The Testimony of Taliesin Jones (74 page)

Caesa
r
s its a
t th
e e
nd
of
th
e a
isle b
ehind a
de
sk
i
n
t
he
a
ttire
of a
R
oman,
l
aurel
in h
is
h
air.
At h
is
s
ide i
s a
l
ectern.
H
e si
lences t
he
ra
bble
w
ith hi
s
r
aised
p
alm,
pink and cl
ean.
In
th
e c
rowd
T
aliesin sees
p
eople s
narling
a
t him with
a
h
ate
th
at
ca
n' t r
eally
b
e
co
ming from th
em.
H
e
ca
n't under
stand w
hat
h
e's
d
one
t
o
m
ake
th
em
so a
ngry. Their anger twi
sts
th
eir
f
eatures
to di
stortion.
H
e
sees
hi
s
p
arents
not s
aying a
nythin
g.
H
e sees
Will
iam
J
ones
,
un
able
to l
ook
him in th
e eye,
h
olding
h
is
h
ead.
Juli
e Dye
r
si
ts
s
ilent l
ike
a
betr
ayer
n
ear
th
e
b
ack.
Caesa
r
as
ks f
or
q
uiet
aga
in
a
nd h
e
h
olds
up a l
etter.
Th
e
r
abble are
h
ushed.
Caesa
r
says
th
at
thi
s
b
oy
i
s acc
used
o
f m
any t
hings
:
putt
ing s
pells up
on i
nnocent p
eople,
a
ttemptin
g
t
o
res
urrect th
e
d
ead,
l
ying
to p
eople
a
bout m
iracles. Caesa
r
s
ays
th
at
h
e
i
sn
't
a
ware
of
th
ese
thin
gs
him
self
a
nd
sees
n
o
r
eason
t
o
puni
sh
th
e
b
oy.
Alth
ough
he has th
e
po
wer
t
o l
et
T
aliesin
go
h
e
w
ants
th
e c
rowd to
decide upon hi
s
f
ate.

'
Make h
im s
how us
a
mir
acle!' so
meone
s
houts.

'
Y
ea
h
.
P
rove
it
,
Jone
s!
'

Ca
esar
h
olds
up both h
ands
thi
s
ti
m
e
; t
h
e
crow
d pr
ess f
orward
in t
heir
agi
tation.

'
I
t
hink
t
h
e
b
oy s
hould t
ell
us
,
in h
i
s
own word
s,
w
hy h
e beli
eves.
And
if yo
u ar
e happy w
ith h
i
s
a
nsw
e
r
t
hen I
w
i
ll l
et
h
im
g
o.
I
f
n
ot, t
hen
y
ou
c
an
c
hoose
as yo
u
w
ill.
'

Ta
liesin
i
s
pu
shed
forward t
o t
he l
ec
t
ern
.
Caesar
bid
s
him
to s
pe
ak
to t
he
crow
d
.
A
s
h
e t
urns
a
nd
sta
nds
before
th
em
h
e se
es
ma
n
y
p
eople
th
at
h
e
kn
ows
;
a
mi
x of sc
hool
c
hildren
a
nd
Grow
n-Ups. Th
e
h
eckling a
nd
ca
tcalling
co
ntinue f
or a w
hile
.
I
t
s
ee
m
s
th
ey w
ill n
ever
l
isten
t
o
h
im
.
Wh
en
h
e o
pens hi
s
m
outh
t
o
s
p
ea
k, noth
ing co
mes
o
ut, n
othin
g
a
t
a
ll. H
e
kn
ows wh
at
t
o
say
but th
e wo
rds
won
'
t
co
me
.
H
e swa
llows bu
t i
t
i
s
u
seless.
H
e ca
nnot t
ell
th
em w
hy h
e
bel
i
e
ves.

'
W
h
y don
't
y
o
u h
eal yo
urself
l
eper hands!'

'Good God,
l
ook a
t th
em!' a
nother
s
houts
.

'
Can
'
t
yo
u
do so
mething
a
bout th
em?
'

T
h
e c
rowd
s
ways
f
rom si
de t
o si
d
e a
nd
t
h
en
a
ppears t
o
p
art
,
l
ik
e a
sea
.
A m
an
pu
shes
th
rou
gh,
t
ryin
g
t
o
ge
t to
th
e
fr
ont
.
A
lth
o
ugh h
e
d
oesn't
kn
ow
th
is man, Ta
liesin r
ecog
ni
zes him fro
m
so
mewhere
.
A b
eautiful
m
an wit
h
pe
rfect m
ovem
e
nt a
nd stillne
ss a
nd
a
l
ook
th
at
l
ooks
d
eep
int
o
T
aliesin
's
f
ace
a
nd b
eyond, i
nto th
e co
re
of
h
imself
.
T
he m
an stretc
hes
o
ut
hi
s
h
and
t
o
tou
ch
T
aliesin,
h
is
h
and reac
hing
o
ut
over
th
e
h
e
ads of
th
e
pr
essing cr
owd,
and as
h
e
t
ouches
h
im
,
T
aliesin
l
oo
k
s
d
own a
nd
se
es th
at
h
is
h
and
s
a
re h
ealed
.

H
e wak
es a
t th
is
p
oint,
f
eeling wet
. H
e
ki
ck
s
b
ack
th
e
bl
anket
s
a
nd
e
xa
mines th
e s
heets
.
Th
ere is no s
tain t
his
t
ime
,
i
t's
ju
st
h
is sweat
.
The
swea
t
s
mells
stro
ng
,
a
lmost lik
e
th
e
sme
ll
of
h
is
fat
her. H
e
l
ies
s
till f
or severa
l
min
utes
assi
milat
i
ng hi
s s
urroundings
a
nd
a
djusting t
o
th
e
r
eality
of co
n
scio
usness
.
T
he dr
eam
w
as so
v
ivid
th
at
f
or a
tim
e
h
e w
ond
ers
if h
e ca
n
s
peak. H
e s
ays
so
me w
ords:
'
Morning, h
ello, ce
iling
.'
H
e c
hecks hi
s
hand
s
.
H
e
rem
embers
hi
s
dumbne
ss i
n
th
e
dr
eam a
nd h
e
i
s
imm
ediately
th
ankful t
hat thi
s was
ju
st a
dr
eam.
H
e
n
ow
tri
es
t
o
th
ink of w
hat h
e w
ould h
ave sa
id t
o
th
e c
rowd
of
t
he
dr
eam –w
hat h
e
w
ill say
to th
e crow
d th
at
will b
e wa
iting f
or
h
im
t
oday
.
H
e
c
annot
think
o
f
a
nything
o
ther th
an w
hat h
e
kn
ows.
H
e
mu
st
tru
st i
n his
ex
perience t
o
d
ate a
nd t
ell t
hem
o
f i
t.
Hi
s ex
periences point t
o so
me ki
nd o
f
a
nswer.