The Bronze Bow - Elizabeth George Speare [90]
"I must speak to you," Marcus said, as Daniel halted.
Daniel did not lookup.
"You hate me," the boy said. "I understand your hate. I am German. My people were conquered by Rome."
"You serve them," said Daniel with scorn.
The soldier shrugged. "All of my tribe are fighters. At the end of my term I will be a Roman citizen."
"You should have died first!"
The boy flushed under his smooth tanned skin. "I tell you I understand your hate," he snapped. "But I command you to listen to me."
Daniel said nothing, waiting.
"My cohort is transferred. Tomorrow I leave for Corinth. I pray the gods I never set eyes on your country again."
Daniel's quick burst of fury died back in helplessness. Even vengeance was snatched from him! Now he would never feel this man's life between his hand:;.
"Your sister was the only good thing in this rotting land. I will never see her again. Even if she were not a Jew, a legionary is forbidden to marry. I want to see her before I go. One moment. That is all."
Thunderstruck, Daniel looked directly at the boy before him. That a Roman should bend his pride to speak so to a Jew! Then the very humbleness of the request maddened him the more. His contempt overflowed.
"If you could save my sister's life, I would not profane our house," he said. "I would rather let her die. Understand this. If you try to walk through that door, I will kill you."
Marcus was still a soldier. His face went white, his eyes glinted with steel, and his hand moved of its own accord to his side. The two young men stood eye to eye, neither one giving way. Then the Roman heeled about and strode away, his shoulders rigid.
If she is dead, Daniel thought. I will go after him now. I will have that at least.
Leah still lived, but barely. She did not know that he had returned. She lay silent, with no strength to cry out against the demons. She had surrendered to them utterly.
In the afternoon heat Daniel must have slept a little. Sleeping and waking were all one endless sameness. But a sound brought his head up, and he saw the door of his house opening. Framed in it, against the sunlight, stood Jesus in his white robe. Dazed, Daniel struggled to his feet. Jesus moved through the door, touching with his fingers the mezuzah as he passed. Behind him came Thacia. Jesus did not speak. He moved quietly to Leah's mat and stood looking down at her.
Thacia came swiftly to Daniel's side. "We were away," she whispered, "with Joel in Jerusalem. Joktan just found me this morning."
Daniel scarcely heard her. He saw only that luminous figure. Jesus had come! He struggled to believe. Jesus had come to his house! He wanted to cry out to him, to go down on his knees, but he was afraid. Something about the quietness of Jesus held him silent. Jesus sat down beside Leah, and motioned for Daniel and Thacia to sit also, at the other side of the room. Then he bent his head and covered his face with his hand and seemed to rest.
If I could speak to him! Daniel thought with longing. If I could tell him it is my fault, that I have done this to Leah!
Although he held his breath and made no sound, Jesus raised his head, and his eyes met Daniel's. There was no need to speak. Jesus knew. He understood about Leah. He knew that Daniel had rejected him. His eyes, searching and full of pity, looked deep into the boy's and saw the bitterness and the hatred and the betrayed hopes and the loneliness. And then he smiled.
Unable to endure that smile, Daniel bent his head. Suddenly, with a longing that was more than he could bear, he wanted to stop fighting against this man. He knew that he would give everything he possessed in life to follow Jesus.
Even his vow?
He tried to cling again to the words of David that had always strengthened him. He trains my hands for war—
But Jesus said that the Victory was God's promise. He called men to make ready their hearts and minds instead.
Was it possible that only love could bend the bow of bronze?
He sat trembling, glimpsing a new way that he would never see clearly or understand. We can