The Young Messiah Page #5

Why do you want to know?

It's all I can think of.

It's why I've come

from Nazareth.

It's as you said.

Those three magi

visited Old Herod,

the one they called

Herod the Great.

He told those three kings

to return once they had

found the child.

The magi

never returned to Herod.

However,

when Herod found out

that he had been deceived

and that they had found the

child, he went into a rage.

Such a rage, beyond hell.

(CHILD CRYING)

He sent his soldiers in the

night... (CHILDREN SCREAMING)

to kill every child under two.

(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

Not one survived. Not one.

Think of it, an army of men

to slaughter infants.

Son, it's over.

It's a long time ago.

(CRYING)

(SIGHS)

I should never have told you. I forgot

you're such a little boy with a heart.

Here, son, take it.

He's here.

Where?

What did you say?

Nothing.

The boy, he's here.

He's yours.

By the blind rabbi. Look.

Go!

JESUS:
Thank you, Rabbi.

I'll remember you.

Here?

Outside.

We'll do it quietly.

(SCREAMING)

A miracle! It's a miracle.

I can see!

MAN:
What's the matter?

(CHUCKLES)

I can see!

WOMAN:
Praise God!

BLIND RABBI:
God, I can see!

The boy...

Where's the boy?

Where is he?

Is it you? And you?

Out.

BLIND RABBI:
He was here!

He was here beside me.

Please, help me find the boy.

The boy was here!

Did you do that?

Yes.

Who are you?

You saved me once before.

It was you.

You were also at Bethlehem.

How could you know that?

Is that him? ls that the boy?

No, no, no, no. It's not him.

Keep looking, keep looking.

On your way!

Go on, it's not him.

Severus! Severus!

WEER:
Back! Back! Back!

SOLDIER:
Go on! Go on! Away!

WEER:
It's not him!

SOLDIER:
Keep looking!

On your way. Go! Go!

(PEOPLE CLAMORING)

Son! Son!

That's my son!

MARY:
Son!

I've come to take him home.

WOMAN 2:
Let us out!

Let us out of the Temple!

MAN 2:
Romans,

leave our temple! Leave us!

MAN 3:
Romans,

out of our temple!

(CHILD SCREAMING)

Go.

All of you.

Go.

(PEOPLE SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY)

SEVERUS:
He's dead.

I killed him.

HEROD:
You killed him?

I wanted to meet

this miracle worker.

The Son of Man, the...

(STAMMERS)

The Wonder-Counselor,

the Prince of Peace.

The little boy who can make the

dead breathe and the blind see.

Why did you kill him, Centurion?

Your orders.

Your orders.

You said it was like...

Like Bethlehem.

How did you do it?

Strangling?

Knife under the ribs?

Head against a rock?

Did the thunder come?

Did the heavens weep?

(SOFT HISSING)

Did you hear that?

What, sir?

That.

That. Can't you hear that?

Hear what?

That hissing!

It's a serpent or a snake!

There's no snake.

There is!

(HISSING CONTINUES)

HEROD:
There is. Of course there is.

I need useful men around me!

MARY:
I was just 14

when you were born.

A girl really.

Tell me about the angel.

Of course.

I knew you'd ask that.

But listen well, because I'm only

going to tell this story once.

I was a good girl,

strictly raised

and betrothed to Joseph.

When one morning

my room filled with light.

It was white light

like the sun,

but with no heat or pain.

It was pure

like the air itself was glowing.

I saw a figure

larger than a man, but like

a man, inside the light.

And it spoke to me. It said,

"Hail, Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with thee."

I had found favor with the Lord,

and I was blessed among women.

It said that from my womb

would come a son.

You.

Named Jesus.

This is nice.

You're getting so big we won't

be able to do this much longer.

Go on with the story.

Oh...

I said I had

never been with a man.

So the angel said that the Holy

Spirit would come over me,

and that I would give

birth to a Holy Child.

I answered,

"I am a servant of the Lord.

"Let it be done."

What did Joseph say?

Yes, that was a worry.

But an angel also came to him

and told him everything.

Then, is the angel...

No. No.

The angel is not your father.

God is.

God is your father.

But we're all children of God.

Yes. Yes, we are.

But you...

You are begotten of God.

That is why you can

make dead birds fly,

the sick well, the blind see,

and why you were able

to make Eleazer live again.

He's made you a child

to grow in wisdom

as well as in all other things.

Keep your power inside you,

until your father in heaven

shows you the time to use it.

He did not give you to a scribe

a rabbi or a king.

He gave you to Joseph bar

Jacob, the carpenter,

and me, his betrothed,

to raise you until that time.

JESUS:
I've learned so much

since leaving Egypt.

I know everything

I can for today.

I even know I'm going to die.

I used to wonder

if angels would come to me,

if they would sing to me,

if they would fill my dreams.

There is still so

much that I don't know,

but I do know this.

I don't think I'm here to see

angels or to hear them sing.

And I don't think I'm here

to make it rainy or sunny

or anything like that.

I think I'm here

just to be alive.

To see it, hear it, feel it,

all of it.

Even when it hurts.

Someday you will tell me

why else I'm here.

I don't know when, but you will.

I know that.

Because, Father,

I am your child.

(LAUGHING)

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