Chapter 24

They stopped at the old fort of Minoa for water. The sentry at the gate immediately recognized the Proconsul and deferentially volunteered to notify Centurion Paulus, who, he said, was in temporary command. Paulus cordially extended such hospitality as was to be had, and while they lounged in the shade their conversation promptly turned to the singular case of the young Legate, Marcellus, who had been unexpectedly summoned to Rome.

‘And half out of his wits, too,’ put in Paulus. ‘That crucifixion was too much for him.’

‘The whole affair,’ growled Mencius, ‘was a disgrace to the Empire! The dead man is better off than the people who condemned him.’

‘So you think the Galilean is dead,’ remarked Paulus.

‘What else should I think?’ demanded Mencius. ‘You crucified him, didn’t you?’

Then the strange story came out. The contingent from Minoa had not left Jerusalem until Monday morning. By that time the city was buzzing with rumours that the crucified Galilean had left his tomb and had been seen by many credible witnesses. The Sanhedrin was making every effort to have the report officially denied and the rumour-spreaders punished, but Pilate was doing nothing about it.

‘Of course, sir, it can’t be true,’ added Paulus, unwilling to be suspected of half-believing it himself.

‘Why not?’ barked the Proconsul, to the Centurion’s amazement. ‘This Galilean was no ordinary man. There is no doubt at all that he healed the sick and gave sight to the blind. Why shouldn’t he have the power to come to life?’

‘Well, sir, the way I look at it, if he had the power to recover his life after death, why did he permit himself to be killed? It cost him great suffering.’ Paulus waited for further comment from the grizzled Roman who outranked him, and when it was not forthcoming he ventured to ask, ‘Do you think it makes sense, sir?’

‘No,’ muttered Mencius. ‘It doesn’t make sense. And opening the eyes of the blind doesn’t make sense, either…I would give a great deal, Paulus, to know whether there is any truth in this story…How does it strike you, Voldi?’

‘I have no opinions, Mencius. It’s difficult to believe.’

‘But you saw him in action, and were deeply impressed. You even suggested that he might be humanity’s “Torchbearer.”‘

‘That is true,’ admitted Voldi, ‘but it hadn’t occurred to me that he would live for ever. Couldn’t he give the world all the light it needed—and then depart? What more can he do, now that he has returned from his tomb? Will he continue to admonish the new generations as they arrive?’