The Steward – Part 3

“…a tornado inside…”

Solomon sat alone in his inner sanctum, head in hands, brooding. He was thinking about what he had just been told: Jedediah – Jed - the king’s only son - was coming back!

Soon Jed would be going around the kingdom telling all and sundry that their lives, their history – everything – was based on a stack of lies. What could Solomon do to prevent this calamity? He must find a solution.

And so he brooded.

You can listen to the article by playing this video. It is also available on my YouTube channel.

Jed was on the high seas sailing westward to the home he had not laid eyes on since childhood. After leaving his father, Jed made his way to the port from which a ship would take him to the kingdom. Shortly before he embarked on his sea voyage, Jed sent word to Solomon that he was on en route, but the two had not yet spoken. That would come when Jed was ashore and ready to begin his mission.

And so it was. As his ship entered the harbour, Jed stood on the deck scanning the quayside. He expected to see a contingent of Solomon’s officials waiting to greet him. But no. There was no formal reception party that he could spot. However there was an odd-looking individual pacing up and down on the pier where the ship would be docking shortly. As the ship drew in, Jed thought he knew who the man was. Surely not? Could it be? Yes, it was! Solomon was waiting for him - all alone! No guard, no entourage. Just Solomon on his own, apparently unrecognised by anyone else.

As soon as Jed was on dry land, Solomon rushed towards him and the two old friends embraced warmly. Jed spoke first. “It’s great to see you again Sol! By the way, does anyone else call you that – ‘Sol’ I mean?” Solomon smiled ruefully. “No, you’re still the only one! Listen, let’s go somewhere quiet where we can talk properly.”

Later, in a nearby tavern, Solomon and Jed found a secluded corner where no one could overhear them. Solomon knew what he wanted to say.

“When I heard you were coming I was angry at first, but now I’m kind of glad. You see I’ve realised something. I can’t do this on my own – I mean, keep the kingdom going. My ideas are fine. The problem is the clowns I rely on to put them into operation. They can never get it right! I know what the people actually want, better than they know themselves. If only I could do it all myself - without anyone else - everything would be wonderful!

“It’s not that I regret what happened. It had to be. It’s just not working out the way I thought it would. But now you’re here and that changes everything.

“Jed, I want you to join me in ruling this kingdom. With you by my side all difficulties, all problems, will vanish. The people like you, or will when they get to know you. You are your father’s son – a link to the past. Together, you and I would be an unbeatable combination. It will be like the old days – two brothers ready to take on all-comers. No one could get the better of us when we worked together.

“What do you think?”

Jed had been considering what he would say to Solomon when the two finally met face-to-face. He felt sad when he began to speak, but he knew what he had to say.

“You remember Siegfried, Noah, Jacob, and Urielle, don’t you? We used to call them the ‘four titans’. They would not join your ‘putsch’, and I am glad that they, at least, stayed with us. Since our family left the kingdom they have been my teachers. When I think of the many hours I spent with each of them… I must have picked up something - I don’t know. I can only hope that a little of what they tried to teach me has rubbed off.

“But none of their lessons has meant as much to me as what you taught me. Yes, you Sol! You taught me – no, you showed me – what loyalty really means. When everyone turned against me, you alone stuck by me. I know I wasn’t grateful to you at the time. But since then I have often thought about your courage and your loyalty.

“That makes it all the harder to understand how you, of all people, could turn against my father the way you did. Why did you do it Sol?”

Solomon listened in silence to Jed’s words. He knew that question would come up: “Why did you do it Sol?”

“I looked around the kingdom and saw so much wasted potential. Everything was going to seed. There was no get-up-and-go, no fight, no desire to improve. The people were ‘happy’ - but I wanted more, not just for myself, but for everyone!

“I loved the old king. He was like a father to me. We would play chess together, go for walks in the countryside, and have endless chats by the fire in the evening. But inside I could feel a tornado building up. It was trying to break out from under my skin.

“My talents were going to waste. I had to take over. If I didn’t let the tornado out I felt I would have exploded. Then it came to me that everyone must have a tornado inside too, and that only I could liberate them. That ‘everyone’ includes you Jed. Can’t you feel it right now, trying to burst through your chest? Let me help you release it and then we can rule together.”

Jed looked intently at his old friend. Sol was inviting him to betray his own father, the king! How could he respond, other than by stating unequivocally: “No, never!”? That would leave no doubt in Sol’s mind that Jed could see through his false promises, his lies about sharing power - with anyone, let alone the king’s son.

But Jed was thinking about the other part of his mission, the one he and the king had barely discussed. Jed had travelled far, not only to bring about his father’s return from exile, but to help Sol - no - to rescue him, from the hole he had dug for himself.

Jed spoke.

“Yes, I had a tornado in my soul too. I worried that if it broke free it would eat up every bit of me! You mentioned all the time you spent with the king. But I did too.

“When I was younger I spoke to my father about that force inside me. Should I listen to it? Should I obey it? Because if I did, who knows where it might take me? Do you know what he said?

“‘Let it out. Express it. It is part of you. Maybe it will bring you to good. Or it might lead you to ruin. But you’ll never know if you try to repress it. You must unleash it.’

“And so I did. You know what happened because you saw the result. I boasted and showed off my own brilliance so much that everyone turned against me, everyone except you. At my lowest ebb your steadfastness was like a light shining in the darkness, although I did not realise it at the time. Then I went away and reflected on everything, on the sort of person I was, the sort of person I could be, and should be.

“You did that! You were my light Sol. Without you it might have been me who rebelled against the king. It took a while, but your loyalty brought me to my senses. That is the real Solomon. I want to see him again.

“My mission is to bring my father back to his kingdom and I will do everything I can to achieve that. But I am also here for you Sol. Before I finish I want to see you at his side.

“That is why I say ‘no’ to your proposition. I will do what I came here to do.

“Now I must go and begin my work.”

More in Part 4.