Part 34 (1/2)
Abruptly, he remembered he was pretending to be a slave. The sooner he got to Rome, the better, Howie decided. He didn't think he was going to like Greeks.
The little man moved toward them. Lillith gave Howie a warning glance and he lapsed into immobility.
The conversation was long and repet.i.tive, due to Lil- lith's imperfect Greek, but eventually the little man pro- duced a silver stater. Other loungers gathered to watch the bargaining and offer ribald comment
Lillith extracted the last of the money from Howie's pocket and spread it beside her. Pointing to coins and extending fingers, she indicated her price. Howie's anger disappeared, overwhelmed by a numbing shock. He was seeing Lillith in her true light for the first time- peddling herself like a common- He couldn't bring himself even to think the word.
The little man's eyes burned more brightly. He licked his full red lips. Lillith, with a gesture of finality, picked up her coins and tossed them down the front of her dress. The little man knew when he was licked. He produced a handful of staters. Howie's eyes bulged.
He knew how much they'd gotten for the caique and how far it had gone. But this-why, it must be ten times as much!
And she could make all this money just for- Lillith dumped the silver down the front of her dress. It was wrong, of course; she shouldn't do it. But then, they did need money. And it would only take a little while.
He brightened as he reflected that he now had a steady source of income which could take them both to Rome. And since he was going to Rome for a good
cause . . . Come to think of it, Jesus hadn't hesitated to accept Mary Magdalene's earnings.
Lillith pointed at the entrance of the building. He recognized the word for bath. Or was it wash? He'd have to make himself scarce anyway while Lillith per- formed her part of the bargain.
The bright-eyed little man propelled him toward the bath attendant. Howie let himself be led into the first chamber. The attendant took his clothes and left him to doze in drowsy, comforting steam. He woke abruptly from a dream of carnal delights to discover the attend- ant sc.r.a.ping him with a strigil-like a wooden curry- comb. After awhile he was propelled into the next room, a swimming pool full of warm water. He joined the men who squatted there and fell asleep.
The attendant fished him out and slapped his back till he was through coughing and choking, then led him into the next room. The attendant pushed him in- to the cold pool. By the time he had splashed his way to the other end he was wide awake. To his surprise, the bright-eyed little man was waiting for him. Howie looked for his clothes but the little man had him by the hand and was leading him to a curtained-off al- cove.
Thirty seconds later the little man burst through the curtains immediately in front of Howie's foot. ”Jehovah smite thee!” Howie raged. ”Isn't the girl enough? Jesus rescue me from this den of iniquity!”
The little man stood at a safe distance, lower lip trembling as he stared at this berserk apparition.
A crowd gathered immediately. Hadn't these Greeks anything to do but stare? One elderly man detached himself from the crowd and edged toward Howie.
”Didst say Jesus?” he asked.
Howie stared.
”Art thou Christian?” the old man continued. ”Me- thought thy tongue rang haply of mine own.”
”Who are you?” Howie croaked.
”Alas,” the old man sighed, ”once I was Brother Wil- libald of Glas...o...b..ry-until that Satan inspired Al- chemist talked me into arming his copper coiled Alem- bic.” The old man sighed again. ”The Abbey may now possess the Philosopher's Stone and know all the Arts of trans.m.u.ting Base Metals into Gold but alas-will Brother Willibald ever again drink the brown October Ale?”
”He paid her good money,” Howie said. ”What's he doing here?”
Brother Willibald smiled sadly. ”Alas, poor Wight,”
he said. ”That Flower of Evil sold not herself. 'Tis thou who art soldi”
It was impossible; Lillith would not do such a thing!
Then he remembered: it had been her idea that he pretend to be slave, her idea that he walk behind. Come to think of it, just about everything since she had broken him out of that cage aboard the Alice had been her idea. There was but one thing to do with peo- ple like Lillith. Through his chosen instrument, Howie, the Lord of Hosts would strike her dead.
He reached for the revolver and remembered he no longer had it. He had nothing-no sandals, no chlamys, not even his dungarees!
The old man still faced him, looking for all the world like Howie's Old Testament-tinted concept of the father he'd never had.
”Strooth, thou'rt sold,” Brother Willibald said. ”Wilt thou accept the Penance with true Christian Fort.i.tude or wilt thou rail against the Path which thy G.o.d hath set thee?”
Brother Willibald's question took Howie unawares and abruptly shattered several of his more cherished illusions. Now, he finally remembered that his G.o.d had existed even before Christ. He was naked before his
enemies, but not beyond jurisdiction. He was being punished by the merciful, compa.s.sionate, all powerful and eternal G.o.d-the Secret Named G.o.d of Abraham and Isaac, the G.o.d of Israel, G.o.d of Christ, G.o.d of Howie, G.o.d of Mercy, G.o.d of Vengeance.