I saw one soldier struck by many stones before he fell from his horse. Hands pulled at him and he went down into the crowd. A man in a robe and mantle scrambled up on the horse and began to fight with another soldier, and the soldier stabbed the man twice in the belly with his sword. The blood just gushed out of him.
I thought my breath had stopped. It was like the kick in the belly from Eleazer. I opened my mouth but the air wouldn't come. Joseph tried to drag me down from his shoulder but the crowd was too tight for him to do it, and I didn't want to come down. Terrible as it was, I wanted to see.
Prayers rose from everywhere, but they weren't the joyful Psalms. They were cries for help, cries for deliverance. Some people were falling to the ground.
But things like this were happening on all sides. All of us went back again like a wave in the sea.
Joseph reached up, and with other hands helping him, he lifted me over his head and down, his arms around me as he dragged me through the tight squeeze of people struggling and screaming.
When my feet hit the marble, I couldn't move. Even my tunic was caught up against those in front and behind me. Little Salome!" I cried. "Little Salome, where are you?"
"Yeshua," she called in the Aramaic. "Reach for me."
I saw her head before me as she struggled, as if she was swimming towards me, through the bodies that closed in on her.
I pulled her right beside me and in front of Joseph, and above me I could hear Cleopas laughing. He stood in front of me and he was laughing his old laugh.
The crowd moved to the side and then forward, so that we fell. Everyone fell. Hands pulled me down, and I pulled Little Salome under me, my right hand on top of her head.
"Get on your knees and stay there!" Joseph commanded. What could we do? We were on our knees and pitched forward.
My mother's voice came up in my ear.
"My son, my son."
Joseph and Cleopas threw up their hands and prayed to the Lord. I held Salome and threw up my left hand.
"Oh Lord, you are my refuge!" Joseph cried. Cleopas said another prayer. "I stretch forth my hands to you, Oh Lord," my mother cried. Little Salome cried: "Oh Lord, deliver me!"
All around us people called on the Lord. "Let the wicked fall in their own snares," cried James right near me.
"Deliver me, Lord, deliver me, from the evil around me," I prayed, but I couldn't hear my own voice. The prayers grew louder and became like a rumbling rising so high it almost rose above the screams and cries of those who fought.
The bellowing of the oxen was terrible, and the high thin screams of the women hurt me.
I looked up, lifting my head as much as I dared, and I saw that everyone all around us was kneeling and bowing. Zebe-dee rose up to implore the Lord and then bowed, but he was only one of so many I couldn't count.
But people came rushing through this big sea of those who prayed, scrambling over us, pushing down on shoulders and backs as they tried to get out.
For a moment, I was crushed right to the marble tiles of the floor, slipping beside Little Salome, my hand not leaving her head.
A wild will came over me and I struggled to get up and free. I pushed and jerked to the side until I wasn't under Joseph, and I climbed to my feet as if I was running.
I saw the great big square. Far ahead of us, people ran in all directions, the sheep were running wild with quick jerky steps, and soldiers rode down on the people, and the people, even the people who knelt and bowed, rose up all over and threw stones at the soldiers.
Some groups of people were like mounds of the dead.
The psalms rose to Heaven. " 'I flee unto you, O Lord, to hide me. ... I cried to you, O Lord—.' "
Soldiers on horseback came racing after the people, both men and women who ran right towards us.
"Joseph, look," cried my mother. "Get him, pull him down."
I pulled free of the hands that tried to tug at me.
The people ran on top of those kneeling, right over them as if they were rocks by
I thought my breath had stopped. It was like the kick in the belly from Eleazer. I opened my mouth but the air wouldn't come. Joseph tried to drag me down from his shoulder but the crowd was too tight for him to do it, and I didn't want to come down. Terrible as it was, I wanted to see.
Prayers rose from everywhere, but they weren't the joyful Psalms. They were cries for help, cries for deliverance. Some people were falling to the ground.
But things like this were happening on all sides. All of us went back again like a wave in the sea.
Joseph reached up, and with other hands helping him, he lifted me over his head and down, his arms around me as he dragged me through the tight squeeze of people struggling and screaming.
When my feet hit the marble, I couldn't move. Even my tunic was caught up against those in front and behind me. Little Salome!" I cried. "Little Salome, where are you?"
"Yeshua," she called in the Aramaic. "Reach for me."
I saw her head before me as she struggled, as if she was swimming towards me, through the bodies that closed in on her.
I pulled her right beside me and in front of Joseph, and above me I could hear Cleopas laughing. He stood in front of me and he was laughing his old laugh.
The crowd moved to the side and then forward, so that we fell. Everyone fell. Hands pulled me down, and I pulled Little Salome under me, my right hand on top of her head.
"Get on your knees and stay there!" Joseph commanded. What could we do? We were on our knees and pitched forward.
My mother's voice came up in my ear.
"My son, my son."
Joseph and Cleopas threw up their hands and prayed to the Lord. I held Salome and threw up my left hand.
"Oh Lord, you are my refuge!" Joseph cried. Cleopas said another prayer. "I stretch forth my hands to you, Oh Lord," my mother cried. Little Salome cried: "Oh Lord, deliver me!"
All around us people called on the Lord. "Let the wicked fall in their own snares," cried James right near me.
"Deliver me, Lord, deliver me, from the evil around me," I prayed, but I couldn't hear my own voice. The prayers grew louder and became like a rumbling rising so high it almost rose above the screams and cries of those who fought.
The bellowing of the oxen was terrible, and the high thin screams of the women hurt me.
I looked up, lifting my head as much as I dared, and I saw that everyone all around us was kneeling and bowing. Zebe-dee rose up to implore the Lord and then bowed, but he was only one of so many I couldn't count.
But people came rushing through this big sea of those who prayed, scrambling over us, pushing down on shoulders and backs as they tried to get out.
For a moment, I was crushed right to the marble tiles of the floor, slipping beside Little Salome, my hand not leaving her head.
A wild will came over me and I struggled to get up and free. I pushed and jerked to the side until I wasn't under Joseph, and I climbed to my feet as if I was running.
I saw the great big square. Far ahead of us, people ran in all directions, the sheep were running wild with quick jerky steps, and soldiers rode down on the people, and the people, even the people who knelt and bowed, rose up all over and threw stones at the soldiers.
Some groups of people were like mounds of the dead.
The psalms rose to Heaven. " 'I flee unto you, O Lord, to hide me. ... I cried to you, O Lord—.' "
Soldiers on horseback came racing after the people, both men and women who ran right towards us.
"Joseph, look," cried my mother. "Get him, pull him down."
I pulled free of the hands that tried to tug at me.
The people ran on top of those kneeling, right over them as if they were rocks by
Similar Books
