按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Again；〃 said Izzy。 After the second replay； he said； 〃Oh； you'll love this。 Straight from Revelation。I am the alpha and the omega； the beginning and the end； who is and who was and who is to e。 Then he goes on with something about suffering and repentance。〃
Nathan Lee tried to remember the history of the New Testament。 〃Revelation；〃 he said。 〃But that wasn't written until near the second century。 This guy's all over the place。 Egypt。 Revelation。 Old Testament。 New。〃
〃Doesn't look like a Jesus to me anyhow；〃 said Izzy。
Nathan Lee knew what he meant。 Jesus was an idol； a Shroud negative； a movie star。。。not a man。 He had long blond tresses with a faint goatee； or dark curlicue forelocks and a ZZ Top beard。 He came with blue eyes or black ones； with a straight nose and a crown of thorns。 He belonged in Christmas mangers and Byzantine mosaics and on Mexican prayer cards； in stained glass； in marble statues。 He was a figment of art； a creature of monks and Michelangelo and Mapplethorpe。 Intellectually Nathan Lee knew this could not be the Christian godhead。 But a deep； prehistoric part of him could not shake the outside chance of it。What if this was God in a burr cut？
〃Fishing for attention；〃 said Izzy。 〃A stunt。〃
Nathan Lee agreed。 〃But why now？〃
〃That crucifix in the tree； I'd say。 Nothing to lose？〃
Nathan Lee frowned。 〃Looking back； that crucifix in the tree seems almost like a signal。 Like a green light to go into action。〃
〃Well； he's e out of the closet now；〃 said Izzy。
〃Let's finish him off；〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃This won't take long。 Then everybody can go back to bed again。〃
They entered the cell。 The clone remained sitting。〃Shlaa…ma umook；〃 said Nathan Lee。Peace be with you。
The clone was not friendly。 〃Ishmael and Nathaniel。 Why do they send you？〃 he demanded。 They： their captors and keepers。
〃They sent us。〃 Nathan Lee kept it blunt。
〃Who are you？〃 the clone demanded。 That was supposed to be their question。 〃You're not who you seem to be。〃
Too true； thought Nathan Lee。 They were a roomful of fakes。
〃Tell us your name；〃 said Izzy。
〃You're one of them；〃 the clone realized。
〃Name；〃 repeated Izzy。
〃Eesho；〃 the clone said。 〃Yeshua； they call me。 Jesus； you say。 Themeshiah。〃
〃Christ？〃 said Izzy。
〃That； too。〃
〃There are many people named Jesus；〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃Are you the one they call Jesus Barabbas？〃
It was a trick question。 If this Eesho was simply repeating whatever was given to him； he would agree to being the wrong Jesus； the one who wasn't crucified。 The hoax could end right here。
Eesho was contemptuous。 〃Would you be honoring me if I were alestai？〃
〃Honoring him！〃 Izzy barked in English。 〃Is that what he thinks？〃
〃What's alestai？〃 said Nathan Lee。
Izzy frowned。 〃Never heard the word。〃
〃Let's start there then；〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃Pick him to pieces。 Use his own words。〃
Izzy fired off a burst of Aramaic。 They spoke for a minute。 〃It's something like an assassin；〃 Izzy said。 〃A political terrorist。〃 He listened as the clone went on talking。 〃That's it。Sicarri； another term。 Like Judas Iscariot。 Judas the Sicarri。 A Zealot。〃
〃Watch it；〃 breathed Nathan Lee。 〃Don't give him more names。 He's creating himself out of our mistakes。〃
〃I didn't；〃 said Izzy。 〃He came up with the name Judas himself。〃
The clone saw Nathan Lee hesitate。 A look of satisfaction came over his face。
〃Oh； boy；〃 Nathan Lee muttered。 Eesho； if that was his name； knew more of the story than he'd feared。
For the next two hours； they worked through the logical questions。 Where were you born？ Who were your family members？ Name your neighbors。 Who was the governor？ Who were your teachers？ Describe your travels。 Did you ever visit Jerusalem？ How many times？ Why？
The clone answered dutifully； even mechanically。 He had been born in Bethlehem； he claimed。 In a cave。 His father was a carpenter； descended from King David who was descended from Abraham。 To prove it； he delivered a long list of names from memory； linking his father generation by generation to the great prophets。 The names echoed off the stainless steel walls。
〃Are you the son of David； then；〃 Nathan Lee asked； 〃or the son of God？〃
〃I am the Nazarene；〃 the clone declared simply。 He was perfectly at ease。 Any contradictions were his interrogator's to unravel。
〃But you said you were born in Bethlehem；〃 he said。
Eesho answered。 〃The Lord spoke through the prophet Hosea。 He said；'Out of Egypt I called my Son。'〃
There；thought Nathan Lee。 The Egypt reference again。 〃Clever；〃 he said to Izzy。 〃He's been setting us up from the start。〃
〃How do you mean？〃 said Izzy。
〃He prophesied his own ing。 He called this place Egypt that first day in the yard。 The Son was called from Egypt。 Therefore； he's the Son。〃
〃But who gave him the Bible references？〃
〃Keep digging；〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃We'll catch him out。〃
Eesho said he'd had four brothers named James； Joset； Simon； and Jude； and three sisters whom he didn't bother naming。 His teachers had included John the Baptist。 He'd spent years wandering the banks of the Dead Sea。 He once meditated in the desert。 Yes； it was true； he had attacked the merchants and money changers in the Temple。 〃After that； I was a marked man；〃 said Eesho。 〃They executed me。〃
〃Who executed you？〃
Eesho recited the Passion Narrative perfectly。 It was identical to the Gospel accounts； filled with evil Jews； treachery； and cowardice。 Judas； the Zealot； had betrayed him。 He was arrested and brought before the Temple intelligentsia； where his captors spit on him and slapped him and called him a blasphemer； then turned him over to Pontius Pilate who condemned him。 Just like in the Bible； Pilate had washed his hands of the verdict。
With extraordinary dispassion； Eesho went on to describe his whipping； the crown of thorns； the soldiers' mockery； and his passage through the narrow streets and out the west gate to Golgotha。 He was nailed to the wood。 His cross was erected between two others。 A thief hung on either side of him。
〃And then I died；〃 he said without emotion。
Nathan Lee looked at Eesho's wrist； and the tracery of veins was blue under the smooth olive skin。 A nail had driven through that bone and meat。 Yet he was oblivious。 Or else a liar。
〃You died；〃 repeated Nathan Lee。 〃What do you remember after that？〃
〃Everything that there is to remember。〃
All in all； from cradle to cross； it was a sterling performance； straight out of the Gospels。 〃Someone scripted him；〃 said Nathan Lee。 They were back to that again。
〃But who？ Why bother？〃
〃Someone with lots of time。 It must have taken weeks； or months； to school this guy。 He's got the story down cold。 And all the quotes are in Aramaic。 Whoever it was had a good mand of Aramaic。 That rules out Ross and the other guards。 Maybe it wasn't an insider。 A visitor； maybe？ From the outside。〃
〃I don't know；〃 said Izzy。 〃Someone might be able to override the security system once or twice。 But not for weeks at a time。〃
〃Maybe he wasn't prepped here。〃 Nathan Lee began flipping through 2YZ…87's file again。 〃He was warehoused in South Sector for half a year before getting transferred here。 It's possible someone wired him with this Christ stuff while he was down there。〃
Izzy shook his head。 〃You make him sound like an act of sabotage。 A car bomb。 You're saying someone rehearsed him for his Jesus role； then planted him in our midst； and then waited all these months to trigger the mischief？ That's just so intricate。 So premeditated。〃
〃The best forgeries usually are；〃 said Nathan Lee。 But he was merely keeping up his end of the wild theory。 Izzy was right。 It was farfetched。
〃Why set him off now？〃 asked Izzy。
〃I don't know。〃
〃Why have you waited to reveal yourself？〃 Izzy asked the clone。 〃Why tonight？〃
Eesho's face relaxed。 Easy question。 He raised a finger。 〃The Apocalypse has arrived。〃 He reminded Nathan Lee of that Frenchman in Kathmandu； calmly certain。
〃People have been predicting apocalypses since the beginning of time；〃 Nathan Lee responded。 〃Tell him； every time the sun goes down at night； someone preaches doom。 Which apocalypse does he mean？〃
Eesho replied at length。 〃He said he sees the plague in our eyes；〃 Izzy translated。 〃He said； the Lord God has brought an extraordinary plague upon us； a great and lengthy plague； a deadly illness。 All the diseases of Egypt； plus diseases that we've never heard about； so that all of us will be destroyed。 This is because we haven't obeyed the Word。 Now our tribes will wither。 They'll lose all memory of themselves； and that's the worst kind of death。 It is the end of time。〃 He finished；〃That apocalypse。〃
〃Okay； who told him about the plague？〃
〃Maybe he's just blowing smoke；〃 said Izzy。 〃He does have an attitude。〃
〃No； he knows。 Someone got to him。 Might as well ask him who。〃
Eesho answered； 〃The voice of God。〃 He pointed upward； and for an instant Nathan Lee was sure he was pointing at the speaker mounted flat in the ceiling。
〃But you cried out that God has forsaken you。 Why？〃
〃I cried out because I am upon my cross；〃 Eesho replied mildly； 〃and I am in my misery。〃
Nathan Lee gave him a hard look。 〃What is it you want？〃
It was a stupid q