Athene's Prophecy (Gaius Claudius Scaevola Trilogy) (45 page)

"How dare you quote that heretic!" someone yelled.

"Then look at it from my Roman perspective," Gaius said harshly. "I order you not to throw stones. To disobey that order is insurrection, and on this very spot I shall crucify anyone who so disobeys."

"You wouldn't dare!" someone said, although not with any special conviction.

"My next order is to disperse!" Gaius laughed a bitterly cold laugh. "Stick around and see if I dare. And do not worry that I might run out of nails. The legion is well-stocked."

The crowd stared almost belligerently, but then a few at the edges decided discretion was desirable. Before long, only a very few remained and seeing how alone they were, they turned and ran.

The preacher stared at Gaius. No thanks here, Gaius noted to himself. He asked their names, then ordered the preacher be taken to the other side of the square.

"Rebecca," Gaius nodded at the girl, "You stay!" He turned back to the preacher. "I won't hurt her, and my physician will tend to her wounds."

"Please don't worry," Gaius assured her, after the blood was cleaned from her head. "I just want to ask you some questions."

"About what?" came the cautious reply.

"From what I gather, you are what I believe is called a Christian?"

"My uncle and I follow the ways of The Master," came the simple reply.

"Why?"

"Because The Master was the truth and the light."

"Despite the obvious physical danger and, if you don't mind my saying so, the apparent lack of money?"

"Money isn't everything," Rebecca replied.

"It buys you food and clothes," Gaius smiled, "both of which you seem to need."

"The Lord provides."

"Not lavishly."

"Sufficiently."

"Perhaps," Gaius remarked. "Tell me, in your uncle's absence, why are you so convinced in your Messiah?"

"Because he is the truth."

"Yes, but forgive me," Gaius persisted, "there have been several hundred other would-be Messiahs making similar claims. Why do you believe that yours is different from the others?"

"He died to save us from our sins."

"The official version," Gaius pointed out, "is that he died for sedition."

"If you say so."

Gaius stared at her for a moment, then laughed. "It's not what I say, it's what's recorded."

"If it's seditious to tell the truth, to preach peace and forgiveness."

"Answer this truthfully," Gaius said with a quiet smile. "I am just trying to understand."

"You wish to follow the ways of The Master?" came the fascinated response.

"Not in the way you are thinking," Gaius smiled. "You Christians presumably hate us Romans."

"Why?"

"For executing Jesus."

"We could not hate you for that."

"Why not?" Gaius paused, then added, "That is what I don't understand."

"That was ordained," Rebecca replied simply. "The Master forgave his executioners, and if The Master could forgive, I could not do less." She smiled at Gaius' expression, then added, "Since he was the Son of God, he could have prevented that any time he wished."

"Then what was the point?"

"You asked, how was he different from other Messiahs? Well, that is one way."

"Others have died," Gaius remarked, "and others could have claimed they could have avoided it but chose not to. That is hardly proof of divinity."

"And the others did not rise from the dead," Rebecca said.

"You saw that?"

"My Uncle has spoken to James, the Messiah's brother. It happened."

"I see," Gaius said uncertainly. He most certainly did not see.

"No you don't," Rebecca challenged.

"You're so sure?" he asked quizzically. He could hardly deny it, but he was surprised at her certainty.

"I'm sure," she replied with the quiet simplicity of one who knows.

"Because I'm a Roman?"

"Thomas did not see at first," Rebecca said enigmatically, "yet he was there and saw with his own eyes. You have not seen with your own eyes, hence you see not."

"Perhaps I'm simply not suitable," Gaius smiled.

"Everybody is suitable for The Master's house."

"I'm a Roman," Gaius smiled.

"You're a person."

"I'm a soldier," Gaius added. "Your Master was a pacifist."

"The Master was a great teacher, but it is not what you do that matters. It is what your soul does."

"Meaning?"

"Being a soldier is not evil."

"Soldiers kill," Gaius pointed out.

"Today, you saved our lives," Rebecca said.

"So saving the life of a Christian is a compensating good?"

"No!" Rebecca almost shouted. "It is that you saved the life of someone weak," she added, then waved a reassuring hand towards her Uncle, who had started to get up on hearing the shout. She looked at Gaius, then added, "You should save your soul and follow the ways of the Master."

"I don't think so," Gaius said, and smiled as he stood up. "I want you to promise me something."

"I promise."

"You don't even know what it is?"

"The Lord has brought you to me."

"I'm not so sure about that," Gaius shrugged. He reached beneath his cloak and withdrew a small pouch of coins. "I want you to keep these, and buy yourself good food."

"As I said, the Lord has provided," Rebecca smiled.

"I think it was merely me," Gaius pointed out.

"But the Lord has touched your heart, and if you follow the ways of the Master, you will be rewarded."

"No," Gaius smiled. "I know there will be no reward. I simply want you to eat better."

"If you know there will be no reward, then like it or not, you are following the ways of the Master. May I leave now?"

"Of course," Gaius said, "and good luck to you."

"And may you walk in the path of light." She got up, and walked away.

Gaius stared at her as she walked away. Whatever else, she was a believer. She was following a very harsh path, yet she was far more content inwardly than he could ever be.

Chapter 40

A few days later, Gaius was drawn towards yet another religious gathering. Another Christian preacher. Gaius listened for some time, then turned to leave. There, under a tree, were several quite undernourished children, with quite deplorably shabby clothes. He found himself reaching for his pouch, counting the children, and he gave them two denarii each, until he reached the last, who had to receive the equivalent in sesterces. They thanked him profusely, and immediately ran off.

"You have come to learn our ways?"

Gaius looked to his left, to see Rebecca. "I was curious," Gaius admitted.

"That was James," Rebecca said, indicating where the preacher had been. "If you wish, I can take you to him."

"I don't think that's necessary," Gaius replied.

"That's true," she smiled, "but sometimes we do things because we want to, not because they're necessary."

"I wouldn't wish to waste his time," Gaius countered.

"The Master never considered any soul a waste of time."

"Possibly not," Gaius replied, "but you really don't want the likes of me."

"Whyever not?"

"Because I think your religion will last," Gaius said, "and I think that because it alone provides hope for the poor. There will always be poor, so there will always be need for you, as long as you don't succumb to the rich."

"The Master was quite happy to receive the rich."

"Perhaps," Gaius replied, "but if you really believe he was the Messiah, you cannot risk it."

"I don't understand?" she said in a puzzled tone.

"Accept the rich, take their money for the salvation of their souls, build temples, and you know what?"

"What?"

"Go to the main temple in Jerusalem, and look at your fate."

"The Master had no time for those . . ." she struggled for words, then said, "merchants."

"Christians don't like merchants?" Gaius frowned.

"You can be a priest," Rebecca said flatly, "or you can be a merchant, but you can't be both."

"A point," Gaius smiled.

"So you wish to meet James and have your questions answered."

"I'm afraid I'm not one of you," Gaius shrugged. "I was just curious."

"And what did you learn?"

"The verdict?" Gaius looked at her, then he laughed as he said, "My report will say you are harmless to Rome."

"Is that all you see in us?" she protested. "Harmless?"

"Yes, I see a little more," he replied, "but that is all I would put in an official report."

"Then come with me and . . ."

"No," Gaius shook his head. "I am not one of you, and there is no point in pretending."

"You have begun to follow our ways."

"Hardly!" Gaius laughed.

"What you gave to the children. The Lord will reward you."

"I don't want your Lord's reward," Gaius replied. "I just felt sorry for those children."

"That you did that without wanting the Lord's reward is why you will get it," Rebecca said. "The Lord touched your heart with the children."

"I see," Gaius said slowly, then, recalling the prophecy, he continued, "You believe that if you pray hard to your Lord, you will be answered."

"That depends on what you want," Rebecca said simply.

"Pray to touch somebody's heart, to do good?"

"Of course," Rebecca said. "The Lord will listen."

"Then go to James, and persuade him to pray. Pray that your Lord will touch the
Princeps
' heart."

"For what purpose?" Rebecca frowned.

"The
Princeps
has ordered a statue of himself to be erected in the Temple in Jerusalem. The priests will die before they permit it. I have sent a delegation to the
Princeps
to persuade him to change his mind and abandon this statue. You can pray that he does."

"And you think that is a suitable prayer?"

"It will save a lot of pointless death," Gaius explained. "No Christian benefits, no harm is done, and it benefits those who are harassing Christians."

"Then it is truly a good prayer," Rebecca replied. "We shall pray, and the Lord will listen."

"I hope so," Gaius muttered.

"And at some later time, you shall get the sign you seek," Rebecca said enigmatically, and turned to leave.

Gaius simply stared after her and with a smile he shook his head in puzzlement.

Chapter 41

Eventually messages from Rome arrived. One had the
Princeps
' seal. With a feeling of dread, Gaius opened it. The message was simple: if they do not want the statue, remove it.

Gaius felt a terrible weight removed from his shoulders. He almost ran from his tent and without arranging for any of the usual detachment of guards he mounted his horse and rode quickly towards Jerusalem.

When he gave the news to Jonathon, the outcome deflated him; the priest merely grunted, and turned away. That the deaths of thousands had been averted seemed barely worth another thought!

Accordingly it was an annoyed Gaius who returned to his camp. There was a large message from Rome, this one bearing Claudius' seal. Gaius opened it. According to Claudius, Little Boots was behaving even more erratically than usual. The Temple issue had been resolved, but possibly more through sheer luck than anything else. Philo and his party had arrived, but so had a deputation from Alexandria who were there to argue against the Jews. Then came his letter about Gods. Whatever he put in it, Claudius noted, it seemed to satisfy Little Boots, for he became almost reasonable. Accordingly he, Claudius, quickly arranged for the parties to see Little Boots. The meeting had the usual bizarre aspects.

Philo had begun his well-prepared speech when Gaius Caesar cut him short, and asked whether this was a prelude to a request about the Jewish Temple. When told yes, Little Boots shrugged, turned to one of the Jewish leaders and muttered something about, 'How could he have guessed if he were not divine?' The Jews shuddered, the Alexandrians made some vile comments about Jews, and Caesar sat there smirking. Suddenly, he leaned forward, pointed at the Jews, and with a slight grin said, 'What are you? God-haters? Men who deny my divinity?'

One of the Alexandrians, Isadorus, immediately leaped into the fray. 'Lord Caesar, still more and more justly will you hate them when you learn that of all man-kind, these Jews refused to sacrifice for your safety!'

A Jew leaped forward. 'Lord Caesar, we have sacrificed for you, and we fed not on the flesh of our victims, but made holocaust of them, not once but thrice. Firstly, when you became
Princeps
, secondly when you were restored from disease, and thirdly for your success against the Germans . . .'

Little Boots nodded sternly, then suddenly said, 'Ye sacrificed for me, but not to me!'

The Jews fell back in terror as the implications struck them. They could deny their one God, or they could deny Caesar. The Alexandrians goaded them, while Caesar simply smiled sadly at them. Suddenly, he leaped to his feet, rushed across the palace room, and muttered something about a drape not looking right. He adjusted it, asked what the parties who had followed him thought about it, and as the sycophants began making comments about Caesar's undoubted eye for beauty, he charged up the stairs to adjust another drape. Then, back down, and another drape. Then back to the first, and returned it to where it had originally been, and asked them what they thought about that. Nobody dared reply.

Then Caesar turned on the Jews. 'Why do you not eat pork?' The Alexandrians laughed at this, but suddenly fell silent when Caesar turned towards them, a furious expression on his face. The Jewish leader explained that each people had its special customs. Some even refrain from eating lamb.

'Quite right,' Little Boots snorted. 'Their meat is terrible.' He then lurched into a speech about public policy, but then, when he must have decided that nobody was really interested, he stopped and dashed off to adjust another drape on a balcony. The parties followed. Then he turned to nobody in particular, shrugged, and said sadly, 'Men who think me no god are more unfortunate than criminal.'