Chapter 10

Mencius nodded; and, reaching for Voldi’s arm, drew him forward.

‘Tony,’ he said, ‘I want you to meet a young Arabian friend of mine…Voldi, greet my long-time-ago schoolmate, Antonius Lucan, Commander of the Emperor’s ship The Augusta.’

Voldi bowed briefly. The Commander’s eyes narrowed a little. He lifted his forearm perfunctorily and mumbled that any friend of Proconsul Nicator Mencius was his friend also; after which he turned toward his old crony with a quizzical arching of his grizzled brows, plainly inquiring how we happened to have an Arabian on our hands at this particular moment. Mencius was prompt to reply. Voldi had come upon him in the night, on the road alone, badly outnumbered by robbers, and had joined the fray. The reckless Arabian had saved his life; no less!

In response to this speech, the Commander of The Augusta bowed to Voldi in recognition of invaluable services rendered to a comrade, and Mencius supplemented his story of the fight with, ‘It’s amazing—this young fellow’s skill with a dagger! I think his parents must have given him a knife to play with when he was a baby.’

Voldi gave a deprecating grin, shrugged slightly, and seemed eager for a change of topic. He was conscious of the old sailor’s uneasiness about him. The tension was somewhat relaxed, at this juncture, by the appearance of another urbane, middle-aged Roman—more conservatively dressed than any of the others—who paused to greet Mencius with quiet affability, after nodding to Tony.

‘What brings you here this time, Mencius?’ he inquired lazily. ‘More copper?’

‘At present the fellow’s not a peddler, Atrius,’ drawled Tony. ‘He’s a tourist, absolutely empty-handed, sailing home with me on The Augusta. We’re taking His Highness Antipas and his family on their annual excursion.’

Atrius, taking pains to be extravagantly disrespectful, sniffed audibly and wrinkled his nose.

‘I wish somebody would explain to me,’ he declaimed, ‘how the ruler of poor little Galilee rates a free voyage, every season, on the Emperor’s pleasure-barge!’

‘Psst!’ warned Tony. ‘I mustn’t be seen listening complacently to such talk.’ Then, lowering his voice, he remarked, ‘You may be sure the Tetrarch will eventually pay his passage…And he is abundantly able to do it—when Tiberius bills him for it.’

Mencius broke in now to introduce Voldi with appropriate explanations of the circumstances accounting for their friendship. Then, to Voldi, ‘Should you get into any trouble while in Caesarea, our excellent Atrius—who is the best-known lawyer in the city—will befriend you, I know.’

Atrius, who had been gnawing at his bearded underlip and staring into Voldi’s face with undisguised curiosity, chuckled gruffly.