登陆注册
4619800000007

第7章

An arched window at the back of this chamber gave directly upon a precipice, which formed a defence for one side of the castle. Ahoneysuckle vine, cramped by the low-studded ceiling, blossomed bravely. The sound of a running stream could be heard distinctly. In this place was a great number of beautiful white horses, perhaps a hundred. They were eating barley from a plank placed on a level with their mouths. Their manes had been coloured a deep blue; their hoofs were wrapped in coverings of woven grass, and the hair between their ears was puffed out like a peruke. As they stood quietly eating, they switched their tails gently to and fro. The proconsul regarded them in silent admiration.

They were indeed wonderful animals; supple as serpents, light as birds. They were trained to gallop rapidly, following the arrow of the rider, and dash into the midst of a group of the enemy, overturning men and biting them savagely as they fell. They were sure-footed among rocky passes, and would jump fearlessly over yawning chasms; and, while ready to gallop across the plains a whole day without tiring, they would stop instantly at the command of the rider.

As soon as Jacim entered their quarters, they trotted up to him, as sheep crowd around the shepherd; and, thrusting forward their sleek necks, they looked at him with a gaze like that of inquiring children.

From force of habit, he emitted a raucous cry, which excited them;they pranced about, impatient at their confinement and longing to run.

Antipas, fearing that if Vitellius knew of the existence of these creatures, he would take them away, had shut them up in this place, made especially to accommodate animals in case of siege.

"This close confinement cannot be good for them," said Vitellius, "and there is a risk of losing them by keeping them here. Make an inventory of their number, Sisenna."The publican drew a writing-tablet from the folds of his robe, counted the horses, and recorded the number carefully.

It was the habit of the agents of the fiscal companies to corrupt the governors in order to pillage the provinces. Sisenna was among the most flourishing of these agents, and was seen everywhere with his claw-like fingers and his eyelids continually blinking.

After a time the party returned to the court. Heavy, round bronze lids, sunk in the stones of the pavement, covered the cisterns of the palace. Vitellius noticed that one of these was larger than the others, and that when struck by his foot it had not their sonority. He struck them all, one after another; then stamped upon the ground and shouted:

"I have found it! I have found the buried treasure of Herod!"Searching for buried treasure was a veritable mania among the Romans.

The tetrarch swore that no treasure was hidden in that spot.

"What is concealed there, then?" the proconsul demanded.

"Nothing--that is, only a man--a prisoner.""Show him to me!"

The tetrarch hesitated to obey, fearing that the Jews would discover his secret. His reluctance to lift the cover made Vitellius impatient.

"Break it in!" he cried to his lictors. Mannaeus heard the command, and, seeing a lictor step forward armed with a hatchet, he feared that the man intended to behead Iaokanann. He stayed the hand of the lictor after the first blow, and then slipped between the heavy lid and the pavement a kind of hook. He braced his long, lean arms, raised the cover slowly, and in a moment it lay flat upon the stones. The bystanders admired the strength of the old man.

Under the bronze lid was a wooden trap-door of the same size. At a blow of the fist it folded back, allowing a wide hole to be seen, the mouth of an immense pit, with a flight of winding steps leading down into the darkness. Those that bent over to peer into the cavern beheld a vague and terrifying shape in its depths.

This proved to be a human being, lying on the ground. His long locks hung over a camel's-hair robe that covered his shoulders. Slowly he rose to his feet. His head touched a grating embedded in the wall; and as he moved about he disappeared, from time to time, in the shadows of his dungeon.

The rich tiaras of the Romans sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight, and their glittering sword-hilts threw out glancing golden rays. The doves, flying from their cotes, circled above the heads of the multitude. It was the hour when Mannaeus was accustomed to feed them.

But now he crouched beside the tetrarch, who stood near Vitellius. The Galileans, the priests, and the soldiers formed a group behind them;all were silent, waiting with painful anticipation for what might happen.

A deep groan, hollow and startling, rose from the pit.

Herodias heard it from the farther end of the palace. Drawn by an irresistible though terrible fascination, she made her way through the throng, and, reaching Mannaeus, she leant one hand on his shoulder and bent over to listen.

The hollow voice rose again from the depths of the earth.

"Woe to thee, Sadducees and Pharisees! Thy voices are like the tinkling of cymbals! O race of vipers, bursting with pride!"The voice of Iaokanann was recognised. His name was whispered about.

Spectators from a distance pressed closer to the open pit.

"Woe to thee, O people! Woe to the traitors of Judah, and to the drunkards of Ephraim, who dwelt in the fertile valleys and stagger with the fumes of wine!

"May they disappear like running water; like the slug that sinks into the sand as it moves; like an abortion that never sees the light!

同类推荐
  • 谢短篇

    谢短篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 复古诗集

    复古诗集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 东方最胜灯王如来经

    东方最胜灯王如来经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 白香集

    白香集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编官常典县佐部

    明伦汇编官常典县佐部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 过去世佛分卫经

    过去世佛分卫经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 纵宠之鬼妃为尊

    纵宠之鬼妃为尊

    女人善变,烟如丝为这句话做了完美的注解。见缝插针是生存本领,两面三刀是惯用招数,装无辜、扮可怜手到擒来…在这个武修为尊的世界,她是个特殊的存在。精通幻术,拥有无穷变化,一人万面;擅驭鬼术,常年跟牛鬼蛇神打交道…豢养了一只幻狐和三个小鬼,并以驱使吆喝他们为生活乐趣…可谁知道,贪财好色、心狠手辣、聪明狡猾…的背后,竟然有着蚀骨的折磨,和不为人知的身世。一次偶然的际遇、一道指婚的圣旨、一株救命的红莲,结束了她江湖飘荡的逍遥日子,从此她开始了鬼面王府主母之旅。她自觉太幸运,别的女人每天都要防着小妾升位、备着丫鬟爬床,可这一切对她而言,都是浮云。丈夫的鬼面吓得女人不敢靠他的身,正合她心;王府没有对她挑三拣四的婆婆、也无横眉冷对的小姑子,恰如她意…闲来无事挑逗挑逗纯情的王爷,“王爷,给妾身空一把吧!”每次说这话时,她总是装出一副羞答答、娇滴滴的样子,她说色即是空,空即是色。许是她的生活太过清闲,连老天都看不过眼。才发现原来王府奸细多多、王爷危机重重,鬼面是人为的蓄意,夺权和谋害接踵而来,她这个王府的女主人总要做些什么。练异术、除内奸、御杀机、破阴谋…咒语念念,红绳铜钱捆绑,她敢跟鬼差抢魂魄;凭空而出,是幻息控制的冰剑,杀敌于无形之中;手一挥,嘴一动,大把大把的骷髅兵供她使唤,阴森森吓得敌军不战而败;手中的域戒随时储藏着各种紧急物资,救夫君于危难之中…(本文女主强大聪明,男主闷骚腹黑,结局一对一)--暧昧情浓时--挑逗他真的是人间一大趣事,她乐此不疲。“王爷,你看我们都已经成亲三个月了,可妾身…”她罗襟半掩倾城脸,媚中含羞地给了他一个遐想联翩的暗示。他嘴唇干裂,喉结上下滑动,坐在那里一动也不敢动。她的眼中闪过一丝狡黠的笑,一双白皙的手缓缓地勾上他的脖子。“王爷,难道你真的一点也不喜欢妾身吗?”她大半个身子都偎依在他的怀中,衣裙微开,胸前的白皙若隐若现。他吞了吞口水,粗糙的双手一下子扯开她的衣服。“啊…”她吓了一跳,想要逃离却被他紧紧地搂住。她真的只是想逗逗他,并没有想真刀真枪地实战呀!“那个,王爷…”她祈求地望着他,“可不可以放开我?”他邪魅一笑,“爱妃,你不是想圆房吗?今晚我们就来把这个伟大而神圣的事完成。”堵上她的红唇,抗议的话也被拦在了肚子内。红纱帐内,一片旖旎,春光无限,羞煞悄悄爬进来的几枝寒梅。
  • 六妙法门

    六妙法门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 亲亲狐夫,彬彬有礼

    亲亲狐夫,彬彬有礼

    第一世,她是神女,他是妖尊,他为救她,带着她的一缕残魂堕入人道轮回。第二世,她是阁老之女,他是朝廷重臣,君上赐婚不得不结为姻缘,却不想他心中住着另一个女子。第三世,她是大龄剩女,他是娱乐界大佬,她自小对他胡搅蛮缠,他对她避之不及。因为一场绯闻一个孩子,他们一同扯证。
  • 末世最强校花

    末世最强校花

    都末世了?不混出个最强怎么行?至于校花,哈哈颜值加成。
  • 霸宠无度:娘子,快跟我回家

    霸宠无度:娘子,快跟我回家

    徐穆清就像一只蜗牛,即便是前世的仇敌,不见面也不会刻意去想起。她心心念念的,只有自己的家人朋友,是不是平安幸福。但是某天,她的重生不止救了父母,还害了许多人......宋俞念好似着了魔一样,喜欢上了认识没多久的她。她虽然不坚强,不霸道,但是有好多秘密。频频受伤,频频被欺,哼,是不知道她是他的人吗?那就休怪他不客气了!
  • 王者传说之天问

    王者传说之天问

    地球因为未知原因破灭,天问等人最后来不及穿透大气层离开,只能驾驶诺亚方舟从还不成熟的空间隧道离开,他们来到了王者大陆,发现曾经许多历史上的人物都存在着,并且同一些与他们一样却被称为异族的人不断战斗着。天问到来时,大陆上的英雄们已经处于下方几百年了……看天问如何扭转局面,赢得胜利……
  • 天上的星星是爱情的灯

    天上的星星是爱情的灯

    “扶贫村”青山村里的留守妇女柳雪芕在家带孩子,丈夫江凌峰在广州一家鞋业公司当助理。江凌峰酷爱买彩票,终于有一次中了一百万大奖。可这意外巨款不但没能让这个家庭“渐入佳境”,反而是接踵而来的灾难和厄运,也让俩人的感情和婚姻面临着重重危机。就在俩人去民政局离婚的路上,发生了一件意想不到的“怪事”,最后,俩人喜剧收场。
  • 少倦多安

    少倦多安

    世人都说安家七小姐脸皮真厚,琴棋书画、女红刺绣无一精通,每天就想着找夫婿,谁家少年郎眼瞎会娶她。安晏晞可不管,偷偷赚了一次重活的机会,总得找个如意郎君,最好多找几个才不亏。某腹黑王爷,你敢!
  • 恋爱吧我的男主角

    恋爱吧我的男主角

    人设?木悬铃在这里竟然只是个江湖骗子的人设?原以为是走向人生巅峰,过上从此衣食无忧的生活,怎么就忽然堕落了?那个男人贪财又好色,怎么就成了江南第一阁主了?不服,她发誓要整死他,往死里整!呵呵呵,阁主开玩笑的,小的泡了您最爱的茶呢!【练习作品,免费供娱乐】小甜加江湖文,似乎嗅到一丝丝恋爱的味道……