Simeon

Judith and Beth waited in the servants’ quarters. Beth sat on a low couch. She rubbed her face with her hands. How long am I supposed to stay here? she wondered.

Beth had been serving the king all day. She was either helping Judith with the lyre, or she was carrying in drinks for his guests. Why has Mr. Whittaker sent me here? she wondered. This palace didn’t have anything to do with Christmas presents. Or with anything else she’d been talking about.

“You spoke of your cousin,” Judith said.

“Patrick,” Beth said.

“Did you see the boy who came with those men from the East?” Judith asked.

“No,” Beth said. “What boy?”

“The others had dark skin,” Judith said. “But a boy with pale skin was with them. He looked like you.”

That had to be Patrick, Beth thought. She leaped to her feet. “I must find him!” she said.

“No!” Judith said sharply. “Brutus suspects you already. We can’t let him find you walking around the palace alone. He might say you are a traitor and put you to death.”

“Then what should I do?” Beth cried.

“Stay with me until everyone has gone to bed,” she said. “Then we’ll find a way out of the palace. Maybe your cousin is still with the men from the East. If he is, we should find their caravan easily.”

The evening passed slowly. Beth found it painfully boring. She plucked on the lyre while Judith practiced songs on her flute.

Clang! Clang!

“That’s the king’s bell,” Judith said. “We must go back to the throne room.” She grabbed her flutes and hurried down the hall. Beth followed behind her with the lyre.

This time King Herod was on his throne, and Brutus paced in front of him. But the throne room was filled with different men.

A group of men in plain robes stood in front of the throne. Most of them had dark hair and thick beards. One older man had a bushy beard. He was dressed in a light-brown robe. He held a large scroll in his arms. He looked nervous as he watched the king.

Judith suddenly stopped and gasped.

“What’s wrong?” Beth whispered to her.

“That’s Uncle Simeon!” Judith whispered back.

Simeon looked in their direction. He gave Judith a worried smile.

Brutus stepped between Judith and her uncle. “Yes,” he said. “We’ve sent for your uncle.”

“Why, sir?” Judith asked in a whisper.

“Because he is one of the best Jewish scholars in the city,” Brutus said. “The king has need of his knowledge.” Then he waved his hand past the other men. “The king has need of all his scribes and experts.”

All of the men except Simeon bowed and nodded. They muttered thanks for the honor to be there.

“Then how may I serve you?” Judith asked.

Beth noticed that Judith’s eyes remained locked on her uncle.

“Your uncle is fearful,” Brutus said. “The king believes your music will soothe him. It will help him think clearly while we discuss our business.”

Judith looked at her flutes. She seemed unsure of what to do.

“Maybe if you play the lyre,” Beth suggested. She handed the older girl the stringed instrument.

Judith’s hands were shaking. “I’ll try.”

“Do better than try,” Brutus said.

Judith sat on a large cushion near the throne. Beth sat at her feet. Judith began to play a gentle song on the lyre.

Music filled the room.

King Herod turned to Brutus. “Well?” asked the king. “Tell me about this infant King who dares to take my throne!”

Brutus’s nose twitched. He turned to Simeon. “The Jews always have prophecies about everything. Surely there is one about a newborn King.”

The dark-haired men gathered together and whispered among themselves.

Simeon raised his head. He said in a weak but clear voice, “The Roman emperor has appointed Herod king of the Jews.”

Herod suddenly snorted. Beth thought it must be a laugh.

“He is avoiding my question,” Herod said to Brutus. Then he shouted, “Tell me what you know, old man. Where will this so-called King be born?”

The room fell silent. Nobody spoke.

Brutus scowled and reached for his belt. He tossed a small bag on the floor.

Clink!

It sounded to Beth as if there were a lot of coins in the bag.

One of the scribes eyed the small treasure. He looked at the other scribes and then at the floor. He broke the silence by saying, “The prophet Micah has foretold the birth of a King. He wrote he would be born in Bethlehem of Judea.”

The scribe went to Simeon. He took the scroll and unrolled it. The scribe searched through the scroll.

Then he began to read: “For this it is what the prophet has written:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ ”

The scribe rolled up the scroll. He picked up the bag of coins from the floor. Beth watched him tuck it somewhere in his robes. Then he shoved the scroll back at Simeon.

King Herod rubbed his hands together. He whispered something to Brutus.

“Is that all?” Brutus asked the men.

They stood silent again.

Brutus clapped his hands. “Then go away!” he cried. “Leave at once!”

The scribes shuffled out like a row of penguins.

Brutus moved near the king. The two men talked to each other in low voices.

Judith and Beth stood and gathered the instruments.

“Follow me,” Judith said. Beth obeyed.

Judith didn’t go to their normal door. Instead, she headed in the direction of her uncle. He was the last scribe to leave.

Simeon leaned close to Judith as they walked past him. “Meet me in the courtyard,” he whispered.

Patrick struggled against whoever had grabbed him. Then a voice whispered in his ear, “Be still. It’s me!”

The hands let go, and Patrick turned to face Apellus. “What are you doing here?” Patrick asked. He gasped, still frightened.

“I wasn’t going to leave you alone,” the young man said. “I intend to help you find your cousin.”

“It’s risky,” Patrick said. “I hoped to sneak through the throne room somehow.”

“We’ll figure it out together,” Apellus said.

“But what if we’re caught?” asked Patrick.

“We’re too clever for that,” Apellus said with a smile.

Just then, the two turned around. For the second time, Patrick gasped.

Two Roman guards were pointing their spears at the boys’ chests. “You’re not as clever as you think,” one of the guards said.