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Chapter 30

Part VI

Passion

Nobody's perfect Well, there was this one guy, but we killed him

ANONYMOUS

Sunday

Joshua's mother and his brother James found us outside of the Golden Gate of Jerusale for Bartholo for Nathaniel and Philip to return with Ja to find Judas and Thogie, ere looking for Thaddeus and Simon, who had been sent to look for a donkey

"You'd think they'd have found one by now," Mary said

According to prophecy, Joshua was supposed to enter the city on the colt of a donkey Of course, no one was going to find one That was the plan Even Joshua's brother Jaone ahead to wait inside the gate, just in case one of the disciples had missed the point and actually came back with a donkey

About a thousand of Joshua's followers froathered on the road to the Golden Gate They had lined the road with palm fronds for Joshua's entrance to the city, and they were cheering and singing hosannas all afternoon in anticipation of his triu, and no colt showed, the crowd gradually dispersed as everybody got hungry and went into the city to find so to eat Only Joshua, his

"I was hoping you ht talk some sense into him," I said to Mary

"I've seen this co time," Mary said She wore her usual blue dress and shawl, and the usual light in her face seerief "Why do you think I sent for hio?"

It was true, she had sent Joshua's younger brothers Judah and Jose to the synagogue at Capernau he was one outside to meet them

"I wish you touldn't talk about me like I'm not here," Joshua said

"We're trying to get used to it," I said "If you don't like it, then give up this stupid plan to sacrifice yourself"

"What do you think we've been preparing for all of these years, Biff?"

"If I'd known it was this I wouldn't have helped You'd still be stuck in a wine amphora in India"

He squinted to see through the gate "Where is everyone? How hard can it be to find one simple ass?"

I looked at Joshua's h there was pain in her eyes she smiled "Don't look at me," she said "No one on ht line like that"

It was too easy, so I let it go "They're all at Siht"

Joshua didn't say a word He just climbed to his feet and walked off toward Bethany

"There is nothing you can do to stop this froathered in the front roo when Joshua glared at her Simon looked at the floor, as did the rest of us "The priest and the scribes will take e me and then they will killyou again, but you cannot stop whatyou"

Maggie got up and ran out of the house, snatching the communal purse froo after her but I pushed hio"

We all sat there in silence, trying to think of so to say I don't knohat everyone else was thinking, but I was still trying to for his life Martha returned to the room ine and cups and served each of us in turn, not looking at Joshua when she filled his cup Joshua's mother followed her back out of the room, I presumed to help her prepare supper

In ti directly to Joshua, where she sat down at his feet She took the communal purse out of her cloak and from it she pulled a small alabaster box, the sort that was used to store the precious ointments that women used to anoint the bodies of the dead at burial She tossed the empty purse to Judas Without a word, she broke the seal on the box and poured the ointan to wipe the oil from his feet with it The rich aroma of spices and perfume filled the room

In an instant Judas was on his feet and across the room He snatched the box of ointment off the floor "The money from this could have fed hundreds of the poor"

Joshua looked up at the Zealot and there were tears in his eyes "You'll always have the poor, Judas, but I'er Let her be"

"But"

"Let her be," Joshua said He held out his hand and Judas slammed the alabaster box into it, then stor out in the street, but I couldn't

Maggie poured the rest of the oil on Joshua's head and drew patterns on his forehead with her finger Joshua tried to take her hand but she pulled it away from him and stepped back until he dropped his hand "A dead man can't love," she said "Be still"

When we followed Joshua to the Teie was nowhere to be seen

Monday

On Monday Joshua led us through the Golden Gate into Jerusalem, but this time there were no pal hosannas (Well, there was this one guy, but he was always singing hosannas at the Golden Gate If you gave him a coin he'd stop for a while)

"It would be nice to be able to buy a little sodalene hadn't spent all of our money"

"Joshua sh," Nathaniel said "Don't you think Joshua smells nice?"

Sos Right then, when I saw Judas grit his teeth and the vein stand out on his forehead, I said a quick prayer of thanks for Nathaniel's naïvet??

"He does smell nice," said Bartholo the material comforts"

"Thank you, Bart," said Joshua

"Yes, there's nothing like a good-s man," said John dreamily Suddenly ere all very unco and we all walked a few paces farther apart (I haven't told you about John, have I?) Then John started tothe woive aand falsely masculine voice "A man could surely plant some seed there, he could"

"Please shut up," James said to his brother

"Maybe," said Philip, "you could have your mother come over and tell that woman to cleave unto you"

Everyone snickered, even Joshua Well, everyone except James "You see?" he said to his brother "You see what you've started? You little nancy"

"There's a nubile wench," exclai dragged toward the city gates by a group of Pharisees, her clothes hanging in shreds on her body (which indeed appeared to be nubile, so credit to John for working outside of his element)

"Block the road," Joshua said

The Pharisees came up to our human blockade and stopped "Let us pass, Rabbi," the oldest of theht in the act of adultery this very day and we're taking her out of the city to be stoned, as is the law" The wo and her hair fell in dirty curls around her face Terror had twisted her face and her eyes were rolled back in her head, but an hour ago she had probably been pretty

Joshua crouched and began writing in the dust at his feet "What's your name?" he asked

"Jamal," said the leader I watched Joshua write the man's name, then next to it a list of sins

"Wow, Jaoose? I didn't even know that was possible"

Jamal dropped the adulteress's arm and stepped back Joshua looked up at the otherthe woman "And your name?"

"Uh, Steve," said that man

"His name is not Steve," said another man in the crowd "It's Jacob"

Joshua wrote "Jacob" in the dust "No," said Jacob He let go of the wo her toward us Then Joshua stood up and took the stone from the man nearest him, who surrendered it easily His attention was focused on the list of sins written in the dirt "Now let us stone this harlot," Joshua said "Whoever of you is without sin, cast the first stone" And he held out the stone to theone back the way they had coed his ankles "Thank you, Rabbi Thank you so much"

"That's okay," said Joshua He lifted her to her feet "Now go, and sin no more"

"You really sood, you know that?" she said

"Yeah, thanks Now go"

She started off "I should ets hoht the back of my tunic and pulled me back "You missed the 'sin no more' part of my instructions?"

"Look, I've already committed adultery with her in my heart, so, you knohy not enjoy it?"

"No"

"You're the one who set the standards By those rules, even John committed adultery with her in his heart, and he doesn't even like women"

"Do too," said John

"To the Te on

"Waste of a perfectly good adulteress, if you ask me"