The Stranger of Galilee

Chapter 1 - A Market Square Gone Mad

'Make way, make way!'
'King of the Jews, coming through!'
'Oh King, do let me fall at your feet, oh King, hahaha!'
'You have saved others, King of the Jews! Save yourself in the sight of us all, if you are truly so special!'
'Alright, that is enough! Get back, all Jews, or -'
'No! We demand a council with the governor!'
'What will the governor do with this sinner?'
'I said GET BACK, rotten Jews!'

Market stalls were trampled. Jerusalem's streets, barren only a few hours ago, were suddenly infested with people like locusts, elbowing past each other to catch a glimpse of the King of the Jews. Lucius stood before the chaotic crowd, armed with a sword, shield and a band of his brothers, yet no matter how many orders they barked, or how many Hebrew figures they shoved away, the outcry did not cease. Still, the overwhelming anarchy continued. It was deafening, and tiring, and for all Lucius' determination, he found himself and his fellow soldiers being quickly pushed back toward Pilate's palace. Where had this riot come from?
               'We have a blasphemer in our midst!' an authoritative voice cried from somewhere in the middle, and suddenly the entire mob cried out with unanimous hatred. Words such as 'Beelzebub', 'heretic', 'hypocrite' and 'abomination' were thrown around like stones at a sinner. Lucius had to pause a moment, catch his breath, and wonder who could possibly have done enough wrong to stir up such a tumult as this!
               Looking out at the dune of faces, Lucius saw many he recognised. Near the front charged the chief priests, led by Caiaphas, who was wearing his blue robe, embroidered ephod, bejewelled breastplate and turban. Yet, for all his popularity, there was a consuming fire in his eyes. Behind him and his priests were a line of Pharisees and Saduccees reviling, who then mingled into the common, Jewish public. If he craned his neck enough, Lucius could even spot some Gentiles joining the mob - he could scarcely believe his eyes! Not only had this man they all shouted of - this, 'Kingly' figure, - managed to wrong what seemed to be everyone in Jerusalem, but in his error, he had united them all! Yesterday a Pharisee would never have deigned to stand with a publican, and a Gentile one at that, but today...something had changed. Today, before Lucius stood a mass of incandescent people: man, woman, child and dog alike. Had the world gone completely mad while he had stood guard over the prison that morning?

'Alright, that is enough!'
               The deep voice rumbled from behind Lucius, though when he turned, he came face to face with a woman. Of course she hadn't been the one to speak: she was the governor's wife! Beautiful, decorated and tall, the woman looked at Lucius' shocked face a moment before clearing her throat and peering over his shoulder. She was a statuesque, dignified soul, with flowing hair the colour of brass, and just as shiny, with narrow blue eyes and a composure matched only by the governor himself. She was quietly admirable: a woman to be seen and not heard, as a governor's wife ought to be. She was nothing like Lucius' centurion, who owned the gruff voice shouting nearby - though even he had failed to notice the incredibly out-of-place woman in their midst. No other soldier dared break the line with their centurion overseeing, meaning the governor's wife went almost entirely unnoticed.
               Being a soldier, Lucius knew he had no right to be in the same place as this woman, let alone as close to her as this! Why had she come out of the palace? Why was she looking over his shoulder at the crowd - and so uneasily? Lucius tried to keep an appropriate distance from her, but with every nudge of the surrounding soldiers, and the relentless shoving of the mob, it was impossible.
               'Procula!' Lucius shouted to her. 'Procula, you ought not be here! Come, I shall take you back to the governor!'
               Pushing his helmet up off his face, Lucius cautiously made a fist around Procula's arm - but when he tried to guide her away from the mayhem behind him, she dug her heels into the sandy ground.
'No, soldier.' she said, her voice steady but eyes urgent. 'I have no desire to see him.'
'But you cannot remain here!' Lucius started to get nervous. Had any of his brothers broken the line and spotted him yet? When they did, what would they think he was doing with the so highly-esteemed woman? Hastily Lucius dropped her arm. 'Procula, I must get you to safety!'
               Procula looked back at the soldier, sighed, and said,
'Soldier, if the governor does not heed my words today, there shall be no place of safety for any of us.'
               Before Lucius could ask what that meant, the governor's wife squared her shoulders and, with a wobble in her step, strutted back towards the palace. Unable to marvel at her any longer, Lucius turned back to the crowd and held his shield up once more.