Poisoned Honey: A Story of Mary Magdalene (21 page)

Bucco shot him a puzzled look. “My family? I suppose they’re well. I don’t see much more of them than I see of you. They’re at the main garrison in Caesarea, and my route covers all of stinking Galilee.” Slumping onto Matthew’s couch, he helped himself to wine. “But let’s stick to business, toll collector. They’re raising the rates.”

“What!” exclaimed Matthew. “Half the people who use the highway can hardly afford it as it is.”

“Then they shouldn’t be using the highway,” said Bucco. “Or,” he added with a humorless laugh, “you don’t have to charge them the new rate. You can pay the difference yourself.”

Matthew was startled to hear Bucco say exactly what he’d been thinking. Bucco was joking, of course. Matthew looked thoughtfully at the table on which the wine and cakes rested. It was a fine piece of furniture, its top inlaid with a pattern of
lotus flowers and palm branches. He could sell that to raise some money. And he could sell the silver lamp stands, as well as several other costly items he didn’t really need. He could let half of his servants go.

Matthew knew what was wrong with this plan. Sooner or later, he’d run out of furniture to sell and servants to let go. Then what? He didn’t know. But for now, Matthew was sure of what he wanted to do.

As the tax collector and his son disappeared into the storm, Phomelei made me rail at Susannah: “Is that what you think I deserve, a filthy traitor who works for the Romans?” I followed her into the bedchamber, where the baby was whimpering and Kanarit was trying to soothe him. “Do you want me to become an outcast?”

“Hush!” said Susannah. “You’re frightening the children.” She picked up the baby from his cradle and pulled Kanarit close to her side. The little girl hid her face in Susannah’s robe.

“You’re frightening the children,” chirped the sparrow through my mouth.

“Mari, you’ve already become an outcast.” My cousin
looked horrified at her own words, but she took a deep breath and looked me squarely in the face. “What’s the matter with you? Everyone asks me, ‘Why does your cousin talk to herself on the street—sometimes in different voices? What really happened to Eleazar?’ They ask me, ‘Aren’t you afraid to have her in the house with your children?’”

Phomelei raised my hand to slap her. Then I noticed Kanarit peering fearfully at me, and I let my arm fall. I walked out of the chamber and through the common room, where Silas stood looking dazed. I dashed down the stairs through the rain.

The voices beat on my mind like the drumming raindrops.
How dare your cousin and her husband treat you like this!
Phomelei hissed. Aiandictor said,
Don’t they understand how powerful you are?
Zaphaunt brayed,
They deserve to be punished
. A hoarse and grating voice broke in,
Yes, punish them. Make the baby sick, and see how they like that
.

“No!” I exclaimed. “That’s an evil thought. I command you, go back to the garden!” I sat down in my apartment, shaking.
Quiet, fool!
exclaimed Phomelei.
Who let you out? She isn’t ready
. The voices trickled off to an inaudible mutter.

Toward suppertime, Susannah came to my door and said she was sorry. I said I was sorry, too. Neither of us took back what we’d said during the shouting, but we hugged in a
gingerly way. I came to supper and helped Susannah serve while Kanarit followed me with big eyes and Silas avoided looking at me.

During the meal, Silas talked in his quiet, matter-of-fact way, relating some dull bits of news about the fishing catch in Capernaum and a dispute between two landowners near Bethsaida-Julias. Obviously, he must have learned these things as he’d made inquiries about a husband for me, but he didn’t mention that.

“They say there’s a new preacher in that area,” Silas went on. “He’s from Nazareth, but he’s living in Capernaum now, in the house of one of his disciples.”

This didn’t strike me as any more fascinating than the fishing catch, but Susannah asked, “A new preacher? Is he any different from all the other preachers?”

“I don’t know,” said Silas. “This Yeshua bar Yosef is gathering a large following. They say he performs healings. He drives out unclean spirits, too. Maybe he’ll come to Magdala.”

Suddenly I had a hard time paying attention to Silas because a murmuring began in my head, growing louder and louder.

Watch out for that holy man!
chirped the sparrow.

Oh, worse than a
holy man
, brayed Zaphaunt.
Curse his name!

Do not say his name
, warned Phomelei.
That’s asking for trouble
.

Curse him, then
. That was Aiandictor, although his usually smooth voice sounded strained.

“Maybe Herod Antipas will cut off his head,” suggested the harsh voice. I was afraid he might be right; after all, Herod Antipas had done just that to another such preacher, John the Baptizer.

“The Lord forbid it!” exclaimed Silas. “And I, as head of this family, forbid you to say such things.”

“For shame, Mari!” said Susannah.

Oh no—they’d heard what the voice said about Herod Antipas. I stammered some kind of apology to Silas and Susannah, but I was distracted by Phomelei giving me hurried advice:
Of course, it was Odjit speaking, not you, but best not to try to explain that
.

It seemed that my advisors and protectors, with all their powers, were badly frightened of this preacher Yeshua. It made me afraid, too.

On the Sabbath, it was still raining. I started to go to the synagogue as usual with Susannah and Silas. We hurried down the avenue to the meeting hall, holding our shawls over our heads. I was looking forward to hearing the Scripture read
and praying with the congregation. I hoped it would soothe my spirit.

They won’t let you in, you know
, a voice brayed in my head.
You’re disgusting, with those beetles crawling all over you
.

“What beetles?” I recognized that voice; it was Zaphaunt, the donkey head. I wasn’t going to let him annoy me. But now I felt a tickle on my left ankle. Tiny feet—many, many feet—hundreds and hundreds—creeping up my right ankle, too, over my knees …

“Aagh!”
Pulling up my robe, I slapped at the green beetles on my legs.

The beetles fell off and disappeared. Susannah and Silas were staring at me. So was everyone else on the street. I dropped the hem of my robe.

Other Jews on their way to synagogue walked around me in a wide circle. “Look away from that woman!” a mother told her children.

“Mari, are you ill?” asked Susannah.

“Yes,” I gasped. “I have to go home. Please, go on without me.” Pulling my scarf over my face and ducking my head, I turned and hurried back to my apartment.

That’s right, you’d better hide yourself
, the mean voice told me.
You’re unclean
.

In my room, I sat on the bench and stared at the plastered wall. How could I not have realized that I was indeed unclean, infested—infested with beings much worse than green beetles?

The demon voices were quiet for the moment, but my own thoughts told me the truth: I am possessed. Possessed.
Possessed
.

At first, I was too frightened to step out of my apartment, and I didn’t even think of visiting my private garden. I huddled in a corner, reciting all the prayers I could remember, as the rainwater gurgled down the drain in the courtyard. The words of Scripture seemed to keep the voices down to a background murmur.

After a day or so, the rain let up. I felt calmer, and the voices were finally silent. Maybe I’d frightened too easily; maybe I could control them after all, by saying prayers. Surely, I could venture out to the market? I needed flour and oil, and at the same time, I could look for a little present for Kanarit.

As I walked down the avenue, the sun came out of the clouds and shone on the rain-washed paving stones. Outside the marketplace, the usual cluster of beggars held out their hands. There was a new face among them, a girl with
pathetically shriveled legs. Deciding to give her my extra coin, I stepped toward her.

“Oh, poor me!” sneered a coarse voice through my mouth. “I can’t walk right—I keep falling into camel dung-take pity on me!”

I was horrified, but I couldn’t stop a guffaw from bursting out of my throat.
“Hawr, hawr!”
The laughter went on and on, as uncontrollable as vomiting. The crippled girl pulled back her hand, and another beggar snatched the coin from me. Passersby stared at me as I hurried on into the market, gasping.

I was a fool! I shouldn’t have come out. Shrieks filled my ears, as if a flock of crows were flying around my head. I turned and ran back through the market, waving my arms to fend them off.

Before I reached Susannah’s house, I was gasping for breath again, and I leaned against the wall in an alley. There was only one voice now, the cultured, cool voice of Phomelei.
Lady Mariamne, a thousand apologies. The others can be crude at times. But you and I understand that
.

“Silence!” I whispered.

My lady, I’m so sorry for that unfortunate incident. I’ll make up for it, I vow. I’ll help you … aren’t I helping you right now? I have them under control, and they’ll think twice about disobeying
you again. But you need to learn how to handle them. I can assist you with that…. I long to assist you, dear Lady Mariamne!

“How can you possibly assist me?” I asked coldly.

Why, I can help you get the new husband you deserve, my lady. Oh yes, I know I said we didn’t deal with such ordinary matters, but finding your new husband is a more serious matter than I realized. Silas means well, but he’s been going about it all wrong
.

“Never mind a husband,” I snapped. “Those spirits must not get out of hand again. Promise me that, and I might listen to you.”

I promise, with all my heart, on the honor of my name, Phomelei
. Her voice rang with sincerity.
Your wish will be easy to fulfill because you possess such gifts, Lady Mariamne! When you learn how to use your powers, you’ll only have to lift your little finger and the spirit world will grovel at your feet
.

The sweet words ran over me like honey. Yes, it made sense that I still had much to learn about tapping and controlling my special gifts. After all, when I began to learn embroidery stitches, as a little girl, my work was slow and awkward. But by the time I was twelve, I could sew embroidery that a noblewoman would be proud to wear.

But about your husband!
Phomelei went on.
The first step is for you to decide on the man you want. Then I’ll advise you about
how to apply the correct love charm. The very next day, the man himself will approach Silas and beg for a speedy betrothal
. She chuckled gently.
It’s that easy
.

I walked slowly through the alley to my cousin’s house and stepped into the courtyard. Susannah and the serving woman were at work on a pile of flax stalks, beating them to expose the fibers. The baby lay in his basket in the shade, fussing a little from his teeth coming in. Kanarit was getting in the women’s way, dashing under their arms as she tried to help.

“Kanarit, come with me,” I said to the little girl. “I want to show you a surprise.” Susannah cast me an uneasy look, but she didn’t object as I led her daughter up to the roof.

“Did you bring me something from the market, cousin Mari?” piped Kanarit. She spoke well for such a young child.

The market. It seemed like days ago that I’d set out for the market. I hadn’t bought the treat I’d intended for Kanarit, I realized, or even flour and oil. “I have something even better for you,” I promised. I had no idea what I meant, but I’d make up something. “I’m going to teach you …”

Kanarit gazed up at me with wide, shining eyes. Aiandictor urged me,
She deserves something really wonderful, not just an ordinary game
.

“I’m going to teach you how to fly!” This was the best idea I’d ever had!
I
might be an outcast, a woman fit only to marry a toll collector, but Kanarit was young enough that she could still achieve marvelous things. In great excitement, I pulled her to the low railing at the edge of the rooftop.

Kanarit looked down on the awning of the kitchen shed, and the courtyard below it, then back at me. Excitement and fear mixed in her face. “I can’t,” she said. “People can’t fly.”

“Most
people can’t fly,” I corrected her. “But you’re a girl with rare gifts! For you, it’ll be easy.” Lifting under her arms, I set Kanarit on the edge of the wall. “All you have to do is think about where you’re going to land. Do you see the top of my apartment, across the courtyard?”

The little girl nodded uncertainly, but she flexed her knees for the jump.

Just then, Susannah paused in her work and glanced up. “What are you doing up there? Kanarit!” There was a sharp note of fear in her voice. “Get down this instant!”

At Susannah’s voice, the spell was broken. Kanarit stiffened and twisted around, clutching at me. “Imma!” she screamed back to her mother. She managed to grab a strand of my hair. Yelping with pain, I pried at her hands.