the jacket (the star-rover)-第45节

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why　do　you　fear　to　talk　about　it？〃



〃Why　burden　my　mind　with　thoughts　about　certainties？〃　I　countered。



〃But　are　you　certain？〃　she　insisted。　　〃Tell　me　about　it。　　What　is　it

likeyour　immortality？〃



And　when　I　had　told　her　of　Niflheim　and　Muspell；　of　the　birth　of　the

giant　Ymir　from　the　snowflakes；　of　the　cow　Andhumbla；　and　of　Fenrir

and　Loki　and　the　frozen　Jotunsas　I　say；　when　I　had　told　her　of　all

this；　and　of　Thor　and　Odin　and　our　own　Valhalla；　she　clapped　her

hands　and　cried　out；　with　sparkling　eyes：



〃Oh；　you　barbarian！　　You　great　child！　　You　yellow　giant…thing　of　the

frost！　　You　believer　of　old　nurse　tales　and　stomach　satisfactions！

But　the　spirit　of　you；　that　which　cannot　die；　where　will　it　go　when

your　body　is　dead？〃



〃As　I　have　said；　Valhalla；〃　I　answered。　　〃And　my　body　shall　be

there；　too。〃



〃Eating？drinking？fighting？〃



〃And　loving；〃　I　added。　　〃We　must　have　our　women　in　heaven；　else　what

is　heaven　for？〃



〃I　do　not　like　your　heaven；〃　she　said。　　〃It　is　a　mad　place；　a　beast

place；　a　place　of　frost　and　storm　and　fury。〃



〃And　your　heaven？〃　I　questioned。



〃Is　always　unending　summer；　with　the　year　at　the　ripe　for　the　fruits

and　flowers　and　growing　things。〃



I　shook　my　head　and　growled：



〃I　do　not　like　your　heaven。　　It　is　a　sad　place；　a　soft　place；　a

place　for　weaklings　and　eunuchs　and　fat；　sobbing　shadows　of　men。〃



My　remarks　must　have　glamoured　her　mind；　for　her　eyes　continued　to

sparkle；　and　mine　was　half　a　guess　that　she　was　leading　me　on。



〃My　heaven；〃　she　said；　〃is　the　abode　of　the　blest。〃



〃Valhalla　is　the　abode　of　the　blest；〃　I　asserted。　　〃For　look　you；

who　cares　for　flowers　where　flowers　always　are？　in　my　country；　after

the　iron　winter　breaks　and　the　sun　drives　away　the　long　night；　the

first　blossoms　twinkling　on　the　melting　ice…edge　are　things　of　joy；

and　we　look；　and　look　again。



〃And　fire！〃　I　cried　out。　　〃Great　glorious　fire！　　A　fine　heaven　yours

where　a　man　cannot　properly　esteem　a　roaring　fire　under　a　tight　roof

with　wind　and　snow　a…drive　outside。〃



〃A　simple　folk；　you；〃　she　was　back　at　me。　　〃You　build　a　roof　and　a

fire　in　a　snowbank　and　call　it　heaven。　　In　my　heaven　we　do　not　have

to　escape　the　wind　and　snow。〃



〃No；〃　I　objected。　　〃We　build　roof　and　fire　to　go　forth　from　into　the

frost　and　storm　and　to　return　to　from　the　frost　and　storm。　　Man's

life　is　fashioned　for　battle　with　frost　and　storm。　　His　very　fire

and　roof　he　makes　by　his　battling。　　I　know。　　For　three　years；　once；

I　knew　never　roof　nor　fire。　　I　was　sixteen；　and　a　man；　ere　ever　I

wore　woven　cloth　on　my　body。　　I　was　birthed　in　storm；　after　battle；

and　my　swaddling　cloth　was　a　wolfskin。　　Look　at　me　and　see　what

manner　of　man　lives　in　Valhalla。〃



And　look　she　did；　all　a…glamour；　and　cried　out：



〃You　great；　yellow　giant…thing　of　a　man！〃　　Then　she　added　pensively；

〃Almost　it　saddens　me　that　there　may　not　be　such　men　in　my　heaven。〃



〃It　is　a　good　world；〃　I　consoled　her。　　〃Good　is　the　plan　and　wide。

There　is　room　for　many　heavens。　　It　would　seem　that　to　each　is　given

the　heaven　that　is　his　heart's　desire。　　A　good　country；　truly；　there

beyond　the　grave。　　I　doubt　not　I　shall　leave　our　feast　halls　and

raid　your　coasts　of　sun　and　flowers；　and　steal　you　away。　　My　mother

was　so　stolen。〃



And　in　the　pause　I　looked　at　her；　and　she　looked　at　me；　and　dared　to

look。　　And　my　blood　ran　fire。　　By　Odin；　this　was　a　woman！



What　might　have　happened　I　know　not；　for　Pilate；　who　had　ceased　from

his　talk　with　Ambivius　and　for　some　time　had　sat　grinning；　broke　the

pause。



〃A　rabbi；　a　Teutoberg　rabbi！〃　he　gibed。　　〃A　new　preacher　and　a　new

doctrine　come　to　Jerusalem。　　Now　will　there　be　more　dissensions；　and

riotings；　and　stonings　of　prophets。　　The　gods　save　us；　it　is　a　mad…

house。　　Lodbrog；　I　little　thought　it　of　you。　　Yet　here　you　are；

spouting　and　fuming　as　wildly　as　any　madman　from　the　desert　about

what　shall　happen　to　you　when　you　are　dead。　　One　life　at　a　time；

Lodbrog。　　It　saves　trouble。　　It　saves　trouble。〃



〃Go　on；　Miriam；　go　on；〃　his　wife　cried。



She　had　sat　entranced　during　the　discussion；　with　hands　tightly

clasped；　and　the　thought　flickered　up　in　my　mind　that　she　had

already　been　corrupted　by　the　religious　folly　of　Jerusalem。　　At　any

rate；　as　I　was　to　learn　in　the　days　that　followed；　she　was　unduly

bent　upon　such　matters。　　She　was　a　thin　woman；　as　if　wasted　by

fever。　　Her　skin　was　tight…stretched。　　Almost　it　seemed　I　could　look

through　her　hands　did　she　hold　them　between　me　and　the　light。　　She

was　a　good　woman；　but　highly　nervous；　and；　at　times；　fancy…flighted

about　shades　and　signs　and　omens。　　Nor　was　she　above　seeing　visions

and　hearing　voices。　　As　for　me；　I　had　no　patience　with　such

weaknesses。　　Yet　was　she　a　good　woman　with　no　heart　of　evil。





I　was　on　a　mission　for　Tiberius；　and　it　was　my　ill　luck　to　see

little　of　Miriam。　　On　my　return　from　the　court　of　Antipas　she　had

gone　into　Batanaea　to　Philip's　court；　where　was　her　sister。　　Once

again　I　was　back　in　Jerusalem；　and；　though　it　was　no　necessity　of　my

business　to　see　Philip；　who；　though　weak；　was　faithful　to　Roman

will；　I　journeyed　into　Batanaea　in　the　hope　of　meeting　with　Miriam。



Then　there　was　my　trip　into　Idumaea。　　Also；　I　travelled　into　Syria

in　obedience　to　the　command　of　Sulpicius　Quirinius；　who；　as　imperial

legate；　was　curious　of　my　first…hand　report　of　affairs　in　Jerusalem。

Thus；　travelling　wide　and　much；　I　had　opportunity　to　observe　the

strangeness　of　the　Jews　who　were　so　madly　interested　in　God。　　It　was

their　peculiarity。　　Not　content　with　leaving　such　matters　to　their

priests；　they　were　themselves　for　ever　turning　priests　and　preaching

wherever　they　could　find　a　listener。　　And　listeners　they　found　a…

plenty。



They　gave　up　their　occupations　to　wander　about　the　country　like

beggars；　disputing　and　bickering　with　the　rabbis　and　Talmudists　in

the　synagogues　and　temple　porches。　　It　was　in　Galilee；　a　district　of

little　repute；　the　inhabitants　of　which　were　looked　upon　as　witless；

that　I　crossed　the　track　of　the　man　Jesus。　　It　seems　that　he　had

been　a　carpenter；　and　after　that　a　fisherman；　and　that　his　fellow…

fishermen　had　ceased　dragging　their　nets　and　followed　him　in　his

wandering　life。　　Some　few　looked　upon　him　as　a　prophet；　but　the　most

contended　that　he　was　a　madman。　　My　wretched　horse…boy；　himself

claiming　Talmudic　knowledge　second　to　none；　sneered　at　Jesus；

calling　him　the　king　of　the　beggars；　calling　his　doctrine　Ebionism；

which；　as　he　explained　to　me；　was　to　the　effect　that　only　the　poor

should　win　to　heaven；　while　the　rich　and　powerful　were　to　burn　for

ever　in　some　lake　of　fire。



It　was　my　observation　that　it　was　the　custom　of　the　country　for

every　man　to　call　every　other　man　a　madman。　　In　truth；　in　my

judgment；　they　were　all　mad。　　There　was　a　plague　of　them。　　They　cast

out　devils　by　magic　charms；　cured　diseases　by　the　laying　on　of

hands；　drank　deadly　poisons　unharmed；　and　unharmed　played　with

deadly　snakesor　so　they　claimed。　　They　ran　away　to　starve　in　the

deserts。　　They　emerged　howling　new　doctrine；　gathering　crowds　about

them；　forming　new　sects　that　split　on　doctrine　and　formed　more

sects。



〃By　Odin；〃　I　told　Pilate；　〃a　trifle　of　our　northern　frost　and　snow

would　cool　their　wits。　　This　climate　is　too　soft。　　In　place　of

building　roofs　and　hunting　meat；　they　are　ever　building　doctrine。〃



〃And　altering　the　nature　of　God；〃　Pilate　corroborated　sourly。　　〃A

curse　on　doctrine。〃



〃So　say　I；〃　I　agreed。　　〃If　ever　I　get　away　with　unaddled　wits　from

this　mad　land；　I'll　cleave　through　whatever　man　dares　mention　to　me

what　may　happen　after　I　am　dead。〃



Never　were　such　trouble　makers。　　Everything　under　the　sun　was　pious

or　impious　to　them。　　They；　who　were　so　clever　in　hair…splitting

argument；　seemed　incapable　of　grasping　the　Roman　idea　of　the　State。

Everything　political　was　religious；　everything　religious　was

political。　　Thus　every　procurator's　hands　were　full。　　The　Roman

eagles；　the　Roman　statues；　even　the　votive　shields　of　Pilate；　were

deliberate　insults　to　their　religion。



The　Roman　taking　of　the　census　was　an　abomination。　　Yet　it　had　to　be

done；　for　it　was　the　basis　of　taxation。　　But　there　it　was　again。

Taxation　by　the　State　was　a　crime　against　their　law　and　God。　　Oh；

that　Law！　　It　was　not　the　Roman　law。　　It　was　their　law；　what　they

called　God's　law。　　There　were　the　zealots；　who　murdered　anybody　who

broke　this　law。　　And　for　a　procurator　to　punish　a　zealot　caught　red…

handed　was　to　raise　a　riot　or　an　insurrection。



Everything；　with　these　strange　people；　was　done　in　the　name　of　God。

There　were　what　we　Romans　called　the　THAUMATURGI。　　They　worked

miracles　to　prove　doctrine。　　Ever　has　it　seemed　to　me　a　witless

thing　to　prove　the　multiplication　table　by　turning　a　staff　into　a

serpent；　or　even　into　two　serpents。　　Yet　these　things　the

thaumaturgi　did；　and　always　to　the　excitement　of　the　commo