Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero

by Henryk Sienkiewicz

  Chapter XVII

  FOR Chilo, it was really important to set aside Glaucus, who, thoughadvanced in years, was by no means decrepit. There was considerabletruth in what Chilo had narrated to Vinicius. He had known Glaucus on atime, he had betrayed him, sold him to robbers, deprived him of family,of property, and delivered him to murder. But he bore the memory ofthese events easily, for he had thrown the man aside dying, not at aninn, but in a field near Minturna. This one thing he had not foreseen,that Glaucus would be cured of his wounds and come to Rome. When he sawhim, therefore, in the house of prayer, he was in truth terrified, andat the first moment wished to discontinue the search for Lygia. But onthe other hand, Vinicius terrified him still more. He understood that hemust choose between the fear of Glaucus, and the pursuit and vengeanceof a powerful patrician, to whose aid would come, beyond doubt, anotherand still greater, Petronius. In view of this, Chilo ceased to hesitate.He thought it better to have small enemies than great ones, and, thoughhis cowardly nature trembled somewhat at bloody methods, he saw the needof killing Glaucus through the aid of other hands.

  At present the only question with him was the choice of people, andto this he was turning that thought of which he had made mention toVinicius. Spending his nights in wine-shops most frequently, and lodgingin them, among men without a roof, without faith or honor, he could findpersons easily to undertake any task, and still more easily otherswho, if they sniffed coin on his person, would begin, but when they hadreceived earnest money, would extort the whole sum by threatening todeliver him to justice. Besides, for a certain time past Chilo had felta repulsion for nakedness, for those disgusting and terrible figureslurking about suspected houses in the Subura or in the Trans-Tiber.Measuring everything with his own measure, and not having fathomedsufficiently the Christians or their religion, he judged that amongthem, too, he could find willing tools. Since they seemed more reliablethan others, he resolved to turn to them and present the affair in suchfashion that they would undertake it, not for money's sake merely, butthrough devotion.

  In view of this, he went in the evening to Euricius, whom he knew asdevoted with whole soul to his person, and who, he was sure, would doall in his power to assist him. Naturally cautious, Chilo did noteven dream of revealing his real intentions, which would be in clearopposition, moreover, to the faith which the old man had in his pietyand virtue. He wished to find people who were ready for anything, and totalk with them of the affair only in such a way that, out of regard tothemselves, they would guard it as an eternal secret.

  The old man Euricius, after the redemption of his son, hired one ofthose little shops so numerous near the Circus Maximus, in which weresold olives, beans, unleavened paste, and water sweetened with honey, tospectators coming to the Circus. Chilo found him at home arranging hisshop; and when he had greeted him in Christ's name, he began to speak ofthe affair which had brought him. Since he had rendered them a service,he considered that they would pay him with gratitude. He needed two orthree strong and courageous men, to ward off danger threatening not onlyhim, but all Christians. He was poor, it was true, since he had given toEuricius almost all that he owned; still he would pay such men fortheir services if they would trust him and perform faithfully what hecommanded.

  Euricius and his son Quartus listened to him as their benefactor almoston their knees. Both declared that they were ready themselves to do allthat he asked of them, believing that a man so holy could not ask fordeeds inconsistent with the teaching of Christ.

  Chilo assured them that that was true, and, raising his eyes to heaven,he seemed to be praying; in fact, he was thinking whether it wouldnot be well to accept their proposal, which might save him a thousandsestertia. But after a moment of thought he rejected it. Euricius was anold man, perhaps not so much weighted by years as weakened by care anddisease. Quartus was sixteen years of age. Chilo needed dexterous, and,above all, stalwart men. As to the thousand sestertia, he consideredthat--thanks to the plan which he had invented--he would be able inevery case to spare a large part of it.

  They insisted for some time, but when he refused decisively theyyielded.

  "I know the baker Demas," said Quartus, "in whose mills slaves and hiredmen are employed. One of those hired men is so strong that he would takethe place, not of two, but of four. I myself have seen him lift stonesfrom the ground which four men could not stir."

  "If that is a God-fearing man, who can sacrifice himself for thebrotherhood, make me acquainted with him," said Chilo.

  "He is a Christian, lord," answered Quartus; "nearly all who work forDemas are Christians. He has night as well as day laborers; this manis of the night laborers. Were we to go now to the mill, we should findthem at supper, and thou mightest speak to him freely. Demas lives nearthe Emporium."

  Chilo consented most willingly. The Emporium was at the foot of theAventine, hence not very far from the Circus Maximus. It was possible,without going around the hill, to pass along the river through thePorticus AEmilia, which would shorten the road considerably.

  "I am old," said Chilo, when they went under the Colonnade; "at times Isuffer effacement of memory. Yes, though our Christ was betrayed byone of his disciples, the name of the traitor I cannot recall at thismoment--"

  "Judas, lord, who hanged himself," answered Quartus, wondering a littlein his soul how it was possible to forget that name.

  "Oh, yes--Judas! I thank thee," said Chilo.

  And they went on some time in silence. When they came to the Emporium,which was closed, they passed it, and going around the storehouse, fromwhich grain was distributed to the populace, they turned toward theleft, to houses which stretched along the Via Ostiensis, up to the MonsTestaceus and the Forum Pistorium. There they halted before a woodenbuilding, from the interior of which came the noise of millstones.Quartus went in; but Chilo, who did not like to show himself to largenumbers of people, and was in continual dread that some fate might bringhim to meet Glaucus, remained outside.

  "I am curious about that Hercules who serves in a mill," said he tohimself, looking at the brightly shining moon. "If he is a scoundrel anda wise man, he will cost me something; if a virtuous Christian and dull,he will do what I want without money."

  Further meditation was interrupted by the return of Quartus, whoissued from the building with a second man, wearing only a tunic called"exomis," cut in such fashion that the right arm and right breast wereexposed. Such garments, since they left perfect freedom of movement,were used especially by laborers. Chilo, when he saw the man coming,drew a breath of satisfaction, for he had not seen in his life such anarm and such a breast.

  "Here, lord," said Quartus, "is the brother whom it was thy wish tosee."

  "May the peace of Christ be with thee!" answered Chilo. "Do thou,Quartus, tell this brother whether I deserve faith and trust, and thenreturn in the name of God; for there is no need that thy gray-hairedfather should be left in loneliness."

  "This is a holy man," said Quartus, "who gave all his property to redeemme from slavery,--me, a man unknown to him. May our Lord the Saviourprepare him a heavenly reward therefor!"

  The gigantic laborer, hearing this, bent down and kissed Chilo's hand.

  "What is thy name, brother?" inquired the Greek.

  "At holy baptism, father, the name Urban was given me."

  "Urban, my brother, hast thou time to talk with me freely?"

  "Our work begins at midnight, and only now are they preparing oursupper."

  "Then there is time sufficient. Let us go to the river; there thou wilthear my words."

  They went, and sat on the embankment, in a silence broken only by thedistant sound of the millstones and the plash of the onflowing river.Chilo looked into the face of the laborer, which, notwithstandinga somewhat severe and sad expression, such as was usual on faces ofbarbarians living in Rome, seemed to him kind and honest.

  "This is a good-natured, dull man who will kill Glaucus for nothing,"thought Chilo.

  "Urban," inquired he then, "dost thou love C
hrist?"

  "I love him from the soul of my heart," said the laborer.

  "And thy brethren and sisters, and those who taught thee truth and faithin Christ?"

  "I love them, too, father."

  "Then may peace be with thee!"

  "And with thee, father!"

  Again silence set in, but in the distance the millstones were roaring,and the river was plashing below the two men.

  Chilo looked with fixed gaze into the clear moonlight, and with a slow,restrained voice began to speak of Christ's death. He seemed not asspeaking to Urban, but as if recalling to himself that death, or somesecret which he was confiding to the drowsy city. There was in this,too, something touching as well as impressive. The laborer wept;and when Chilo began to groan and complain that in the moment ofthe Saviour's passion there was no one to defend him, if not fromcrucifixion, at least from the insults of Jews and soldiers, thegigantic fists of the barbarian began to squeeze from pity andsuppressed rage. The death only moved him; but at thought of thatrabble reviling the Lamb nailed to the cross, the simple soul in him wasindignant, and a wild desire of vengeance seized the man.

  "Urban, dost thou know who Judas was?" asked Chilo, suddenly.

  "I know, I know!--but he hanged himself!" exclaimed the laborer.

  And in his voice there was a kind of sorrow that the traitor had metedout punishment to himself, and that Judas could not fall into his hands.

  "But if he had not hanged himself," continued Chilo, "and if someChristian were to meet him on land or on sea, would it not be the dutyof that Christian to take revenge for the torment, the blood, and thedeath of the Saviour?"

  "Who is there who would not take revenge, father?"

  "Peace be with thee, faithful servant of the Lamb! True, it is permittedto forgive wrongs done ourselves; but who has the right to forgivea wrong done to God? But as a serpent engenders a serpent, as malicebreeds malice, and treason breeds treason, so from the poison of Judasanother traitor has come; and as that one delivered to Jews and Romansoldiers the Saviour, so this man who lives among us intends to giveChrist's sheep to the wolves; and if no one will anticipate the treason,if no one will crush the head of the serpent in time, destruction iswaiting for us all, and with us will perish the honor of the Lamb."

  The laborer looked at Chilo with immense alarm, as if not understandingwhat he had heard. But the Greek, covering his head with a corner ofhis mantle, began to repeat, with a voice coming as if from beneath theearth,--"Woe to you, servants of the true God! woe to you, Christian menand Christian women!"

  And again came silence, again were heard only the roar of themillstones, the deep song of the millers, and the sound of the river.

  "Father," asked the laborer at last, "what kind of traitor is that?"

  Chilo dropped his head. "What kind of traitor? A son of Judas, a son ofhis poison, a man who pretends to be a Christian, and goes to housesof prayer only to complain of the brotherhood to Caesar,--declaring thatthey will not recognize Caesar as a god; that they poison fountains,murder children, and wish to destroy the city, so that one stone may notremain on another. Behold! in a few days a command will be given to thepretorians to cast old men, women, and children into prison, andlead them to death, just as they led to death the slaves of PedaniusSecundus. All this has been done by that second Judas. But if no onepunished the first Judas, if no one took vengeance on him, if no onedefended Christ in the hour of torment, who will punish this one, whowill destroy the serpent before Caesar hears him, who will destroy him,who will defend from destruction our brothers in the faith of Christ?"

  Urban, who had been sitting thus far on a stone, stood up on a sudden,and said,--"I will, father."

  Chilo rose also; he looked for a while on the face of the laborer,lighted up by the shining of the moon, then, stretching his arm, he puthis hand slowly on his head.

  "Go among Christians," said he, with solemnity; "go to the houses ofprayer, and ask the brethren about Glaucus; and when they show him tothee, slay him at once in Christ's name!"

  "About Glaucus?" repeated the laborer, as if wishing to fix that name inhis memory.

  "Dost thou know him?"

  "No, I do not. There are thousands of Christians in Rome, and they arenot all known to one another. But to-morrow, in Ostrianum, brethren andsisters will assemble in the night to the last soul, because a greatapostle of Christ has come, who will teach them, and the brethren willpoint out to me Glaucus."

  "In Ostrianum?" inquired Chilo. "But that is outside the city gates!The brethren and all the sisters,--at night? Outside the city gates, inOstrianum?"

  "Yes, father; that is our cemetery, between the Viae Salaria andNomentana. Is it not known to thee that the Great Apostle will teachthere?"

  "I have been two days from home, hence I did not receive his epistle;and I do not know where Ostrianum is, for I came here not long sincefrom Corinth, where I govern a Christian community. But it is as thousayest,--there thou wilt find Glaucus among the brethren, and thou wiltslay him on the way home to the city. For this all thy sins will beforgiven. And now peace be with thee--"

  "Father--"

  "I listen to thee, servant of the Lamb."

  On the laborer's face perplexity was evident. Not long before he hadkilled a man, and perhaps two, but the teaching of Christ forbidskilling. He had not killed them in his own defence, for even that isnot permitted. He had not killed them, Christ preserve! for profit. Thebishop himself had given him brethren to assist, but had not permittedhim to kill; he had killed inadvertently, for God had punished him withtoo much strength. And now he was doing grievous penance. Others singwhen the millstones are grinding; but he, hapless man, is thinking ofhis sin, of his offence against the Lamb. How much has he prayed alreadyand wept? How much has he implored the Lamb? And he feels that he hasnot done penance enough yet! But now he has promised again to kill atraitor,--and done well! He is permitted to pardon only offences againsthimself; hence he will kill Glaucus, even before the eyes of allthe brethren and sisters, in Ostrianum to-morrow. But let Glaucus becondemned previously by the elders among the brethren, by the bishop, orby the Apostle. To kill is not a great thing; to kill a traitor is evenas pleasant as to kill a bear or a wolf. But suppose Glaucus to perishinnocently? How take on his conscience a new murder, a new sin, a newoffence against the Lamb?

  "There is no time for a trial, my son," said Chilo. "The traitor willhurry from Ostrianum straightway to Caesar in Antium, or hide in thehouse of a certain patrician whom he is serving. I will give thee asign; if thou show it after the death of Glaucus, the bishop and theGreat Apostle will bless thy deed."

  Saying this, he took out a small coin, and began to search for aknife at his belt; having found it, he scratched with the point on thesestertium the sign of the cross; this coin he gave to the laborer.

  "Here is the sentence of Glaucus, and a sign for thee. If thou showthis to the bishop after the death of Glaucus, he will forgive thee thekilling which thou hast done without wishing it."

  The laborer stretched out his hand involuntarily for the coin; buthaving the first murder too freshly in his memory just then, heexperienced a feeling of terror.

  "Father," said he with a voice almost of entreaty, "dost thou take thisdeed on thy conscience, and hast thou thyself heard Glaucus betrayinghis brethren?"

  Chilo understood that he must give proofs, mention names, otherwisedoubt might creep into the heart of the giant. All at once a happythought flashed through his head.

  "Listen, Urban," said he, "I dwell in Corinth, but I came from Kos;and here in Rome I instruct in the religion of Christ a certain servingmaiden named Eunice. She serves as vestiplica in the house of a friendof Caesar, a certain Petronius. In that house I have heard how Glaucushas undertaken to betray all the Christians; and, besides, he haspromised another informer of Caesar's, Vinicius, to find a certain maidenfor him among the Christians."

  Here he stopped and looked with amazement at the laborer, whose eyesblazed suddenly like the eyes of
a wild beast, and his face took on anexpression of mad rage and threat.

  "What is the matter with thee?" asked Chilo, almost in fear.

  "Nothing, father; to-morrow I will kill Glaucus."

  The Greek was silent. After a while he took the arm of the laborer,turned him so that the light of the moon struck his face squarely, andexamined him with care. It was evident that he was wavering in spiritwhether to inquire further and bring everything out with clearness, orfor that time to stop with what he had learned or surmised.

  At last, however, his innate caution prevailed. He breathed deeply onceand a second time; then, placing his hand on the laborer's head again,he asked, in an emphatic and solemn voice,--"But in holy baptism thename Urban was given thee?"

  "It was, father."

  "Then peace be with thee, Urban!"