The Eagle In the Sand

'Why did you not come back to us?' Miriam was asking. 'We needed you.You're a good man.'

'But not good enough, it seemed. Not for you at least.'

'Symeon, I'm sorry. I loved you – I still do, but… I couldn't, and still can't, love you as you want to be loved. I must be strong for these people. They look to me for guidance. They look to me for love. If I took you as my man I would betray them. I will not do it.'

'Fine!' Symeon snorted. 'Then you will die alone, if that's what you want.'

'Perhaps… If that is my fate.'

'But you don't have to.You could have me.'

'No,' she said bitterly. 'You think of nobody but yourself.You renounced the rest of us, because we refused to follow your path.You and Bannus were so convinced that your way was the only way.That's your trouble.That's why you could never be a part of what we are trying to create here.'

'What do you think you can achieve? You are taking on an empire, Miriam. Armed with what – faith? I know who I'd place my money on.'

'Now you sound just like Bannus.'

Symeon took a sharp breath, then continued in a cold rage. 'You dare to compare me to him…'

Before Miriam could reply there was a shout from the street and footsteps pattered into the house.

'Miriam!'Yusef was excited. 'Horsemen are coming.'

'Whose?' Symeon asked.

'I – I don't know. But they're riding fast. They'll be here any minute.'

'Damn! Miriam, we must hide.'

'I'm not hiding. Not any more.'

'Not you! Me and the Roman.'

'Oh! All right. Quickly, come this way.' She hurried into the room and pointed to Cato. 'Get him up.'

Symeon squeezed past her, and thrusting his arms under Cato's shoulders he hauled him up and supported him on his feet. Miriam rolled the end of the mattress back to reveal a small wooden hatch. She lifted it by a metal ring and slid it to one side.

'In there! Both of you, quickly.'

Symeon dragged Cato over to the opening and dropped him down. Cato fell four or five feet beneath the floor and landed heavily. He had just enough strength to roll to one side as Symeon lowered his feet and followed him in. A moment later Symeon cursed as Cato's kit dropped on his head. Then Miriam replaced the hatch and rolled the bedding back. A thin slit over by the front of the house let in a shaft of light and the two men crawled cautiously towards it. The space was narrow and as Cato's eyes adjusted to the gloom he saw that it stretched from the front to the rear of the house. It was empty, apart from a small, plain casket towards the back. They heard the sound of horses approaching and shuffled the last few feet to the slit. It was no wider than a finger and sparse tufts of grass grew in front of it, and since it was just below the level of the floorboards Cato had to tilt his head to one side to see out of the slit.

He was staring up the street towards the track that led to the junction. A party of horsemen was riding into the village, and Cato's heart sank as he recognised Bannus at the head of his brigands. Bannus slewed his horse to a halt just in front of Miriam's house, kicking up a small cloud of dust that momentarily obscured the view. They heard a crunch as his booted feet landed on the hard earth.

'What do you want?' Miriam stepped out into the street. 'You're not welcome here.'

Bannus laughed. 'I know. That can't be helped. I have wounded men who need treatment.'

'You can't leave them here. The Romans patrol the land round Heshaba. If they find them we'll be punished.'

'Don't worry, Miriam. I just want their wounds cleaned and bound and we'll be on our way.They'll never know we were here.'

'No.You have to leave. Now!'

As Cato and Symeon watched through the slit, they saw the brigand chief draw his sword and raise it towards her. Miriam did not flinch and just stared back defiantly. For a moment there was a silent confrontation, then Bannus laughed and waved the sword at her.

'This is what makes things possible, Miriam. Not prayers and teaching.'

'Really?' She cocked her head to one side. 'And what have you achieved? Did you win the little fight that caused these men to be injured? No? I didn't think so.'

Symeon whispered, 'Careful, Miriam.'

'The situation is changing, Miriam.' Bannus spoke in a soft, menacing tone. 'We have friends who are about to help us. Soon I will have an army at my back.Then we'll see precisely what can be achieved.' Bannus sheathed his sword, turned to his men and called out, 'Bring the wounded into the house.'

Miriam stood her ground. 'You will not bring them into my house.'

Bannus turned back to her. 'Miriam, you are a healer. My men need your skills. You will treat them, or I will start providing you with patients from amongst your own people, starting with… young Yusef over there. Boy! Come here. Now!'

The floorboard above Cato squeaked as Yusef stepped outside and hesitantly approached the brigand leader. Bannus took him by the shoulders and looked down at him with a smile. 'Such a fine boy. His father would be proud of him. Prouder still, if he joined with me and fought to liberate our lands from Rome.'

'He will not join you,' said Miriam.'That is not his path.'

'Not today. One day, when he is old enough to choose for himself, maybe he will join me and make Jehoshua's vision become a reality. One day. But for now, Miriam, you must choose. Treat my men, or I will cut one of the boy's fingers off.'

Miriam glared at him, and then her shoulders sagged and she nodded. 'Bring them to my door. I will treat them there.'

'No, inside. They would welcome the shade.' Without waiting for her to answer Bannus thrust Yusef to one side and shouted orders. As Cato watched, the brigands dismounted and started helping several men into the house. Above him the floorboards creaked under the weight, and dislodged dust and grit fell on top of Cato and Symeon. A door squeaked on its hinges and with a start Cato realised that someone was entering the room where he had lain on the bedroll.

'Oh, shit,' he whispered.

Symeon looked at him in alarm and raised a finger to his lips.

'My sword,' Cato said as softly as he could.'It's behind the bedroll.'

'What?'

'I took it from the scabbard and hid it there.'

'Why?'

'I wasn't sure about Miriam, and the boy. She told me the Romans killed his father.'

Symeon frowned at him. 'You're in no danger from Miriam and her people.'

'Shit.' Cato stared at him, then his eyes turned to the hatch beneath the mattress and he looked at it in horror. Any moment now one of the brigands might spot the sword, and know that a Roman had been there. Or worse, they would fling back the mattress to reveal the hatch.There was nothing he could do about it, so he and Symeon sat as still as they could and waited. He felt his heart pounding, and the splitting headache and sickness returned so he had to concentrate his will on fighting off the pain and the urge to groan or cry out.

'Put him on the bedroll,' Miriam said. 'Get me some water.'

This was it, Cato thought. Any moment now, the injured man would feel the hardness of the sword handle through the bedding.

Footsteps thudded overhead, and they heard Bannus speak.'Don't talk in Greek, Miriam. Some of my men are simple peasants.They only know the dialect of the valley.'

They continued speaking a form of Aramaic and Cato glanced at Symeon. 'What?'

Symeon raised his hand to quiet the Roman and cocked an ear towards the ceiling as he strained to hear what was being said. There were many voices talking now, and feet moving overhead as the men's wounds were treated.Time seemed to slow to a crawl, so that Cato was aware of every instant that passed as his ears filled with the sounds from the room above his head. He willed Miriam to treat the men as swiftly as she could, to get them out of her house, and out of the village.