Jericho (standard:fantasy, 880 words)
Author: Phred	Added: Dec 16 2007	Views/Reads: 3283/2114	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A graduate student finds some broken clay

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Findings: The garrison at Jericho has been slaughtered to a man. 
According to papyri found in the Commander's Office, the enemy 
approached and began to march clockwise around the city (a good move.  
Had they stayed in one place, their numbers would have been immediately 
apparent).  On the seventh day, they attacked and the walls collapsed, 
rendering further defense useless. 

Observations: I am a former Engineering Officer.  I can tell you that
the walls of his fortifications were in such a state of disrepair that 
I do not think they had been attended to for at least forty years.  
Daoud should have never been given the responsibility of commanding 
this garrison if he could not see the importance of defensive 
fortifications. 

We worship various animals, partly they have the ability to foretell
events such as earthquakes.  The Jericho region is terribly prone to 
earthquakes, so I believe the Habiru marched around the city each day 
until their livestock showed them that an earthquake would come within 
twenty-four hours.  Then, during the confusion of the aftershocks, they 
attacked. 

As the southern flank of the Egyptian Empire is no longer defensible, I
strongly urge withdrawal northward. 

MEHMET 

Linda was able to make intelligent guesses about what had happened.  The
“Habiru” had sent in spies to determine strengths and weaknesses.  
Based upon the reports of these spies, Joshua, their commander, had 
sent in a smashed clay artefact representing the fortress (Linda had 
seen plans of the area; there were indeed breastworks).  Then he had 
ordered his army to be constantly moving, constantly noisy, to 
camouflage their weaknesses.  When the animals Joshua had brought (to 
feed his army) signaled an earthquake was imminent, he had ordered the 
assault. 

Since a soldier of that era was paid by being allowed to keep anything
he could steal, Linda doubted that the “Habiru” truly slaughtered 
everything and everyone.  Cattle and sheep and goats would make a 
wonderful addition to the flocks and herds of the “Habiru.” 

She remembered from one of her classes that people could trace out the
four invasion routes that Genghis Khan used to invade Hungary by 
looking for certain genetic markers (rape was both an effective method 
of relieving the soldier of various urges and keeping the population 
cowed) and wondered if someone with better equipment and training could 
trace the “Habiru's” various wanderings. Would it have been possible 
for some women, for example, to have survived Jericho's sack? 

Linda gathered up the clay shards, put them back into the box, and left
to have dinner with Andrew.  Without provenience, the shards were 
useless. 


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