The Last Temptation of Christ Part 8

aI donat want to die,a Magdalene replied. aLife is good. I donat want to die!a Mary the wife of Joseph extended her hand now too. She did not fear her any longer, nor did she detest her. aDo not be afraid, Mary,a she said, touching her. aG.o.d protects you; you wonat die.a aHow do you know, Mary?a asked Magdalene, her eyes gleaming.

aG.o.d gives us time, Magdalene, time to repent,a Jesusa mother replied with certainty.

But as the three women talked and were about to be united by pain, cries of aTheyare coming! Theyare coming! Here they are!a flowed forth from the vineyards, and before old Zebedee could slide down again from his platform, huge incensed men appeared at the street door, and Barabbas, flushed and drenched with sweat, strode over the threshold, bellowing.

aHey, Zebedee,a he shouted, aweare coming in, with or without your permissiona"in the name of the G.o.d of Israel!a This said, and before the old proprietor could open his mouth, Barabbas ripped the house door off its hinges with one shove and seized Magdalene by her braids.

aOutside, wh.o.r.e! Outside!a he roared, hauling her into the yard. The citizens of Magdala entered at this point. They grabbed her, lifted her up, brought her amidst boos and fits of laughter to a pit near the lake, and threw her in. Then both men and women scattered all around and loaded their ap.r.o.ns and tunics with stones.

Old Salome meanwhile had jumped off her couch despite the pains which tortured her and had dragged herself into the yard in order to berate her husband.

aYou should be ashamed of yourself,a she shouted at him. aYou let those rowdies set foot in your house and grab a woman right out of your hands, a woman who was seeking mercy of you.a She turned also to her son Jacob, who stood irresolutely in the middle of the yard.

aAnd youa"you follow in your fatheras footsteps. Shame on you! Arenat you going to turn out any better? Are you going to let profits be your G.o.d too? Go ahead, run! Run to protect a woman that an entire village wants to kill. An entire village! They should be ashamed of themselves!a aCalm down, Mother, Iam going,a answered her son, who feared no one in the whole world except his mother. Every time she turned upon him with anger he was overcome with fright because he felt that this wild, severe voice was not hers; it was the ancient, desert-roughened voice of the obstinate race of Israel.

Turning, Jacob nodded to Philip and Nathanael, his two companions. aLetas go!a he said. He searched all around the barrels in order to find Judas, but the blacksmith had gone.

aIam coming too,a said Zebedee, who felt irritated because he was afraid to stay alone with his wife. He bent over, picked up his club and followed his son.

Magdalene was screeching. Covered with wounds, she had collapsed into one corner of the pit and put up her arms to protect her head. The men and women stood around the rim and looked at her, laughing. Carriers and vintagers from all the vineyards of the vicinity had left their work and were approaching, the young men panting to see the famous body in its b.l.o.o.d.y, half-naked state; the girls because they hated and envied this woman who enjoyed all men while they had none.

Barabbas lifted his hand as a signal for the shouting to cease. He wanted to p.r.o.nounce the decree and set the stoning in motion. At that moment Jacob appeared. He started to advance toward the bandit-chief Zealot, but Philip held him tightly by the arm.

aWhere are you going?a he said. aWhere are any of us going? Weare a mere handful, and theyare the whole village. We havenat a chance!a But Jacob continued to hear his motheras savage voice within him. aHey, Barabbas, hey, cut-throat,a he shouted, ayouave come to our village to kill people, have you? Well, leave the woman alone; weall judge her. The elders of Magdala and Capernaum will come to judge her; and her father the rabbi of Nazareth will come too. Thatas the Law!a aMy son is right,a interrupted old Zebedee, who had arrived with his heavy club. aHeas right, thatas the Law!a Barabbas swung his whole body around and stood directly in front of them. aThe village elders have greased palms,a he shouted, aand so has Zebedee. I donat trust them. Iam the Law, and if any one of you brave lads dares, let him come forward and match his strength with me!a Men and women from Magdala and Capernaum swarmed around Barabbas, murder glittering in the pupils of their eyes. A troop of boys arrived from the village, armed with slings.

Philip grabbed Nathanael by the arm and stepped back. He turned to Jacob. aGo, son of Zebedee, go on by yourself if you wanta"but as for us, weare staying put. Do you think weare crazy?a aArenat you ashamed of yourselves, cowards?a aNo, weare not. Go on, go on by yourself.a Jacob turned to his father, but Zebedee coughed.

aIam an old man,a he said.

aWell?a shouted Barabbas, guffawing.

Old Salome arrived, leaning on her younger sonas arm. Behind them came Mary the wife of Joseph, her eyes filled with tears. Jacob turned, saw his mother, and quivered. In front of him was the terrifying cut-throat with the mob of frenzied peasants; behind him, his mother, savage and mute.

aWell?a Barabbas bellowed again, rolling up his sleeves.

aI wonat make them ashamed of me!a murmured Zebedeeas son. He stepped forward, and at once Barabbas advanced directly at him.

aHeall kill him!a said the younger brother, trying to shake himself loose in order to run to Jacobas side. But his mother held him back.

aYou keep quiet,a she said. aDonat interfere.a But just as the two opponents were about to come to grips a happy cry was heard from the edge of the lake: aMaran atha! Maran atha!a A sunburned youth jumped in front of them, panting and waving his hands.

aMaran atha! Maran atha!a he shouted. aThe Lord is coming!a aWhoas coming?a they all cried, circling him. aWho?a aThe Lord,a answered the youth, and he pointed behind him toward the desert. aThe Lorda"there he is!a Everyone turned. The sun was going down now; the heat was abating. A man could be seen climbing up from the sh.o.r.e. He was dressed all in white, like a monk from the monastery. The oleanders at the lake front were in bloom, and the white-robed man put out his hand, picked a red one and placed it between his lips. Two seagulls were walking on the pebbles; they stepped aside to let him pa.s.s.

Old Salome lifted her white-haired head and sniffed the air. aWhoas coming?a she asked her son. aThe wind has changed.a aMy heart is ready to burst, Mother,a the boy answered. aI think itas him!a aWho?a aShh, donat talk!a aAnd who are those people in back of him? Good grief, thereas a whole army running behind him.a aTheyare the poor who glean the leavings of the vintage, Mother. Theyare not an army; donat be afraid.a And truly, the swarm of ragam.u.f.fins which began to appear in his train was like an army. They immediately scattered all through the harvested vineyardsa"men, women and children, with sacks and basketsa"and began to search. Each year at the reaping, the vintage and the olive harvest these flocks of hunger poured out of the whole of Galilee and collected the wheat, grapes and olives which the landowners left for the poor, as ordered by the Law of Israel.

The man in white suddenly halted. The sight of the mult.i.tude had frightened him. I must leave! he said to himself, overwhelmed by the old fear. This is the world of men. I must leave; I must return to the desert, where G.o.d is. ... Once more his fate hung on a delicate thread. Which way should he goa"forward or back?

Everyone about the pit stood motionless, watching him. Jacob and Barabbas still faced each other, with rolled-up sleeves. Even Magdalene lifted her head and listened. Life? Death? What was this silence? The wind had changed. Suddenly she jumped up, lifted her arms and cried, aHelp!a The man in white heard the voice, recognized it and quivered.

aItas Magdalene,a he murmured. aMagdalene! I must save her!a He advanced rapidly toward the crowd, his arms spread wide.

The more he approached the people and perceived their anger-filled eyes and the dark, tortured fierceness of their expressions, the more his heart stirred, the more his bowels flooded with deep sympathy and love. These are the people, he reflected. They are all brothers, every one of them, but they do not know it Magdalene and that is why they suffer. If they knew it, what celebrations there would be, what hugging and kissing, what happiness!

He arrived finally and stepped up onto a rock, stretching out his arms to the left and right. One word, one joyful and triumphant word, spurted forth from deep within his bowels: aBrothers!a The astonished people looked at each other. No one replied.

aBrothersa"a the triumphant cry resounded againa"abrothers, I am delighted to see you.a aWell weare not delighted to see you, cross-maker!a Barabbas answered him, picking up a heavy stone from the ground.

aMy boy!a someone shouted in a heart-rending voice, and Mary rushed out and embraced her son. She laughed, wept, caressed him; but he, without speaking, untwisted his motheras arms from about him and advanced toward Barabbas.

aBarabbas, my brother,a he said, aIam glad to see you. I am a friend; I bring a message of great joy.a aDonat come any closer,a roared Barabbas, and he placed himself in front of Magdalene in order to hide her from the otheras eyes. But she heard the beloved voice and jumped to her feet.

aJesus,a she screamed, ahelp!a A single stride brought Jesus to the pitas brim. Magdalene had begun to climb up, gripping the rocks with her fingers and toes. Jesus stooped and held out his hand. She grasped it and he pulled her out. She collapsed onto the ground, puffing, and covered with blood.

Barabbas rushed over and stamped his foot down on her back. aSheas mine!a he bellowed, raising the stone which he held in his hand. aIall kill hera"she polluted the Sabbath. Death!a aDeath! Death!a the people howled in their turn, afraid now that their sacrifice would escape.

aDeath!a Zebedee cried out too as he saw the ragam.u.f.fins circle the newcomer, doubtlessly filling their heads with fancy ideas. Woe is us if paupers are allowed to do whatever they please. aDeath!a he shouted again, banging his club on the ground. aDeath!a Jesus restrained Barabbasas lifted arm. aBarabbas,a he said, his voice tranquil and sad, ahave you never disobeyed one of G.o.das commandments? In your whole life have you never stolen, murdered, committed adultery or told a lie?a He turned to the howling mult.i.tude and looked at each person, one by one, slowly. aLet him among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone!a The ma.s.s stirred; one by one the people stepped back, struggling to escape this clawing look which was excavating their memories and vital organs. The men recalled all the lies they had uttered during their lifetimes, the acts of injustice they had committed, the wives of others they had bedded; the women lowered their kerchiefs, and the stones they held in their hands slid to the ground.

When old Zebedee saw the rabble about to emerge victorious, he flew into a rage. Once more Jesus turned to the people and stared at them one by one, stared into the very depths of their eyes. aLet him among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.

aMe,a snapped Zebedee. aBarabbas, give me your stone. Innocence has no fears: Iall throw it.a Barabbas was delighted. He gave him the stone and stepped to one side. Zebedee stood over Magdalene, holding the stone in his fist and judging its weight, in order to hit her squarely on the head. She had rolled herself up into a ball at Jesusa feet and was tranquil, for she felt that here she had no fear of death.

The infuriated ragam.u.f.fins looked at old Zebedee, and one of them, the gauntest of the lot, jumped forward.

aHey, Zebedee,a he shouted, athereas a G.o.d, you know. Your hand will be paralyzeda"arenat you afraid? Think back: you never gobbled up the rights of the poor? You never in your life caused an orphanas vineyard to be sold at auction? You never stepped into a widowas house at night?a As he listened, the old sinner felt the weight of the stone in his hand and restrained himself more and more. Suddenly he uttered a cry, his arm wilted abruptly and fell useless at his side. The large stone rolled out of his grasp and landed on his foot, breaking his toes.

The ragam.u.f.fins shouted for joy. aMiracle! Miracle! Magdalene is innocent!a Barabbas went wild; his pock-marked face puffed up fiery red. Darting at the son of Mary, he lifted his hand and slapped him. But Jesus calmly turned the other cheek.

aHit the other one too, Barabbas, my brother,a he said.

Barabbasas hand grew numb, and his eyes popped out of his head. Who was this person? What was hea"a ghost, a man or a devil? Dumfounded, he stepped back and gazed at Jesus.

aHit the other cheek, Barabbas, my brother,a the son of Mary incited him once more.

At this point Judas emerged from the shade of the fig tree where he had been standing off to one side, watching. He had seen everything but had not spoken. Whether Magdalene was killed or not made no difference to him, but he was pleased to hear Barabbas and the ragam.u.f.fins stand up against Zebedee and declaim his sins. When he saw Jesus appear at the lake sh.o.r.e dressed in his new white robe, his heart had pounded. aNow it will become clear who he is, what he wants and what message he has for men,a he had murmured, c.o.c.king his huge ear. But the very start, the very first worda"aBrothersaa"displeased him, and his expression soured. aHe still hasnat put any sense into his head,a he grumbled. aNo, weare not all brothers. Israelites and Romans are not brothers, nor are Israelites among themselves. The Sadducees who sell themselves to Rome, the village chiefsa"as many as cover up for the tyranta"they are not our brothers. No, youave got off to a bad start, son of the Carpenter. Look out!a But when he saw Jesus offer the other cheek, without anger and with a superb inhuman sweetness, he became frightened. What is this man? he shouted to himself. This ... this offering of the other cheek: only an angel could do that, only an angela"or a dog.

He reached Barabbas now with one bound and seized him by the arm just as he was about to rush upon the son of Mary.

aDonat touch him,a he said in a m.u.f.fled voice. aGo home!a Barabbas looked at Judas with astonishment. They were both in the same brotherhood; side by side they had often entered villages and cities and killed Israelas traitors. And now ...

aYou, Judas,a he murmured, ayou?a aYes, me. Go!a Barabbas continued to hold his ground. Judas was his superior in the brotherhood and he could not oppose him; but his self-respect, on the other hand, did not let him budge.

aGo!a the redbeard commanded once more.

The bandit chief lowered his head and threw a savage glance at the son of Mary. aYou wonat get away from me,a he murmured, clenching his fist. aWe shall meet again!a Turning to his followers, he commanded them halfheartedly: aLetas go.a

Chapter Thirteen.

THE SUN was about to touch the skyas foundations. The fever of the day wilted, the wind died down, the lake sparkled rose and blue. Several storks, still hungry, stood on one leg upon the rocks, their eyes pinned on the water.

The ragam.u.f.fins fixed their eyes on the son of Mary and waited, not wanting to leave. What were they waiting for? They had forgotten their hunger and nakedness; they had forgotten the malice of the landowners, who had lacked the goodness of heart to leave a few grapes on the vintaged vines in order to sweeten the throat of poverty. They had been going from vineyard to vineyard since the morning, and their baskets remained empty. The same had happened at the reaping: they had gone from field to field, their sacks hanging empty at their sides; and each evening their children waited for them with opened mouths! But nowa"they did not know why or howa"their baskets seemed suddenly to have been filled. They looked at the man in white in front of them and could not bear to leave. They waited. Waited for what? They themselves did not know.

The son of Mary returned their look. He too was waiting; he felt that all these souls were suspended from his neck. What did they want of him? What were they seeking? What could he give them, he who had nothing? He looked at them, looked at them, and for an instant lost courage and wanted to flee again, but was prevented by shame. What would become of Magdalene, who was clinging to his feet? And so many eyes gazing at him with yearning: how could he leave them unconsoled? To leave? But where to go? G.o.d was on every side. His grace pushed him where it pleaseda"no, not his grace, his power, his all-powerful power. The son of Mary now felt that this earth was his homea"he had no other home; he felt that men were his deserta"he had no other desert.

aLord, your will be done,a he murmured, bowing his head and surrendering himself to G.o.das mercy.

An old man stood up among the ragam.u.f.fins and spoke. aSon of Mary, we are hungry, but itas not bread we seek of you. You are poor, like ourselves. Open your mouth, say a kind word to us, and we shall be filled.a A young man ventured: aSon of Mary, injustice is strangling us; our hearts can bear no more. You said you brought a kind word. Tell us that kind word; bring us justice!a The son of Mary looked at the people. He heard the voice of freedom and hunger, and rejoiced. He felt that he had been awaiting this voice for years, this voice which had now come and called him by name. He turned to the people, his arms spread wide. aBrothers,a he said, alet us go!a All at once, as though they too had been awaiting this call for years and had heard their true name for the first time, the people rejoiced and bellowed: aLet us go! In G.o.das name!a The son of Mary took the lead; the rest moved off in one body. Next to the lake front was a pitted hill, still pale green despite the fiery heat of the summer sun, which beat down on it all day long. Now, in the sweetness of the evening, it was perfumed with thyme and savory. Its summit must have been the site of some ancient heathen temple, for fragments of several carved capitals of columns still lay on the ground. The clairvoyant fishermen, while fis.h.i.+ng in the lake at night, regularly saw a white ghost sitting on the marble, and one night old Jonah even heard it weep. ... It was toward this hill that they all marched as if in a trance, the son of Mary in front, and behind, the great family of the poor.

Old Salome turned to her younger son. aCarry me in your arms. Weall go too.a She took Maryas hand. aDonat cry, Mary,a she said. aDidnat you see a glow around your sonas face?a aI have no son, I have no son,a the mother replied, beginning to sob convulsively. aAll those ragam.u.f.fins have sons, and I have none.a She started toward the hill, wailing and lamenting. Now she was sure: her son had abandoned her forever. When she ran to embrace him and take him home with her, he had looked at her with astonishment as though he did not know her; and when she said to him, aI am your mother,a he had put out his hand and pushed her away.

Old Zebedee saw his wife mount the hill with the mult.i.tude. Scowling, he grabbed his club, turned to his son Jacob and his sonas two companions, Philip and Nathanael, and pointed to the noisy, agitated mob. aTheyare famished wolves, d.a.m.n them all! Wead better howl along with them so they wonat take us for sheep and eat us. Letas follow behinda"but remember, no matter what that windmill son of Mary tells them, weall boo him. Do you hear! We mustnat let him get the upper hand. Forward, all together, and look sharp!a This said, he too started to climb the hill, as slow as a lame donkey.

Just then Jonahas two sons appeared. Peter held his brother by the arm and spoke to him tranquilly, tenderly, in order not to infuriate him. But the other was disturbed and kept his eyes on the swarms of people that were mounting, and on the man in white who led them.

aWho are they? Where are they going?a Peter asked Judas, who still stood in the street, unable to come to a decision.

aThe son of Mary,a the redbeard sneered.

aAnd the troop behind him?a aThe poor who glean the grapes after the vintage. They took one look and attached themselves to him. I think heas going up there to talk to them.a aWhat can he say? He couldnat even divide up hay for a pair of donkeys.a Judas shrugged his shoulders. aWeall see,a he growled, and he too started up the hill.

Two swarthy amazons were returning from the vineyards, exhausted and overheated, each with a large basket of grapes balanced on her head. Envying the camaraderie of the others, they decided to join them to pa.s.s the time, and attached themselves to the rear of the procession.

Old Jonah, his net on his shoulders, was dragging himself toward his shack. He was hungry, and impatient to arrive. When he saw his sons and the crowd mounting the hill, he stopped, open-mouthed, and gazed at them with round, fishlike eyes. He did not think of anything; he did not ask himself who had died, who was getting married, or where so many people were going all in a group. He did not think of anything; he simply stared with gaping mouth.

aCome on, fish-prophet Jonah, letas go,a Zebedee called to him. aItas a party! Seems like Mary Magdaleneas getting married. Come on, letas go and have a good time!a Jonah moved his thick lips. He was about to speak, but changed his mind. Giving a heave with his shoulder to adjust the net on his back, he went off toward his neighborhood with heavy steps. A considerable time later, as he was at last nearing his hut, his mind, after many labor pains, finally gave birth: aGo to the devil, Zebedee, you blockhead!a he grumbled; then, kicking open the door, he went in.

When Zebedee and his companions reached the top of the hill, Jesus was sitting cross-legged on the capital of a column. He had not opened his mouth yet; he seemed to be waiting for them. The crowd of paupers was in front of him, the men cross-legged on the ground, the women standing in back, looking at him. The sun had set, but Mount Hebron, to the north, still held the light at its summit and did not allow it to flee.

Jesus watched the light wrestle with the darkness, his hands crossed over his chest. At times he slowly drew his glance back onto the peopleas faces, which were turned directly toward him. They were wrinkled, sorrowful, shrunken by hunger; and the eyes, pinned upon him, looked at him with reproach, as though he was to blame.

As soon as he saw Zebedee and his men, he rose. aWelcome,a he said. aGather round, all of you. My voice is not very strong. I want to speak to you.a Zebedee went in front in his capacity as village elder and enthroned himself on a stone. To his right were his two sons and also Philip and Nathanael; to his left, Peter and Andrew. Old Salome and Mary the wife of Joseph stood among the women, farther back. The other Mary, Mary Magdalene, was fallen at Jesusa feet, her face hidden in her palms. Judas waited under a tormented, wind-gnarled pine tree, off to one side, and his hard blue eyes looked daggers at the son of Mary through the pine needles.

Jesus trembled secretly and struggled to find courage. This was the moment he had feared for so many years. It had come; G.o.d had conquered, had brought him by force where he wanted hima"in front of mena"in order to make him speak. And now, what could he say to them? The few joys of his life flashed through his mind, then the many sorrows, the contest with G.o.d, all that he had seen in his solitary wanderingsa"the mountains, flowers and birds, the shepherds who happily carried a stray sheep home on their shoulders, the fishermen throwing their nets to catch fish, the plowmen sowing, reaping, winnowing the grain and then transporting the produce to their homes. Heaven and earth opened and closed repeatedly within his mind: all the miracles of G.o.da"and he did not know which to choose first! He wanted to reveal them all, all! in order to console these inconsolables. This world which unfolded before him was G.o.das fairy tale, full of princesses and ogres, just like the tale his grandmother used to recite to keep him from crying; and G.o.d leaned over the edge of heaven and narrated it to men.

He smiled and opened wide his arms.

aBrothers,a he said in a trembling, still-unsteady voice, abrothers, forgive me if I speak in parables. I am a simple, illiterate man, poor and despised like yourselves. My heart has much to say, but my mind is unable to relate it. I open my mouth and without any desire on my part, the words come out as a tale. Forgive me, my brothers, but I shall speak in parables.a aWeare listening, son of Mary,a shouted the people, aweare listening!a Once more Jesus opened his mouth. aThe sower went out to sow his field, and as he sowed, one seed fell on the road and the birds came and ate it. Another fell on stones, found no soil in which to be nourished, and withered away. Another fell on thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. Finally, another fell on good soil; it took root, sprouted an ear, brought forth grain and fed mankind. He among you who has ears to hear, let him hear!a No one spoke. They all looked at each other, bewildered. But old Zebedee, who sought a pretext for a brawl, jumped up.

aIam sorry,a he said, abut I donat understand. I have ears, glory be to G.o.d, I have ears and Iam listeninga"but I donat understand. What are you trying to say? Canat you put it a little more clearly?a He laughed sarcastically, and proudly stroked his white beard.

aOr by any chance, are you the sower?a aYes,a Jesus replied with humility, aI am the sower.a aThe Lord preserve us!a exclaimed the old chief, banging his club on the ground. aAnd we, to be sure, are the stones and thorns and fields where you sow, eh?a aYou are,a the son of Mary answered, his voice still tranquil.

Andrew tensed his ear and listened. As he looked at Jesus his roused heart pounded furiously. It had pounded in this same way at the banks of the Jordan when he caught his first glimpse of John the Baptista"wrapped in the skins of animals, gnawed away by the sun, devoured so completely by prayer, vigils and hunger that nothing remained of him but two monstrous eyesa"two live coals; and a larynx which cried, aRepent! Repent!a When he shouted, great waves swelled up on the Jordan, the caravans halted, the camels were unable to proceed. But now here was this other man in front of him who smiled and whose voice was tranquil and waveringa"a gawky bird he was, struggling to twitter for the first time; and his eyes, instead of burning, caressed. Andrewas heart winged back and forth between the two, completely bewildered.

Little by little, John moved away from his fatheras side and approached Jesus. He had almost reached the teacheras feet when Zebedee saw him and grew even more enraged than before. He was already sick and tired of false prophets. New ones sprouted up every day of the year and took the weight of the world upon their shoulders; and every single one of them, as though they had come to some previous understanding, attacked landlords, priests and kings. Whatever was stable and good in this world, they wanted to demolish. And nowa"what next!a"here was the barefooted son of Mary! Ah, thought Zebedee, Iad better wring his neck for him while itas still young and tender.

To find encouragement, he turned to see what the others were saying. He saw Jacob, his elder son, with wrinkled brow, but he could not tell whether from distress or anger; he saw his wife, who had come close now and was wiping her eyes; he s.h.i.+fted his glance to the ragam.u.f.fins and was terrified to see all of them, all of those famished paupers, staring at the son of Mary with opened mouths, like birds being fed by their mother.

aA plague on all beggars!a he grumbled as he slunk down next to his son. Iad best be still, he told himself, Iall only get myself in trouble.

A calm, pathetic voice was heard. Someone sitting at Jesusa feet had begun to talk. The people who were stretched out behind sat up to see. It was Zebedeeas younger son. He had crawled gradually to Jesusa feet and was speaking to him now, with his head bent up.

aYou are the sower and we are the stones, the thorns and the field. But what is the seed you hold?a His fuzzy, virginal face was on fire, his black, almond-shaped eyes gazed at Jesus in an agony, his chubby white body, all tremors, was stretched upward and waiting. He had a foreboding that his whole life depended on the answer he would receivea"this life, and the next.

Jesus had bent over in order to hear. He was silent for a considerable time as he listened to his heart and struggled to find the right word, the simple, everyday, immortal word. Hot sweat frosted his face.

aWhat is the seed you hold?a Zebedeeas son anxiously repeated.

All at once, Jesus jerked himself erect, spread out his arms and leaned toward the mult.i.tude.

aLove one anothera"a the cry escaped from his very bowelsa"alove one another!a As he said this, he felt his heart become suddenly empty, and he collapsed onto the capital, exhausted.

Whispering arose. The people were roused. Many shook their heads; some laughed.

aWhat did he say?a asked an old man who was hard of hearing.

aThat we should love one another.a aImpossible!a said the old man, growing angry. aSomeone whoas starving canat love a man whose stomach is full. The victim of injustice canat love his oppressor. Impossible! Letas go home!a Judas leaned against the pine tree and stroked his red beard in a rage. aSo, son of the Carpenter,a he grumbled, athatas what youave come to tell us, is it? Is this the stupendous message you bring us? You want us to love the Romans, eh? Are we supposed to hold out our necks like you do your cheek, and say, aDear brother, slaughter me pleasea?a Jesus heard the whispering, saw the scowling faces, the leaden eyesa"and understood. Bitterness flowed over his face. Summoning up all his strength, he rose.

aLove one another! Love one another!a he repeated in a persistent, imploring voice. aG.o.d is love! I too used to think him savage, I too used to think that at his touch mountains fumed, men died. I hid in the monastery to escape; I fell on my face and waited. Now he will come, I said to myself; now he will fall on me like a thunderbolt. And one morning he did come, he blew over me like a cool breeze and said, aArise, my child,a and I arose, I came: here I am!a He crossed his hands and bowed from the waist as though greeting the people before him.

Old Zebedee coughed and spat, squeezing his club. aG.o.d a cool breeze!a he growled softly, infuriated. aGo to h.e.l.l, you quack!a The son of Mary continued to speak. He went down now among the people, looked at them one by one, besought them one by one. He marched up and down, his arms lifted to heaven.

aHe is our Father,a he said. aHe will leave no pain unconsoled, no wound unhealed. However much we suffer pain and hunger in this world, by that much, and more, shall we be filled in heaven, shall we rejoice. ...a Tired, he went up again to the capital of the column and sat down.

aPie in the sky when we die!a a voice shouted, and laughter broke out.

But Jesus was swept away by G.o.d, and did not hear.

aBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,a he now shouted.

aRighteousness isnat enough,a interrupted one of the famished. aRighteousness isnat enough. We want bread!a aBread too,a said Jesus, sighing, abread too. ... Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are those who mourn, for G.o.d will comfort them. Blessed are the poor, the meek, the wronged. It is for them, for you, the poor, the meek and the wronged, that G.o.d has prepared the kingdom of heaven.a The two amazons, who stood with their baskets of grapes still on their heads, glanced rapidly at each other and without a word lowered their baskets and began, one to the right and the other to the left, to distribute the grapes to the poor. Magdalene, fallen at Jesusa feet, still did not dare lift her head and let the people see her face, but she secretly kissed the teacheras feet, which were buried in her hair.

Jacobas endurance gave out; he jumped up and left. Andrew was infuriated. He extricated himself from his brotheras grasp and went and stood before Jesus. aIave just come from the river Jordan in Judea,a he shouted. aThere a prophet proclaims: aMen are chaff and I am the fire. I have come to burn up and purify the earth, to burn up and purify the soul so that the Messiah may come forth!a And you. son of the Carpenter, you preach love! Why donat you take a look around you? Everywhere: liars, murderers, robbers! All are dishonesta"rich and poor, oppressed and oppressors, Scribes and Phariseesa"all! all! I too am a liar, I too am dishonest, and so is my brother Peter over there, and so is Zebedee with his fat paunch: he hears alove and thinks of his boats and men and how to steal as much as he can from the wine press.a When old Zebedee heard this he flew into a rage. His blubbery nape turned fiery red, the veins of his neck swelled and he rushed forward with raised club, ready to strike. But Salome was in time to catch hold of his arm.

aShame on you, shame on you,a she said to him softly. aCome, letas go home.a aNo barefooted beggars are going to get the upper hand here in my territory!a he yelled at the top of his voice, so that all could hear. Huffing and puffing, he turned to the son of Mary. aAnd you, Carpenter, donat go playing the Messiah with me, because woe is you, poor thing, youall end up being crucified like the othersa"thatas the way youall forget your problems! But itas not you I pity, you good-for-nothing, itas the unlucky mother who has you for her only son.a He pointed to Mary, who had collapsed to the ground in a heap and was beating her head against the stones.

But the old manas anger was still not appeased. He continued to bang his club on the ground, and shouted, a aLove,a he says, and forward everyonea"youare all brothers, so grab what you can, everythingas on the house! But can I love my enemy? Can I love the beggar who roams outside my yard, just itching to break down the door and rob me? aLove,a he saysa"just listen to the c.o.c.k-brain! Three cheers for the Romans! Thatas what I say, even if theyare heathens. Three cheers! They keep order!a This provoked the paupers to action. Bellowing furiously, they started toward Zebedee, and Judas bounded out from his pine tree. Old Salome was terrified. She silenced her husband by putting her hand over his mouth and then turned to the stormy, intimidating mult.i.tude which was coming closer.

aDonat listen to him, my children. His rage makes him say one thing when he means another.a She turned to the old man. aLetas go,a she said in a commanding tone.

She nodded also to her darling son, who sat tranquil and happy at Jesusa feet.