Meanwhile, Sisera almost has his "save the cat" moment. Jael is one of my favorite characters. She's gutsy, strong and good with a hammer. I wonder what the real Jael was like.
The hyrax (coney or rock badger) http://www.liv.ac.uk/~sdb/Safari-2011/Images/6318-rock-hyrax.jpg is noted in Proverbs 30:24-28.
There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
In my research, I found out other interesting facts about hyraxes. They "don't do mornings," needing to warm up in the sun before they get active. It's hard to tell males and females apart. They can make good pets. I love their cute faces with the hidden fangs.
EXT. SHEEP FIELD IN NAPHTALI - DAY
Under the acacia tree, Bennoam pets a hyrax.
HOOFBEATS. Bennoam puts down the hyrax.
BENNOAM: Go on, back to your family.
The hyrax stays put, sniffs at him. Bennoam finds the last crumbs of a treat in his satchel. He offers it to the hyrax. Its whiskers tickle his finger.
BENNOAM: There you go, girl.
Dust rises as horses approach. Barak, Deborah and Lapidoth ride in an open and seemingly almost empty wagon.
Bennoam waves and runs to meet them. Lapidoth signals his two horses by flicking the reins gently.
LAPIDOTH: Whoa. Easy now.
The horses slow to a stop. Barak hops out.
BENNOAM: Barak! Wow! Horses!
Barak puts his arm around his brother. He turns to Lapidoth.
BARAK: Lapidoth, this is my brother Bennoam ben Abinoam. Ben, this is Lapidoth and his wife, Judge Deborah.
Bennoam bows.
BENNOAM: Pleased to meet you, Ma’am. Sir. (looks around) Wow, neat horses! Hey, did you lose our donkey, Barak? Can we have horses again?
BARAK: No I didn’t lose her. And yes, we might get horses sooner than you think.
Ben fist-pumps the air.
BENNOAM: Yesss!
BARAK: Ben, we are going into town to meet with the elders. Please help your sisters get lunch for our guests.
BENNOAM: Okay. Are you gonna fight Sisera, Sir? His chariots are iron. You should see his horses. They’re gigantic!
Bennoam gestures grandly and trots like a horse.
BARAK: Ah, Ben?
BENNOAM: Oh. Right. Lunch. Bye.
Bennoam trots off, pantomimes driving a chariot.
INT. MEETING HOUSE - DAY
Barak, Deborah and Lapidoth finish meeting with fifteen LEADERS of Naphtali. They rise, clap each other on the shoulders or shake hands.
Barak takes the hand of a YOUNG MAN his age, fixing his eyes on his. The Young Man’s smiles, but his eyes are grave.
INT. THE SMITHY - DAY
Jael dunks glowing metal into a tub of water. It sizzles and spits. She uses her teeth to pull the glove off her free hand, wipes perspiration from her face.
Jael dunks glowing metal into a tub of water. It sizzles and spits. She uses her teeth to pull the glove off her free hand, wipes perspiration from her face.
She doesn’t look up when the door opens and Sisera enters. She puts the glove back on. She rolls her sleeves up to her shoulders.
With tongs she pulls another blade from the fire. She holds it to the anvil and hammers. Between each stroke, she swings the hammer in a full circle. She never misses her target.
JAEL: The order’s almost ready, Heber. Just two more scythes. See? I told you I can run the smithy until you’re better.
SISERA: You could melt that stuff at twenty paces.
Jael misses her swing. She wheels around.
Jael misses her swing. She wheels around.
JAEL: Sisera! Get out!
SISERA: Jael. I missed you.
Jael turns back to the anvil.
JAEL: I haven’t missed you. (swears) Now this one’s too cold. Go away.
Jael shoves the blade into the fire, yanks another blade from the coals. She hammers with gusto. Sweat gleams on her lean triceps.
SISERA: I can’t change what I did to Heber. But I deeply regret it.
JAEL: Yeah, sure. Big deal.
Sisera reaches into a satchel hanging across his chest.
SISERA: Jael, I know I may not buy your forgiveness or your affection. Even so, I did bring you a gift. I heard that Heber’s arm is infected.
JAEL: Yeah, and he’s got a fever, thanks to you.
SISERA: I brought balm.
JAEL: Balm? From Gilead?
SISERA: Yes. I shall place it here.
Sisera lays a small, ornate box on the work bench.
Jael looks carefully at him. He wears no armor but a decorated tunic.
JAEL: What, no sword? No armor?
SISERA: Jael, it is not like me to so confess, but the violence I did to Heber was not of my own. Jabin himself was behind it.
JAEL: It seems unlikely that the king would take such interest in our business.
SISERA: Nevertheless, he ordered me to convince your husband to break all ties with Israel.
JAEL: (screaming) You didn’t have to break his arm!
SISERA: I followed orders. That is all.
JAEL: Heber is a good man. He rescued me when you abandoned me. Who protected me from my people? It was Heber the Kenite, not you! Heber!
SISERA: No, it was I. How do you think he found a living in this wilderness? It was I who gave him work and dignity.
JAEL: You took his dignity, you never gave it!
SISERA: No, he sold his own dignity. For the price of a chariot and my protection.
JAEL: I hate you!
SISERA: Of course you do.
He kisses her until she almost returns it. She slaps him.
JAEL: Get out.
SISERA: Jael, you loved me once. I would give anything to make you happy again. (beat) I know it’s too late for you and me, but should Heber recover, it would be a kindness to let me know that the balm helped. I do have one more request of you.
JAEL: You change your skin like a lizard, like a snake, and then ask favors?
Sisera draws a larger present from his inside his tunic.
Sisera draws a larger present from his inside his tunic.
SISERA: Please, Jael, accept this too. It is from the East.
He looks at the package a moment, turns it over, places it next to the balm. His hand rests on it.
SISERA: I desperately want to see you open it. But it is your choice.
Jael swallows.
Sisera waits.
JAEL: I will.
He hands the present to her. It is wrapped in coarse papyrus that CRINKLES pleasantly. She folds the paper back.
She removes a small pillow, dyed deep red.
SISERA: It’s called silk. Feel it.
Jael strokes it.
JAEL: It’s like nothing I’ve ever known! It’s soft, but it feels strong. And almost sticky. But it’s smooth!
She holds it to her face.
SISERA: You like it, then? Until you may once again rest your head on Heber’s shoulder, may it bring comfort to you.
JAEL: It whispers. I’m overcome. It’s beautiful.
SISERA: My lady.
Sisera turns crisply and leaves.
Sisera turns crisply and leaves.
Oblivious, Jael rubs her face into the pillow. She inhales its scent.
JAEL: And the fragrance! It’s almost spicy, a trace of, of what? It smells like-
Jael inhales again. She smiles. Her eyes fly open.
JAEL: Like Sisera!
She flings the pillow into the coals.
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