The Twelve

by D A Walmsley

  “There’s food!”

  “Pete, what the hell. You can’t just help yourself.”

  “The party is for us, why not.” He then nudges Andrew. “Hey, I think that woman’s daughter may have a crush on you.”

  “Oh no, not them as well,” says Andrew as John and Nathaniel return and start demolishing large plates of what looks like chicken salad.

  “Excuse me, everyone, may I have your attention?” Joseph has gone over to the band and borrowed a microphone. He taps it to make sure it’s on.

  Peter goes and takes a seat next to John.

  “Thank you all for coming this evening, I have just been informed that the Buffet is now open, please help yourselves. Also in honour of my special guests I have arranged a short trip up the coast and in celebration of this joyous evening we will watch a magnificent firework display.”

  Some of the guests applaud. “Thank you, but before that I think it would be appropriate if we give thanks for the meal.”

  Peter and John look up in unison. Ruth puts her head in her hands and James laughs out loud and points. Jesus gives thanks to his Father for the good food and great company and follows the rest of the party to the dining room.

  As guests stare, Peter doesn’t feel embarrassed, why should he? It’s been a long day, he fished half the night and slept only a few hours before heading to Esther’s to meet with Jesus and the others. He hardly gets time to see Ruth and the kids anymore. Anyway, he saw Jesus stifling a yawn. It’s been a long day for them all.

  Thomas, who had been throwing down food and drink at an unequalled velocity has now stopped and is looking rather worried.

  “Did you feel that, I’m sure I felt something?” he says to Peter.

  “They must be setting off.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know we would be going out to sea,” moans Thomas.

  “What’s wrong?” asks Thaddy.

  “I get seasick.”

  “I thought your dad was a boat builder?”

  “He is, and I’ve helped – on dry land! I’ll be alright unless it starts to go up and down or side to side.”

  “These things have technology that stops them rolling about, you’ll be fine. Unless it gets really rough, that is,” says Peter.

  Andrew, James and John come over.

  “Come on Rocky,” says James, “Joseph says we can visit the bridge.”

  The moment Peter heard that they were going on a yacht he’d hoped they might be able to see the bridge, he feels quite excited. Joseph accompanies them in the lift to the upper deck. Once there they stand quietly at the back as the Captain and two crew slowly manoeuvre the huge yacht off the side of the quay and out of the marina. The bridge is huge by the fishermen’s standards and though there are many of the same instruments, they are the most up to date available. Once clear of the marina entrance Joseph introduces them to Captain Gerald McNeil, a retired British Navy Captain with forty years experience at sea. McNeil says hello and asks Joseph to look at a screen showing the weather charts. Peter tries to hear what they are saying.

  “Peter, come here and have a look at these charts,” says Joseph waving Peter over to look at the screen. “The Captain is a little concerned by the wind speeds.”

  Peter is only too happy to give his opinion. He studies the screen, oh this is so much better than the one on his boat.

  “We’ll be fine,” he tells Joseph. McNeil raises his eyebrow. Joseph pats Peter on the back, “good job” and heads back down to his guests. Now Andrew, James and John are studying the weather chart.

  “Looks like there’s a storm coming to me,” John says.

  “Yep, and just look at that wind speed, gonna be a bad one too,” James adds.

  Andrew, who never raises his voice with anyone let alone his brother, shouts “what on earth were you doing telling him we’ll be fine. Did you actually look at those charts?”

  Peter smirks, “It’s well over a hundred miles away, and that’s if it stays on the same heading, which I very much doubt.”

  “Anyway why is it your call, it’s the Captain’s decision,” Andrew points out.

  Andrew pushes Peter towards the lift and they all leave the bridge and head back down. “How cool would it be to have one of these,” James wonders.

  “Yeah, think of the girls we could pull,” says John.

  When they get down they find that most of the guests are outside on the deck. They can see Haifa with all its lights and buildings illuminated against the magnificent backdrop of Mount Carmel. Once the massive sprawl of the city has given way to singular and sporadic lights of coastline, the yacht begins to slow down.

  Joseph announces that everyone should be ready to look out as the fireworks will start any minute. He gets on the phone to the organisers on the coast, says that the yacht is now in position and they can begin immediately.

  Unfortunately, there is a delay, the fireworks don’t start and after fifteen minutes of waiting the wind starts to blow harder and Peter has second thoughts about the weather charts. He and Andrew slip away and head back up to the bridge.

  Peter knows the second he looks at McNeil’s face, that all is not well.

  “What’s he doing here,” Captain McNeil says to Andrew. Peter ignores him and studies the weather chart. The screen is showing an increase in wind speed and when combined with the low-pressure front, the window they have to get back to the safety of the marina is fast closing.

  “If they don’t start this blasted display soon…” warns McNeil.

  Bang, Bang, the first sounds of the fireworks explode in the sky high above the yacht. Peter and Andrew dash back down to the others.

  Thomas is trying to watch the display, but with the motion of the yacht he is finding it difficult to concentrate. “Oh I wish I hadn’t eaten so much, Ohhh.”

  James and John are finding this hilarious, and continue to make fun of him until he can’t take it any more and he dashes off to find a bathroom.

  The band is playing a rousing soundtrack to the display, but before they get to their big finale a large wave hits the side of the yacht, knocking them and quite a lot of the guests and crew off their feet.

  It seems that McNeil has had enough and the yacht turns around and begins to head back to the marina. Staff begin handing out life jackets and Joseph gets everyone inside and issues orders to his staff to clear away the buffet and anything breakable. This is a huge disappointment to Peter who had hoped to hit the dining room one last time before they got back to shore.

  As another wave hits, the lights flicker, then go out, plunging the yacht into complete darkness. People start screaming.

  Peter rushes to Ruth and puts his big arms around her. She puts her head on his chest.

  “Everything will be alright,” he says to her.

  Even James and John look worried.

  Rebecca, who has spent much of the night flirting her way round the room, is now firmly attached to Matthew. A flash of lightning streaks across the sky as if to announce the large wave that comes over the bow of the yacht. It knocks a crew member over as he is trying to close the doors to the deck and soaks everyone. They cry out as the freezing water hits them. As the storm increases, the yacht is thrown about violently, hurling marble tables and cedar chairs into the windows, sending huge shards of supposedly unbreakable glass everywhere.

  Peter can no longer hear the sound of the engines, they are now helpless. In all his experience he can’t remember a more violent and sudden storm as this.

  Voices call out, checking on loved ones. Above the noise of the wind and waves Andrew shouts “has anyone seen Jesus?”

  Just then another flash of lightning reveals a silhouette of a man standing outside on the deck. He has his arms outstretched and is completely unaffected by the wind and movement of the yacht. Suddenly the wind stops. Now Jesus’ voice can be heard. He is telling the sea to be calm…and the sea obeys.

  Chapter 17

  Two bodyguards push through the crowds of pilgrims a
nd visitors. They are in constant communication with the Temple control room via discreet earpieces and microphones. Their every movement is monitored by surveillance cameras.

  “We’re at the money tables.” says one guard.

  “Confirmed,” crackles back in his ear.

  The other guard hears and nods to his partner.

  From between the two guards steps a bald man in his sixties. Men sitting working at tables, or booths as they are called, stop serving their customers and stand up. Each gets the same greeting, a firm hand shake, followed by the traditional kiss on the cheek.

  “Shalom brother.”

  The men continue exchanging currencies into the Temple Shekel. Behind them a large computer screen shows the latest exchange rates, linked to the International Monetary Exchange. Josephus Annas likes to go down to the shop floor and inspect the booths and chat to some of his employees. It’s not just the money tables he owns, he has the monopoly on the sale of animals for the sacrifices. This is where he’s made most of his fortune. He has booths here and at the Mount of Olives, selling everything from sheep to doves and even pigeons. This is big business, for at Passover time alone two hundred and fifty thousand animals are slaughtered, most of which are supplied by Booths of Annas and Sons Ltd.

  Jonathan Sethas his assistant, comes forward. “Sir, it’s time you were moving on.”

  The guards once again take over, first letting the control room know that they’re on the move. With swiftness and authority they push through the people, who move out of the way when they see the guards. They recognise Annas and so they should, for it wasn’t that long ago that he was their High Priest. To many he still is, believing that the job of High Priest is for life.

  At the next booth a queue has formed as pilgrims buy a sacrifice. A board above the booth has all the days prices. Annas stops, waiting and watching as people choose an animal, depending on how much they can afford. An old man purchases a dove and hands over his shekels. It would cost only a few cents anywhere else, but here he has to see the money changers and pay a premium for the dove. Well, he is buying it here after all. Another nice profit.

  Annas followed the same path as his father who was a Sadducee and served on the Sanhedrin Council too but it wasn’t until many years later that Annas got his opportunity to become the High Priest. From that time he built up his considerable fortune from the booths. The Temple took its fair share and the priests were very well taken care of but it was Annas who exploited every opportunity. Who was there to stop him? He was the High Priest, the most important and respected person in Israel. He was the chairman of the Sanhedrin and head of political relations with the Union. Historically, if anything were to happen to the King or Ruler of Israel, it was the High Priest who assumed the role of its leader, something Annas would have felt very comfortable with. He even managed to engineer a whispering campaign in Rome that suggested if the Union was to ever gain Israel’s acceptance, a Jewish born Governor might be the solution, with his name being widely circulated.

  Sadly for him nothing came of it. The greased palms hadn’t worked on that occasion and when the Union installed Valerius Gratus, a tough ex military Commander, as the new Governor of Judea, Annas’ days as High Priest were numbered. Gratus found Annas a threat to his own power and about a year after he had arrived in the province, stripped him of the High Priests’ position. Gratus brought military justice Union style, with the death penalty installed and a clamp down on any independence protests.

  Priests, as part of their duties, operate as guides and they can easily be recognised for they wear long white linen robes and have tubular hats. A guide, showing a large group of tourists around, spots Annas.

  “Everybody, today God has blessed us, for here in our midst is our ex High Priest Josephus Annas.”

  The group all swarm around Annas and the guards struggle to keep them away. Annas smiles and even agrees to sign a few souvenir guide books. He is charm personified but when one woman tries to touch him his mood changes and the guards gently push her out of the way and take hold of their boss, quickly manoeuvring him away from the area.

  “I know, I know, one day there could be someone with a grievance,” says Annas.

  They climb some stairs to the upper courts where he has an office. It is also where the control room is situated. Priests and teachers mill around, public are only allowed up here when lessons in the scriptures are being taught. Annas has two offices, one here and one at his residence. Here he can keep an eye on his businesses. Two men are sitting on benches that run the entire length of the corridor. Both stand up when Annas comes into view. He ignores them, walking straight passed and through a reception area where his assistant Jonathan works. There are two more doors, one to a private wash-room, the other to his office. Jonathan and two guards all follow him. “Will that be all sir?” asks one of the guards.

  Annas stops at his office door, thinking for a second. Without turning round he says, “No, please wait outside and send in the other two.”

  His office is dark, the blinds on the windows closed, only a glimmer of the mid-morning sun shining through. He sits down on a soft brown leather chair and turns his back to the room facing the covered window and puts his hand to his face and thinks.

  There is a quiet knock at the door, and Jonathan shows the two men in.

  “Sir,” one says.

  Annas stays silent.

  After a few awkward moments, the other man speaks up, “you wanted to see us sir”.

  “Do you like me?”

  “Yes sir, of course sir,” both men respond immediately.

  “Really… You see, it doesn’t appear that way. To me it looks like you want to embarrass me, you want people to laugh at me.”

  “No sir, not true sir.”

  Annas slowly turns his chair to face them and picks up a report from his desk and throws it across the room towards the two men, scattering the papers.

  “We can explain!”

  “Can you! Can you explain why you weren’t on that yacht, despite my specific instructions? Can you explain that while you were sitting in your car you missed the entire event? Were you even there when the yacht came back to the marina? Because the entire news media are reporting another miracle. Your report included a few dozen blurred photographs, three pages of drivel and concluded with The evening passed without incident. Did you think I wouldn’t notice all the photos were of people arriving and none of them leaving? That you even had the audacity to submit that piece of garbage is beyond me.”

  He pauses, shaking his head.

  “Answer me this, do you still… still, stand by that report?”

  Neither man answers.

  “Oh, what a surprise.”

  He shouts for his assistant,“Jonathan, get in here!”

  Jonathan comes rushing in.

  “Fetch the two guards waiting outside, what are their names again?

  “Theo and Benjamin,” Jonathan replies, then adds, “Sir you’ve also had several messages from Caiaphas while you were downstairs.”

  Jonathan goes to fetch Theo and Benjamin.

  “Of course you two are no longer wanted here, now go wait in the other room while I talk to two real Temple guards,” Annas says to the men.

  Both sets of guards pass each other in the doorway to Annas’ office. Annas waves Theo and Ben in and they shut the door.

  “Escort those incompetents out of the Temple. You know what to do, after that.”

  They nod and smile.

  He shouts for Jonathan again.

  “I’m going to have to see Caiaphas in person, get me a new escort to the palace and let him know I’m on my way.”

  After his unfortunate and rather early departure as High Priest, Annas was in no mood to relinquish the power he had gained. Though he had been very astute in his business dealings and had the full confidence of the Sanhedrin, everything he had built was in danger of being passed on to someone else, and he was not about to let that happen. So when t
he Union decided that Israel should annually elect a new High Priest, he once again set about greasing the wheels and influencing the minds. He made sure the Sanhedrin gave him the responsibility of instructing and managing the new incumbent on the day to day duties of such an important position. For this act of sheer selflessness it would require that he remain in residence at the High Priests palace. It also meant he was able to keep total control of his Temple businesses. His plan worked even better than he had imagined, for the High Priest had become the main liaison between Israel and the Union and he was spending more time in meetings with the Governor, Gratus.

  After his third High Priest, Gratus became fed up with having to deal with someone new every year. He was a military man, and had ordered routines. By the time he had got used to the foibles and weaknesses of one High Priest, another popped up and he had to start again. When he found his fourth High Priest just about bearable he put an end to the annual change.

  That was several years earlier and Joseph Caiaphas had not only seen out Gratus, but kept his job when the new Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate was appointed. Annas survived the lot. Once Caiaphas, who just happened to be his son-in-law was appointed, his power base was secure. As was his wing in the palace.

  The Palace is situated near the Temple and is a three storey high building with an inner courtyard at its centre. As is traditional in the wealthy areas of the city it is built facing inwards, away from the street. If the Temple in all its magnificence is the centre piece of Jerusalem, then the Palace is the heartbeat. This is where decisions are made and deals are done. The Sanhedrin often meet here in private, away from the intrusiveness of the media. Annas lives in one wing, Caiaphas has the other. They like nothing more than to put on lavish parties and entertain the country’s finest minds and Union lackeys.

  Annas’ Rolls Royce slowly drives up the narrow street. Following is a black Ford with two temple security guards. Some of the streets in the old city weren’t built for traffic and getting from the Temple to the Palace takes around twenty minutes; it would be quicker to walk. Traffic has been reduced around the Temple by making the area pedestrian only, with official cars being the only exceptions. With the narrow streets and large volume of people it’s not an easy journey to make.