the jacket (the star-rover)-第46节

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

thaumaturgi　did；　and　always　to　the　excitement　of　the　common　people。



Heavens；　what　sects　and　sects！　　Pharisees；　Essenes；　Sadduceesa

legion　of　them！　　No　sooner　did　they　start　with　a　new　quirk　when　it

turned　political。　　Coponius；　procurator　fourth　before　Pilate；　had　a

pretty　time　crushing　the　Gaulonite　sedition　which　arose　in　this

fashion　and　spread　down　from　Gamala。



In　Jerusalem；　that　last　time　I　rode　in；　it　was　easy　to　note　the

increasing　excitement　of　the　Jews。　　They　ran　about　in　crowds；

chattering　and　spouting。　　Some　were　proclaiming　the　end　of　the

world。　　Others　satisfied　themselves　with　the　imminent　destruction　of

the　Temple。　　And　there　were　rank　revolutionises　who　announced　that

Roman　rule　was　over　and　the　new　Jewish　kingdom　about　to　begin。



Pilate；　too；　I　noted；　showed　heavy　anxiety。　　That　they　were　giving

him　a　hard　time　of　it　was　patent。　　But　I　will　say；　as　you　shall　see；

that　he　matched　their　subtlety　with　equal　subtlety；　and　from　what　I

saw　of　him　I　have　little　doubt　but　what　he　would　have　confounded

many　a　disputant　in　the　synagogues。



〃But　half　a　legion　of　Romans；〃　he　regretted　to　me；　〃and　I　would　take

Jerusalem　by　the　throat　。　。　。　and　then　be　recalled　for　my　pains；　I

suppose。〃



Like　me；　he　had　not　too　much　faith　in　the　auxiliaries；　and　of　Roman

soldiers　we　had　but　a　scant　handful。



Back　again；　I　lodged　in　the　palace；　and　to　my　great　joy　found　Miriam

there。　　But　little　satisfaction　was　mine；　for　the　talk　ran　long　on

the　situation。　　There　was　reason　for　this；　for　the　city　buzzed　like

the　angry　hornets'　nest　it　was。　　The　fast　called　the　Passovera

religious　affair；　of　coursewas　near；　and　thousands　were　pouring　in

from　the　country；　according　to　custom；　to　celebrate　the　feast　in

Jerusalem。　　These　newcomers；　naturally；　were　all　excitable　folk；

else　they　would　not　be　bent　on　such　pilgrimage。　　The　city　was　packed

with　them；　so　that　many　camped　outside　the　walls。　　As　for　me；　I

could　not　distinguish　how　much　of　the　ferment　was　due　to　the

teachings　of　the　wandering　fisherman；　and　how　much　of　it　was　due　to

Jewish　hatred　for　Rome。



〃A　tithe；　no　more；　and　maybe　not　so　much；　is　due　to　this　Jesus；〃

Pilate　answered　my　query。　　〃Look　to　Caiaphas　and　Hanan　for　the　main

cause　of　the　excitement。　　They　know　what　they　are　about。　　They　are

stirring　it　up；　to　what　end　who　can　tell；　except　to　cause　me

trouble。〃



〃Yes；　it　is　certain　that　Caiaphas　and　Hanan　are　responsible；〃　Miriam

said；　〃but　you；　Pontius　Pilate；　are　only　a　Roman　and　do　not

understand。　　Were　you　a　Jew；　you　would　realize　that　there　is　a

greater　seriousness　at　the　bottom　of　it　than　mere　dissension　of　the

sectaries　or　trouble…making　for　you　and　Rome。　　The　high　priests　and

Pharisees；　every　Jew　of　place　or　wealth；　Philip；　Antipas；　myselfwe

are　all　fighting　for　very　life。



〃This　fisherman　may　be　a　madman。　　If　so；　there　is　a　cunning　in　his

madness。　　He　preaches　the　doctrine　of　the　poor。　　He　threatens　our

law；　and　our　law　is　our　life；　as　you　have　learned　ere　this。　　We　are

jealous　of　our　law；　as　you　would　be　jealous　of　the　air　denied　your

body　by　a　throttling　hand　on　your　throat。　　It　is　Caiaphas　and　Hanan

and　all　they　stand　for；　or　it　is　the　fisherman。　　They　must　destroy

him；　else　he　will　destroy　them。〃



〃Is　it　not　strange；　so　simple　a　man；　a　fisherman？〃　Pilate's　wife

breathed　forth。　　〃What　manner　of　man　can　he　be　to　possess　such

power？　　I　would　that　I　could　see　him。　　I　would　that　with　my　own　eyes

I　could　see　so　remarkable　a　man。〃



Pilate's　brows　corrugated　at　her　words；　and　it　was　clear　that　to　the

burden　on　his　nerves　was　added　the　overwrought　state　of　his　wife's

nerves。



〃If　you　would　see　him；　beat　up　the　dens　of　the　town；〃　Miriam　laughed

spitefully。　　〃You　will　find　him　wine…bibbing　or　in　the　company　of

nameless　women。　　Never　so　strange　a　prophet　came　up　to　Jerusalem。〃



〃And　what　harm　in　that？〃　I　demanded；　driven　against　my　will　to　take

the　part　of　the　fisherman。　　〃Have　I　not　wine…guzzled　a…plenty　and

passed　strange　nights　in　all　the　provinces？　　The　man　is　a　man；　and

his　ways　are　men's　ways；　else　am　I　a　madman；　which　I　here　deny。〃



Miriam　shook　her　head　as　she　spoke。



〃He　is　not　mad。　　Worse；　he　is　dangerous。　　All　Ebionism　is　dangerous。

He　would　destroy　all　things　that　are　fixed。　　He　is　a　revolutionist。

He　would　destroy　what　little　is　left　to　us　of　the　Jewish　state　and

Temple。〃



Here　Pilate　shook　his　head。



〃He　is　not　political。　　I　have　had　report　of　him。　　He　is　a　visionary。

There　is　no　sedition　in　him。　　He　affirms　the　Roman　tax　even。〃



〃Still　you　do　not　understand；〃　Miriam　persisted。　　〃It　is　not　what　he

plans；　it　is　the　effect；　if　his　plans　are　achieved；　that　makes　him　a

revolutionist。　　I　doubt　that　he　foresees　the　effect。　　Yet　is　the　man

a　plague；　and；　like　any　plague；　should　be　stamped　out。〃



〃From　all　that　I　have　heard；　he　is　a　good…hearted；　simple　man　with

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