the jacket (the star-rover)-第49节

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abided。　　Pilate　executed　an　abstraction　that　had　never　existed　in

the　real。　　The　abstraction　was　a　cheat　and　a　lie　manufactured　in　the

priestly　mind。　　Neither　the　priests　nor　Pilate　believed　it。　　Jesus

denied　it。　　That　abstraction　was　〃The　King　of　the　Jews。〃





The　storm　was　over　in　the　courtyard。　　The　excitement　had　simmered

down。　　Revolution　had　been　averted。　　The　priests　were　content；　the

mob　was　satisfied；　and　Pilate　and　I　were　well　disgusted　and　weary

with　the　whole　affair。　　And　yet　for　him　and　me　was　more　and　most

immediate　storm。　　Before　Jesus　was　taken　away　one　of　Miriam's　women

called　me　to　her。　　And　I　saw　Pilate；　summoned　by　one　of　his　wife's

women；　likewise　obey。



〃Oh；　Lodbrog；　I　have　heard；〃　Miriam　met　me。　　We　were　alone；　and　she

was　close　to　me；　seeking　shelter　and　strength　within　my　arms。

〃Pilate　has　weakened。　　He　is　going　to　crucify　Him。　　But　there　is

time。　　Your　own　men　are　ready。　　Ride　with　them。　　Only　a　centurion

and　a　handful　of　soldiers　are　with　Him。　　They　have　not　yet　started。

As　soon　as　they　do　start；　follow。　　They　must　not　reach　Golgotha。

But　wait　until　they　are　outside　the　city　wall。　　Then　countermand　the

order。　　Take　an　extra　horse　for　Him　to　ride。　　The　rest　is　easy。

Ride　away　into　Syria　with　Him；　or　into　Idumaea；　or　anywhere　so　long

as　He　be　saved。〃



She　concluded　with　her　arms　around　my　neck；　her　face　upturned　to

mine　and　temptingly　close；　her　eyes　greatly　solemn　and　greatly

promising。



Small　wonder　I　was　slow　of　speech。　　For　the　moment　there　was　but　one

thought　in　my　brain。　　After　all　the　strange　play　I　had　seen　played

out；　to　have　this　come　upon　me！　　I　did　not　misunderstand。　　The　thing

was　clear。　　A　great　woman　was　mine　if　。　。　。　if　I　betrayed　Rome。　　For

Pilate　was　governor；　his　order　had　gone　forth；　and　his　voice　was　the

voice　of　Rome。



As　I　have　said；　it　was　the　woman　of　her；　her　sheer　womanliness；　that

betrayed　Miriam　and　me　in　the　end。　　Always　she　had　been　so　clear；　so

reasonable；　so　certain　of　herself　and　me；　so　that　I　had　forgotten；

or；　rather；　I　there　learned　once　again　the　eternal　lesson　learned　in

all　lives；　that　woman　is　ever　woman　。　。　。　that　in　great　decisive

moments　woman　does　not　reason　but　feels；　that　the　last　sanctuary　and

innermost　pulse　to　conduct　is　in　woman's　heart　and　not　in　woman's

head。



Miriam　misunderstood　my　silence；　for　her　body　moved　softly　within　my

arms　as　she　added；　as　if　in　afterthought：



〃Take　two　spare　horses；　Lodbrog。　　I　shall　ride　the　other　。　。　。　with

you　。　。　。　with　you；　away　over　the　world；　wherever　you　may　ride。〃



It　was　a　bribe　of　kings；　it　was　an　act；　paltry　and　contemptible；

that　was　demanded　of　me　in　return。　　Still　I　did　not　speak。　　It　was

not　that　I　was　in　confusion　or　in　any　doubt。　　I　was　merely　sad

greatly　and　suddenly　sad；　in　that　I　knew　I　held　in　my　arms　what　I

would　never　hold　again。



〃There　is　but　one　man　in　Jerusalem　this　day　who　can　save　Him；〃　she

urged；　〃and　that　man　is　you；　Lodbrog。〃



Because　I　did　not　immediately　reply　she　shook　me；　as　if　in　impulse

to　clarify　wits　she　considered　addled。　　She　shook　me　till　my　harness

rattled。



〃Speak；　Lodbrog；　speak！〃　she　commanded。　　〃You　are　strong　and

unafraid。　　You　are　all　man。　　I　know　you　despise　the　vermin　who　would

destroy　Him。　　You；　you　alone　can　save　Him。　　You　have　but　to　say　the

word　and　the　thing　is　done；　and　I　will　well　love　you　and　always　love

you　for　the　thing　you　have　done。〃



〃I　am　a　Roman；〃　I　said　slowly；　knowing　full　well　that　with　the　words

I　gave　up　all　hope　of　her。



〃You　are　a　man…slave　of　Tiberius；　a　hound　of　Rome；〃　she　flamed；　〃but

you　owe　Rome　nothing；　for　you　are　not　a　Roman。　　You　yellow　giants　of

the　north　are　not　Romans。〃



〃The　Romans　are　the　elder　brothers　of　us　younglings　of　the　north；〃　I

answered。　　〃Also；　I　wear　the　harness　and　I　eat　the　bread　of　Rome。〃

Gently　I　added：　　〃But　why　all　this　fuss　and　fury　for　a　mere　man's

life？　　All　men　must　die。　　Simple　and　easy　it　is　to　die。　　To…day；　or

a　hundred　years；　it　little　matters。　　Sure　we　are；　all　of　us；　of　the

same　event　in　the　end。〃



Quick　she　was；　and　alive　with　passion　to　save　as　she　thrilled　within

my　arms。



〃You　do　not　understand；　Lodbrog。　　This　is　no　mere　man。　　I　tell　you

this　is　a　man　beyond　mena　living　God；　not　of　men；　but　over　men。〃



I　held　her　closely　and　knew　that　I　was　renouncing　all　the　sweet

woman　of　her　as　I　said：



〃We　are　man　and　woman；　you　and　I。　　Our　life　is　of　this　world。　　Of

these　other　worlds　is　all　a　madness。　　Let　these　mad　dreamers　go　the

way　of　their　dreaming。　　Deny　them　not　what　they　desire　above　all

things；　above　meat　and　wine；　above　song　and　battle；　even　above　love

of　woman。　　Deny　them　not　their　hearts'　desires　that　draw　them　across

the　dark　of　the　grave　to　their　dreams　of　lives　beyond　this　world。

Let　them　pass。　　But　you　and　I　abide　here　in　all　the　sweet　we　have

discovered　of　each　other。　　Quickly　enough　will　come　the　dark；　and

you　depart　for　your　coasts　of　sun　and　flowers；　and　I　for　the　roaring

table　of　Valhalla。〃



〃No！　no！〃　she　cried；　half…tearing　herself　away。　　〃You　do　not

understand。　　All　of　greatness；　all　of　goodness；　all　of　God　are　in

this　man　who　is　more　than　man；　and　it　is　a　shameful　death　to　die。

Only　slaves　and　thieves　so　die。　　He　is　neither　slave　nor　thief。　　He

is　an　immortal。　　He　is　God。　　Truly　I　tell　you　He　is　God。〃



〃He　is　immortal　you　say；〃　I　contended。　　〃Then　to　die　to…day　on

Golgotha　will　not　shorten　his　immortality　by　a　hair's　breadth　in　the

span　of　time。　　He　is　a　god　you　say。　　Gods　cannot　die。　　From　all　I

have　been　told　of　them；　it　is　certain　that　gods　cannot　die。〃



〃Oh！〃　she　cried。　　〃You　will　not　understand。　　You　are　only　a　great

giant　thing　of　flesh。〃



〃Is　it　not　said　that　this　event　was　prophesied　of　old　time？〃　I

queried；　for　I　had　been　learning　from　the　Jews　what　I　deemed　their

subtleties　of　thinking。



〃Yes；　yes；〃　she　agreed；　〃the　Messianic　prophecies。　　This　is　the

Messiah。〃



〃Then　who　am　I；〃　I　asked；　〃to　make　liars　of　the　prophets？　to　make　of

the　Messiah　a　false　Messiah？　　Is　the　prophecy　of　your　people　so

feeble　a　thing　that　I；　a　stupid　stranger；　a　yellow　northling　in　the

Roman　harness；　can　give　the　lie　to　prophecy　and　compel　to　be

unfulfilledthe　very　thing　willed　by　the　gods　and　foretold　by　the

wise　men？〃



〃You　do　not　understand；〃　she　repeated。



〃I　understand　too　well；〃　I　replied。　　〃Am　I　greater　than　the　gods

that　I　may　thwart　the　will　of　the　gods？　　Then　are　gods　vain　things

and　the　playthings　of　men。　　I　am　a　man。　　I；　too；　bow　to　the　gods；　to

all　gods；　for　I　do　believe　in　all　gods；　else　how　came　all　gods　to

be？〃



She　flung　herself　so　that　my　hungry　arms　were　empty　of　her；　and　we

stood　apart　and　listened　to　the　uproar　of　the　street　as　Jesus　and

the　soldiers　emerged　and　started　on　their　way。　　And　my　heart　was

sore　in　that　so　great　a　woman　could　be　so　foolish。　　She　would　save

God。　　She　would　make　herself　greater　than　God。



〃You　do　not　love　me；〃　she　said　slowly；　and　slowly　grew　in　her　eyes　a

promise　of　herself　too　deep　and　wide　for　any　words。



〃I　love　you　beyond　your　understanding；　it　seems；〃　was　my　reply。　　〃I

am　proud　to　love　you；　for　I　know　I　am　worthy　to　love　you　and　am

worth　all　love　you　may　give　me。　　But　Rome　is　my　foster…mother；　and

were　I　untrue　to　her；　of　little　pride；　of　little　worth　would　be　my

love　for　you。〃



The　uproar　that　followed　about　Jesus　and　the　soldiers　died　away

along　the　street。　　And　when　there　was　no　further　sound　of　it　Miriam

turned　to　go；　with　neither　word　nor　look　for　me。



I　knew　one　last　rush　of　mad　hunger　for　her。　　I　sprang　and　seized

her。　　I　would　horse　her　and　ride　away　with　her　and　my　men　into　Syria

away　from　this　cursed　city　of　folly。　　She　struggled。　　I　crushed　her。

She　struck　me　on　the　face；　and　I　continued　to　hold　and　crush　her；

for　the　blows　were　sweet。　　And　there　she　ceased　to　struggle。　　She

became　cold　and　motionless；　so　that　I　knew　there　was　no　woman's　love

that　my　arms　girdled。　　For　me　she　was　dead。　　Slowly　I　let　go　of　her。

Slowly　she　stepped　back。　　As　if　she　did　not　see　me　she　turned　and

went　away　across　the　quiet　room；　and　without　looking　back　passed

through　the　hangings　and　was　gone。





I；　Ragnar　Lodbrog；　never　came　to　read　nor　write。　　But　in　my　days　I

have　listened　to　great　talk。　　As　I　see　it　now；　I　never　learned　great

talk；　such　as　that　of　the　Jews；　learned　in　their　law；　nor　such　as

that　of　the　Romans；　learned　in　their　philosophy　and　in　the

philosophy　of　the　Greeks。　　Yet　have　I　talked　in　simplicity　and

straightness；　as　a　man　may　well　talk　who　has　lived　life　from　the

ships　of　Tostig　Lodbrog　and　the　roof　of　Brunanbuhr　across　the　world

to　Jerusalem　and　back　again。　　And　straight　talk　and　simple　I　gave

Sulpicius　Quirinius；　when　I　went　away　into　Syria　to　report　to　him　of

the　various　matters　that　had　been　at　issue　in　Jerusalem。







CHAPTER　XVIII







Suspended　animation　is　nothing　new；　not　alone　in　the　vegetable　world

and