The Bronze Bow - Elizabeth George Speare [21]
"Are you waiting for the teacher?" she inquired.
"No."
"You should then. It's worth being late for work."
"What teacher?" he asked.
"The carpenter. Ah, there he is now." She called over her shoulder to another woman. "Come! He's about to begin."
Daniel turned curiously. A short way from them on the shore a cluster of fishermen had gathered, and from all sides others were leaving their nets. A few workers broke from the lines that labored on the barges. Through the shifting bodies Daniel caught a glimpse of the man in their midst. It was the man who had spoken in the synagogue. He stood on the beach among the fishing boats, in his plain white robe, smiling and greeting the men by name. Out here in the sun he did not look solemn as in the synagogue. He looked vigorous and confident and happy. Something he was saying drew a burst of laughter from the men. Daniel pushed his way nearer till he could get a good look.
How strong he is, he thought. Yet bodily the man was no match for the sturdy fishermen who surrounded him. The impression of strength came from an extraordinary vitality that seemed to pulse in the very air around him. Once more, as on that day in the synagogue, Daniel felt a spark leap up in his own body. Looking about him he could see the same spark reflected in the eyes of the men and women who jostled him.
Someone shouted a question that Daniel could not catch, and Jesus held up a hand to ask their silence.
"What is the kingdom of heaven?" he answered. "It is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Or the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind—"
A clink of metal distracted Daniel. Turning, he saw that two soldiers had joined the crowd. They sauntered close, and stood looking with curiosity at the speaker and his audience. Automatically, Daniel spat. Two fishermen glared at him. Plainly they resented his disturbance more than they did the presence of the soldiers. One of the Romans shot him a quick contemptuous glance. Jesus took no notice whatsoever. He could not have missed their tall helmets, yet his calm voice did not falter. Anger spiraled up in Daniel. He didn't want to hear any more. The nearness, the arrogance of those two choked him. He turned his back on them and walked away.
Yet he could not escape the sight of Roman soldiers. They stood on the docks, counting off bales of wheat and vegetables. They strolled through the marketplace. Everywhere, the Jews went about their business, paying no attention. The boy who had lived for five years in the solitude of the mountain, nursing his hatred and keeping it ever fresh, could not credit his own eyes. How could these city people endure to be reminded on every hand of their own helplessness? More shameful still, he saw merchants joking with the soldiers. He could not understand. Where was their pride? Had they forgotten altogether? If Rosh were here he would open their eyes. Why did that Jesus do nothing?
At the thought of Rosh he was reminded of the reason he had come to the city. It took him some time to find the house of Rabbi Hezron. Finally someone directed him up the steep hill that rose above the harbor. As he climbed the cobbled street his stomach began to clamor. He had counted on Joel to observe the unwritten law that provided that any stranger who came to one's door must receive food and shelter. But as the crowded stone dwellings gave way to the long forbidding walls of large estates, and he caught glimpses of gardens and terraces rising, one upon another, green and golden, he felt his first doubt. Rosh had warned him that Hezron had inherited great wealth. But Daniel had no acquaintance with wealth. He had not been prepared for the hugeness of it. Would such houses as these remember the law of hospitality? Or would they turn him away like a beggar?
He came to the heavy door in the wall to which he had been directed, and rang the bell that hung there. After some