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The Man in the Cistern
Set about ten years after the conclusion of the full-length novel 'In a Milk and Honeyed Land', this short story follows Damariel and Nepheret as they tackle a new challenge to the four towns. A group of migrants has set up an encampment just down the trackway towards Shalem. What are their intentions? Do they come in peace or war?
“They are more of a threat to themselves just now. But two things might happen. One is that men might join, and stay, who have some weapons and some real aggression. Then they might start to intrude on surrounding towns including this Kephrath. Or, and maybe more likely, they could bring a plague of sickness into the area. These are not men who know how to live outside, not for the most part. A few have been slaves, but most of them are workers who have always been told what to do. They are used to living in houses. The main thing that protects Kephrath is that they do not know how to act in concert as a group. They are just like a rough heap of gravel. But perhaps someone could turn them into a rock and start to pound others around them.”
“They are more of a threat to themselves just now. But two things might happen. One is that men might join, and stay, who have some weapons and some real aggression. Then they might start to intrude on surrounding towns including this Kephrath. Or, and maybe more likely, they could bring a plague of sickness into the area. These are not men who know how to live outside, not for the most part. A few have been slaves, but most of them are workers who have always been told what to do. They are used to living in houses. The main thing that protects Kephrath is that they do not know how to act in concert as a group. They are just like a rough heap of gravel. But perhaps someone could turn them into a rock and start to pound others around them.”
Unknown Binding
First published October 10, 2012
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About the author
Richard Abbott
10 books55 followersRichard Abbott writes both historical and speculative fiction. The Ancient Trackways and Kephrath series of books explore the world of the past. Half Sick of Shadows and the Far from the Spaceports series are set in speculative and science fiction worlds.
The Ancient Trackways immerses you in the Cumbria of the late Stone Age, where axe-making artisans are facing challenges to their ancestral way of life.
Half Sick of Shadows is a retelling and metamorphosis of the Arthurian tale of The Lady of Shalott. The book was awarded an IndieBrag medallion in December 2017.
The Far from the Spaceports series is set in a near-future solar system where human-AI partnerships are common.
The Kephrath books take the reader to the ancient near East, at the end of the Bronze Age, when differing groups and factions struggle for survival and vie for dominance.
Richard lives and works in Cumbria, England, as part of a family business. When not writing words or computer code, he enjoys spending time with family, walking, and wildlife, ideally combining all three pursuits in the English Lake District.
The Ancient Trackways immerses you in the Cumbria of the late Stone Age, where axe-making artisans are facing challenges to their ancestral way of life.
Half Sick of Shadows is a retelling and metamorphosis of the Arthurian tale of The Lady of Shalott. The book was awarded an IndieBrag medallion in December 2017.
The Far from the Spaceports series is set in a near-future solar system where human-AI partnerships are common.
The Kephrath books take the reader to the ancient near East, at the end of the Bronze Age, when differing groups and factions struggle for survival and vie for dominance.
Richard lives and works in Cumbria, England, as part of a family business. When not writing words or computer code, he enjoys spending time with family, walking, and wildlife, ideally combining all three pursuits in the English Lake District.
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June 23, 2013
I was eager to read this short story after thoroughly enjoying its predecessor, the full length novel "In a Milk and Honeyed Land". The short story was all I could hope for. I only wish it were longer! It was wonderful to spend time with the characters again, to see how their lives had progressed and also how life in the region was continuing to change. These beautiful books are an inspiring examination of a biblical people as well as the human condition and the author's notes are fantastic. I highly recommend Richard Abbott's "The Man in the Cistern".
Displaying 1 of 1 review