The Strange darkness... (In a Bubble of Time.)

chap 65:

Golden Gate, Herod’s Temple:

Another beggar pushed Elkanah, trying to get closer to Bartimaeus and his story.  . Elkanah shifted to make place.  . It was crowded.  . Most of his friends had come to hear the tale.  . Bartimaeus had had to repeat himself more than once, for the sake of the new comers, but his story had never changed.  . He had put his newly regained sight, to good use.  . But, to Bartimaeus it would have been better not to have had it back, than to witness the horror he had come to narrate about.  . Jesus, crucified!

 “Why didn’t he listen to me?  He could have saved himself, if only he had believed me.  . I should have been more convincing.,” he remonstrated himself.

Pilgrims streamed past into the Temple, but for once the beggars were too distracted to hold out their bowls.  . Some coins however dropped in automatically into the bowls on the floor, but went virtually unheeded by their recipients.

“You should have warned him, Elkanah, when you had the chance.”  Bartimaeus turned his focus on the man who leaned against the wall, his eyes closed, his face drawn.

“If he didn’t believe you, whom he knew, why should he have believed me?”

“Whether Jesus had believed you or not on that day, it would have made my warnings more credible later.”  Bartimaeus said.

Elkanah’s eyes flashed open.  . “Don’t you dare try to pin the blame on me!”, he glared.

Before either could say another word, the sun was blotted out.  .

Cries of fear, surprise and shock was all around them. Then pandemonium.

 Footsteps pounded down the steps.  . People pushing.  . Someone fell, bringing down others in his path, with him.  . Shouts of anger.  . Curses.

Elkanah moved himself as far away from the Beautiful Gate as possible, pushing his friends, forcing them to move aside.  . He didn’t want to be trampled on in the confusion.  . There was no point in asking anyone what had happened to the sun.  . It was obvious no one knew.

He saw the faint flicker of torchlight.  . It grew steadily brighter as its bearer came running out of the temple.  . The gold on the leaves of the massive doors reflected it greedily, lighting up the entrance.  . The priest’s face however didn’t seem to benefit from the glow of the fire.  . It was ashen, his eyes huge.  . As if he had seen a ghost.

  “The Veil.”  He gasped, to no one in particular, “The Temple Veil has torn!  From top to bottom!  It has been torn!”  With that, he ran off down the stairs, in the general direction of the High Priests’ house.  . And with him, went the light.

The silence his torchlight had brought with it, disappeared, swallowed up in a torrent of more confusion.

“Who tore the Temple Veil?”

 “No one but the priests are allowed into the Holy Place.  . Which priest would dare?  It would be tantamount to sacrilege.  . Blasphemy, even.”

“But no one man could have done it.  . It must have been a conspiracy.”

“What do you mean?”

“The veil is two inches thick and taller than the height of two houses, one on top of another.  . No man could have done it by himself.”

“Maybe it wasn’t man, but God Himself.  . The priest said it was torn from the top to the bottom.”

“Would God desecrate His own Temple?” came the scornful reply.

Maybe, Elkanah thought to himself, maybe God is showing his displeasure at Jesus’ crucifixion. But he kept his thoughts to himself.

It was evening as the horses’ hooves pounded into the city.  No one stopped them; no one would, not a Roman Centurion in full regalia.  . Where should they go now?  To Herod’s Palace in search of Joanna or to the Praetorium, to Pontius Pilate?

“I’ll take you to the Palace,” Marcus decided. “Try to locate your friend.  . See if there have been any new developments on the matter.”

“No Marcus,” she interrupted.  . “It’ll be too late.  . I don’t know where Joanna is.  . She may not even be at the Palace tonight.  . She may be with Mary, anywhere.  . Please, just go to Pontius Pilate and find out directly from him.”

“Woman, one can’t just barge in unannounced on the Prefect, even if he is only of the equestrian rank and I out rank him, technically.  . There is certain protocol to be observed; the meeting with Pontius Pilate will have to wait till morning.”

Deborah groaned.  . “But what if Joanna isn’t at the Palace?”

“It is a chance we will have to take.  . You have met your friend’s husband, haven’t you?  Didn’t you tell me he is an official of the Court?”  Deborah nodded. “Well, announce yourself and ask to meet him.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be your escort.”  He grinned.  . “There is nothing else for me to do tonight anyway.”

Deborah didn’t smile back.  . She was irritated.  . The journey from Galilee had been long and tedious. The strange darkness had lifted long ago, but the daylight had none of the comfort she had hoped it would bring. Now the day had given in to its natural night. The deep shadows inside the carpentum only compounded nerves stretched by Marcus’ proximity.  . She had deliberately maintained a stoic silence, barely answering any questions, till Marcus had also lapsed into his own silence.  . Now, she had to spend even more time with him.