the jacket (the star-rover)-第53章

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〃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　writing

explanations；　and　soon；　for　Jesus　is　already　come　up　to　Jerusalem

and　a　number　of　his　fishermen　with　him。〃



Pilate　showed　the　irritation　this　information　caused　him。



〃I　have　no　interest　in　his　movements；〃　he　pronounced。　　〃I　hope　never

to　see　him。〃



〃Trust　Hanan　to　find　him　for　you；〃　Miriam　replied；　〃and　to　bring　him

to　your　gate。〃



Pilate　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　there　the　talk　ended。　　Pilate's

wife；　nervous　and　overwrought；　must　claim　Miriam　to　her　apartments；

so　that　nothing　remained　for　me　but　to　go　to　bed　and　doze　off　to　the

buzz　and　murmur　of　the　city　of　madmen。





Events　moved　rapidly。　　Over　night　the　white　heat　of　the　city　had

scorched　upon　itself。　　By　midday；　when　I　rode　forth　with　half　a

dozen　of　my　men；　the　streets　were　packed；　and　more　reluctant　than

ever　were　the　folk　to　give　way　before　me。　　If　looks　could　kill　I

should　have　been　a　dead　man　that　day。　　Openly　they　spat　at　sight　of

me；　and；　everywhere　arose　snarls　and　cries。



Less　was　I　a　thing　of　wonder；　and　more　was　I　the　thing　hated　in　that

I　wore　the　hated　harness　of　Rome。　　Had　it　been　any　other　city；　I

should　have　given　command　to　my　men　to　lay　the　flats　of　their　swords

on　those　snarling　fanatics。　　But　this　was　Jerusalem；　at　fever　heat；

and　these　were　a　people　unable　in　thought　to　divorce　the　idea　of

State　from　the　idea　of　God。



Hanan　the　Sadducee　had　done　his　work　well。　　No　matter　what　he　and

the　Sanhedrim　believed　of　the　true　inwardness　of　the　situation；　it

was　clear　this　rabble　had　been　well　tutored　to　believe　that　Rome　was

at　the　bottom　of　it。



I　encountered　Miriam　in　the　press。　　She　was　on　foot；　attended　only

by　a　woman。　　It　was　no　time　in　such　turbulence　for　her　to　be　abroad

garbed　as　became　her　station。　　Through　her　sister　she　was　indeed

sister…in…law　to　Antipas　for　whom　few　bore　love。　　So　she　was　dressed

discreetly；　her　face　covered；　so　that　she　might　pass　as　any　Jewish

woman　of　the　lower　orders。　　But　not　to　my　eye　could　she　hide　that

fine　stature　of　her；　that　carriage　and　walk；　so　different　from　other

women's；　of　which　I　had　already　dreamed　more　than　once。



Few　and　quick　were　the　words　we　were　able　to　exchange；　for　the　way

jammed　on　the　moment；　and　soon　my　men　and　horses　were　being　pressed

and　jostled。　　Miriam　was　sheltered　in　an　angle　of　house…wall。



〃Have　they　got　the　fisherman　yet？〃　I　asked。



〃No；　but　he　is　just　outside　the　wall。　　He　has　ridden　up　to　Jerusalem

on　an　ass；　with　a　multitude　before　and　behind；　and　some；　poor　dupes；

have　hailed　him　as　he　passed　as　King　of　Israel。　　That　finally　is　the

pretext　with　which　Hanan　will　compel　Pilate。　　Truly；　though　not　yet

taken；　the　sentence　is　already　written。　　This　fisherman　is　a　dead

man。〃



〃But　Pilate　will　not　arrest　him；〃　I　defended。　　Miriam　shook　her

head。



〃Hanan　will　attend　to　that。　　They　will　bring　him　before　the

Sanhedrim。　　The　sentence　will　be　death。　　They　may　stone　him。〃



〃But　the　Sanhedrim　has　not　the　right　to　execute；〃　I　contended。



〃Jesus　is　not　a　Roman；〃　she　replied。　　〃He　is　a　Jew。　　By　the　law　of

the　Talmud　he　is　guilty　of　death；　for　he　has　blasphemed　against　the

law。〃



Still　I　shook　my　head。



〃The　Sanhedrim　has　not　the　right。〃



〃Pilate　is　willing　that　it　should　take　that　right。〃



〃But　it　is　a　fine　question　of　legality；〃　I　insisted。　　〃You　know　what

the　Romans　are　in　such　matters。〃



〃Then　will　Hanan　avoid　the　question；〃　she　smiled；　〃by　compelling

Pilate　to　crucify　him。　　In　either　event　it　will　be　well。〃



A　surging　of　the　mob　was　sweeping　our　horses　along　and　grinding　our

knees　together。　　Some　fanatic　had　fallen；　and　I　could　feel　my　horse

recoil　and　half　rear　as　it　tramped　on　him；　and　I　could　hear　the　man

screaming　and　the　snarling　menace　from　all　about　rising　to　a　roar。

But　my　head　was　over　my　shoulder　as　I　called　back　to　Miriam：



〃You　are　hard　on　a　man　you　have　said　yourself　is　without　evil。〃



〃I　am　hard　upon　the　evil　that　will　come　of　him　if　he　lives；〃　she

replied。



Scarcely　did　I　catch　her　words；　for　a　man　sprang　in；　seizing　my

bridle…rein　and　leg　and　struggling　to　unhorse　me。　　With　my　open

palm；　leaning　forward；　I　smote　him　full　upon　cheek　and　jaw。　　My　hand

covered　the　face　of　him；　and　a　hearty　will　of　weight　was　in　the

blow。　　The　dwellers　in　Jerusalem　are　not　used　to　man's　buffets。　　I

have　often　wondered　since　if　I　broke　the　fellow's　neck。





Next　I　saw　Miriam　was　the　following　day。　　I　met　her　in　the　court　of

Pilate's　palace。　　She　seemed　in　a　dream。　　Scarce　her　eyes　saw　me。

Scarce　her　wits　embraced　my　identity。　　So　strange　was　she；　so　in

daze　and　amaze　and　far…seeing　were　her　eyes；　that　I　was　reminded　of

the　lepers　I　had　seen　healed　in　Samaria。



She　became　herself　by　an　effort；　but　only　her　outward　self。　　In　her

eyes　was　a　message　unreadable。　　Never　before　had　I　seen　woman's　eyes

so。



She　would　have　passed　me　ungreeted　had　I　not　confronted　her　way。

She　paused　and　murmured　words　mechanically；　but　all　the　while　her

eyes　dreamed　through　me　and　beyond　me　with　the　largeness　of　the

vision　that　filled　them。



〃I　have　seen　Him；　Lodbrog；〃　she　whispered。　　〃I　have　seen　Him。〃



〃The　gods　grant　that　he　is　not　so　ill…affected　by　the　sight　of　you；

whoever　he　may　be；〃　I　laughed。



She　took　no　notice　of　my　poor…timed　jest；　and　her　eyes　remained　full

with　vision；　and　she　would　have　passed　on　had　I　not　again　blocked

her　way。



〃Who　is　this　he？〃　I　demanded。　　〃Some　man　raised　from　the　dead　to　put

such　strange　light　in　your　eyes？〃



〃One　who　has　raised　others　from　the　dead；〃　she　replied。　　〃Truly　I

believe　that　He；　this　Jesus；　has　raised　the　dead。　　He　is　the　Prince

of　Light；　the　Son　of　God。　　I　have　seen　Him。　　Truly　I　believe　that　He

is　the　Son　of　God。〃



Little　could　I　glean　from　her　words；　save　that　she　had　met　this

wandering　fisherman　and　been　swept　away　by　his　folly。　　For　surely

this　Miriam　was　not　the　Miriam　who　had　branded　him　a　plague　and

demanded　that　he　be　stamped　out　as　any　plague。



〃He　has　charmed　you；〃　I　cried　angrily。



Her　eyes　seemed　to　moisten　and　grow　deeper　as　she　gave　confirmation。



〃Oh；　Lodbrog；　His　is　charm　beyond　all　thinking；　beyond　all

describing。　　But　to　look　upon　Him　is　to　know　that　here　is　the　all…

soul　of　goodness　and　of　compassion。　　I　have　seen　Him。　　I　have　heard

Him。　　I　shall　give　all　I　have　to　the　poor；　and　I　shall　follow　Him。〃



Such　was　her　certitude　that　I　accepted　it　fully；　as　I　had　accepted

the　amazement　of　the　lepers　of　Samaria　staring　at　their　smooth

flesh；　and　I　was　bitter　that　so　great　a　woman　should　be　so　easily

wit…addled　by　a　vagrant　wonder…worker。



〃Follow　him；〃　I　sneered。　　〃Doubtless　you　will　wear　a　crown　when　he

wins　to　his　kingdom。〃



She　nodded　affirmation；　and　I　could　have　struck　her　in　the　face　for

her　folly。　　I　drew　aside；　and　as　she　moved　slowly　on　she　murmured：



〃His　kingdom　is　not　here。　　He　is　the　Son　of　David。　　He　is　the　Son　of

God。　　He　is　whatever　He　has　said；　or　whatever　has　been　said　of　Him

that　is　good　and　great。〃





〃A　wise　man　of　the　East；〃　I　found　Pilate　chuckling。　　〃He　is　a

thinker；　this　unlettered　fisherman。　　I　have　sought　more　deeply　into

him。　　I　have　fresh　report。　　He　has　no　need　of　wonder…workings。　　He

out…sophisticates　the　most　sophistical　of　them。　　They　have　laid

traps；　and　He　has　laughed　at　their　traps。　　Look　you。　　Listen　to

this。〃



Whereupon　he　told　me　how　Jesus　had　confounded　his　confounders　when

they　brought　to　him　for　judgment　a　woman　taken　in　adultery。



〃And　the　tax；〃　Pilate　exulted　on。　　〃'To　Caesar　what　is　Caesar's；　to

God　what　is　God's；'　was　his　answer　to　them。　　That　was　Hanan's　trick；

and　Hanan　is　confounded。　　At　last　has　there　appeared　one　Jew　who

understands　our　Roman　conception　of　the　State。〃





Next　I　saw　Pilate's　wife。　　Looking　into　her　eyes　I　knew；　on　the

i