prefect of Judaea, and Flaccus, prefect of Egypt. It was also countersigned by your direct superior, Severus Severianus, the Governor of this province, when I visited him in Gortyna last month to ask permission to do my work in this province. Now will you parley?’
Vespasian looked at the odiously smug little man; half his right ear was missing, confirming that he had been the agitator who had started the riot. ‘I don’t give a fuck who’s signed your little piece of papyrus, Jew,’ he snarled back, unable to control his aversion to him, ‘you’ve started three days of rioting and caused many deaths; I can’t imagine that anyone has given you authority to do that.’
‘I am charged to do everything necessary to stamp out the heresy promoted by Yeshua, which his followers call “The Way”. I am further charged with ensuring that all large communities of Jews understand that this new cult is unacceptable and will be the cause of misery for God’s people.’
‘Like the rubbish that you spread about it being responsible for the silphium failing?’
Paulus looked at him slyly. ‘A lie becomes the truth if it gets the result that God wants.’
‘Show me that warrant.’
Paulus thrust the scroll at Vespasian, who sheathed his sword and took it.
‘“I, Caiaphas, High Priest of the Jews,”’ Vespasian read aloud, ‘“loyal subject of the Emperor Tiberius, do authorise Gaius Julius Paulus to use whatever means necessary to eradicate the teachings of Yeshua bar Yosef which threaten the Emperor’s peace, both here in Judaea and in the Jewish communities around his dominions.”’ He glanced at the seals and signatures: Caiaphas, Pilatus, Flaccus and Severianus. He handed the scroll back.
Paulus smiled complacently. ‘So you see, quaestor, I’m a very important man with powerful patrons. I’ve been successful in Caesarea and Alexandria and now I’m nearly done in Cyrene; when I’ve finished here I shall go back East.’
‘This does not give you the right to commit murder.’
‘This is not murder, it’s execution,’ Paulus replied, ‘and it’s a purely internal Jewish matter. I’ve already put the preacher, Shimon of Cyrene, to death and now in one of those houses behind me are Yeshua’s wife and his children; while they live they will carry on spreading his lies. So, quaestor, allow me to finish God’s will and then I’ll not trouble you any more, for I have work to do in Damascus where this abhorrent sect has also taken root.’
‘I have seen children executed before because they bore their father’s name and I will not see it done again.’
‘You haven’t got the power to stop me.’
Vespasian grabbed Paulus by the arm and twisted him around; slamming his shield arm across his throat, he drew his pugio and stuck the point next to his kidneys. ‘I may not have the power, but I do have the will. One false move, you nasty little shit, and it’ll be your last. Festus! Eight men here to arrest this agitator.’
A roar of protest went up from the crowd, but they did not move to intervene; the threat of the auxiliaries held them back.
‘You can’t arrest me,’ Paulus shrieked, ‘I have a warrant.’
Vespasian pushed his pugio into Paulus’ skin, drawing blood. ‘Then you had better tear it up because if I can’t arrest you my dagger might just slip.’ He pulled his blade across Paulus’ flesh, slicing it.
Paulus cried out in pain, squirming unsuccessfully to release himself. He took the scroll and slowly ripped it down the middle, then across and dropped the pieces. ‘You are as arrogant as your brother whom I had the misfortune to meet in Judaea,’ he declared contemptuously.
‘Your opinion means nothing to me, you’re irrelevant now.’
‘I am a man of great potential, quaestor, held back by the petty ambitions of people like you; I will be very relevant to you one day, I assure you.’
Vespasian shoved Paulus into the arms of the waiting auxiliaries. ‘Take him down to the port and have him put aboard the next ship heading for Judaea.’
Paulus glared at him with loathing and spat at his feet.
Vespasian turned his back on him and addressed the crowd. ‘Your leader has torn up his authority and is on his way back to Judaea. All those who throw down their weapons now will live; those who don’t will die. Those already in custody will be sent to the Governor for trial with the recommendation of death and I will not negotiate on that point. My soldiers stand ready; what’s it to be?’
Almost instantaneously the rioters started throwing their weapons to the ground.
‘Prefect, round them up and put them all to work dousing the fires and clearing up the damage; if anyone refuses they can join the prisoners being sent to Creta. And bring the woman and her children to me at the Governor’s Residence, and Yosef as well.’
‘How can I thank you, quaestor?’ Yeshua’s woman sobbed with relief as Quintillius showed her and Yosef into Vespasian’s study. She fell to her knees and kissed his feet; her two children stood shyly behind her next to Yosef.
‘What’s your name?’ he asked, bending down from his chair and lifting her chin.
‘Mariam, quaestor.’
‘Well, Mariam, what would you have me do with you?’
‘Allow me to take my children to safety.’
‘To Gaul?’
‘To Carthage first then in the spring I’ll make the crossing to Gaul.’
‘Why Gaul?’
‘There are very few Jews there, I won’t be recognised.’
‘Why do the Jewish priests want you dead?’
‘I can answer that, quaestor,’ Yosef offered. ‘On the third day after Yeshua died she and some of his disciples went to his tomb in order to take his body back to Galilee; they found it empty.’
‘Someone else took the body?’
‘We don’t know. Caiaphas the High Priest wanted it buried in an unmarked grave so perhaps the Temple Guards took it secretly after we had placed it in the tomb. They were waiting for it but your brother gave it to me. But perhaps he still lives. There have been a number of people who claim to have seen and spoken with him; some say that he has gone into the East.’
‘But that’s ridiculous, the man was crucified; even if he did survive somehow he would be a cripple.’
‘I know.’ Yosef spread his hands, hunching his shoulders. ‘But nevertheless his body wasn’t in the tomb and he has been seen. Perhaps he didn’t die, perhaps he was resurrected as those who have seen him claim, or perhaps it’s just someone impersonating him. It doesn’t matter, the priests are hunting down everyone who can bear witness to the empty tomb or to Yeshua still being alive.’
‘Believe whatever nonsense you like.’ Vespasian’s mind started to turn to thoughts of Flavia. ‘You are both free to go but how and where is up to you; your ship turned back eastwards a couple of days ago according to the port aedile’s records.’
‘God will provide,’ Mariam said as she got to her feet.
‘I am again in your debt; God be with you, quaestor,’ Yosef said, walking towards the door.
‘I prefer to have more than one god looking after me.’
Quintillius opened the door and let them out.
‘Quaestor,’ the clerk said once they were alone, ‘we found the house where Flavia Domitilla was staying.’
‘Excellent. Did she accept the invitation to dinner?’
‘She wasn’t there.’
‘Then go and wait until she comes back.’
‘I’m afraid that would prove fruitless. The landlord told us that the day after the fighting started Flavia Domitilla boarded a Judaean trading ship heading east.’
PART II
