the jacket (the star-rover)-第39章

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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

instant；　after　having　seen　Miriam's　eyes；　that　this　tense；

distraught　woman　had　likewise　seen　the　fisherman。



〃The　Divine　is　within　Him；〃　she　murmured　to　me。　　〃There　is　within

Him　a　personal　awareness　of　the　indwelling　of　God。〃



〃Is　he　God？〃　I　queried；　gently；　for　say　something　I　must。



She　shook　her　head。



〃I　do　not　know。　　He　has　not　said。　　But　this　I　know：　　of　such　stuff

gods　are　made。〃





〃A　charmer　of　women；〃　was　my　privy　judgment；　as　I　left　Pilate's　wife

walking　in　dreams　and　visions。



The　last　days　are　known　to　all　of　you　who　read　these　lines；　and　it

was　in　those　last　days　that　I　learned　that　this　Jesus　was　equally　a

charmer　of　men。　　He　charmed　Pilate。　　He　charmed　me。



After　Hanan　had　sent　Jesus　to　Caiaphas；　and　the　Sanhedrim；　assembled

in　Caiaphas's　house；　had　condemned　Jesus　to　death；　Jesus；　escorted

by　a　howling　mob；　was　sent　to　Pilate　for　execution。



Now；　for　his　own　sake　and　for　Rome's　sake；　Pilate　did　not　want　to

execute　him。　　Pilate　was　little　interested　in　the　fisherman　and

greatly　interested　in　peace　and　order。　　What　cared　Pilate　for　a

man's　life？for　many　men's　lives？　　The　school　of　Rome　was　iron；　and

the　governors　sent　out　by　Rome　to　rule　conquered　peoples　were

likewise　iron。　　Pilate　thought　and　acted　in　governmental

abstractions。　　Yet；　look：　　when　Pilate　went　out　scowling　to　meet　the

mob　that　had　fetched　the　fisherman；　he　fell　immediately　under　the

charm　of　the　man。



I　was　present。　　I　know。　　It　was　the　first　time　Pilate　had　ever　seen

him。　　Pilate　went　out　angry。　　Our　soldiers　were　in　readiness　to

clear　the　court　of　its　noisy　vermin。　　And　immediately　Pilate　laid

eyes　on　the　fisherman　Pilate　was　subduednay；　was　solicitous。　　He

disclaimed　jurisdiction；　demanded　that　they　should　judge　the

fisherman　by　their　law　and　deal　with　him　by　their　law；　since　the

fisherman　was　a　Jew　and　not　a　Roman。　　Never　were　there　Jews　so

obedient　to　Roman　rule。　　They　cried　out　that　it　was　unlawful；　under

Rome；　for　them　to　put　any　man　to　death。　　Yet　Antipas　had　beheaded

John　and　come　to　no　grief　of　it。



And　Pilate　left　them　in　the　court；　open　under　the　sky；　and　took

Jesus　alone　into　the　judgment　hall。　　What　happened　therein　I　know

not；　save　that　when　Pilate　emerged　he　was　changed。　　Whereas　before

he　had　been　disinclined　to　execute　because　he　would　not　be　made　a

catspaw　to　Hanan；　he　was　now　disinclined　to　execute　because　of

regard　for　the　fisherman。　　His　effort　now　was　to　save　the　fisherman。

And　all　the　while　the　mob　cried：　　〃Crucify　him！　　Crucify　him！〃



You；　my　reader；　know　the　sincerity　of　Pilate's　effort。　　You　know　how

he　tried　to　befool　the　mob；　first　by　mocking　Jesus　as　a　harmless

fool；　and　second　by　offering　to　release　him　according　to　the　custom

of　releasing　one　prisoner　at　time　of　the　Passover。　　And　you　know　how

the　priests'　quick　whisperings　led　the　mob　to　cry　out　for　the

release　of　the　murderer　Bar…Abba。



In　vain　Pilate　struggled　against　the　fate　being　thrust　upon　him　by

the　priests。　　By　sneer　and　jibe　he　hoped　to　make　a　farce　of　the

transaction。　　He　laughingly　called　Jesus　the　King　of　the　Jews　and

ordered　him　to　be　scourged。　　His　hope　was　that　all　would　end　in

laughter　and　in　laugher　be　forgotten。



I　am　glad　to　say　that　no　Roman　soldiers　took　part　in　what　followed。

It　was　the　soldiers　of　the　auxiliaries　who　crowned　and　cloaked

Jesus；　put　the　reed　of　sovereignty　in　his　hand；　and；　kneeling；

hailed　him　King　of　the　Jews。　　Although　it　failed；　it　was　a　play　to

placate。　　And　I；　looking　on；　learned　the　charm　of　Jesus。　　Despite

the　cruel　mockery　of　situation；　he　was　regal。　　And　I　was　quiet　as　I

gazed。　　It　was　his　own　quiet　that　went　into　me。　　I　was　soothed　and

satisfied；　and　was　without　bewilderment。　　This　thing　had　to　be。　　All

was　well。　　The　serenity　of　Jesus　in　the　heart　of　the　tumult　and　pain

became　my　serenity。　　I　was　scarce　moved　by　any　thought　to　save　him。



On　the　other　hand；　I　had　gazed　on　too　many　wonders　of　the　human　in

my　wild　and　varied　years　to　be　affected　to　foolish　acts　by　this

particular　wonder。　　I　was　all　serenity。　　I　had　no　word　to　say。　　I

had　no　judgment　to　pass。　　I　knew　that　things　were　occurring　beyond

my　comprehension；　and　that　they　must　occur。



Still　Pilate　struggled。　　The　tumult　increased。　　The　cry　for　blood

rang　through　the　court；　and　all　were　clamouring　for　crucifixion。

Again　Pilate　went　back　into　the　judgment　hall。　　His　effort　at　a

farce　having　failed；　he　attempted　to　disclaim　jurisdiction。　　Jesus

was　not　of　Jerusalem。　　He　was　a　born　subject　of　Antipas；　and　to

Antipas　Pilate　was　for　sending　Jesus。



But　the　uproar　was　by　now　communicating　itself　to　the　city。　　Our

troops　outside　the　palace　were　being　swept　away　in　the　vast　street

mob。　　Rioting　had　begun　that　in　the　flash　of　an　eye　could　turn　into

civil　war　and　revolution。　　My　own　twenty　legionaries　were　close　to

hand　and　in　readiness。　　They　loved　the　fanatic　Jews　no　more　than　did

I；　and　would　have　welcomed　my　command　to　clear