by Bear, Robert
“No. He said the druids do not punish any attempted crime, but that is not end of it. Bridget’s father is powerful, the king of all the Belgae. He will come after Daniel and kill him for the insult to the honor of his family. No one will lift a hand to stop him. Elsigar has declared Daniel an anathema. No one will talk to him, even if he does show himself.”
“Daniel must have some explanation. Where is he?”
“Who knows? What explanation can there be? Even if she wanted him, as he claims, it is still a great sin for him to try to do what he attempted—fornication at the least. What could he have been thinking? He has thrown away his life—on a goy!”
“Goy or not, she’s a child of God, too. From what you say, he tried to have carnal knowledge of her against her will. We Jews call that rape, even if the druids do not punish the attempt. A sin like that will corrupt his soul. But he is still my cousin and your son. He needs our help.”
“He is no longer my son.”
Jesus took a step back. “I curse his sin, Uncle, but I still love him. He has stood by me ever since the two of you came to Nazareth, when I was in peril there.” He ran his fingers through his long, unkempt hair. “What could have gotten into him? The cousin I know would never do anything like this.” He shook his head. Uncle Joseph remained silent, head in his hands. “He cannot stay in Ynys Witrin; he needs to get away before the Belgae come for him. Come with me, Uncle. Your son’s very life is at stake.”
Joseph groaned. “I meant what I said; he is no longer my son. Go look for him if you must.”
Jesus walked to Wearyall, the ridge on the finger of land jutting out into the Brue. Daniel loved to sit in a clearing atop the ridge and look out to the Lake Village or across the marshlands. That is where he found him, pacing back and forth across the clearing.
“Daniel, what happened?” Jesus asked. “What got into you?”
“Did my father send you? What did he say?”
“He didn’t send me. He says you are no longer his son. He told me that you tried to rape Bridget. I want to hear your side of it.”
“Rape! That is a laugh. She wanted it.”
“I hear the men who rescued Bridget said she was screaming for you to stop.”
“They are lying.”
“Those scratches on your face do not lie. I only saw her for a moment, but Bridget was distraught.”
“Did they tell you she kissed me before I even touched her?”
“Even if she did, that does not mean she wanted you to know her carnally.”
“It’s not my fault the bitch changed her mind. That is how women are. They lead you on. They say no when they mean yes. But you would not know about that, would you, Divine One? Before you left to study with the druids, you said you could never love a woman as men do. You don’t know what it is like to want one.”
“I had nothing to do with this.”
“You are the one she loves. If you had not led her on, she would know she could never have you. Then she would want me.”
Daniel is blaming everyone but himself. “Look, Daniel, you need to pray and get yourself right with God.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Even if what you say is true, you are still sinning against him. From the looks of you, you must have tried to force yourself on her. She may have wanted romance, but you gave her violence instead.”
“Why did you come here, if I am such a sinner? You hate me.” Daniel continued to pace across the clearing.
“Daniel, I could never hate you. We are like brothers. Stop pacing and sit down.”
Daniel sat down on the log next to Jesus.
“We need to get you out of Britain before Bridget’s father seeks you out.”
“Where will we go?”
“We must make for Armorica. You will be under the protection of the Romans there.” Jesus thought out the situation. We cannot risk waiting for Kendrick to return. Bridget’s father may be only days away to the east. Crossing the Sabrina to the land of the Silures is too risky; Arvigarus is my friend, but King Cymbeline will never risk war with the Belgae to protect Daniel. No, we must head west to Carn Roz, across the lands of the Dumnonii. That is unfamiliar territory to the Belgae, and that will slow them if they try to track us. Bannoch and Tilda will remember Daniel, and the people of the village still profit from the tin trade we started. They will help conceal us until we can secure passage to Armorica.
Jesus looked up. Daniel was shaking his head. “I am not going to Armorica. We must stay in Britain.”
“Bridget’s father will come for you. He will hunt you down and kill you.”
“Not if Bridget realizes that I am the one she really wants.”
He must be deluded. “Daniel, look what she did to your face. I left her crying in my mother’s arms because you distressed her so. What more must she do to convince you she does not want you?”
Daniel turned to Jesus with a smug expression. “She’s feisty, all right. All that just makes me want her more.”
Now it was Jesus’s turn to get up and pace. He crossed the clearing, back and forth. “Daniel, they will kill you if you stay,” Jesus shouted.
“You are going to die, too. You have finally heard about the real meaning of that prophecy. How you truly will die on the cross if the Romans crucify you.”
How does he know this?
“We belong here in Britain now, you and I. There is nothing for us back in Israel, nor anywhere else in the Roman empire. If we go to Armorica, we will soon be on our way back to Judea or Galilee. You know where that path leads you—to crucifixion and death.”
“I can come back here on my own once you are safe.”
“That’s beside the point.” Daniel jumped up and came close. “Make Bridget love me. I know you can. I have never asked anything from you, but I know you are fully divine, just as you said, and you can do it. Think about it: with Bridget’s family joined to ours, you can adopt the Britons as your own people.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I know what is to become of the Britons. The Romans will come to stay, and when their empire finally crumbles, wave upon wave of barbarian invaders will torment and enslave these people.”
How can he know this? Bridget swore she would not breathe a word of this to anyone.
“You can put a stop to that,” said Daniel. “Adopt these people as your own, just as your Father in heaven adopted the Jews. With Bridget’s hand joined to mine, we can restore the house of David here, in Britain, where the people will love us and not betray us, and where you will become known to these people as their god. We will stop the Romans on the beaches and secure the freedom of these people for ages to come. In time, we might even lead the Britons to smash the evil empire of the Romans. The emperors themselves will cringe in terror at your feet, Jesus.”
“Daniel, how do you know this, about the Romans coming to these shores? Who told you?”
“No one. I…had a vision.”
Father in heaven would never send a vision like that to anyone but me. Jesus looked his cousin over. Someone must have told him, but if not Bridget or my Father, who? Jesus looked deep into his cousin’s eyes.
The answer that came to him was horrible, but it explained everything. “Satan has taken you.” Jesus said, speaking deliberately and cautiously. “You have fallen into his traps of sin and death! If you do not turn from the Devil, then I cannot help you.”
Daniel laughed insanely.
“Let the Devil take you,” said Jesus, “and let the Belgae king come for you and kill you. I will not form a league with the Fallen One. I cannot help you if you do not turn to God. If you change your mind, you know where to find me. You do not have much time.”
Lucifer
Down in hell, the Fallen One paused from his feasting on the souls of the unredeemed to dance a triumphant jig. The keys of heaven are practically mine! I never imagined Jesus would abandon his cousin so quickly. He sees the corruption that lies in Daniel’s he
art. Surely he will realize soon the futility of trying to save these mortals.
Bridget
By the time Jesus returned to Mary’s house, Bridget had regained her composure. She was eating soup Mary had prepared.
Bridget saw Mary looking at her questioningly. Then she realized what concerned her. “It’s all right,” said Bridget. “Jesus is not like Daniel. He will not harm me. You can leave me with him.”
Mary took the hint and left, saying she had something to do outside in the herb garden.
Jesus filled his own bowl at the hearth. “May I sit at the table with you?”
“Certainly.” Bridget listlessly stirred the soup. “It’s strange you feel the need to ask.”
“I cannot imagine how violated you must feel. I would not blame you for wanting to be alone right now…or at least away from any man. I am sorry about Daniel. He has never done anything like this before.”
“I know that you, your mother, and your uncle would have stopped it if you had known.” He actually cares about my feelings! For my father, this will be about the insult to the family pride. I am the one who was almost raped, but my father will feel that he is the one who was victimized because of the insult to his honor. But Jesus is not like any Celt; he understands how a woman feels. “You are good people,” she continued. “You have all been so kind to me.”
“You are the one who has been good to me,” said Jesus. “You fed me and took care of me when I was sick. My mother says she could barely have managed without you.”
“It was nothing. I was here on a diplomatic mission for my father, anyway.”
“Elsigar tells me that mission has been over for many months. With thanks in good measure to you, I am well and walking about. I have not needed nursing for weeks. And yet you remain.”
“I do not want to leave. As I said, you are all good people—”
“Bridget, do you know what it means to really love someone?”
Is he going to declare his love for me? Please, I beg the gods, please let it be so! Outwardly, Bridget just sighed and looked confused. “What does it mean to you?”
“I think it means that you care for someone more than you care for yourself. Like the love between a mother and child.”
Bridget looked into Jesus’s eyes. He is so gentle and caring. No one has ever talked to me like this.
“I care for you deeply, Bridget. I owe you so much. But Bridget, I know what you want from me, and I cannot give you what you seek.”
Bridget looked at him in shock, and then she had an idea. “Are you worried about marrying a gentile? I asked Mary whether someone could become Jewish, and she said it was rare, but it could be done. Later, I asked her about where one could find a rabbi, and she said that there were rabbis in Gaul. That’s what I would need to do, find a rabbi to study with, right?”
“It would take you a year at least—”
“I will do it, whatever it takes.”
“No, Bridget, you dear sweet woman. Marrying you as a gentile is the least of the problems—”
“Why, Jesus, why? You just said you cared about me deeply. I see that you do, more than any man I have known.”
“I care deeply about you, but you know I am not like other men. A man and woman who join themselves in marriage become one flesh, but I share the nature of my divine Father. I cannot join my flesh to the flesh of any mortal woman and make it one; it would be unnatural for me. I will always be grateful to you, but I cannot give you the romantic love you deserve.”
“What are you going to do about the destiny your father has carved out for you? Are you going to submit to crucifixion? What about adopting the Britons as your people?”
Jesus shook his head. “I do not know. I think of Daniel, and it all feels so hopeless. I see this man, my cousin, whom I have loved as a brother. I see how weak and wicked he has become, and I do not know him anymore. It makes me think that giving myself up to the cross will be for nothing, that no one will remember me a few days after I am gone.
“Then I think about the good life I could have,” Jesus continued. “I am skilled with the sword, and I want to use it for justice. I want people to be free, regardless of whether they are Britons or Jews. I could go back to Israel and be the Messiah for my people, just as I always imagined…as the new King David, fighting to free my people from Roman oppression. Or I could stay here and adopt the Britons as my own people, and I could fight to preserve their freedom, just as you said. The path is mine to choose.”
“Why not do that? Fight for the Jews or fight for the Britons. You will win and become the hero of the people, either here or in Judea and Galilee. Give us freedom.”
“I think about that all the time now, but my Father said something else that night on the Tor. He said that by giving myself up to the cross, I would bring the hope of salvation to the world. He did not say how, and it sounds crazy to me, but it makes me wonder about the easier path, about fulfilling my birthright as the son of David. I think I can free people from Roman oppression, but then I ask myself who will free the people—the Jews or the Celts—from the wages of death and sin. I do not know right now what I must do.”
The two of them sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes.
“Bridget, I think I was just too blind to see this, but there is nothing for you here now. I cannot offer what you seek from me. The time has come for you to go. You must return to your own people.”
Bridget looked into Jesus’s eyes. “I suppose you are right, but let me ask you for something. It will make my heart easier when I think about the future of the Britons.”
“What is it?” Jesus asked.
“If you decide to obey your father, will you send to Britain word of how we can find salvation from death and sin through your sacrifice? Will you promise me this?”
“Oh, Bridget, of course I promise. I will never forget the kindness of the Britons. I make this solemn pledge: if I am unable to come myself, I will send a messenger to you.”
Lucifer
Satan gnashed his teeth. He had not expected Jesus to concern himself so much with Bridget. She will leave him, at least for now, but what if she returns? What if Jesus sees hope for these miserable mortal creatures through her? The Devil knew he had to do something more than he had with Daniel. There must be another mortal who could be turned to death and sin—someone who could expose all the wickedness of the human spirit to Jesus and make him realize the hopelessness of trying to save them from themselves.
The Fallen One looked over the Levels and beyond, and he saw another mortal who would serve perfectly. He almost danced another jig of celebration. A runaway slave who had taken up brigandry. Even better, the slave-turned-brigand already bore hatred for Jesus. Satan had set his gaze on Pirro.
Chapter 17
Arrows of Desire
Pirro
“I did not come all this way to Ynys Witrin to raid a few farm houses,” shouted Pirro, stomping his foot. “I seek a bigger prize.” He looked over his motley band of a dozen brigands. “We must wait and watch for our chance. My old master and his family have silver, enough to make us all rich, but they will guard it even more closely if they suspect robbers are about. I do not care if this house is unguarded. The people are poor, and we must leave it be—for now.”
Reinventing myself has been easier than I ever thought possible. Yes, they snarl at me when I tell them to leave the farmhouses alone, but they will follow me anywhere. That is not too bad for a man who’s been a trader in Celtic junk and then a slave, eh?
The hunchback with five missing teeth shook his head. “It would be better to sack the farmhouses. We could spend weeks waiting for something better, and all that time we run the risk of capture.” He scratched his shaggy gray hair. “Besides, if Jesus bar whatsit and his lot have all that silver, then surely they’ll conceal and protect it.”
“Jesus and his family do not care,” said Pirro. “I saw Jesus work his magic digging for tin, and it is easy for him to find the lode
s of ore. They do not think to guard their hoards because they are so easy to replace.” The hunchback makes a good point, but it does not matter. I would have made myself rich during the battle at Rumps, but Jesus foiled me. He dared to pass judgment on me and condemn me to suffer. I will have my revenge. These men need not know that I care nothing about the silver—or about them, for that matter.
“I tell you,” he said, “Jesus has more silver stashed away than you can possibly imagine. Score this one robbery with me, and you will have more than enough to live at ease for the rest of your lives.”
Pirro’s words failed to silence the hunchback, and a few of his cohorts started to look as if he was beginning to persuade them. The man is tiresome, and he is not much use in a fight anyway. Pirro drew his sword, and with one swift stroke he cleaved the hunchback’s head from his broken torso. He looked over his followers. “Does anyone else have a question about what we’re doing?”
Daniel
The druids gathered once again for the festival of Beltane, to call Mother Earth back to life. At first, Daniel stayed at the edge of the crowd, covering his head with his cloak so no one would recognize him. Only two days had passed since his failed attempt to make Bridget his. If he were recognized, all would shun him, or worse.
He searched the crowd for Bridget. Surely she would be at this important festival, but she was not among her people. Then he spotted her, sitting with Jesus, the two of them off by themselves. Daniel concealed himself behind a bush to eavesdrop.
“Have you decided what you will do?” Bridget asked.
“Elsigar tried to convince me to become a druid,” Jesus said with a rueful smile. “When I told him what my Father in heaven wants of me, he said our one god was far too demanding. Maybe Elsigar has a point.”
Bridget laughed softly. “That’s the first time I have ever seen you smile.”
“It is another path open to me, I suppose, though I do not think I am ready to give myself over to paganism.”
“If you really believe your Father is the creator of the universe, then maybe you should trust him and go back to your homeland. This sacrifice he asks of you: doesn’t he say it will be the key to the hope of salvation for the whole world?”
