The Wolf and the Lamb Read Online Free Page B

quiet, and although he could not see them, he was almost certain he heard rats scampering about in the dark. The torches guttered and smoked. If fresh air did not find its way into the room and soon, Gamaliel believed, they would both expire from asphyxiation. Finally, Pilate spoke.
    “You see how it is, Rabban. Interveni pro me auxilium tuum . I must beg for your help.” He was pleading, but precious little humility found its way into his tone of voice. Gamaliel guessed it would be all that he would get. If he were to establish his position, it would have to be now.
    “Indeed, I can see that. Tell me, Prefect…shall I continue to call you that? Tell me why I should be bothered with establishing your innocence or guilt? You know as well as I do that most, if not all, of my people would rejoice at your downfall. If you are not the most disliked man in all of the Palestine, you come in a close second. Furthermore—”
    “Furthermore if you defend me and do so successfully, as I have no doubt you will, you will join me in the ranks of those hated by your own people. Yes, I know that.”
    “Yet, you bring me here to make the request. Why?”
    “You have a weakness which, ironically, is also your greatest strength.”
    “What? A weakness that is also…please, do not burden me with Latin sophistry. I prefer not to deal in paradoxes, clever aphorisms, or word games. Why should I care about your sorry predicament?”
    “Rabban, your weakness, and simultaneously your strength, is that you are a righteous man. You are iustus, a just man. It does not matter if you would prefer to ignore wrongdoing, even among your enemies; you are incapable of doing so. I am counting on that.”
    “You presume, sir. I may be, as you imply, blindly righteous, but at the same time, I am not a fool. I have a position to maintain and, believe it or not, I will do anything in my limited power to see you and your countrymen removed from this land—all of you at once or one at a time, if necessary, and as soon as possible.”
    “I know that, Rabban, but consider the following. While the Greeks are philosophers and Arabs have the corner on mathematics at the moment—although there are those who might argue—the important thing to remember is that Romans are pragmatists. Pragmatic people, Rabban, and behind all that devotion to your Law and your holy books and your feigned indifference to politics, you are as well.”
    Gamaliel started to protest. Whether or not the Prefect had it right or not, he resented being lumped together with these hated people.
    “Tut. Let me finish. Because we share this characteristic, whether you want to admit it or not, you will eventually come to realize that I am no different from any of a hundred, a thousand men like me. You see how it is? Like it or not, if I fall from grace, one of them will replace me within days, possibly even hours. I assure you, if Cassia or any of the other members of the mission who have taken possession of my apartments and usurped my authority, were to replace me, the lives of your people would not improve one unica. Wouldn’t you prefer the enemy you know to the one you do not?”
    “May the Lord forgive me. You are all alike. Why am I not surprised?”
    “Alas, yes we are. Well, except for Rufus. He is more like you. He harbors affection for doing the right thing by people, even those with no standing. Which is why, I tell him repeatedly, he will never rise very far in the Empire. You will like Rufus.”
    “Rufus? And you believe I shall meet him?”
    “Oh yes, certainly. How else will you interview witnesses? Surely you do not believe my captors and colleagues will willingly submit to questioning by a non-citizen and a Hebrew at that?”
    “I cannot believe that they would care an ass’ ear what I managed to discover, even your innocence, should I prove it. You may be pragmatists, as you say, but you are also xenophobes and arrogant to boot. They will not care,