the jacket (the star-rover)-第50章

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fact　that　the　Jews　were　ever　intriguing　to　make　him；　and　through　him

Rome；　the　catspaw　in　the　matter　of　their　religious　dissensions。　　As

was　well　known　to　me；　Rome　did　not　interfere　with　the　religious

notions　of　its　conquered　peoples；　but　the　Jews　were　for　ever

confusing　the　issues　and　giving　a　political　cast　to　purely

unpolitical　events。



Pilate　waxed　eloquent　over　the　diverse　sects　and　the　fanatic

uprisings　and　riotings　that　were　continually　occurring



〃Lodbrog；〃　he　said；　〃one　can　never　tell　what　little　summer　cloud　of

their　hatching　may　turn　into　a　thunder…storm　roaring　and　rattling

about　one's　ears。　　I　am　here　to　keep　order　and　quiet。　　Despite　me

they　make　the　place　a　hornets'　nest。　　Far　rather　would　I　govern

Scythians　or　savage　Britons　than　these　people　who　are　never　at　peace

about　God。　　Right　now　there　is　a　man　up　to　the　north；　a　fisherman

turned　preacher；　and　miracle…worker；　who　as　well　as　not　may　soon

have　all　the　country　by　the　ears　and　my　recall　on　its　way　from

Rome。〃



This　was　the　first　I　had　heard　of　the　man　called　Jesus；　and　I　little

remarked　it　at　the　time。　　Not　until　afterward　did　I　remember　him；

when　the　little　summer　cloud　had　become　a　full…fledged　thunderstorm。



〃I　have　had　report　of　him；〃　Pilate　went　on。　　〃He　is　not　political。

There　is　no　doubt　of　that。　　But　trust　Caiaphas；　and　Hanan　behind

Caiaphas；　to　make　of　this　fisherman　a　political　thorn　with　which　to

prick　Rome　and　ruin　me。〃



〃This　Caiaphas；　I　have　heard　of　him　as　high　priest；　then　who　is　this

Hanan？〃　I　asked。



〃The　real　high　priest；　a　cunning　fox；〃　Pilate　explained。　　〃Caiaphas

was　appointed　by　Gratus；　but　Caiaphas　is　the　shadow　and　the

mouthpiece　of　Hanan。〃



〃They　have　never　forgiven　you　that　little　matter　of　the　votive

shields；〃　Miriam　teased。



Whereupon；　as　a　man　will　when　his　sore　place　is　touched；　Pilate

launched　upon　the　episode；　which　had　been　an　episode；　no　more；　at

the　beginning；　but　which　had　nearly　destroyed　him。　　In　all　innocence

before　his　palace　he　had　affixed　two　shields　with　votive

inscriptions。　　Ere　the　consequent　storm　that　burst　on　his　head　had

passed　the　Jews　had　written　their　complaints　to　Tiberius；　who

approved　them　and　reprimanded　Pilate。　　I　was　glad；　a　little　later；

when　I　could　have　talk　with　Miriam。　　Pilate's　wife　had　found

opportunity　to　tell　me　about　her。　　She　was　of　old　royal　stock。　　Her

sister　was　wife　of　Philip；　tetrarch　of　Gaulonitis　and　Batanaea。　　Now

this　Philip　was　brother　to　Antipas；　tetrarch　of　Galilee　and　Peraea；

and　both　were　sons　of　Herod；　called　by　the　Jews　the　〃Great。〃

Miriam；　as　I　understood；　was　at　home　in　the　courts　of　both

tetrarchs；　being　herself　of　the　blood。　　Also；　when　a　girl；　she　had

been　betrothed　to　Archelaus　at　the　time　he　was　ethnarch　of

Jerusalem。　　She　had　a　goodly　fortune　in　her　own　right；　so　that

marriage　had　not　been　compulsory。　　To　boot；　she　had　a　will　of　her

own；　and　was　doubtless　hard　to　please　in　so　important　a　matter　as

husbands。



It　must　have　been　in　the　very　air　we　breathed；　for　in　no　time　Miriam

and　I　were　at　it　on　the　subject　of　religion。　　Truly；　the　Jews　of

that　day　battened　on　religion　as　did　we　on　fighting　and　feasting。

For　all　my　stay　in　that　country　there　was　never　a　moment　when　my

wits　were　not　buzzing　with　the　endless　discussions　of　life　and

death；　law；　and　God。　　Now　Pilate　believed　neither　in　gods；　nor

devils；　nor　anything。　　Death；　to　him；　was　the　blackness　of　unbroken

sleep；　and　yet；　during　his　years　in　Jerusalem；　he　was　ever　vexed

with　the　inescapable　fuss　and　fury　of　things　religious。　　Why；　I　had

a　horse…boy　on　my　trip　into　Idumaea；　a　wretched　creature　that　could

never　learn　to　saddle　and　who　yet　could　talk；　and　most　learnedly；

without　breath；　from　nightfall　to　sunrise；　on　the　hair…splitting

differences　in　the　teachings　of　all　the　rabbis　from　Shemaiah　to

Gamaliel。



But　to　return　to　Miriam。



〃You　believe　you　are　immortal；〃　she　was　soon　challenging　me。　　〃Then

why　do　you　fear　to　talk　about　it？〃



〃Why　burden　my　mind　with　thoughts　about　certainties？〃　I　countered。



〃But　are　you　certain？〃　she　insisted。　　〃Tell　me　about　it。　　What　is　it

likeyour　immortality？〃



And　when　I　had　told　her　of　Niflheim　and　Muspell；　of　the　birth　of　the

giant　Ymir　from　the　snowflakes；　of　the　cow　Andhumbla；　and　of　Fenrir

and　Loki　and　the　frozen　Jotunsas　I　say；　when　I　had　told　her　of　all

this；　and　of　Thor　and　Odin　and　our　own　Valhalla；　she　clapped　her

hands　and　cried　out；　with　sparkling　eyes：



〃Oh；　you　barbarian！　　You　great　child！　　You　yellow　giant…thing　of　the

frost！　　You　believer　of　old　nurse　tales　and　stomach　satisfactions！

But　the　spirit　of　you；　that　which　cannot　die；　where　will　it　go　when

your　body　is　dead？〃



〃As　I　have　said；　Valhalla；〃　I　answered。　　〃And　my　body　shall　be

there；　too。〃



〃Eating？drinking？fighting？〃



〃And　loving；〃　I　added。　　〃We　must　have　our　women　in　heaven；　else　what

is　heaven　for？〃



〃I　do　not　like　your　heaven；〃　she　said。　　〃It　is　a　mad　place；　a　beast

place；　a　place　of　frost　and　storm　and　fury。〃



〃And　your　heaven？〃　I　questioned。



〃Is　always　unending　summer；　with　the　year　at　the　ripe　for　the　fruits

and　flowers　and　growing　things。〃



I　shook　my　head　and　growled：



〃I　do　not　like　your　heaven。　　It　is　a　sad　place；　a　soft　place；　a

place　for　weaklings　and　eunuchs　and　fat；　sobbing　shadows　of　men。〃



My　remarks　must　have　glamoured　her　mind；　for　her　eyes　continued　to

sparkle；　and　mine　was　half　a　guess　that　she　was　leading　me　on。



〃My　heaven；〃　she　said；　〃is　the　abode　of　the　blest。〃



〃Valhalla　is　the　abode　of　the　blest；〃　I　asserted。　　〃For　look　you；

who　cares　for　flowers　where　flowers　always　are？　in　my　country；　after

the　iron　winter　breaks　and　the　sun　drives　away　the　long　night；　the

first　blossoms　twinkling　on　the　melting　ice…edge　are　things　of　joy；

and　we　look；　and　look　again。



〃And　fire！〃　I　cried　out。　　〃Great　glorious　fire！　　A　fine　heaven　yours

where　a　man　cannot　properly　esteem　a　roaring　fire　under　a　tight　roof

with　wind　and　snow　a…drive　outside。〃



〃A　simple　folk；　you；〃　she　was　back　at　me。　　〃You　build　a　roof　and　a

fire　in　a　snowbank　and　call　it　heaven。　　In　my　heaven　we　do　not　have

to　escape　the　wind　and　snow。〃



〃No；〃　I　objected。　　〃We　build　roof　and　fire　to　go　forth　from　into　the

frost　and　storm　and　to　return　to　from　the　frost　and　storm。　　Man's

life　is　fashioned　for　battle　with　frost　and　storm。　　His　very　fire

and　roof　he　makes　by　his　battling。　　I　know。　　For　three　years；　once；

I　knew　never　roof　nor　fire。　　I　was　sixteen；　and　a　man；　ere　ever　I

wore　woven　cloth　on　my　body。　　I　was　birthed　in　storm；　after　battle；

and　my　swaddling　cloth　was　a　wolfskin。　　Look　at　me　and　see　what

manner　of　man　lives　in　Valhalla。〃



And　look　she　did；　all　a…glamour；　and　cried　out：



〃You　great；　yellow　giant…thing　of　a　man！〃　　Then　she　added　pensively；

〃Almost　it　saddens　me　that　there　may　not　be　such　men　in　my　heaven。〃



〃It　is　a　good　world；〃　I　consoled　her。　　〃Good　is　the　plan　and　wide。

There　is　room　for　many　heavens。　　It　would　seem　that　to　each　is　given

the　heaven　that　is　his　heart's　desire。　　A　good　country；　truly；　there

beyond　the　grave。　　I　doubt　not　I　shall　leave　our　feast　halls　and

raid　your　coasts　of　sun　and　flowers；　and　steal　you　away。　　My　mother

was　so　stolen。〃



And　in　the　pause　I　looked　at　her；　and　she　looked　at　me；　and　dared　to

look。　　And　my　blood　ran　fire。　　By　Odin；　this　was　a　woman！



What　might　have　happened　I　know　not；　for　Pilate；　who　had　ceased　from

his　talk　with　Ambivius　and　for　some　time　had　sat　grinning；　broke　the

pause。



〃A　rabbi；　a　Teutoberg　rabbi！〃　he　gibed。　　〃A　new　preacher　and　a　new

doctrine　come　to　Jerusalem。　　Now　will　there　be　more　dissensions；　and

riotings；　and　stonings　of　prophets。　　The　gods　save　us；　it　is　a　mad…

house。　　Lodbrog；　I　little　thought　it　of　you。　　Yet　here　you　are；

spouting　and　fuming　as　wildly　as　any　madman　from　the　desert　about

what　shall　happen　to　you　when　you　are　dead。　　One　life　at　a　time；

Lodbrog。　　It　saves　t