the jacket (the star-rover)-第52章

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law；　and　our　law　is　our　life；　as　you　have　learned　ere　this。　　We　are

jealous　of　our　law；　as　you　would　be　jealous　of　the　air　denied　your

body　by　a　throttling　hand　on　your　throat。　　It　is　Caiaphas　and　Hanan

and　all　they　stand　for；　or　it　is　the　fisherman。　　They　must　destroy

him；　else　he　will　destroy　them。〃



〃Is　it　not　strange；　so　simple　a　man；　a　fisherman？〃　Pilate's　wife

breathed　forth。　　〃What　manner　of　man　can　he　be　to　possess　such

power？　　I　would　that　I　could　see　him。　　I　would　that　with　my　own　eyes

I　could　see　so　remarkable　a　man。〃



Pilate's　brows　corrugated　at　her　words；　and　it　was　clear　that　to　the

burden　on　his　nerves　was　added　the　overwrought　state　of　his　wife's

nerves。



〃If　you　would　see　him；　beat　up　the　dens　of　the　town；〃　Miriam　laughed

spitefully。　　〃You　will　find　him　wine…bibbing　or　in　the　company　of

nameless　women。　　Never　so　strange　a　prophet　came　up　to　Jerusalem。〃



〃And　what　harm　in　that？〃　I　demanded；　driven　against　my　will　to　take

the　part　of　the　fisherman。　　〃Have　I　not　wine…guzzled　a…plenty　and

passed　strange　nights　in　all　the　provinces？　　The　man　is　a　man；　and

his　ways　are　men's　ways；　else　am　I　a　madman；　which　I　here　deny。〃



Miriam　shook　her　head　as　she　spoke。



〃He　is　not　mad。　　Worse；　he　is　dangerous。　　All　Ebionism　is　dangerous。

He　would　destroy　all　things　that　are　fixed。　　He　is　a　revolutionist。

He　would　destroy　what　little　is　left　to　us　of　the　Jewish　state　and

Temple。〃



Here　Pilate　shook　his　head。



〃He　is　not　political。　　I　have　had　report　of　him。　　He　is　a　visionary。

There　is　no　sedition　in　him。　　He　affirms　the　Roman　tax　even。〃



〃Still　you　do　not　understand；〃　Miriam　persisted。　　〃It　is　not　what　he

plans；　it　is　the　effect；　if　his　plans　are　achieved；　that　makes　him　a

revolutionist。　　I　doubt　that　he　foresees　the　effect。　　Yet　is　the　man

a　plague；　and；　like　any　plague；　should　be　stamped　out。〃



〃From　all　that　I　have　heard；　he　is　a　good…hearted；　simple　man　with

no　evil　in　him；〃　I　stated。



And　thereat　I　told　of　the　healing　of　the　ten　lepers　I　had　witnessed

in　Samaria　on　my　way　through　Jericho。



Pilate's　wife　sat　entranced　at　what　I　told。　　Came　to　our　ears

distant　shoutings　and　cries　of　some　street　crowd；　and　we　knew　the

soldiers　were　keeping　the　streets　cleared。



〃And　you　believe　this　wonder；　Lodbrog？〃　Pilate　demanded。　　〃You

believe　that　in　the　flash　of　an　eye　the　festering　sores　departed

from　the　lepers？〃



〃I　saw　them　healed；〃　I　replied。　　〃I　followed　them　to　make　certain。

There　was　no　leprosy　in　them。〃



〃But　did　you　see　them　sore？before　the　healing？〃　Pilate　insisted。



I　shook　my　head。



〃I　was　only　told　so；〃　I　admitted。　　〃When　I　saw　them　afterward；　they

had　all　the　seeming　of　men　who　had　once　been　lepers。　　They　were　in　a

daze。　　There　was　one　who　sat　in　the　sun　and　ever　searched　his　body

and　stared　and　stared　at　the　smooth　flesh　as　if　unable　to　believe

his　eyes。　　He　would　not　speak；　nor　look　at　aught　else　than　his

flesh；　when　I　questioned　him。　　He　was　in　a　maze。　　He　sat　there　in

the　sun　and　stared　and　stated。〃



Pilate　smiled　contemptuously；　and　I　noted　the　quiet　smile　on

Miriam's　face　was　equally　contemptuous。　　And　Pilate's　wife　sat　as　if

a　corpse；　scarce　breathing；　her　eyes　wide　and　unseeing。



Spoke　Ambivius：　　〃Caiaphas　holdshe　told　me　but　yesterdaythat　the

fisherman　claims　that　he　will　bring　God　down　on　earth　and　make　here

a　new　kingdom　over　which　God　will　rule〃



〃Which　would　mean　the　end　of　Roman　rule；〃　I　broke　in。



〃That　is　where　Caiaphas　and　Hanan　plot　to　embroil　Rome；〃　Miriam

explained。　　〃It　is　not　true。　　It　is　a　lie　they　have　made。〃



Pilate　nodded　and　asked：



〃Is　there　not　somewhere　in　your　ancient　books　a　prophecy　that　the

priests　here　twist　into　the　intent　of　this　fisherman's　mind？〃



To　this　she　agreed；　and　gave　him　the　citation。　　I　relate　the

incident　to　evidence　the　depth　of　Pilate's　study　of　this　people　he

strove　so　hard　to　keep　in　order。



〃What　I　have　heard；〃　Miriam　continued；　〃is　that　this　Jesus　preaches

the　end　of　the　world　and　the　beginning　of　God's　kingdom；　not　here；

but　in　heaven。〃



〃I　have　had　report　of　that；〃　Pilate　raid。　　〃It　is　true。　　This　Jesus

holds　the　justness　of　the　Roman　tax。　　He　holds　that　Rome　shall　rule

until　all　rule　passes　away　with　the　passing　of　the　world。　　I　see

more　clearly　the　trick　Hanan　is　playing　me。〃



〃It　is　even　claimed　by　some　of　his　followers；〃　Ambivius　volunteered；

〃that　he　is　God　Himself。〃



〃I　have　no　report　that　he　has　so　said；〃　Pilate　replied。



〃Why　not？〃　his　wife　breathed。　　〃Why　not？　　Gods　have　descended　to

earth　before。〃



〃Look　you；〃　Pilate　said。　　〃I　have　it　by　creditable　report；　that

after　this　Jesus　had　worked　some　wonder　whereby　a　multitude　was　fed

on　several　loaves　and　fishes；　the　foolish　Galileans　were　for　making

him　a　king。　　Against　his　will　they　would　make　him　a　king。　　To　escape

them　he　fled　into　the　mountains。　　No　madness　there。　　He　was　too　wise

to　accept　the　fate　they　would　have　forced　upon　him。〃



〃Yet　that　is　the　very　trick　Hanan　would　force　upon　you；〃　Miriam

reiterated。　　〃They　claim　for　him　that　he　would　be　king　of　the　Jews

an　offence　against　Roman　law；　wherefore　Rome　must　deal　with　him。〃



Pilate　shrugged　his　shoulders。



〃A　king　of　the　beggars；　rather；　or　a　king　of　the　dreamers。　　He　is　no

fool。　　He　is　visionary；　but　not　visionary　of　this　world's　power。

All　luck　go　with　him　in　the　next　world；　for　that　is　beyond　Rome's

jurisdiction。〃



〃He　holds　that　property　is　sinthat　is　what　hits　the　Pharisees；〃

Ambivius　spoke　up。



Pilate　laughed　heartily。



〃This　king　of　the　beggars　and　his　fellow…beggars　still　do　respect

property；　he　explained。　　〃For；　look　you；　not　long　ago　they　had　even

a　treasurer　for　their　wealth。　　Judas　his　name　was；　and　there　were

words　in　that　he　stole　from　their　common　purse　which　he　carried。〃



〃Jesus　did　not　steal？〃　Pilate's　wife　asked。



〃No；〃　Pilate　answered；　〃it　was　Judas；　the　treasurer。〃



〃Who　was　this　John？〃　I　questioned。　　〃He　was　in　trouble　up　Tiberias

way　and　Antipas　executed　him。〃



〃Another　one；〃　Miriam　answered。　　〃He　was　born　near　Hebron。　　He　was

an　enthusiast　and　a　desert…dweller。　　Either　he　or　his　followers

claimed　that　he　was　Elijah　raised　from　the　dead。　　Elijah；　you　see；

was　one　of　our　old　prophets。〃



〃Was　he　seditious？〃　I　asked。



Pilate　grinned　and　shook　his　head；　then　said：



〃He　fell　out　with　Antipas　over　the　matter　of　Herodias。　　John　was　a

moralist。　　It　is　too　long　a　story；　but　he　paid　for　it　with　his　head。

No；　there　was　nothing　political　in　that　affair。〃



〃It　is　also　claimed　by　some　that　Jesus　is　the　Son　of　David；〃　Miriam

said。　　〃But　it　is　absurd。　　Nobody　at　Nazareth　believes　it。　　You　see；

his　whole　family；　including　his　married　sisters；　lives　there　and　is

known　to　all　of　them。　　They　are　a　simple　folk；　mere　common　people。〃



〃I　wish　it　were　as　simple；　the　report　of　all　this　complexity　that　I

must　send　to　Tiberius；〃　Pilate　grumbled。　　〃And　now　this　fisherman　is

come　to　Jerusalem；　the　place　is　packed　with　pilgrims　ripe　for　any

trouble；　and　Hanan　stirs　and　stirs　the　broth。〃



〃And　before　he　is　done　he　will　have　his　way；〃　Miriam　forecast。　　〃He

has　laid　the　task　for　you；　and　you　will　perform　it。〃



〃Which　is？〃　Pilate　queried。



〃The　execution　of　this　fisherman。〃



Pilate　shook　his　head　stubbornly；　but　his　wife　cried　out：



〃No！　　No！　　It　would　be　a　shameful　wrong。　　The　man　has　done　no　evil。

He　has　not　offended　against　Rome。〃



She　looked　beseechingly　to　Pilate；　who　continued　to　shake　his　head。



〃Let　them　do　their　own　beheading；　as　Antipas　did；〃　he　growled。　　〃The

fisherman　counts　for　nothing；　but　I　shall　be　no　catspaw　to　their

schemes。　　If　they　must　destroy　him；　they　must　destroy　him。　　That　is

their　affair。〃



〃But　you　will　not　permit　it；〃　cried　Pilate's　wife。



〃A　pretty　time　would　I　have　explaining　to　Tiberius　if　I　interfered；〃

was　his　reply。



〃No　matter　what　happens；〃　said　Miriam；　〃I　can　see　you　writi