Chapter 27

‘On the night before last I was visited by an Angel,’ continued Cornelius. ‘Let me say that it is not my habit to dream of Angels. This one seemed very real. He was a handsome young fellow, clad in white satin, and wearing a golden fillet. On the left breast of his tunic—’ Cornelius laid his hand over the black eagle on his breast.

‘There was a gold cross, I think,’ assisted Peter.

Cornelius’ deep-set eyes widened. He nodded his head.

‘You too have seen him, then?’ he asked.

‘Yes, sir. He is a courier, representing the Kingdom.’

‘Precisely!’ said Cornelius. ‘That is what he told me! And when I asked him to tell me about this Kingdom, he told me to send for you!…Proceed, please! What manner of Kingdom is this?’

‘It is a long story, sir,’ said Peter, wondering where to begin. ‘Doubtless you have heard of Jesus, the Galilean, who went about the Jewish provinces, healing the sick, encouraging the downtrodden—and was crucified by Pontius Pilate—and, on the third day, left his tomb, to be seen alive by many witnesses.’

Cornelius nodded, indifferently, almost impatiently. Yes, he had heard all that—but these were tall tales, and who were these witnesses? And what was this Kingdom?

Peter recrossed his legs and began at the beginning. He himself had been a witness. He hadn’t wanted to believe in this Carpenter. He had been a rough, profane, sceptical, roistering fisherman. He had gone out into the country to scoff at this young upstart and prove to the deluded men of his fishing crew that the wonder-working prophet was a fraud.

Cornelius listened with mounting interest.

Peter told him of the day when he had been forced to carry a blind child to Jesus, and had seen the bewildered eyes open; told him of the vast throngs that followed, day by day, hungry, footsore, fascinated by tidings of a Kingdom to come where all men would be free of oppression; told him of the healing of cripples, yes, and lepers!

The afternoon wore on. The story continued.

The authorities had tried to silence the Carpenter, but feared an uprising by the people. The crowds increased. The highways were crowded with frantic relatives bringing their sick to be healed.

Dusk came down. A servant slipped quietly into the room and lighted the lamps. Cornelius told him to serve supper here on the desk. The servant retired and Peter went on.