The Greatest Gift (26 page)

Michael released his grip and watched Julius struggle to find a comfortable breath. He held his hands up to his face, seeing them tremble. He got up and looked at Elizabeth. “I hate this place. Let’s go.”

He grabbed her arm.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Home.”

Michael and Elizabeth rested in the middle of a marketplace near the edge of Caesarea. Hundreds of people were beginning their shopping. “This reminds me of Jerusalem,” Elizabeth said.

He didn’t respond at first, still trying to steady his hands.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

He ignored the last question. “You’re right. This city was built by the Romans for the richest of rich people. It is considered one of their greatest accomplishments. We will stand out. We cannot rest too long here.”

He bent down near a wall, behind a fruit stand. He opened the small wooden box and grabbed a pouch. Opening it, he pulled out several pieces of silver.

“What are you going to do with that?” Elizabeth asked.

“We are two days away from getting to Jerusalem, according to Augustus. We need a more efficient way of transportation.”

“But this is not our money.”

Michael gave her a frustrated look. “What other way do you suggest? We cannot walk through the desert in our condition.”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“I thought so.” He handed the box back to her and began counting the silver. “Hey wait just a second.” he said. “What happened to the tablets?”

“I dropped them in the boat.”

“Did Paul see you do that?”

“Yes.”

Michael sighed and looked up at her.

“Is he going to be okay?” she asked.

Michael shook his head.

“What will they do to him?”

“They’ll kill him. They hanged Peter. Most of the apostles met a terrible death. If we aren’t careful, we’ll meet the same fate.”

He stood and peered around the wall. Drawing back, he pulled out a small knife and took the box from her. “Is that Aharon’s?” she asked.

“No. I took it off the dead body.”

“Why? Where’s Aharon’s knife?”

“I needed it back on the ship to defend myself against a guard.”

He glanced at Elizabeth before placing the box on the ground. He removed the cloth and unfolded it. He cut a portion of it away, leaving only about a foot of fabric surrounding the face.

“Is that a painting?” she asked.

“You could say that.”

He folded up the portion of the cloth he had cut away and put it back inside the box. He then folded the main portion of the cloth, placing it in his pocket for safekeeping. He handed the box to her.

“Why are you doing that?” Elizabeth asked.

“Just in case we need to lead people astray,” he said, getting up. “We need to move now.”

He took another peek around the wall. “Stay right behind me. The marketplace is getting crowded. Let’s not lose each other.”

Michael and Elizabeth moved along a line of storefronts, stopping for a few moments at each stand, examining the merchandise. They finally came upon a man selling carriages with horses. “Let us hope we have enough silver to buy a decent one,” he said, turning around to face her.

He took a few more steps before putting his hand up. “Stay here. Wait for my signal. Do not approach until I say it’s okay.”

“Why?”

“Blend in, Elizabeth,” he said. “Don’t forget to act like a woman of this century. Behave like one.”

“Wow,” she said. “I never heard you refer to me as a woman.”

“Here you are,” he said, handing her a cloth. “Cover your face with this.”

She frowned.

“Do it now. This isn’t Northport in the Twenty-First Century.”

She wrapped the bottom part of her face, only her eyes showing. “Okay? Won’t this make them more suspicious?”

“Maybe. But we have to make sure no one recognizes you.” He left her to approach the man. “I have this many,” he said, showing the man.

“No. Not enough. I need much more than that to give up one of my animals.”

Michael returned to Elizabeth. “Well, that did not work out so well.”

“Now what?”

“Bend over,” he said. “Roll the cloth you have into a ball. Stuff it inside your garment.”

She did and straightened up.

“No. That will not convince him at all.” He glanced at a fruit stand. “Wait here.”

Michael returned moments later with a nice-sized watermelon.

“Are we eating?”

“No. But you have to pretend you are eating for two.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Wrap the cloth around this,” he said, handing her the watermelon.

“Done.”

“Put it under your shirt and hold it.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I kid you not. Do it.”

Elizabeth did as he asked. “This is kind of heavy,” she said.

“Stay hunched over,” Michael said, as he walked away. “Do not move from there. I want him to see you.”

“Whatever.”

Michael left and approached the man again. He walked around, inspecting several carriages and horses. He opened his hand again, showing him the silver. “No. That is not enough. I told you,” the man said.

Michael pointed to Elizabeth. “My brother’s wife. My brother is away on a trip to Rome. I am here to take care of her. She is expecting before the next sunset.”

The man turned around and looked at her.

“Look. She is sick. Please. I would be grateful. We need to get to Jerusalem.”

The man continued to stare at Elizabeth. She bent over and grabbed her stomach, letting out a few groans that Michael was able to hear.

“Please, sir,” he said, grabbing the man’s shoulder.

“Go. Take the small chariot and the last horse.” He led him to the animal.

Michael dropped the silver in his hands. “You have my gratitude.”

“I gave you a bargain,” the man said.

“I know.” He retrieved the horse and after tying it to the small chariot, he climbed in, sat down and maneuvered the horse toward Elizabeth. He stopped beside her saying, “What do you think?”

“I think you’re nuts,” she said. “It’s so tiny.”

“Excuse me. I’m sorry it’s not a Porsche. Get in.”

“Where? There’s no room.”

He squeezed over. “Now there is. We need to go.”

“Do you know how to drive one of these?” she asked. Elizabeth went to pick up the box and dropped the watermelon. It rolled over toward the man.

“Get in,” Michael pleaded.

“Okay,” said Elizabeth as she quickly climbed in, holding the box.

“Stop, stop,” yelled the man as he picked up the watermelon and ran after them.

Michael urged the horse to move faster.

“Wow, my dad knows how to drive a chariot here,” said Elizabeth.

“I learned while working in the fields,” he said.

“Surprise, surprise. Look who is handy around the house now.”

“Sit down, smart aleck.”

“I am,” she said, holding her hands up. “I’m afraid to put my hands in because I may not be able to get them out.”

“Hold on. This can get up to high speeds.”

“Yeah, you’re like a NASCAR driver.”

“You’re so skeptical. Hi, yo,” Michael shouted, jostling the ropes attached to the horse. The animal picked up speed, and the chariot bounced up and down a few times.

“Just like a roller coaster,” Elizabeth said, waving her hands in the air. The chariot squeaked and squealed on the narrow dirt path. “Ouch,” she said. “My butt.”

Michael stood up and pulled back on the ropes to find a more manageable pace.

“How long do you think it will take to get to Jerusalem?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said over the noise of the wheels.

“How about a guess?” Elizabeth asked.

“After sunset.”

“Then what?”

“Then we bury this box with the cloth in a cave or somewhere in the side of a mountain.”

“Why?”

“So someone can find it.”

“Why not bring it back?”

“We can’t. It’s an old relic. How would it look if two people from Long Island in the Twenty-First Century possessed such a relic?”

“Oh,” Elizabeth said. “No one would believe us anyway, right?”

“Yes. They would think we stole it. Someone in the next few centuries needs to find it. No one would ever believe we found it. We would be arrested if we had possession of this.”

After they had traveled some distance, he slowed down. He opened the box and dumped out the cloth he had cut from around the face. “We don’t need this anymore. We should be there in a few hours.” Michael removed the cloth with the picture from his pocket and placed it inside the box. He closed it up and gave it back to her. “When we find a cave we’ll get some stones and metal and seal it shut.”

“How will they find it?”

“Sometime in the future they will dig it out and discover it.”

“We can do that?”

“Sure can,” he said as he jostled the ropes more to encourage the horse to pick up the pace.

“Can this horse make it the whole way?” she asked.

“We’re about to find out.”

Several miles later, the sun began its descent. Michael and Elizabeth stopped by a well not too far from Jerusalem. They gave the horse some water. “There you go,” she said, letting the animal slurp the water from her cupped hands. “Drink it all.”

It was only a short while before they came upon a small neighborhood of identical stone homes. The dwellers were herding their animals to a holding area nearby. “This must be a really poor town,” Michael said. “It can’t be too far from Leah.”

“Should we stop and see if she’s safe?”

“I doubt she has gone back home.”

“We should check, should we not?” Elizabeth asked.

“We should not. It’s time to move on.”

“Are you sure?”

“I have never been more sure in my life. In two centuries.” He gave her a wink.

They glanced at each other for a moment. She gave him an astonished look. “Did I say something stunning?” he asked.

“Yes. I never thought I would hear you say you must move on with anything.”

Michael nodded. “It’s about time I do. I’ve trapped myself in many sad and wonderful memories. What is the point of making a memory when you can’t go forward and make a better one?”

Elizabeth folded her arms behind her head. “I hope we can make some better ones in Northport,” she said.

“We will. I know this.”

“How do you know?”

“Trust me.”

“Look,” said Elizabeth, standing up. “There is the aqueduct. We’re near Leah.”

“We’ve passed her town,” Michael said. “Are you ready to go home?”

“No.”

“Why?” he asked in surprise. “Are you going to miss this place?”

“No, but I will miss Leah.”

“I will too. But there is so much more for us back home on Long Island. Our friends. Our family. Your classmates. Even Matthew.”

He looked at her and she nodded. “I wish we could have taken Leah back home with us.”

“This is where Leah lives. What about her husband? Her friends? Her family?” He slowed the horse down as they came upon a small mountain. “Here,” Michael said, getting out of the chariot. “This should be the place.”

“Why here?”

“It’s where the Sermon on the Mount happened. I’m sure of it. I remember the terrain, the trees and bushes.” He took the box from her, saying, “Tie the horse to that tree.”

She did and raced up the hill to join him. As they ascended several more feet, he could hear voices. “Where is that coming from?” he asked, looking behind him.

They stopped to listen for a moment as darkness settled. They resumed walking, and the sound of the horse jostling alerted them. Michael put his hand on Elizabeth’s mouth. “Quiet.” He pulled her behind some brush and listened again. Peering around it, he squinted. “My eyes are too blurry.”

“Let me look,” Elizabeth said, taking a couple of steps out.

“Can you see anything?” Michael asked.

“The horse is gone, and I can’t see anyone.”

“Oh, great.”

“Do we need to get to the tunnel after this?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes, it’s the only way back I know.”

“Hey Dad, here’s a strange question.”

“Yes?”

“Are there lightning bugs during this time?”

“What do you mean by lightning bugs?”

“The bugs that fly around and light up.”

“I know what they are, but why ask about them now?”

“I thought I saw some down the hill.”

“What?” Michael froze and turned his head. He saw several bright lights in formation walking up the hill. “Those aren’t bugs. Those are people carrying torches.”

He grabbed her arm and picked up the pace, climbing as fast as he could. The voices of men drew closer as they moved past some dense brush. The noise of wolves howling filled the mountainside.

“This is creepy,” Elizabeth whispered.

They came upon a dark cave around a sharp bend. There was a faint echo inside it. “Get inside,” he said. “The lights are getting closer.”

They backed into the cave. Michael leaned down, putting his hands on some boulders. He stumbled and grabbed onto Elizabeth’s arm. “Stay with me. Get down.”

“I see nothing up here, Alexander,” a man called out.

“They are here,” Julius said. “He took that chariot, and the tracks lead to this mountain. They are somewhere around here. Keep looking. I will continue walking up. You stay and look around here.”

Michael took a deep breath as the man staggered inside. He put his fingers up to his mouth and looked at Elizabeth. The man took several steps past them. Michael gripped a rock and flung it at him, striking the man in the head. The man tumbled to the ground. Michael ripped the torch from his hand. “You will be fine. Sleep.” He pushed his eyes closed.

“Is he dead?” Elizabeth asked, alarmed.

“No. He will sleep for a while. Hopefully he has some pleasant dreams.” He motioned to her. “Stay behind me. We need to get deeper into the cave.”

They walked for several minutes, coming upon a steep embankment while the sound of running water filled the area. Michael looked out the opening, his foot striking a rock. It fell, plunging into the water seconds later. He turned around. “That is one long drop.”

Michael fell to his knees and grabbed a large rock. He grinded it against the wall, sharpening the edges. He plunged it into the soil and began digging. “Do the same,” he told Elizabeth.

“I don’t see any more rocks like the one you have,” she said.

“There are more along the sides a few feet back from where we came.”