A SCARLET THREAD.
"These matters whereof thou hast spoken to us are good, my lord; of the
truth of them am I well convinced, because of thy wisdom in showing
forth the prophecies which are writ by the hand of holy and righteous
men in the Scriptures," and Pagiel bowed himself before Ben Hesed with a
solemn countenance.
Ben Hesed laid aside the parchment roll from which he had been reading,
and a smile of exceeding sweetness dawned in his keen eyes. "My heart
is rejoiced, son of my sister," he said gently, "because thou hast
believed these wondrous tidings. It shall be well with thee, both in
this present world and in the world to come; even as our glorified Lord
hath declared, 'Blessed is he that hath not seen and yet hath believed.'
Would that every one in this company of ours could also find the light."
"'In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be
established,' as is it written, my lord. If now of those holy men who
consorted with the Nazarene in his life-time, one could come into the
desert and preach to us of him that was crucified there would remain not
one of us all who should not believe."
"I have thought of that--many times," said Ben Hesed, drawing his heavy
brows together. "Surely I ought to do this thing, that all they that
dwell in this land may hear the good tidings of this exceeding great
joy. To my enemy also could be preached the words of love and good
will, then would peace reign in the desert. His will should be done on
earth even as in heaven, no more shedding of blood, no more strife, no
more hatred. And why indeed should not these things be?" and the
speaker's face glowed. "It is most simple--most easy. We have but to
obey--obey exactly the words of the holy Jesus."
"Most easy--most simple," murmured Pagiel, rolling up his eyes
sanctimoniously. "It will doubtless soon come to pass; then will the
lion lie down with the lamb, even as it is written."
"I will do it," cried Ben Hesed, "and I will set forth without delay.
Some one of them can surely be spared, if not of the apostles, the young
man Stephen, a most learned, most holy one. I will also fetch the two
Egyptians, who will by this time have grown wise in the faith. Thou
wilt love them now, my Pagiel, because of the love of Christ in thy
heart. Love is the fulfilling of the law."
"Assuredly!" cried the other, with a venomous gleam in his eye, "the
fulfilling of the law; very good--very true. We must all think of the
law."
"We need think of but two laws now, God be praised," said Ben Hesed.
"Even as it was declared by the Crucified One, 'Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like
unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'"
"Wilt thou that I command the beasts to be made ready for the start?"
suggested Pagiel with an impatient glance at Ben Hesed's abstracted
face. "On such an errand there can scarce be too great speed."
"Thou art right. Make ready, and at once; I will take thee with me,
also my sons, and ten men which are skilled with the bow, since it may
be that we fall in with evil company by the way."
"Resist not evil, as saith the Nazarene," quoth Pagiel piously. "Will
it not be better, my lord, to leave me in charge of the women and little
ones, since I am next of kin to my lord?"
Ben Hesed looked sharply into the meek face of Pagiel. "I will leave
thee in charge," he said; but he looked thoughtfully at the man more
than once within the hour.
As for Pagiel, he was glad because that the eye of man is not able to
read the heart. He laughed within himself as, with the help of Ben
Kish, he made ready the beasts of burden and the provisions, for he
thought that his day was come. And he laughed yet again aloud when Ben
Hesed set forth on his journey, taking with him his two sons together
with ten men who were skillful with the bow.
His wife heard him laugh as he stood in the door of the tent, and she
asked him, "What is it that hath pleased the heart of my lord?"
"To every man cometh a time to rejoice," he made answer, "and long
enough have I eaten out my heart in bitterness. Make ready now a
supper, for we will feast this night." Then he turned to his
son-in-law. "Where is Simeon?"
"Nay, I know not," answered Ben Kish. "He is perhaps with the herds."
"Go and fetch him," commanded Pagiel.
Ben Kish made search for the man Simeon; but he found him not, neither
with the herds nor anywhere about the encampment. "The man is gathering
fuel," he said scowling, "or he hath gone perchance after some wild
beast to slay it." But at the setting of the sun Simeon had not
returned. Nor did he come that night.
"I hope," said Ben Kish, "that a wild beast hath slain him."
All that day Ben Hesed, with his two sons and the ten men who were
skilful with the bow, made haste on their journey and stayed not.
"For," said Ben Hesed, "I should have done this thing many moons since;
I alone am not sufficient for the work."
At evening an encampment was made so that they might rest and be
refreshed. As the servants were gathering fuel for the fires, one of
them saw a man running toward the place where they were, and he went and
told Ben Hesed, saying, "Behold, we have seen an appearance as of a man
running. How can this be, seeing that we are already a day's journey in
the wilderness?"
But even as he told the thing, the runner approached the encampment, and
he fell on his face before Ben Hesed.
"It is Simeon," said Ben Hesed. "Raise him up and give him water that
he may speak. He hath perchance evil tidings."
So they raised him up and offered him water, but he would not drink
until he had seen the skin from which the water was taken; then he drank
deep and long.
"What doth this mean," said Ben Hesed, "art thou then smitten with
madness, or hast thou tidings of evil?"
"Tidings of evil, alas, my lord," said Simeon, bowing himself before his
chief. And he told Ben Hesed all that the son of Kish had said; also
how that he had showed him the crystal flask in the desert by night.
"The water-skin wherein the potion was mingled is marked," he said. "I
went away by stealth into the desert that I might meet thee as thou
camest out, but it chanced that thou camest out by another way, and I
was not able to overtake thee till now." He showed them, moreover, the
water-skin bound with a scarlet thread about its nozzle.
Ben Hesed rose up after that Simeon had told him all, and he went away
into the desert alone for the space of three hours, that he might take
counsel with the Almighty concerning the thing. When he returned he
called four of the strong men unto him, and he said to them, "The moon
is full to-night, therefore get ye up and make haste to return to the
encampment. And when thou art returned seek out Pagiel and the son of
Kish and say to them: 'My lord hath commanded the presence of you both
that he may speak unto you concerning a matter of importance.' Say no
more than this to the men, and if they come with you willingly, well,
but if they will not come, then fetch them straightway. We will remain
in this place until thou shalt return."
So the four men made haste all that night to return, and in the morning
they stood before the tent of Pagiel and called for him to come out--for
he slept late because of the feasting.
Pagiel came forth after a space and heard what the men had to say. And
he bowed his head before the messengers of Ben Hesed. "I will arouse my
son," he said, "that we may obey the commands of my lord. He would
doubtless give to us some further directions concerning the herds."
"Awake!" he cried in the ear of Ben Kish. "Awake to see an evil day, for
my heart mistrusts me concerning the man Simeon. Thou shouldst not have
told him."
"I told him at thy bidding," cried Ben Kish; "and thinkest thou that we
could carry out this thing without adherents? If thou fearest Ben
Hesed, why not refuse to go? Tell the men that thy wife is ailing and
that I am with the herds. When they shall search for me I will flee in
the opposite direction."
Pagiel shook his head gloomily. "Thy counsel is evil, son of a
herdsman," he replied. "My wife is already at the fountain, and for
thee would they make instant search. We had best go peaceably, for if
we refuse they will suspect evil of us--It may be after all that he hath
heard nothing; and at the worst, Ben Hesed is a merciful man."
So the two came forth with great show of willingness, and they went with
the messengers of Ben Hesed into the wilderness a day's journey.
At evening they stood in the presence of Ben Hesed, and he spoke to them
of the crystal flask straightway. "Thus wouldst thou have slain more
than a half-score of souls of thine own kindred," he said, his eyes
burning with a fire that was terrible to see. "And that without warning
and without mercy. What hast thou to say in thy defense?"
The face of Pagiel became the color of death when he heard these words,
and he would have fallen had not Ben Kish held him up. "Thou art
unjust," cried the son of the herdsman, boldly. "Prate not of mercy to
righteous men. An enemy hath told thee this lie concerning us. Twice
hast thou believed the word of a stranger before the word of thy near
kinsman. Thou art unjust!"
"Is the thing not true then?" said Ben Hesed, mildly, though his eye yet
burned with that still and terrible light.
"It is not true," cried Ben Kish. "I swear it by----"
"Hold!" said Ben Hesed, sternly. Then he turned to Pagiel. "Is this
tale of the poisoned water true, or is it a lie?"
"It is a lie--a foul lie--a blasphemous lie," cried Pagiel stoutly, the
color stealing back to his livid face. "Would I, thinkest thou, lift up
my hand against my next of kin? An enemy hath dealt deceitfully with
thee--may God requite him!"
"God will requite him," said Ben Hesed solemnly; "and he will also
requite thee. Hear now what I shall say. We are by swift dromedaries a
day's march from the encampment; this distance ye can accomplish on foot
without undue fatigue to yourselves within the space of three days.
Return, therefore, in peace, and we will proceed on our journey."
Pagiel bowed himself before his lord. "Thou art a just man," he cried.
But in his heart he called Ben Hesed a fool.
"Wilt thou give us provisions that we faint not by the way?" asked the
son of Kish, looking suspiciously into the calm face of his chief.
"Assuredly," answered Ben Hesed, "both of food and of water." And he
arose and gave command to his servants that provision should be made for
the sustenance of the two men, during a three day's journey, of the best
of the corn, of the dates, and of the cheeses of goat's milk which they
had provided. A skin of water also commanded he to give them. And so
they presently set forth, Ben Hesed and his company upon their swift
dromedaries, their faces turned toward Judaea; Pagiel and the son of
Kish walking slowly in the opposite direction, bearing upon their backs
the provision which Ben Hesed had given them.
No sooner was the caravan out of sight and hearing than Pagiel threw
down his burden and burst into a loud laugh; and he kissed. Ben Kish on
both his cheeks. "Verily," he cried, "thou art a son worth the having;
for this day thou didst save me from the incredible folly of confessing
to yonder hoary knave all that was in my heart--the words were even upon
my lips. Ha, ha! The wisdom of Ben Hesed is very foolishness compared
with the wisdom of the son of Kish. Give me to drink, son, for I thirst
already because of my laughter."
Ben Kish let down the water-skin from his shoulder. Then he stared at
it, his eyes bulging from his head in terror. About the nozzle was
bound a scarlet thread.