with rich Pharisees and Sadducees. The same rich men whose wives had insulted her and refused her a decent job. Why shouldn’t she steal from them? They deserved it.
She brushed the straw from her hair and stood up. If the Almighty wouldn’t help her and Cedron, Mouse would have to. Mouse would take care of them both.
NISSA SLUNK DOWN the dead-end alley to her hidden hole in the wall. Mouse’s disguise lay buried under the dirty straw, just as she’d left it and pungent enough to make her eyes water. She changed quickly, winding the linen tightly around her chest. She bound her hair, covered it with the dirty cloth, and rubbed her face with a charred piece of wood and some dirt. Her father’s cloak was a good substitute for the one she’d left in the centurion’s hands. She didn’t care if he missed it.
She’d made the mark on the wall near Siloam, but would Dismas meet her? She’d ignored his marks for almost two weeks; perhaps he’d given up on her.
If he doesn’t show up, I’ll go by myself. Without Dismas’s skill at distraction, stealing would be more dangerous and she wouldn’t get as much, but she had to try.
She was breathing hard by the time she reached the meeting place. Sweat trickled down her back and dampened her tunic, but her fingers tingled and calm focus seeped through her. When she was stealing, she thought of nothing else. Not Cedron, not her parents, not even Gilad.
She’d hardly drawn two breaths inside the cramped space when Dismas eased in beside her. Relief rushed through her limbs. She wouldn’t have to go alone.
“So. You decided to try again? I must admit I was surprised to see the mark after all this time.” Dismas ran a dirty fingernail between the cracks in his yellow teeth.
“I was busy.” Nissa pulled her head covering closer around her face.
“You were scared.”
She bristled. “Since when have I ever been scared?”
“Since that centurion scared the skata out of you last time. You probably had to wash your tunic that night!” He grinned and shoved her.
A smile tugged at Nissa’s lips. Dismas was uncouth and crude, but she’d missed him.
He sniffed her shoulder. “You smell like a stable. I told you, Mouse, you’ll never get any girls that way. Clean yourself up. When I was your age, I had girls begging to lie with me.”
Nissa’s cheeks heated. She hadn’t missed Dismas’s talk of women.
Dismas picked at his fingernails. “Always have something for them. That’s the key, Mouse, a pretty bangle, a little perfume. How about we get you a pretty little something today, and you can get yourself a girl?”
She pushed past him. “Let’s just go.”
“What’s your hurry? And why today, on your feast day? There are only Greeks in the marketplace.”
She shook her head. “We’re not going to the marketplace. We’re going to the temple.”
“The temple?” His black brows pulled together.
Dismas didn’t like taking chances. But he did like taking money.
“It’s the last day of Tabernacles. The temple will be packed with pilgrims. There’s a man there, a miracle worker with crowds that follow him.”
Dismas rubbed his beard. “I’m with you so far. Crowds, money, plenty of distractions. But also Roman troops and your temple guards.”
Her heart sped up. That centurion—Longinus—might be there. But she needed silver. “We’ll stay away from them. Keep to the center of the crowd.”
“They’re looking for us. Especially you.”
So Dismas had heard of the reward for Mouse and the Greek. “We’ll be fast. They won’t even know we’re there.”
Dismas raised a brow and smiled. “Mouse, I’m proud of you.You’ve finally grown some órcheis , even if you can’t seem to grow a beard.”
Nissa flushed and looked at her feet.
“Let’s go then, my little friend. Don’t get too close; they’ll be looking for a pair.” He sniffed again. “And stay downwind.”
Chapter 6
D ISMAS LED THE way, gliding through the side
She brushed the straw from her hair and stood up. If the Almighty wouldn’t help her and Cedron, Mouse would have to. Mouse would take care of them both.
NISSA SLUNK DOWN the dead-end alley to her hidden hole in the wall. Mouse’s disguise lay buried under the dirty straw, just as she’d left it and pungent enough to make her eyes water. She changed quickly, winding the linen tightly around her chest. She bound her hair, covered it with the dirty cloth, and rubbed her face with a charred piece of wood and some dirt. Her father’s cloak was a good substitute for the one she’d left in the centurion’s hands. She didn’t care if he missed it.
She’d made the mark on the wall near Siloam, but would Dismas meet her? She’d ignored his marks for almost two weeks; perhaps he’d given up on her.
If he doesn’t show up, I’ll go by myself. Without Dismas’s skill at distraction, stealing would be more dangerous and she wouldn’t get as much, but she had to try.
She was breathing hard by the time she reached the meeting place. Sweat trickled down her back and dampened her tunic, but her fingers tingled and calm focus seeped through her. When she was stealing, she thought of nothing else. Not Cedron, not her parents, not even Gilad.
She’d hardly drawn two breaths inside the cramped space when Dismas eased in beside her. Relief rushed through her limbs. She wouldn’t have to go alone.
“So. You decided to try again? I must admit I was surprised to see the mark after all this time.” Dismas ran a dirty fingernail between the cracks in his yellow teeth.
“I was busy.” Nissa pulled her head covering closer around her face.
“You were scared.”
She bristled. “Since when have I ever been scared?”
“Since that centurion scared the skata out of you last time. You probably had to wash your tunic that night!” He grinned and shoved her.
A smile tugged at Nissa’s lips. Dismas was uncouth and crude, but she’d missed him.
He sniffed her shoulder. “You smell like a stable. I told you, Mouse, you’ll never get any girls that way. Clean yourself up. When I was your age, I had girls begging to lie with me.”
Nissa’s cheeks heated. She hadn’t missed Dismas’s talk of women.
Dismas picked at his fingernails. “Always have something for them. That’s the key, Mouse, a pretty bangle, a little perfume. How about we get you a pretty little something today, and you can get yourself a girl?”
She pushed past him. “Let’s just go.”
“What’s your hurry? And why today, on your feast day? There are only Greeks in the marketplace.”
She shook her head. “We’re not going to the marketplace. We’re going to the temple.”
“The temple?” His black brows pulled together.
Dismas didn’t like taking chances. But he did like taking money.
“It’s the last day of Tabernacles. The temple will be packed with pilgrims. There’s a man there, a miracle worker with crowds that follow him.”
Dismas rubbed his beard. “I’m with you so far. Crowds, money, plenty of distractions. But also Roman troops and your temple guards.”
Her heart sped up. That centurion—Longinus—might be there. But she needed silver. “We’ll stay away from them. Keep to the center of the crowd.”
“They’re looking for us. Especially you.”
So Dismas had heard of the reward for Mouse and the Greek. “We’ll be fast. They won’t even know we’re there.”
Dismas raised a brow and smiled. “Mouse, I’m proud of you.You’ve finally grown some órcheis , even if you can’t seem to grow a beard.”
Nissa flushed and looked at her feet.
“Let’s go then, my little friend. Don’t get too close; they’ll be looking for a pair.” He sniffed again. “And stay downwind.”
Chapter 6
D ISMAS LED THE way, gliding through the side
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