Danger on a Silent Night

by Marianne Hering

  “My cousin,” she said.

  “In the throne room?” he asked. “What cousin of a servant could be found in the throne room?”

  Beth opened her mouth to speak.

  But Brutus leaned toward her before she could say anything. “Where are you from?” he asked. “Are your parents Jews or Romans?”

  Beth’s heart pounded hard. She didn’t know what to say.

  “Sir, she was helping me,” Judith said in a timid voice. “She was there only because I asked her to come.”

  “Is that so?” Brutus said. “What do you know about her? How can you be sure she wasn’t hired to poison the king? Or slip a knife into his back!”

  Beth gasped. “No!” she cried.

  A bell rang from the throne room behind him.

  Brutus frowned. “The king is calling me,” he said. He pointed his finger at Beth and said, “I’m keeping an eye on you!” He turned on his heel and walked away.

  Beth turned helplessly to Judith. “What am I supposed to do?” she asked.

  Judith looked worried. “You’d better watch out.”

  Apellus

  Patrick watched the merchant traders stumble over themselves from fear. They dragged their animals away from the well.

  “Take the water!” their leader said to the wealthy men. “Drink all you want!”

  They hurried away from the water hole.

  The rich men watched the merchants in the brown robes leave. Some of the wealthy men were smiling.

  “That takes care of that,” said the wealthy man standing near Patrick. Then the man walked away.

  The servants of the wealthy men walked to the hole. They were carrying strange-looking buckets. The buckets looked like they were made of animal skins. One at a time, the men lowered the buckets into the well.

  Patrick wondered about the mysterious young man. He had suddenly appeared and then disappeared in puffs of smoke. But was it really magic?

  The rich men didn’t seem disturbed at all.

  Then Patrick heard rustling from behind the bushes. He poked his head around the other side. He was surprised to see the young man standing there. He was brushing dirt and ashes off his fine robe.

  The young man looked at Patrick and smiled. “Did the men stop fighting?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Patrick replied. “Your trick scared them away.”

  “Good,” the young man said. “It was selfish of them to refuse my people water.”

  Patrick looked around for evidence of the young man’s trick. But he couldn’t find any.

  The young man gazed at Patrick. “Who are you?” the young man asked.

  Patrick smiled and introduced himself. “My name is Patrick,” he said.

  The young man bowed. As he bowed, he touched his forehead and then his chest. “I am Apellus,” he said. “I am the firstborn son of Datis, king of the wise ones.”

  Patrick bowed to the prince.

  Apellus seemed to study Patrick. “You dress like the people from my country,” he said. “But you don’t act like them. Are you from the East too?”

  Patrick glanced down at his clothes. He said, “I’m not really sure which direction I’m from. I was with my cousin, and she got lost. Or I did. I’m not sure. I thought she might be by the well. But she could be anywhere.”

  “You’re welcome to travel with us,” Apellus said. “We are journeying to Jerusalem. Perhaps you’ll find her there.”

  “Maybe you can make her appear with your magic,” Patrick said.

  Apellus smiled. “It’s not really magic. Magic is dark and evil. My father would never allow it.”

  “Then how did you appear and disappear in the cloud of smoke?” Patrick asked.

  “I’ll tell you my secret if you travel with us,” Apellus said.

  “First I have to make sure my cousin isn’t here,” Patrick said.

  “Then let’s look together,” Apellus said.

  They moved out from behind the bushes and walked toward the well. The search for Beth didn’t take long. There weren’t very many places she could be. Patrick finally decided to travel with Apellus. There was nothing else he could do.

  “Come with me. I’ll find a camel for you to ride,” Apellus said.

  Patrick followed Apellus to a group of camels. Some were resting on the ground. Others were standing in a line. Still others were drinking water from a stone trough.

  Patrick eyed the huge beasts. “I’ve never ridden a camel before,” he said.

  Apellus looked at Patrick in surprise. “Do you travel by horse?”

  “No. I usually ride my bike,” Patrick said.

  “I’ve never heard of that creature,” Apellus said.

  Patrick didn’t bother to explain. “What about the camel?” he asked.

  “It’s not hard to ride,” said Apellus. He guided Patrick over to one sitting on the ground. “This is Old Neb. Just climb on. He knows what to do.”

  Patrick frowned. The camel looked old and grumpy. “Will he let me?” Patrick asked.

  Apellus chuckled. “Yes,” he said. “I’ll show you. Watch me.” The young man climbed on a nearby camel.

  Patrick swung his leg over Old Neb’s back and onto the saddle. The camel groaned as he stood up. Patrick held on with both hands as the camel swayed back and forth. He was afraid he might fall off. It seemed like a long way down to the ground.

  “Whoa, boy,” Patrick said nervously.

  Apellus laughed again. Then he reached under the camel’s saddle blankets. He pulled out a long, thin branch. He flicked the branch on the camel’s neck.

  The prince’s camel groaned and then stood up. Soon all the camels lifted themselves on spindly legs. Patrick wondered how the animals’ knobby knees could support their giant hump.

  The camels’ loud noises also surprised Patrick. Their snorts, blats, and bellows sounded like out-of-tune tubas.

  Apellus’s camel moved forward, hump swaying. Old Neb snorted and then followed.

  The prince’s and Patrick’s camels moved in line with the others. The caravan moved slowly out of the valley.

  Patrick’s camel climbed to the top of the hill. The camel groaned and complained all the way. Patrick looked across a field and saw a hillside covered with buildings. The city looked about a mile away.

  “What is that city?” he called to Apellus.

  “Jerusalem!” the young prince called back.

  “What are we going to do there?” Patrick shouted.

  “We’re going to visit the royal palace!” Apellus said.

  “What?” Patrick asked. “Why are we going there?”

  Apellus called over his shoulder, “To find the newborn King of the Jews!”

  Three Wise Men?

  “The newborn King of the Jews?” Patrick called. “Do you mean Jesus?”

  “Jesus?” Apellus asked. He slowed his camel so Patrick could catch up.

  “You know, Christ the Lord, the newborn King,” Patrick said. “Like in the Christmas songs.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Apellus said. “But we know a new King has been born. My father tracked the star that marked His birth. That’s why we’ve traveled here.”

  Patrick thought about this news for a while. Then he asked Apellus, “Are you carrying gold and myrrh with you?”

  Apellus glanced at him. “We have gold and myrrh,” he said. “And frankincense. They are gifts for the King.”

  Patrick rode on in silence. It was a lot to think about. He’d had many adventures in the Imagination Station. But he never expected to meet the baby Jesus. Or would he? He couldn’t remember what happened to the wise men in the Bible.

  The caravan passed through a grove of bushy olive trees. The air was dry and warm. The scent of olive oil made Patrick think of Italian food.

  Finally, the caravan came to the gates of Jerusalem.

  The city spread out over the hillsides. A gigantic stone wall surrounded it. Tall buildings towered above the wall. Their color an
d rectangular shape reminded Patrick of sand castles.

  Old Neb stopped suddenly, and Patrick jerked forward. He grabbed the saddle with both hands. He felt himself slipping off. But he held on and soon settled himself again. He looked back at the long train of men and camels. He silently counted the number of men dressed in rich robes. One, two . . . seven! he thought. It can’t be!

  “Apellus! Who is your dad? And who are the men with him?” he asked.

  Apellus answered, “They are the seven wise ones from my country. Some would call them kings. My father is their leader.”

  “Not three?” Patrick asked. “There should be only three.”

  Apellus looked puzzled. He tapped his camel with the branch, and it stopped. Old Neb stopped too. The camels behind them came to a halt, too.

  “What’s this talk of three wise men?” Apellus asked Patrick as he climbed off his camel.

  “I thought there were only three,” Patrick said again. Old Neb let out a mighty groan. The old camel folded his legs and settled on the ground.

  Patrick held on as his seat swung back and forth. He was glad to climb off. His back and legs felt stiff. “I guess the songs got it wrong,” he said.

  Apellus shook his head at Patrick. “Songs?”

  “Never mind,” Patrick said. “What are we doing now?”

  “We’re waiting for my father,” Apellus said. “We shouldn’t enter the city without a formal message to the king.”

  Patrick looked back at the caravan. That could take a while, he thought. “Will you tell me your secret while we wait?” he asked. “How did you do the trick at the water hole?”

  The young man nodded. “I’ll tell you,” he said, “because now we’re friends. But it wasn’t a trick. It was knowledge.”

  “Knowledge?” Patrick asked.

  “My father experiments with different salts, elements, and compounds,” said Apellus. “He knows which ones to mix to create smoke. He knows which ones to mix to create light.”

  “Oh! You mean science?” Patrick asked.

  At first Apellus looked confused. “Sigh-ants?” he asked. Then he smiled and said, “Oh, you mean scientia. That’s Latin. Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. Someday I hope to learn everything my father knows.”

  “How did you make the smoke?” Patrick asked.

  Apellus held open his outer robe. Patrick saw many hidden pockets sewn inside.

  “I simply mixed several salts and elements. I always carry pouches of them in my pockets,” Apellus said.

  Then he pulled a pouch out of a pocket. “I threw this mixture on the ground. When it made the cloud of smoke, I stepped into it. Nobody saw me until the cloud disappeared.”

  “Could you teach me some of your knowledge?” Patrick asked. “I’d love to show this to Beth.”

  “I’ll teach you when we have time,” Apellus said. “Right now my father is coming.”

  An older man walked toward them. He had a long white beard. He wore a green robe with white fur trim. A long green feather was on the top of his turban.

  “My son,” Datis said as he came close. He bowed slightly.

  “Hello, Father,” Apellus said. “This is Patrick. He’s looking for his cousin. I invited him to travel with us.”

  Datis bowed to Patrick.

  Patrick bowed too.

  “Do you know where your cousin might be?” Datis asked.

  “No,” Patrick said.

  Datis looked toward the palace. “Perhaps King Herod will know,” he said.

  “King Herod?” Patrick asked. Something about the name sounded familiar. He had a feeling it was something bad.

  Datis said, “Herod has men watching his city. They report all news to him. He may have heard about your cousin.”

  Patrick gazed at the palace. He had a feeling that he would find Beth there.

  “You may come with us to see King Herod,” Datis said.

  “Is that where we’ll find the newborn King?” Apellus asked.

  Datis shook his head. “The star didn’t place the Infant here. He was born in another town.”

  “Then why did you come here?” Patrick asked.

  “To pay our respects to this king,” Datis replied. “Come.”

  Only One King

  Patrick, Apellus, and the seven wise men walked through the city gate. Patrick saw Roman soldiers standing everywhere. Each wore silver armor and a silver helmet with a red crest. Many of them carried spears.

  Patrick and the group from the East passed by more olive trees. They walked by a garden pond and through a courtyard. At the center of the pond was a bronze fountain. It spouted water in a high arc.

  The wise men approached a tall stone tower. Its shape looked like a castle chess piece.

  Two Roman soldiers opened a large door. A man in a plain white toga met them just outside the door.

  “Welcome to King Herod’s palace,” the man said.

  “We request an audience with the king,” Datis said.

  “I’ll take you to him at once,” the man said. “We’ve been expecting you.”

  They followed the servant through great passageways.

  The halls were filled with wood furniture and large clay pots. The walls and doorways were covered with carved stone. Small tiles covered the floor. The footsteps of the wise men echoed with each step. The ceilings were high enough for a basketball game.

  Then they entered a huge room with marble columns. A man sat on a throne in the middle of the room.

  “Your Highness, your guests have arrived,” the servant announced with a low bow. Then he turned to Patrick and the others. “I present King Herod!”

  Datis and the other wise men knelt.

  Apellus nudged Patrick. “Show some respect,” the prince whispered.

  Patrick flushed. Then he followed their example and knelt as well.

  “We bring greetings, King Herod,” Datis said.

  A man appeared at Herod’s side. The king whispered to him.

  The man stepped forward. “I am Brutus, of the king’s council. May we ask who brings greetings?” he said.

  All the wise men stood. Apellus and Patrick stood too.

  Datis said, “We come from the East, beyond the desert. We study the stars and seek wisdom from the God who created them.”

  Herod sat up in his throne.

  “You are astronomers?” Brutus asked. “How interesting. Why do you honor our poor city with a visit?”

  Datis said, “We have followed a star here. We believe this star announces the birth of a King. This King will be known as the King of the Jews. We have come to worship Him.”

  Patrick heard a sputtering noise and looked toward the throne. Herod had stood. His face was red with rage. He moved his lips, but no sound came out. Then he sat down and placed a hand over his mouth. He leaned toward Brutus. Patrick could hear Herod whispering.

  “We have no knowledge of a King worthy to be worshipped,” Brutus said. “Herod is the only king in this region we worship. He is appointed by Caesar. There is no other king.”

  There was an awkward silence. Datis bowed low again. The green feather on his turban touched the ground. “We are sorry to have troubled you, great king,” he said.

  King Herod leaned forward and whispered something to Brutus.

  Brutus then said, “However, we would like to hear more about this star and what it means.” He clapped his hands and shouted, “Drinks for our weary travelers!”

  Servants suddenly entered from different doorways. They carried trays and pitchers. Some trays were filled with cheese and fruit. Other trays held goblets.

  One girl came in carrying a large silver pitcher. It was Beth.

  Patrick wanted to shout out her name. But he knew that would be dangerous.

  Beth placed the pitcher on a table.

  Patrick gave a little wave, but she didn’t seem to notice him.

  She turned and left the room.

  “That’s my cousin,” Patrick whispered to Apellus.
/>
  Apellus didn’t say anything, but he gave a slight nod.

  Datis bowed to Brutus and the king. “Please forgive us for any disrespect on our part,” he said. “We came merely as messengers. We have not bathed. Nor are we dressed in our finest clothes. We are not worthy to feast with you. Allow us to go and return in good time.”

  Datis signaled the others. Then he turned and walked away. Patrick, Apellus, and the other wise men followed.

  I’m not leaving this palace without Beth, Patrick thought.

  The group from the caravan came to a turn in the hall. And Patrick made his move. He ducked out of sight into a side passage. The others walked on without him.

  Patrick waited until he was sure the hall was clear. Then he darted back toward the throne room.

  A door slammed somewhere. Patrick looked around nervously. He quickly stepped into an alcove.

  Footsteps came close and then faded away.

  Patrick crept back into the hallway and hid behind a large stone pot. He had no idea where he was going. But he knew he had to find Beth. He decided to return to the throne room. Maybe Beth was cleaning up.

  He carefully made his way to the large throne room door. It was closed shut. He leaned close to try to hear the king’s voice.

  Suddenly, rough hands reached around his face. They pressed hard against his mouth.

  Simeon

  Judith and Beth waited in the servants’ quarters. Beth sat on a low couch. She rubbed her face with her hands. How long am I supposed to stay here? she wondered.

  Beth had been serving the king all day. She was either helping Judith with the lyre, or she was carrying in drinks for his guests. Why has Mr. Whittaker sent me here? she wondered. This palace didn’t have anything to do with Christmas presents. Or with anything else she’d been talking about.

  “You spoke of your cousin,” Judith said.

  “Patrick,” Beth said.

  “Did you see the boy who came with those men from the East?” Judith asked.

  “No,” Beth said. “What boy?”

  “The others had dark skin,” Judith said. “But a boy with pale skin was with them. He looked like you.”