Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 17
Iwasmadeasweep-slaveinthegalleys,anditwasasasweep-slavethatatlastIcametoRome.
AllthestoryistoolongofhowIbecameafreeman,acitizen,andasoldier,andofhow,whenIwasthirty,IjourneyedtoAlexandria,andfromAlexandriatoJerusalem.YetwhatIhavetoldfromthetimewhenIwasbaptizedinthemead-potofTostigLodbrogIhavebeencompelledtotellinorderthatyoumayunderstandwhatmannerofmanrodeinthroughtheJaffaGateanddrewalleyesuponhim.
Wellmighttheylook.Theyweresmallbreeds,lighter-bonedandlighter-thewed,theseRomansandJews,andablondelikemetheyhadnevergazedupon.Allalongthenarrowstreetstheygavebeforemebutstoodtostarewide-eyedatthisyellowmanfromthenorth,orfromGodknewwheresofarastheyknewaughtofthematter.
PracticallyallPilate’stroopswereauxiliaries,saveforahandfulofRomansaboutthepalaceandthetwentyRomanswhorodewithme.OftenenoughhaveIfoundtheauxiliariesgoodsoldiers,butneversosteadilydependableastheRomans.IntruththeywerebetterfightingmentheyearroundthanwerewemenoftheNorth,whofoughtingreatmoodsandsulkedingreatmoods.TheRomanwasinvariablysteadyanddependable.
TherewasawomanfromthecourtofAntipas,whowasafriendofPilate’swifeandwhomImetatPilate’sthenightofmyarrival.
