Fire and Sword (35 page)

“He’ll find a very different spirit in Rome,” Michael said.

On the other side of the room, Rugio and Pellecus smiled at Michael’s assertion.

“Indeed, he’ll find a different spirit in Rome,” Pellecus said. “All he has done is delay his destruction.”

“Perhaps the Most High has other plans for Paul,” said Crispin.

The three holy angels followed as Paul was escorted out of the room. Pellecus turned to Rugio.

“What if he is correct?” Rugio asked. “Maybe Paul is destined to see the emperor. What if the emperor is taken in by this teaching?”

Pellecus smiled.

“Paul is truly a convincing man,” he said. “If the emperor were an ordinary man, I would say we should be wary.” Pellecus walked to the window and looked over the waters of the blue Mediterranean toward Rome. “But the emperor is no ordinary man. He is a monster.”

Chronicles of the Host

It felt good to be at sea again. Paul’s previous two years in Caesarea had created a longing to get away from the nation that bore him but rejected him. As the coastline disappeared, Paul looked at Judea for what he guessed was his last time. It was a bittersweet moment for him, knowing that his people continued to live in a darkness as black as the coastline that was now fading in the distance.

Julius, a centurion of the Imperial Regiment, who was in charge of all of the prisoners on board, including Paul, was speaking with the captain. Paul’s companions were not prisoners, but had asked to accompany Paul to Rome. Paul’s party included Luke, his Greek friend, and a man named Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. Julius was drinking from a wine glass and wandered over to where Paul stood with Luke.

“For a Jew you have many Gentile friends,” Julius said. “I thought that was forbidden in your religion.”

“Only in man’s religion,” Paul said. “God has no boundaries in His love for all men—Jew or Gentile.”

“Even Romans?” Julius asked, smiling.

“Of course He loves Romans,” Paul said. “That’s why He is sending me to Rome.”

Julius laughed heartily at Paul’s response. “I’m sure the emperor will be gratified that you are coming to the aid of the empire! But seriously, Paul. You must be careful. The intrigue in Jerusalem is fool’s play compared to the webs of political ambition in Rome. Remember, everything in Rome is personal.”

“Then I am in a good spot,” said Paul. “For I have no personal stake in this!”

“Paul may not have a personal stake in this, but I certainly do,” Lucifer said. The other angels snickered at the comment. They were watching Paul’s ship from a distance. Lucifer had decided that Paul must not reach Rome and called together his three most trusted advisors to help in this final effort.

“The truth is that we all have a personal stake in this,” Lucifer continued. “If Rome is affected by the Church, the entire empire will be marginalized.”

“Yes; Peter has been meddling in Rome for two years now,” noted Pellecus. “If the two of them are working together in Rome, it will be a dangerous combination for us.”

“Paul must not reach Rome,” Lucifer asserted.

“But what if he does?” Kara asked. “We haven’t been able to stop him yet.”

“If Paul makes it to Rome, he has appealed to Caesar,” Lucifer said. “I think he’ll discover that clever words will not impress Nero.”

Lucifer looked at the skies. “What was it Jesus said? ‘When evening comes, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,” and in the morning, “Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.’”

“Meaning?”

“It’s a long way from here to Rome,” Lucifer said. “And I have my own interpretation of the weather.” He looked at Rugio. “We once devastated Job with a storm. We have wreaked havoc with nature. Surely we can cause the disappearance of one tiny vessel?”

Rugio nodded his head in agreement.

“When the time is right, Rugio,” Lucifer said. “When the time is right.”

After many days hugging the coast of Asia, Paul and the other prisoners were transferred to an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy. The centurion believed that this ship might make better time as the winds had been fighting them the whole trip. But the ship faced the same winds and had difficulty holding its course. The captain and crew had a decision to make: stay here in Fair Haven or push on and winter in Phoenix, on the island of Crete. An impromptu meeting took place on the deck.

“I am losing money,” said Gaius, the ship’s owner. “I hired you to take this cargo to Italy. The closer we are to Rome when we winter, the better.”

The captain looked at his crew.

“You also hired me to get everyone on board there safely,” said the captain, whose name was Lucus. “I’ll make the final decision.”

“Then decide,” Gaius said. “I’m nervous enough with these prisoners on board.”

“You’re being paid for their passage,” the centurion said. “I’ll see to them.”

As the men pored over the charts of the known trade routes, Paul stood back watching them. Luke slid next to him. “Now we’re cargo,” Luke said, eliciting a smile from the ever-pensive apostle.

“And quite valuable,” Paul added. “They are discussing whether or not to push on to a different harbor on Crete.”

“Well, this harbor certainly isn’t suitable,” Luke said. “We have to winter somewhere.”

Paul nodded in agreement. Luke wandered to another part of the ship, leaving Paul to his thoughts. Paul watched some birds, amused at their persistence in following the little ship this far from land. If only the Church maintained that sort of determination in pursuing the things of God!

“Paul.”

Paul looked around and saw that Luke was on the other side of the ship. Nobody else was around.

“Paul.”

“Yes, Lord,” Paul said, recognizing that the Spirit of God was speaking to him.

“You must listen to Me…”

“My friends, may I say something?” Paul asked. “I have something to tell you about your plans.”

“You? You’re a prisoner,” said one sailor.

“This is business,” said Gaius. “Not theology.”

The centurion looked into Paul’s eyes. “Lucus, this man is honorable, prisoner though he may be. I have seen him over these past two years; I would hear him out, Gaius.”

Gaius sighed and motioned Paul over. “Go ahead, prisoner.”

“If you push on to the other side of Crete our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”

The crew grumbled at the foreboding words. Some of them cursed Paul for inviting misfortune upon their journey. Others scoffed at the notion that this priest could know anything about such things. A sailor looked at the sky.

“It looks like clear weather to me,” he said.

“Paul, what makes you say such a thing?” the centurion asked.

“The Lord told me that this would happen.” It took just a couple of seconds before some of the men burst out in laughter. After several minutes of catcalling and revelry at Paul’s expense, the centurion spoke to Paul. “Thank you, Paul. I’m sure your God means well, but He is, after all, a land god. These men know the sea. Lucus! What do you say?”

“The wind seems fair,” the captain answered. “The weather is good.”

“I agree,” said the centurion. “We push on to Phoenix!”

Paul shook his head. He walked over to Luke. “I warned them,” he said.

Luke looked at the blue sky. “I heard you. But I have to tell you, Paul. For once, I hope you heard wrong.”

Paul smiled at his friend. “Me too.”