And absolutely no Jewish women. By spring, he’d be leaving Judea and its women behind.
Now, to get rid of these two before anyone saw him. “Do you have any other family here? An uncle? Cousins?”
Nissa shook her head. “No. No one.”
Longinus pulled Ferox into a walk. Men, women, and children stopped and gaped as they left the steps and entered the busy street. Longinus, with his shining breastplate and plumed helmet, and Ferox, carrying the dirty, blood-streaked man and the tiny woman.
He knew no one but legionaries in Jerusalem. “You need tostay out of sight in case those priests of yours send more men. What about an inn? There’s one near the barracks that—”
“No.”
This was ridiculous. There had to be somewhere he could get rid of them. “You can’t sleep in the street.”
Her mouth twisted into a scowl. “Didn’t you hear, centurion? We’re am-ha-arez. The lowest of the low, save one.”
“And who’s lower than the am-ha-arez?”
She raised her brows and looked down her nose at him. “A friend of the Romans.”
Anger rose in him. As if he wouldn’t be laughed out of the barracks if Cornelius saw him with two Jews on his horse? “That knife cuts both ways, woman.”
She turned her head away. He’d get no apology from this little brat. So be it. He’d get them to the lower city and be done with them. They can starve to death for all I care.
He led Ferox down the Stepped Street, Nissa holding tightly to her brother as they jostled and jerked. The stench of animal and human refuse increased as they descended into the narrow streets between crowded, crumbling houses. At the sight of them, women and children scurried into their courtyards and banged gates behind them. By the time they reached the lower city, Cedron’s face had blanched even whiter, and his eyes fluttered closed.
Nissa’s arms tightened around her brother. “Turn there.” She nodded to a narrow side street just before the marketplace. Nissa glanced around like she hoped no one noticed a Roman and a huge horse in the tiny space. When they reached a path no bigger than a crack between buildings, Nissa bent toward him. “Here. Stop here.”
What was this place? There was nothing in the alley but a pile of broken pots and some boards. I don’t care. It’s not my duty to take care of every homeless Jew. Especially an unpleasant little thing like Nissa and her ungrateful brother, even if he did admire her courage.
He helped Cedron slide down and gingerly set him on oneleg, trying not to notice how Cedron was bony and thin where he had thick muscles and a well-fed middle.
Nissa took her brother’s arm and put it over her shoulders. Surely she couldn’t take him far. She was like a baby bird trying to carry a full-grown rabbit.
She looked up at him. “I’m grateful for your help.”
He bristled at her tone. She didn’t sound grateful. She sounded like she was dismissing a servant.
Without another word, Longinus jumped on his horse where the saddle was still warm from their bodies. He was done with them, this man who was born blind and his obstinate sister.
I have better things to do than help a couple of ungrateful Jews. His duty was back at the garrison. Keeping the pax romana and finding the thieves so he could get out of this infernal city with its ridiculous people. He turned Ferox back toward the main road, kicked him into a fast walk, and didn’t look back.
Chapter 10
N ISSA TUCKED HER thin cloak around Cedron. The cramped pigeon coop, smelling of bird droppings and stale straw, offered meager protection from the bite of the morning breeze. Her back ached from sleeping propped against the damp wall, and her empty belly and dry throat begged for food and water.
She’d waited until the last sound of the centurion’s horse had faded before she half carried, half hopped Cedron to the door of the little shed where she’d changed so often from Nissa to Mouse. It was the only place she could think of.
Now, to get rid of these two before anyone saw him. “Do you have any other family here? An uncle? Cousins?”
Nissa shook her head. “No. No one.”
Longinus pulled Ferox into a walk. Men, women, and children stopped and gaped as they left the steps and entered the busy street. Longinus, with his shining breastplate and plumed helmet, and Ferox, carrying the dirty, blood-streaked man and the tiny woman.
He knew no one but legionaries in Jerusalem. “You need tostay out of sight in case those priests of yours send more men. What about an inn? There’s one near the barracks that—”
“No.”
This was ridiculous. There had to be somewhere he could get rid of them. “You can’t sleep in the street.”
Her mouth twisted into a scowl. “Didn’t you hear, centurion? We’re am-ha-arez. The lowest of the low, save one.”
“And who’s lower than the am-ha-arez?”
She raised her brows and looked down her nose at him. “A friend of the Romans.”
Anger rose in him. As if he wouldn’t be laughed out of the barracks if Cornelius saw him with two Jews on his horse? “That knife cuts both ways, woman.”
She turned her head away. He’d get no apology from this little brat. So be it. He’d get them to the lower city and be done with them. They can starve to death for all I care.
He led Ferox down the Stepped Street, Nissa holding tightly to her brother as they jostled and jerked. The stench of animal and human refuse increased as they descended into the narrow streets between crowded, crumbling houses. At the sight of them, women and children scurried into their courtyards and banged gates behind them. By the time they reached the lower city, Cedron’s face had blanched even whiter, and his eyes fluttered closed.
Nissa’s arms tightened around her brother. “Turn there.” She nodded to a narrow side street just before the marketplace. Nissa glanced around like she hoped no one noticed a Roman and a huge horse in the tiny space. When they reached a path no bigger than a crack between buildings, Nissa bent toward him. “Here. Stop here.”
What was this place? There was nothing in the alley but a pile of broken pots and some boards. I don’t care. It’s not my duty to take care of every homeless Jew. Especially an unpleasant little thing like Nissa and her ungrateful brother, even if he did admire her courage.
He helped Cedron slide down and gingerly set him on oneleg, trying not to notice how Cedron was bony and thin where he had thick muscles and a well-fed middle.
Nissa took her brother’s arm and put it over her shoulders. Surely she couldn’t take him far. She was like a baby bird trying to carry a full-grown rabbit.
She looked up at him. “I’m grateful for your help.”
He bristled at her tone. She didn’t sound grateful. She sounded like she was dismissing a servant.
Without another word, Longinus jumped on his horse where the saddle was still warm from their bodies. He was done with them, this man who was born blind and his obstinate sister.
I have better things to do than help a couple of ungrateful Jews. His duty was back at the garrison. Keeping the pax romana and finding the thieves so he could get out of this infernal city with its ridiculous people. He turned Ferox back toward the main road, kicked him into a fast walk, and didn’t look back.
Chapter 10
N ISSA TUCKED HER thin cloak around Cedron. The cramped pigeon coop, smelling of bird droppings and stale straw, offered meager protection from the bite of the morning breeze. Her back ached from sleeping propped against the damp wall, and her empty belly and dry throat begged for food and water.
She’d waited until the last sound of the centurion’s horse had faded before she half carried, half hopped Cedron to the door of the little shed where she’d changed so often from Nissa to Mouse. It was the only place she could think of.
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