The Silver Chalice Page #4

not shrink from spilling Roman blood.

What is yours?

To set yourself up as a new messiah?

To Lull the people

into even greater weakness?

Do I Look Like a man

who would preach weakness?

What, then?

What is this new religion of yours?

Since you call it that, my religion

will be an easier path for men to follow...

...than the Jews or the Christians offer.

It is not natural for a man

to Love his enemies.

Nor is it natural for lusty men

to give up the joys of earth...

...for the sake of a dull eternity

of angels singing.

Men are only too willing to hate

and lust and kill...

...if they believe it is not a sin...

...or that they will be held guiltless

in the eyes of their god.

I will exalt the real nature of man

and call it good, not evil.

If you cannot recruit your soldiers

from among these converts...

...then you are not a worthy captain.

Lead, Simon, and we shall follow.

Not only must the people forget

the miracles of Jesus and accept mine...

...but all the symbols and relics

of his supremacy...

...must be crushed out of existence.

I am told one such exists in Jerusalem.

A wine cup which he used.

I charge you to find it and bring it to me,

and together we will crush it.

Now Let me see those knives.

It is now time to tell you

why I brought you here.

I am ready, my Lord.

As to what I'm about to show you,

I bind you to silence...

...because there are men

who would move heaven and earth...

...to destroy that which I have guarded

for many, many years.

You are very generous, my Lord Joseph,

to have such faith in a stranger.

You are no stranger. I Like you.

Luke is sure of your skill.

I am prepared to rely on your courage.

And courage is important because

there will be danger in what you are to do.

In this box is the cup...

...from which Jesus drank

on that Last Passover Eve...

...saying, as he gave it to his disciple:

''Drink ye all of it...

...for this is my blood

of the New Testament...

...which is shed for many

for the remission of sins.''

This cup must be preserved for all time.

I want you to design a silver chalice...

...a carved framework

in which it can be set.

-Now comes the difficult part.

-Yes, my Lord?

On your chalice,

youll carve the heads of Jesus...

...and the men

who were closest to him...

...so that all who Live after us

will know how they Looked.

-Do I model them from Life?

-Some.

Others we will describe to you.

There will be James and John,

Peter, Philip...

-And you, Joseph.

-I am not worthy.

If the man who took Jesus

down from the cross...

...and Laid him in the sepulcher

is not worthy, who then is?

Deborra is right.

I know this work is dear

to the hearts of all of you...

...so I shall use all the skill that my gods

have given me.

I hope it will please your God.

I'm sure it will.

Come with me, Basil.

I will show you to your workroom.

I'm glad you're here, Basil.

-Deborra?

-Yes?

That cup. It excited your adoration.

Why?

It's ordinary and Like many others.

It has no beauty of design.

-Did you not see the Light around it?

-Light?

No, I saw no Light.

Simon.

Gold.

From our friend Mijamin.

How many miracles

have you promised for that?

It will be as the spirit moves me.

The spirit, Simon?

That's a new word for you.

It was always money that moved you.

Take the gold.

Do your tricks and wash your hands

of those Sicarii...

...or whatever they're called.

I'm not pleased

with being only a trickster.

It is time I was something more.

What do you want to be?

A skulking man

going to secret meetings?

Ending your Life as a criminal

on a cross?

I was about to say, ''Or another messiah.''

It's a small enough payment

to erase the memory of a Christ.

It is not only the gold.

It is the glory of revenge.

I have never told you,

because I was ashamed...

...but many years ago,

when I Lived in Samaria...

...I asked the disciple Peter to teach me

the power that he had received from Jesus.

I even permitted myself to be baptized.

When I offered him money,

he dashed it from my hands and said:

''Thy money perish with thee.''

I have never forgiven that man.

How can such revenge serve you?

It is said that Peter is in Rome.

News travels.

So shall I one day, even to Rome.

There, before his eyes...

...the world will hall me when

they have seen my powers at work.

Simon, Look at me.

Because miracles made one Christ...

...surely you're not thinking

they can make another.

I'm not thinking anything...

...but stranger things have happened.

First, Deborra...

...I model the heads in wax.

And then I mold silver palettes

on which I shall carve their faces.

When they're all done...

...I shall fuse them around the chalice.

The others, I can do-

Andrew, James,

Philip, Matthew, Thomas.

but with the face of Jesus, I failed.

Your grandfather has described him

many times.

If I could only Help you

to see him as I do.

He was not at all Like other men.

He was dark, very dark.

He did not wear his hair Long

as most people think.

His mouth was sensitive and kind...

...but there was no trace

of weakness in it, oh, no.

It was strong and firm.

His brow was very wide.

And his eyes...

I've always been able

to see them in my mind.

So gentle and compassionate.

So very, very wise.

That is the image

my grandfather has placed in my heart.

How can the hands of any artist

create that image?

He would have to have

your great Love for your God.

You should be a priestess in your temple.

A holy woman.

But I'm not.

Although I try to be a good Christian,

I don't always succeed.

How can one be better than you?

Because I should be thinking of the joys

of the next world.

My mind, I'm afraid,

is too much on this one.

A man to see you, master.

Who in Jerusalem knows I'm here?

He says he has a message

of great importance.

Tell him to wait, please.

If it's so important, you should see him.

Come.

My name is Benjamin ben Eleazer.

He's Benjie the Asker.

Benjie's a gatherer of information.

O Lady of the house,

I am more than that.

I am Also a disseminator of opinion.

I burrow under surfaces.

I fish in many waters.

I am in the confidence of all Leaders,

and at the same time...

...belong to brotherhoods

of the Iowest levels.

I hear religion from some

and revolution from others...

...and this I can say without boasting:

Few doors in Jerusalem are closed to me.

What information have you?

And what is the price?

You are Like your grandfather,

always coming quickly to the point.

It concerns a man called Kester.

Kester?

-Is he here in Jerusalem? I must see him.

-How much will you pay?

-I have no money.

-Youll be paid what it's worth.

Now tell us your news.

This Kester was a witness

to your adoption.

-Yes.

-He Lives here in Jerusalem.

-Where?

-He was in Jerusalem...

...but he went to Rome to supply arms

for the Legions of Caesar.

But tell me, how did you know

of my need to see this man?

-Oh, a traveler from Antioch.

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