thing when I earned this scar. I killed a thief. I obeyed my orders, as I will now.” Lucius stepped up to the central cross and hefted the hammer to his shoulder.
“Stop,” ordered Adas. “Not him. He’s already dead. He has been for hours.” Lucius lowered the hammer and peered into Yeshua’s still face.
Demas called out, “He guards all His bones; not one of them is broken.”
Jamin heard his brother, again, quote from Psalms. He whispered, “Like the lamb of Passover, the bones must never be broken.”
“I don’t care if he is dead,” said Lucius as he grabbed a spear. “Our orders were to make sure he’s dead so no one can question it later.” He faced the central cross and stepped forward. Suddenly, his face drained of color. He stumbled backwards and dropped the spear as if it were on fire. Lucius stared at something no one else could see. Someone was standing between him and the Nazarene’s cross. What he saw was impossible in so many ways.
“Octavean, what is the matter with you?” demanded Adas.
Hektor and Falto watched in bewilderment. The two men exchanged glances, silently confirming each was witnessing the same thing. Adas looked at the center cross, but nothing had changed. Thinking Lucius was in a fugue, Adas slapped him across the face.
“What is wrong with you?” Adas demanded again. Lucius didn’t answer. With no patience left, Adas hit him with a fist. Lucius staggered back and shook himself as if from a trance.
Adas picked up the spear, spun around, and thrust it deep into the Nazarene’s side. Immediately blood and water came out from the wound. There was no reaction from the lifeless body. Adas threw the spear to the ground and wheeled on the men. “Do you see this? You’ve seen it hundreds of times. That’s how we know a prisoner has died during the night. They always bleed water and blood from the heart when they’ve been dead for hours. He died right before the earthquake.”
Hektor muttered, “So, our fearsome lion cringes at stabbing a dead man.”
Overhearing the comment and desperate to save face, Lucius turned on him. The glazed look was gone. A silver fire had rekindled in the man’s eyes. “Watch yourself, Hektor. I have killed others for much less.”
Adas pulled a second wineskin from his knapsack filled with strong wine and herbs. He gestured at the older thief. “Octavean, give him some wine.” Then Adas addressed Jamin in Hebrew, “When he’s done, give your brother as much as he wants. It is potent wine. We will wait for it to take effect before we break their legs.”
Jamin didn’t try to hide his surprise. “You brought this wine for them, not yourself. Is it because Demas confessed?”
“No, they have already suffered enough.”
The three legionaries were barely able to hide their scorn. They kept their expressions neutral only because of the possibility of punishment, but they saw the centurion’s compassion as weakness. Lucius was beginning to understand the hatred Valentius had for Longinus.
Adas looked beyond his men and saw the agony of the women who stood clutching each other. They made him think again of his own mother. His last two letters to her had gone unanswered, yet nothing came from his father warning him of accident or illness. It was possible her letters were lost en route. He needed to be patient. Despite his self-assurances, his stomach twisted with a sudden knowledge that he would never see her again. All the ways he could be killed paraded through his mind. Lucius’s belligerent behavior could be based on orders from someone else, which meant he had a more powerful enemy. Life was unpredictable. His own men could turn on him and it wouldn’t matter if they were executed. He would be dead.
Chapter 4
Adas reached for the cord he always wore around his neck under his tunic. The cord was attached to a pouch that carried a treasure virtually beyond price. It was a pearl, the most costly gemstone in the world. Adas believed the pearl was a miracle in itself. After attending to an official errand in Jericho, Adas came upon several men beating an old Hebrew man on the outskirts of town. He ran his horse into the melee, forcing the attackers to flee in different directions. The old man, beaten about the head and chest, was seriously wounded, but conscious. Adas put him on his horse and took the man to his home. Despite being against Jewish law, the old man invited Adas, a Gentile, into his home. The servants attended to the man’s wounds, propped him up in bed, and brought wine to both men.
The room was furnished in a comfortable but simple manner. There were several wood and reed chairs set against a wall. The bed was a plain wooden frame with the usual leather straps to support the wool-stuffed linen mattress. The walls were whitewashed adobe with no tapestries or decorations. The ceramic tiled floor, however, was extravagant with bright colors and geometric shapes inlayed in a complicated pattern. The old man gestured to a chair and invited Adas to sit.
“Thank you for staying. You must rest after your walk. I never thought I’d see a Roman give up his horse for a Jew. I’m surprised you are alone. Where are your squads?”
“My commander did not deem a squad necessary even though it is protocol.”
“He must have great confidence in your survival skills.”
“I doubt that was the reason. If I had a squad, we could have caught those men.”
“I leave them to God. No unconfessed sin goes unpunished. I wanted you to stay so I could tell you a story, but first, please tell me your name.”
“My name is Centurion Clovius Longinus. I use Adas as my praenomen.”
“Interesting. Your praenomen is a Hebrew name, and your Hebrew is excellent. That is most unusual for a Roman, as is the color of your eyes.”
“I’ve heard.”
“May I ask if your mother is Hebrew?”
“No, she isn’t. My nanny taught me Hebrew.”
“Ah, you’re an interesting enigma. Now, let me tell you my story. Once, a great rabbi came to Jericho. I wanted more than anything to see him. Being a tax collector, I did not fool myself into thinking this great man would want to speak with me. So I planned to catch a glimpse of him as he passed by. I climbed a sycamore tree and waited. When I saw him approaching, I was surprised. He was plainly dressed and looked quite average. Perhaps, I expected a king wearing purple and gold. He was about to pass by, but stopped, looked up into the tree, and called my name. He said, ‘Hurry and come down, for today I must remain at your house.’ I was so happy, I did make haste, and I nearly fell out of the tree. We talked for many hours. This great rabbi spoke of things I had never imagined. He began to tell me about the kingdom of heaven, how it is more precious than anything. Wanting to impress him, I showed him a precious treasure of mine.” The old man coughed. When he lowered his hand, there were spots of blood on his palm.
“Sir, the thieves have broken your ribs. You should rest. Maybe I should be on my way.”
“No! You must stay.” He pointed to a chair by the wall. “Please, bring me my robe. Yes, the one I was wearing when the robbers attacked me.” Adas retrieved the dusty garment and handed it to him. He ran his hand along the hem. “Please, cut the cloth here.”
Adas felt a lump inside the hem. When he cut the cloth open, he gasped at the object that rolled out into his hand. It was a pearl of such unique beauty that Adas thought he must be dreaming.
