Doctor Who_ Byzantium! - Keith Topping [57]
`You will not be overseeing the spectacle yourself?' asked Titus, eager for any scrap of information that would explain such a surprising development.
`No,' said Hieronymous, simply. 'I have more important matters to attend to.'
Titus and Phasaei exchanged corner-of-the-eye glances.
'More important than the death of heretics?' asked Phasaei with none of the subtlety of Titus's questions. 'Be you sure of this course?' Without waiting for Hieronymous to answer, Phasaei continued. Ìs it not written in the law of Moses, "he that offendeth the sacrifice unto the Lord shall bring about his own destruction"?' With a satisfied smile, Phasaei folded his arms and awaited Hieronymous's reply.
`The Lord also commands that his work should take the precedence over all other things, does he not?' asked Barbara, her sudden interjection surprising all of the three men.
‘For do not the commandments also order that thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. For the Lord thy God is a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the father upon the children unto the third and fourth generations of those that wrong him in such times.'
Phasaei turned with a most startled expression on his face. Ì certainly did not mean to suggest...'
Ànswer me this: the Lord who commanded that Moses say unto the Pharaoh, "Let my people go", demands also that the sin of ignorance be punished, yes?'
`The female guest of Hieronymous is wise and fair,' said Titus with a cruel sneer that Barbara ignored.
`To err is human, to forgive is divine,' Barbara continued.
'And I am sure that Hieronymous forgives you your trespasses, as you forgive those that trespass against you, is that not so?' It was New Testament, not Old, but Barbara didn't care. She knew that she had won a great victory against ignorance and hate.
Phasaei and Titus again exchanged glances. Glances that seemed to say, 'Oh, but she's good!'
`The twin pillars of the Pharisaic system are Torah and Tradition; the application of the laws of Moses to everyday life. I can see that such a noble approach is alive and well in the hands of you both, rabbis. The advisers of Hieronymous do this humble traveller great honour with your words,' Barbara continued, on the assumption that a little bit of flattery can usually get a girl a long way. `Hieronymous thanks you both for the interest you have taken and asks that you represent him at the forthcoming...' She struggled to say the word
'executions'. At the forthcoming judgments.’
With a smile, she guided the two men towards the door. `Gentlemen,' she concluded. 'It was the will of the Lord that we met this day. Go with my, and with the Lord's, blessing.'
She closed the door behind Titus and Phasaei's bemused faces and turned away, putting a hand to her mouth to stifle her involuntary laughter. Then she saw Hieronymous's furious expression. Ì'm sorry,' she said. 'That was wrong of me.'
`No it was not,' replied Hieronymous. 'But it was foolish.
You have made two very dangerous enemies for yourself.
And for me. It is not difficult to run circles around Phasaei and his childish attempts at entrapment by the scriptures, but Titus will not be dealt with so easily.'
Iola had been searching for Vicki most of the morning when she found her friend standing on the banks of the Bosphorus, staring into the distance. Vicki flinched as Iola tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around quickly.
`What?' Vicki snapped.
`Hello,' said Iola. Ì've been looking for you everywhere.
What are you doing?'
`Thinking,’ replied Vicki sullenly.
`You seem upset. Do you want to sit down and talk?'
'I'd sooner stand if it's all the same to you,' answered Vicki.
`What's so urgent?'
Iola was almost hopping up and down with excitement as she told Vicki about what she had learned. 'There's going to be a crucifixion,' she said, brightly. 'Soon, at Beylerbey Mount, beside the golden gates. That's where they always do it.'
Vicki was somewhat disturbed to find Iola had an intimate knowledge of such barbaric spectacles as public executions.
‘Do they happen