David prophesies the punishment that will fall upon him, stating "the sword shall never depart from your house." When David acknowledges that he has sinned, Nathan advises him that his sin is forgiven and he will not die, but the child will. In fulfillment of Nathan's words, David's son Absalom, fueled by vengeance and lust for power, rebels. Absalom's forces are routed at the battle of the Wood of Ephraim, and he is caught by his long hair in the branches of a tree where, contrary to David's order, he is killed by Joab, the commander of David's army. David laments
Son of the Tree Son of the Tree Son of the Tree is a science fiction novella by Jack Vance. It was first published in "Thrilling Wonder Stories" magazine, June 1951, and in book form as half of an Ace Double in 1964 together with "The Houses of Iszm". The version that appears in the Ace Double is still less than novel length at about 31,000 words, but is essentially the same as the original magazine version. "Son of the Tree" was re-published as a stand-alone volume in 1974 by Mayflower. One of Vance's earliest efforts, and part science fiction, part espionage story, protagonist