“She wants to know her name.”
I was very nervous. “Dinah,” I mumbled.
“Di…?” the old woman said, “Dia…Diana?”
“Yes,” I said, “her name is Diana.”
The old woman led Dinah, now Diana, away. The Ethiopian signaled for me to wait. In a moment he returned and handed me some coins. I looked at them—silver and gold mixed in with a lot of bronze, a fortune, more than I could earn in a year. I thought, I will never see Dinah again. But she is safe at last. Not even Darcas will find Diana if she is looking for Dinah.
My next stop was the house of Amelabib. He gave me an angry look and complained about having his sleep disturbed before dawn but when he saw the copperware I had, his face brightened. I only showed him a small sample. We were close, but in the world I lived in, you could never really trust anyone. He saw the profit in my proposal. For a share we negotiated, Darcas’ former cooper goods were to be sold from his stall. He asked no questions, I offered no explanations. It was a good arrangement. Soon I would have enough money to take Mother away.
The sun rose red and shimmering as I returned to the House of Darcas. The courtyard still reeked of burning thatch. Smoke hung low on the ground. Darcas raced back and forth cursing at her bodyguards and peering into the wreckage of her sheds. Gaius and his pack had been caught, but not before most of the goods they managed to take, were taken from them in turn, by others stronger and quicker than they. Life on the streets had not been good to Gaius. Too many beatings and too many days without food and sleep had dulled his wits. He could no longer function, even as a thief. He would be dead before the moon was full.
I slipped into the building and climbed wearily to our room. Mother was frantic.
“Where have you been? Have you seen Dinah? I can’t find her anywhere and Darcas won’t speak to me.”
“She is safe. I took her away to a safe place.”
“Oh. Good. You are a good son, Judas. Go fetch her back now.”
“I can’t bring her back.”
“Can’t? Why? What have you done with her? Where did you take her? Why can’t?”
“She is safe. I took her to Corinth.”
“To Corinth…Corinth?” she said, eyes round and frightened.
“I took her to the Temple of Venus—Aphrodite. She will live there now, and neither Darcas’ men nor any others will be allowed near her. They will keep her safe. They gave me money.”
Mother screamed. A sound of anguish so complete, it would make an angel weep. She leapt to her feet and pulled her hair. She tore her clothing. She ran to the hearth and heaped ashes on her head. She alternately moaned and bellowed like a cow dropping a calf.
“How could you? It is not permitted to sell children to Gentiles…you know that. You must go and bring her back.”
“I cannot. It is done and I did not sell her. They gave me money. Here, take it.”
She slapped the coins from my hand. They clattered and rang across the floor.
“Mother, it was the only way. Darcas had her locked up in a shed. She…You cannot stop her, I cannot stop her and Dinah…is special.”
“I don’t want to hear it. It would be better if Dinah were dead than sold to Gentiles. You have done a terrible thing…a terrible thing. We do not turn our own over to the Gentiles, and never for money, never. Dinah cannot go to the Gentiles.”
She paced up and down flailing her arms, wailing, and looking at me wild-eyed and furious. “It is the same as death. You know the law. You cannot have done such a thing.”
“Mother, for god’s sake…”
“Do not talk about the Lord to me. If you had any sense you would know that—”
“Mother, stop it. That old god of yours has brought us nothing but pain. Dinah was going to die here, Mother. That is a fact. She is damaged and cannot help herself.”
“Dinah is fine, only very quiet.”
“Quiet? Mother, she is mad. What happened in Caesarea broke her.”
She sat down heavily on
I was very nervous. “Dinah,” I mumbled.
“Di…?” the old woman said, “Dia…Diana?”
“Yes,” I said, “her name is Diana.”
The old woman led Dinah, now Diana, away. The Ethiopian signaled for me to wait. In a moment he returned and handed me some coins. I looked at them—silver and gold mixed in with a lot of bronze, a fortune, more than I could earn in a year. I thought, I will never see Dinah again. But she is safe at last. Not even Darcas will find Diana if she is looking for Dinah.
My next stop was the house of Amelabib. He gave me an angry look and complained about having his sleep disturbed before dawn but when he saw the copperware I had, his face brightened. I only showed him a small sample. We were close, but in the world I lived in, you could never really trust anyone. He saw the profit in my proposal. For a share we negotiated, Darcas’ former cooper goods were to be sold from his stall. He asked no questions, I offered no explanations. It was a good arrangement. Soon I would have enough money to take Mother away.
The sun rose red and shimmering as I returned to the House of Darcas. The courtyard still reeked of burning thatch. Smoke hung low on the ground. Darcas raced back and forth cursing at her bodyguards and peering into the wreckage of her sheds. Gaius and his pack had been caught, but not before most of the goods they managed to take, were taken from them in turn, by others stronger and quicker than they. Life on the streets had not been good to Gaius. Too many beatings and too many days without food and sleep had dulled his wits. He could no longer function, even as a thief. He would be dead before the moon was full.
I slipped into the building and climbed wearily to our room. Mother was frantic.
“Where have you been? Have you seen Dinah? I can’t find her anywhere and Darcas won’t speak to me.”
“She is safe. I took her away to a safe place.”
“Oh. Good. You are a good son, Judas. Go fetch her back now.”
“I can’t bring her back.”
“Can’t? Why? What have you done with her? Where did you take her? Why can’t?”
“She is safe. I took her to Corinth.”
“To Corinth…Corinth?” she said, eyes round and frightened.
“I took her to the Temple of Venus—Aphrodite. She will live there now, and neither Darcas’ men nor any others will be allowed near her. They will keep her safe. They gave me money.”
Mother screamed. A sound of anguish so complete, it would make an angel weep. She leapt to her feet and pulled her hair. She tore her clothing. She ran to the hearth and heaped ashes on her head. She alternately moaned and bellowed like a cow dropping a calf.
“How could you? It is not permitted to sell children to Gentiles…you know that. You must go and bring her back.”
“I cannot. It is done and I did not sell her. They gave me money. Here, take it.”
She slapped the coins from my hand. They clattered and rang across the floor.
“Mother, it was the only way. Darcas had her locked up in a shed. She…You cannot stop her, I cannot stop her and Dinah…is special.”
“I don’t want to hear it. It would be better if Dinah were dead than sold to Gentiles. You have done a terrible thing…a terrible thing. We do not turn our own over to the Gentiles, and never for money, never. Dinah cannot go to the Gentiles.”
She paced up and down flailing her arms, wailing, and looking at me wild-eyed and furious. “It is the same as death. You know the law. You cannot have done such a thing.”
“Mother, for god’s sake…”
“Do not talk about the Lord to me. If you had any sense you would know that—”
“Mother, stop it. That old god of yours has brought us nothing but pain. Dinah was going to die here, Mother. That is a fact. She is damaged and cannot help herself.”
“Dinah is fine, only very quiet.”
“Quiet? Mother, she is mad. What happened in Caesarea broke her.”
She sat down heavily on
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