the jacket (the star-rover)- 第42部分

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　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。〃