Messiah: The First Judgement (Chronicles of Brothers) by Wendy Alec Page A
Authors: Wendy Alec
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universe.’
His voice shook with passion as Vespar ascended into the skies. ‘For the redemption of the Race of Men from their tyrant king, Lucifer!’
Chapter Five
Herod
Ahuge group of the councils of Jerusalem, including the seventy-one members of the Jewish supreme council, the Sanhedrin, and all Herod’s scribes and his own magi, were gathered in the palace’s inner court. Herod sat on his elaborate golden throne in the inner court of his palace. He was dressed in the most ostentatious purple finery, his crown awry on top of his thick, ill-fitting ginger wig. He limped heavily over to the nearest window to stare balefully at the pillar of fire that blazed in the night sky.
‘The star burns brighter with every hour!’ His face was florid with rage. ‘You knew I had a rival, yet you did not warn me?’ He slammed his sceptre down on an ornate vase, smashing it to the floor. ‘There is a king of the Jews; your Hebrew writings are clear on it.’
He rose from the throne and swung around to the chief priest, who was shivering with terror. ‘They are clear, aren’t they?’
‘The writings are clear, sire,’ the chief priest stammered.
Herod flung open the Torah scrolls. ‘Bring him nearer, that he might know his subject more intimately.’
Herod’s guards grabbed the chief priest by the arms and thrust him in front of Herod. Herod pushed the Torah in front of the chief priest’s face.
‘Where is this king of the Jews to be born?’
Petrified, the priest fumbled through the scrolls until he found the book of Micah. Trembling, he stopped. Herod snatched the scroll away from him and scanned it avidly, his fleshy jowls shaking as he read.
‘Where, where does it say “king of the Jews”?’ He pushed his face right up to the high priest. ‘Show me.’
‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet Micah: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people, Israel.”’
‘Is this ME?’ Herod screamed, red in the face. ‘Is it Herod the Great they prophesy? Is it Herod? Or is there...’ He spun around. ‘...ANOTHER?’ he hissed, his two chins shaking.
The chief priest gulped. Suddenly finding courage, in a holy fervour he blurted, ‘There is another.’ His words were soft but unmistakable. ‘The Messiah, the ruler of Israel – His kingdom shall see no end.’
Herod rose, apoplectic, from the throne and smashed the sceptre against the chief priest’s chest. The priest rolled down the marble stairs, blood flowing from his head onto the marble floor. The council stood terrorized, silent.
Herod lifted up his voluminous robes. ‘GET OUT OF HERE! Get out!’ screamed Herod. ‘OUT!’
The council scattered like geese, out of the throne room, two of them dragging the semi-conscious priest behind them. Herod’s advisers clustered around his throne, trembling and whispering feverishly.
‘Stop your infernal mumbling,’ Herod snarled. ‘What is it that you whisper of now?’
His chief adviser stepped forward. ‘We speak of the caravan, Your Majesty, that draws nigh to Jerusalem from the East.’
A second counsellor bowed. ‘The caravan is of exceeding wealth and pomp, Your Majesty. It is the talk of all Jerusalem.’
Herod sat back heavily on his throne. ‘Yes, yes, my magi informed me. They are Parthians – interferers ... kingmakers! They fell kings from thrones at their whim!’
He bit his fist, his eyes gleaming with insanity. Sweat poured from his furrowed brow below his crown. ‘It is a plot. The Parthians take me for a usurper – they would murder me ... dethrone me. And put this ... this infantile king of the Jews...’
‘Nay, Your Majesty. This caravan belongs to a king, Aretas, sovereign ruler of Arabia.’
‘Aretas! The king of Petra – why, he is no philosopher, no magus’s accomplice.’ Herod relaxed visibly. He exhaled deeply and readjusted his
His voice shook with passion as Vespar ascended into the skies. ‘For the redemption of the Race of Men from their tyrant king, Lucifer!’
Chapter Five
Herod
Ahuge group of the councils of Jerusalem, including the seventy-one members of the Jewish supreme council, the Sanhedrin, and all Herod’s scribes and his own magi, were gathered in the palace’s inner court. Herod sat on his elaborate golden throne in the inner court of his palace. He was dressed in the most ostentatious purple finery, his crown awry on top of his thick, ill-fitting ginger wig. He limped heavily over to the nearest window to stare balefully at the pillar of fire that blazed in the night sky.
‘The star burns brighter with every hour!’ His face was florid with rage. ‘You knew I had a rival, yet you did not warn me?’ He slammed his sceptre down on an ornate vase, smashing it to the floor. ‘There is a king of the Jews; your Hebrew writings are clear on it.’
He rose from the throne and swung around to the chief priest, who was shivering with terror. ‘They are clear, aren’t they?’
‘The writings are clear, sire,’ the chief priest stammered.
Herod flung open the Torah scrolls. ‘Bring him nearer, that he might know his subject more intimately.’
Herod’s guards grabbed the chief priest by the arms and thrust him in front of Herod. Herod pushed the Torah in front of the chief priest’s face.
‘Where is this king of the Jews to be born?’
Petrified, the priest fumbled through the scrolls until he found the book of Micah. Trembling, he stopped. Herod snatched the scroll away from him and scanned it avidly, his fleshy jowls shaking as he read.
‘Where, where does it say “king of the Jews”?’ He pushed his face right up to the high priest. ‘Show me.’
‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet Micah: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people, Israel.”’
‘Is this ME?’ Herod screamed, red in the face. ‘Is it Herod the Great they prophesy? Is it Herod? Or is there...’ He spun around. ‘...ANOTHER?’ he hissed, his two chins shaking.
The chief priest gulped. Suddenly finding courage, in a holy fervour he blurted, ‘There is another.’ His words were soft but unmistakable. ‘The Messiah, the ruler of Israel – His kingdom shall see no end.’
Herod rose, apoplectic, from the throne and smashed the sceptre against the chief priest’s chest. The priest rolled down the marble stairs, blood flowing from his head onto the marble floor. The council stood terrorized, silent.
Herod lifted up his voluminous robes. ‘GET OUT OF HERE! Get out!’ screamed Herod. ‘OUT!’
The council scattered like geese, out of the throne room, two of them dragging the semi-conscious priest behind them. Herod’s advisers clustered around his throne, trembling and whispering feverishly.
‘Stop your infernal mumbling,’ Herod snarled. ‘What is it that you whisper of now?’
His chief adviser stepped forward. ‘We speak of the caravan, Your Majesty, that draws nigh to Jerusalem from the East.’
A second counsellor bowed. ‘The caravan is of exceeding wealth and pomp, Your Majesty. It is the talk of all Jerusalem.’
Herod sat back heavily on his throne. ‘Yes, yes, my magi informed me. They are Parthians – interferers ... kingmakers! They fell kings from thrones at their whim!’
He bit his fist, his eyes gleaming with insanity. Sweat poured from his furrowed brow below his crown. ‘It is a plot. The Parthians take me for a usurper – they would murder me ... dethrone me. And put this ... this infantile king of the Jews...’
‘Nay, Your Majesty. This caravan belongs to a king, Aretas, sovereign ruler of Arabia.’
‘Aretas! The king of Petra – why, he is no philosopher, no magus’s accomplice.’ Herod relaxed visibly. He exhaled deeply and readjusted his
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