Doctor Who_ Byzantium! - Keith Topping [13]
a...' he paused, momentarily lost for a decent metaphor himself.
À parliament of rooks?' asked Ian with a cheesy grin.
'I believe this illustrates a point, somewhat,' the Doctor added, testily.
There was a sulky streak in Vicki's justification. 'I don't know what it means,' she said. 'Is it a bad word? It's just something I picked up from somewhere.'
Ìt's gear, daddio,' mocked Ian as he moved to the edge of the incline and took a few careful steps down the bank.
`Come on,' he continued, breezily 'It's high time we got this show on the road.'
So they headed off towards the city with the Doctor continuing to warn them that they must be very careful.
'I will say this once and once only, and then I shall refrain from any further comment on the subject,' he noted, as he reached the base of the hill with Barbara and Vicki's help.
'This is a very dangerous time.'
Across a mile of desert sand, Byzantium awaited them.
Chapter Five
Babylon’s Burning
Then came together unto him the
Pharisees, and certain of the scribes
Mark 7:1
'There are times when I almost feel an admiration for them.
The confession shocked Titus. 'I cannot believe that you, of all people, would express any sympathies for blasphemers!' he said, with not a little outrage.
Hieronymous, the leader of the Byzantium Pharisees, merely nodded wisely and stood to walk around his chamber as he continued to formulate his thoughts. 'Be, then, assured that I seek the total and final obliteration of the followers of the false prophet. He paused and turned to face his deputies, Titus and Phasaei. 'Say you otherwise, men?'
'Titus was merely voicing a legitimate concern...’
A single word from Hieronymous halted Phasaei's bold but useless show of self-defence. 'Silence,’ he snapped. And there was.
After a moment, the priest continued, his tone lower and yet in some ways even more menacing than before. He was a truly striking figure, much taller than both of his deputies, and with a handsome, weather-beaten face and a huge, bushy and slightly greying beard that was de rigueur amongst those in his position and with his status. 'As a younger man I had cause to study beneath the high priest of Jerusalem at the time that the Galilean impostor was about his most singular ministry. A man of great sagacity and sorrows whose mother named him Caiaphas.'
‘I have heard of this righteous man,' noted Titus. 'His wisdom was oft likened unto that of Solomon the Wise' he continued sycophantically
Hieronymous gave Titus a withering look. 'Let us not over-exaggerate. Caiaphas was strange and troubled, but he understood the value of showing those who would follow the teachings of this upstart, who would call himself The Christ, that power is a stronger weapon than blind faith.'
The deputies both nodded, slowly, unsure about exactly what point Hieronymous was trying to make. If any. When the old man became silent while continuing to pace the room, his brow deeply furrowed, Titus and Phasaei exchanged worried glances.
`Wise master,' began Phasaei. `The Christians...’
Hieronymous turned again, his face dark with anger. `You would dare to use such a foul name in this holy place?' he shouted.
'A thousand humble apologies, good master. These followers of the Nazarene. You were of the opinion that you held a degree of admiration towards them?'
`Not so,' replied the priest. 'I admire the dignity with which those misguided souls that I have personally condemned have gone to their deaths. But that is all: Hieronymous stopped pacing and sat with his deputies again. 'Is it not written that a father may have many children? And that some shall be in need of great chastisement whilst others walk the path of righteousness without aid? Ten years ago, one of my first acts as Pharisee of Byzantium was to judge upon the case of a girl, no more than a child, named Ruth. A holy name and a spiritual child, seduced by the lure of the Nazarene's sect. They filled