile into blood; that in the dead of night, with no man lifting a finger, there was a strange and mysterious massacre. All of the firstborn of the sons of Egypt never opened their eyes to see the light of another new day, yet these---foreigners---were unhurt!"
   "Come, come now, thou art overwrought and overtired. What thou needest is a glass of my excellent wine and a good back rub."
    That was last week. Ever since men had poured in too distraught...

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