Path of the Magi (Tales of Tiberius) Read Online Free

camp out in the woods rather than make the long walk back to town at night.  The next day was Saturday, after all, and no business would be done with half the town out in the field anyway.  They made the trip back the next morning without further incident, unless you counted Marcus and the other soldiers’ increasingly wild versions of how Tiberius had handled the terrible witch.  At one point this even drew a mild rebuke from Captain Okubo. 
    “Laugh if you like, but remember the young master did his duty.  There are men who have run from witches before this, and with good cause,” he said. 

∴
    By ten the next morning it was time for church, and the town had calmed down some.  The battle with the witches was destined to be more than a nine day wonder, but at least most of the town had gone on from Tiberius’ fateful encounter to discuss other aspects of the situation: who were the witches, what were they doing, would they be burned, and so on. 
    Even Pastor Adams seemed to get caught up in the news.  He preached a rousing sermon on the evils of witchcraft.  Pastor Adams had a long drawn out face like someone had pinched his nose and pulled too hard when he was young.  He was practically bald, but he knew the scriptures and the hearts of men well.
    The large stone church was a bit stuffy on this early summer day, especially as Tiberius was clad in a hand-me-down Sunday best ruffled shirt and black jacket.  But he managed to get caught up in the sermon all the same.
    “Why does God forbid the practice of witchcraft?” Pastor Adams railed from behind his pulpit.  “Is it because God doesn’t want us snapping our fingers and having gold and riches appear at our command?  Indeed not!  The scriptures say that God will provide for our every need.  He himself fed the 5,000 with bread and fish.  Would he say we are evil if we follow in his footsteps, giving food to the poor at every turn?  I say no.”
    “When did Christ or his disciples speak against magic?  Was it when others started using his name to cast out demons?  No, for Christ said that he who is with us is not against us.  Was it when Peter first laid eyes on Simon the Sorcerer?  No.  The scriptures teach us it was when Simon tried to buy the secret of Peter’s magical powers from him that God’s wrath turned upon Simon.  You see, that was the true insidious evil of witchcraft: making the world serve our needs, rather than we being at the service of others.
    “Power never comes cheap.  Those who serve God must be ready to leave family and home behind.  They must take up their cross and serve God.  Witches take another path.  They look to false gods, animal sprits or even Satan himself.  Or worse, they make themselves god, reducing God to symbols or some secret that they can control and make do their bidding.  Flee that path.  Serve God and God alone. Remember the most important commands of God are to love Him with all your heart and mind and soul.  Do that, and love your neighbor.  Keep your eyes to those goals and you will be free from the desire for black magic in your hearts.  You’ll have no fear from witches for they will flee from you.”
    Tiberius listened with interest.  He’d long known that the practice of witchcraft and sorcery were things prohibited by the Bible, but he hadn’t considered why they were prohibited before.  What was magic anyway?  Wasn’t feeding 5,000 people with a handful of fish magic?  He’d thought it was just something that God did and the rest of us didn’t.  But Pastor Adams had some interesting points.  There had to be a source of power for “magic" after all.  Witches were evil because they were turning away from God to gain their power.  That was just stupid, Tiberius thought.  Didn’t they know who God was?  Who Jesus was?  He was the way and the truth and the light.  He was the source of love and compassion and knowledge and everything good in the universe.  No power