The Last Disciple by Hank Hanegraaff & Sigmund Brouwer

Author:Hank Hanegraaff & Sigmund Brouwer
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: FICTION / Christian / Historical
ISBN: 9781414323497
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2012-04-30T21:00:00+00:00

The Ninth Hour

“This is absolutely unacceptable.” Ben-Aryeh’s assistant, Olithar, spoke to Queen Bernice. “Ben-Aryeh’s arrangement with you was total discretion. By sending a messenger to the temple for me, you risk that secrecy, and you also put me in a bad light.”

Vitas sat on a nearby cushion, squirming with impatience. While he had reached the public courtyard of the royal palace a half hour earlier, he’d only just been escorted to this inner chamber. Vitas badly wanted to press Bernice for an escort of men to help him search for Sophia.

They’d barely had time to appraise each other—this after months of correspondence—when Olithar had arrived.

Upon entering the room, Olithar had given Vitas only a quick glance. Again, the fact that Vitas was dressed simply had served him well. There’d been no flicker of recognition, which meant that earlier when Vitas had passed Olithar on the road to Jerusalem, he had not appeared important or unusual enough for the assistant to give him a second glance.

Here, too, Olithar must have decided that Vitas was a servant of some kind, because he ignored Vitas completely.

“Ben-Aryeh’s arrangement with me,” Bernice snapped, “as you well know, means that Ben-Aryeh provides help when I need it. I do not need to justify my request to him, let alone to you.”

Arrangement? Vitas wondered, not for the first time, what it was that had obligated a proud man like Ben-Aryeh to wait in Sebaste for his arrival.

“Furthermore,” Bernice snapped, “I did not send for you. I sent for Ben-Aryeh. Where is he, if not at the temple?”

Olithar shrugged. “How am I supposed to know? He went to Sebaste days ago.”

Vitas was glad that Olithar’s back was to him. That meant Olithar did not see his reaction to what was obviously a lie. It had been two hours since Vitas had left Ben-Aryeh with Olithar just outside the city, as Vitas had recently informed Bernice. Time enough for Ben-Aryeh to make it to the temple. Especially if Olithar had done so. And here, Olithar was pretending he hadn’t seen Ben-Aryeh at all.

Vitas, however, said nothing to contradict the assistant.

“Listen to the screams that reach us even here,” Bernice continued in a commanding tone. “What led to this? What happened when the chief priests and leaders met with Florus? What caused Florus to send out his soldiers? I can’t send him a message until I know.”

Vitas remained motionless. Invisible to the two of them.

“I wasn’t there,” Olithar said.

“Are the priests gathered in the safety of the temple?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m sure you’ve heard. Tell me now.”

Olithar shrugged. “Florus was in no mood for discussion. When the chief priests and leaders arrived, he gave orders that those who insulted him be handed over. Immediately.”

“Ananias? What did he say?”

“From what I understand, he began a long flowery speech describing the hotheads as youths at an age when all men make impetuous choices. It sounded rehearsed. He went on to say that even he and Florus had probably done things they regretted later. It

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