Then I loved Delilah, a tender slip of a girl, fresh and young in body but a vixen in deceit!

She quickly rose from lowly bar-maid to queen. She clothed herself in her lies and deceptions. It was miraculous to watch as she could appear to be different people at different times. Like a giant spider, weaving falsehoods together to form huge webs for her own benefits, when her web started to unravel, her life was in jeopardy.

She had sold everything of value to flee except one of the blood rubies which was beyond price, so, she disquised herfelf as best as she could with bed sheets and a crown of woven twigs and paper stars. She left at dusk, hoping that the coming darkness would hide her poor disquise and rushed to the sea hoping to steal a fisherman's boat. Unfortunately, she was never heard from again.

Watercolor and gold on paper. Copyright 2010 Kelley Vandiver