Студопедия

Главная страница Случайная страница

КАТЕГОРИИ:

АвтомобилиАстрономияБиологияГеографияДом и садДругие языкиДругоеИнформатикаИсторияКультураЛитератураЛогикаМатематикаМедицинаМеталлургияМеханикаОбразованиеОхрана трудаПедагогикаПолитикаПравоПсихологияРелигияРиторикаСоциологияСпортСтроительствоТехнологияТуризмФизикаФилософияФинансыХимияЧерчениеЭкологияЭкономикаЭлектроника






The prisoner looked uncomprehendingly at the procurator.






" I have no donkey, Hegemon, " he said. " I did enter Yershalaim through the Shushan Gate, but on foot, and accompanied only by Levi Matvei, and no one shouted to me since no one in Yershalaim knew me then."

" Don't you know these people, " continued Pilate, keeping his eyes


The Master and Margarita

fixed on the prisoner, " a certain Dismas, Gestas, and Bar-rabban? "

" I do not know those good people, " answered the prisoner.

" Is that the truth? "

" Yes, it is."

" And now tell me, why do you keep using the words 'good people? ' Do you call everyone that? "

" Yes, everyone, " replied the prisoner. " There are no evil people in the world."

" That is the first time I have heard that, " said Pilate with a laugh, " but maybe I know little of life! You don't have to write down any more, " he said to the secretary, although the latter had not been writing anything down, and then he continued speaking to the prisoner, " Did you read that in some Greek book? "

" No, I came to that conclusion on my own."

" And that is what you preach? "

" Yes."

" But what about the centurion Mark, whom they call Ratkiller, is he— a good man? "

" Yes, he is, " answered the prisoner, " but he's an unhappy man. Ever since good people disfigured him, he's been cruel and hard. I'm curious to know, who mutilated him? "

" I'll gladly tell you, " retorted Pilate, " because I was a witness. Good people attacked him the way dogs attack bears. The Germans grabbed him by his neck, arms, and legs. An infantry maniple had been ambushed, and if the cavalry turma under my command had not broken through from the flank, then you, philosopher, would not have had to talk with Ratkiller. It happened in the battle of Idistaviso, in the Valley of the Maidens."

" If I could just talk to him, " interjected the prisoner wistfully, " I'm sure he would change drastically."

" I imagine, " rejoined Pilate, " that the legate of the legion would have little cause to rejoice if you took it into your head to talk to one of his officers or soldiers. Fortunately for all of us, however, that will not happen, and I'm the one who will see that it doesn't."

At that moment a swallow darted into the colonnade, flew in a circle under the gilded ceiling, swooped down, its pointed wing almost grazing the face of one of the bronze statues in the niche, and then took cover behind the capital of the column. Perhaps it had decided to build a nest there.

During the swallow's flight, the following thought was taking shape in the procurator's now bright and dear head: the Hegemon had looked into the case of the vagrant philosopher Yeshua, called Ha-Notsri, and found the criminal charges against him to be unsubstantiated. Specifically, he found no connection whatsoever between Yeshua's actions and the recent disorders in Yershalaim. The vagrant philosopher turned



Поделиться с друзьями:

mylektsii.su - Мои Лекции - 2015-2024 год. (0.006 сек.)Все материалы представленные на сайте исключительно с целью ознакомления читателями и не преследуют коммерческих целей или нарушение авторских прав Пожаловаться на материал