Nicholas and Lucas sat up by the glowing embers of the fire, keeping watch for the return of the others. Just as they were about to nod off to sleep, three of the other brothers rushed in. One of them, named Caius, said, “Overseer Nicholas! There are guards about the camp. They searched us as we came in.”
Nicholas nodded. He asked, “Did they see where you went?”
Caius said, “No. It’s safe with Marinus for the night. And we each counted the...” Here he hushed himself. “We counted it before we set out.”
“And?” prompted Nicholas.
“A thousand and 35.”
Nicholas and Lucas both looked at each other with surprise and chuckled. Caius asked, “Is it not what you were expecting?”
“It is not,” said Nicholas with a grin.
“I don’t understand. We each counted it and came up with the same number. I am certain none of us kept nothing for himself.”
“As am I,” said Nicholas. “You found one more than I counted.”
The men sighed with relief and joined Nicholas in his laughter.
The next morning the five of them rose when the sun was just a sliver in the east. They came to the edge of the camp and the soldiers stopped them to pat their robes for hidden bags. The officer in charge, a decanus, remarked to Nicholas, “Silvanus will not give up until he has your gold.”
Nicholas replied, “He would do better to give his attention more to bread than gold.”
“Yes,” said the decanus. “But a man cannot live on bread alone.” Nicholas could not tell if the decanus meant it sarcastically or if he believed in these words of Christus. Before he could ask, the decanus pointed to two soldiers and said, “You two are on the watch.” The soldiers nodded and fell in behind Nicholas and his companions as they set out.
The group headed southwest along the road to the harbor and reached it as the disk of the sun cleared the horizon. Scores of waist-high amphora jars lined the port, most of them empty. One of the brothers, Marinus, was squatted down against one with a blanket around him and his head resting on his knees. As the others passed him by, Lucas gently prodded him with his foot. He rose and folded up his blanket, saying to Lucas, “Four ships from Alexandria, just over there. They came in late yesterday. All full of wheat.”
Nicholas nodded. He asked, “Did they see where you went?”
Caius said, “No. It’s safe with Marinus for the night. And we each counted the...” Here he hushed himself. “We counted it before we set out.”
“And?” prompted Nicholas.
“A thousand and 35.”
Nicholas and Lucas both looked at each other with surprise and chuckled. Caius asked, “Is it not what you were expecting?”
“It is not,” said Nicholas with a grin.
“I don’t understand. We each counted it and came up with the same number. I am certain none of us kept nothing for himself.”
“As am I,” said Nicholas. “You found one more than I counted.”
The men sighed with relief and joined Nicholas in his laughter.
The next morning the five of them rose when the sun was just a sliver in the east. They came to the edge of the camp and the soldiers stopped them to pat their robes for hidden bags. The officer in charge, a decanus, remarked to Nicholas, “Silvanus will not give up until he has your gold.”
Nicholas replied, “He would do better to give his attention more to bread than gold.”
“Yes,” said the decanus. “But a man cannot live on bread alone.” Nicholas could not tell if the decanus meant it sarcastically or if he believed in these words of Christus. Before he could ask, the decanus pointed to two soldiers and said, “You two are on the watch.” The soldiers nodded and fell in behind Nicholas and his companions as they set out.
The group headed southwest along the road to the harbor and reached it as the disk of the sun cleared the horizon. Scores of waist-high amphora jars lined the port, most of them empty. One of the brothers, Marinus, was squatted down against one with a blanket around him and his head resting on his knees. As the others passed him by, Lucas gently prodded him with his foot. He rose and folded up his blanket, saying to Lucas, “Four ships from Alexandria, just over there. They came in late yesterday. All full of wheat.”
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