The Eighth Veil (16 page)
“I think you are stretching the point, Rabban. I do not fault you for that. Most of what the pagan priests insist in the story of Zeus or Jupiter, take your pick, is enormously more fanciful than this. But I think both Hebrew and pagan would benefit from an acknowledgement that there are some things in heaven and earth that cannot be reconciled to our understanding and it is just possible that this passage is a reflection of that commonality. That would include our holy books, logical systems, and the mundane as well. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“I might be tempted to, Loukas, but I cannot. I feel much better for having had a problem set before me that I may or may not solve and whether I do or do not is of marginal consequence. Shall we have some wine to wash this down? And, thank you for reminding me why I am not a pagan.”
“You are most welcome.”
Chuzas found the queen in her quarters. He had orders to keep her and the king informed of every move Gamaliel made. She knew that while the Rabban did not hold that John the Baptizer was a true prophet, he did agree with the holy man’s opinion of her marriage to the king. She also knew that she could not eliminate his disapprobation like she had John’s. Gamaliel’s presence in the palace stood as both a threat to her position and a great personal affront. She also knew the king’s weaknesses. Would the Rabban persuade the king to put her aside? Everyone knew the guilt brought on by John’s beheading still weighed on him.
“What have you for me, Steward?”
“There is not much to tell. The Rabban pokes and probes but gets no closer to the truth. He has spoken with all the servants and searches for the man called the Greek, but with no success. That also raises a question I would put to him but seek your opinion first, Highness.”
“What question is that?”
“Is it not possible that this man has not fled, but lies dead somewhere himself?”
“Is that possible?”
“I know the captain of the guard has searched the palace and not found him.”
“Then he has fled, surely.”
“I think not. I took the liberty of inspecting his rooms and all his baggage is still in place as is his servant whom I have questioned carefully though he pretends not to fully understand. I find his behavior suspicious to say the least.”
“It is critical we get this righteous meddler out of the palace. Chuzas, I charge you to see to it. I thought you said you had done so, I thought you said that the Rabban had a suspect. What has happened?”
“I do not know. The knife found in the bath belonged to Menahem. He admitted it was his. Yet the Rabban hesitates. He asks why Menahem knew the girl’s name when no one, including your Majesty, would admit to it.”
“She is Cappo, that is all, a servant thrust on me by Philip for reasons I do not know. He gave me orders to keep her safe. Well, he is no longer my husband nor is he alive to enforce them so I have no obligation to care for her any more. Now she is dead as well and good riddance to them both.”
If Chuzas was shocked by her position regarding King Philip’s death, he did not show it. “Menahem says her name was Alexandra.”
“What! That cannot be. The only girl of that age with that name is…but it cannot be. Do not repeat this to anyone, Chuzas, do you hear? To no one.”
“Yes Majesty, but I cannot say to whom or if the Rabban will broadcast it.”
“We must bring this nonsense to a close. If you value your position, you will see to it, Steward. Do you take my meaning?”
“Yes Majesty. But how?”
“Insist that Menahem is our villain. If the Rabban will not move on him, I will have the palace guard bind him and deliver him to Pilate myself. Make sure that meddling rabbi knows that.”
“I caution your Majesty to consider the consequences of such a move.”
“What consequences can there be? The man is a murderer. Explain to me what consequences there can be.”
“With respect, your position with the Sanhedrin is shaky because of…”
A scowling queen turned on the trembling steward. “Because of what?”
Chuzas swallowed, took a breath and ventured into an area he’d have rather not gone. “Your marriage for one and the Baptizer’s unfortunate end for another. The Prefect needs a compliant Sanhedrin more than he needs your good will. I am sorry, Majesty, but he will not take it well if you interfere with the work of an official of the Sanhedrin, and its Rabban at that.” He braced for the blow he felt sure would soon turn his cheek a bright red. It didn’t come.
After a long moment, the queen turned to leave the room. “Steward you will send a courier to Pilate with this message. Say, ‘The Queen sends her greetings to his Excellency, the Prefect, and wishes to inform him of the fact that the murder weapon has been found, its owner identified, and yet the Rabban of the Sanhedrin has scruples.’ Say also, ‘The Queen has every confidence in the Prefect’s judgment but wonders why this murder investigation has not been brought to an end and the palace allowed to return to normal.’”
“Shall I also name Menahem?”
“Well, why not?” The queen stalked from the room leaving a relieved Chuzas behind.
***
Gamaliel took the cup Loukas offered and sighed. He could soon get used to this life. A cup of wine in the back court with a friend however distant he might be from the Faith.
“Are you now sufficiently unburdened to discuss your crime, Rabban? If so, I have a small piece of news for you.”
“News? Good news, I hope, I could use some good news.”
“Draco, on reflection, tells me the intruder, who may or may not have come here as a result of the murder, wore boots.”
“Boots? Like a soldier? Those kinds of boots? Tiberius’ presumed successor, Germanicus’ son Caligula, wore boots as a child. ‘Little Boots’ the soldiers called him. I gather the name stuck. So, what sort of boots?”
“Draco did not specify, but if they were evident in the failing light and to weak eyes, they must have been more than the short sort worn by camel drovers and sea captains.”
“Just so, but of what significance is this?”
“Well. I did not promise significance, only a potential clue, and one might ask, who wears boots in Jerusalem?”
“The hills currently teem with pilgrims from all over the world. Anyone of them could have slipped over your wall.”
“But would they not have taken what they could. Nothing, you recall, is missing.”
“That’s true and leads us nowhere but, I am glad for any information even if, in the end it isn’t particularly helpful. Thank Draco for me.” Gamaliel sipped his wine. “One day, Physician, I would like to have at my disposal a supply of ice from the mountain tops. They say that Caesar has it brought to him by runners so that he can cool his bath or his wine. I would like to taste wine in the summer that has been chilled.”
“When I lived across the Middle Sea near the mountains where the weather brings ice and snow in the winter months, I had that experience. I found it delightful but do not think it worth the cost to make it happen here. Of course if you are Caesar, the cost is of no concern. In winter you can always put your casks outside. That would chill the wine.”
“But I do not want it chilled in the winter. I want it chilled in the summer when it is hot.”
“Of course. Alas, life is not fair, Rabban.”
“Indeed. Speaking of evidence, do you know the circumstances surrounding the death of the Baptizer?”
“I think you have made a giant leap in your rhetoric, Rabban. What has chilling wine to do with the beheading of one of your prophets, and what has that to do with evidence in this case?”
“There is a continuing debate over John’s place in the ranks of the prophets. I am one that does not subscribe to the notion he qualifies to join the company of Isaiah, but the people in the streets do so we let it stand. The connection, Loukas is this—Princess Salome caught the attention of the king. I would say he lusted after her but the queen stood in the way of anything ever coming of such incestuous thoughts. Nevertheless, he bade her dance for him. She refused at first, but he promised her anything if she would do it. Legend has it she danced with seven veils which she shed one at a time.”
“Seven? One of your peoples’ magic numbers.”
“Not just my people and not magic. An important number, yes, but please, no magic, my friend. What do you mean my people?”
“You are captive to certain numbers, Rabban. Everybody knows that. Seven, twelve, forty—forty days, forty years, seven years of plenty, seven years of famine, seven demons—not six, not eight, seven…Jews are fascinated with these numbers and increments dependent on them. You really should study Euclid, Rabban, you would find him fascinating.”
“Do not get me started on numerology or mathematics either just now. I have enough pagan interference as it is. So, the princess is alleged to have had seven veils and seven only. That is to say when the seventh hit the floor she was, as you might say,
gymnós.
The king was enchanted with her performance—”
“And her appearance no doubt. I have seen the princess.”
“Yes, well he breached numerous laws regarding gazing on the nakedness of another by the time she’d finished. At any rate, and at her mother’s urging, the princess requested the head of the Baptizer on a silver tray as her reward.”
“And of course the king delivered it.”
“Not right away. Befuddled as he was, he offered her alternatives. To be fair, he never thought such a request would be made and as he was one who accepted the Baptizer as a prophet, he feared killing him could bring disaster to both him and his court. But a king’s word is his bond—sometimes—and in the end he complied.”
“Fascinating. All this has to do with your case exactly how?”
“The veils, Physician. The solution to my case, as you call it, dances before me like the princess. I am hampered from seeing her, that is to say to see my solution, by the veils. They obscure and each time one has dropped to the floor, there is another beneath it.”
“The imagery is alluring, I must say. So how close to sighting flesh are you?”
“Please, that is not the direction I intended to take, but I must admit you are right. She is very alluring in a ‘soon to go to fat way.’ You see my problem. I am not a logician like the Greeks you so admire. I am a plodder. I read the Law, I interpret and dispute it. We look at it this way and then that. Can it mean this or something else? What does the Lord want of us, you see? There is never a need for me to dissect a problem like this one. The vision I seek eludes me in the madness of the dance and swirls of silk.”
“How very poetic. You may be a plodder but you have promise. Alas, I can’t help you any more than I have. If you were to place before me all that you deduced thus far, I might be able to offer an insight or two.”
“Yes, that is so. Let me think on that. Now I must return to the palace and grab at one or two of those veils…don’t even say it! I will return soon.”
Gamaliel arrived at the palace gates just as a messenger dashed by. “Pardon, sir,” the youth muttered and scurried down the street in the direction of the Antonia Fortress. Barak emerged from the same gate and waved frantically at Gamaliel.
“Sir, there is trouble, I fear.”
“What sort of trouble? I have only been away a few hours. What could have happened in such a short time?”
“We have spoken of it before—you know how our rulers assume servants are both deaf and blind—
“Yes, I remember.”
“One of the queen’s maids passed along the news that she has sent a message to Pilate and told him you have identified the killer but refuse to act.”
“But I don’t have the killer. I only have a suspect. There is a vast difference. Moreover, I have serious doubts about this suspect and I need a firmer case before I would make any move against him. Does Chuzas know about this message?”
“He drafted it.”
“Ah, now that is interesting. He didn’t try to dissuade the queen from sending it?”
“No. If the person who overheard the exchange remembers correctly, she said he only urged her not to have Menahem arrested on the spot by the king’s own guards. She appeared ready to call them out and have the old man led to the Prefect in chains.”
“There are days when I really regret I am forbidden to swear an oath. This is one of those days. Very well, we will deal with the queen’s foolishness when we must. I had hoped to have a word with Menahem this afternoon, but I will meet with the steward first. Shabbat will be soon upon us. If we do not finish this up in two days, this investigation will have to be put over until Yom Rishon. Find the steward and tell him I require his presence immediately. I will be in the room assigned to us.”
Barak hurried off in search of Chuzas. Gamaliel retired to the room which had become as familiar to him by now as one in his own home. He wondered if any ears and eyes lurked behind that punctuated wall. Did he care? One advantage in knowing you are being watched and overheard was you can easily transmit misinformation likely be viewed as credible than you can if you tried the same thing face to face. The disadvantage: you had to be very careful how you dispensed the truth. He was turning these thoughts over in his mind while he waited for the steward.