The City of Delight: A Love Drama of the Siege and Fall of JerusalemMiller, Elizabeth
Philosophy
The City of Delight: A Love Drama of the Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Miller, Elizabeth
Jerusalem -- History -- Siege, 70 A.D. -- Fiction
Without a moment's hesitation, the Ephesian approached. The spears of
the four soldiers fell and formed a barrier around the Greek. The
new-comer smiled confidently.
"Greeting, servant of Amaryllis," he said. "I am your lady's expected
guest."
The Greek came forth from the square formed by his guard.
"I am that servant of Amaryllis," he said courteously. "But show me
yet another sign."
The Ephesian drew from his bosom the Maccabaean signet and flashed its
blue fires at the Greek. The servant stepped hastily between the
soldiers and the new-comer.
"Thy name?" he asked in a whisper.
"I am Philadelphus Maccabaeus."
The servant bent and taking the hem of the woolen tunic pressed it to
his lips.
"Happy hour!" he exclaimed. "I pray you follow me."
The pretender breathed a relieved sigh and joined his protector.
They passed down into Akra and approached the straight column of
pungent smoke towering up from a charred heap that the Ephesian in
spite of his haste inspected curiously.
"What is that?" he asked of the Greek.
"That, master, is the city granaries."
"The granaries!" the Ephesian cried, aghast.
The Greek inclined his head.
"What--what--fired them?" the Ephesian asked.
"John and Simon differed on the point of its control and each fired it
to keep the other from possessing it!"
For a moment the Ephesian was thunderstruck. Then he quickened his
pace.
"By the horns of Capricornus!" he avowed. "The sooner one gets out of
this, the wiser he must be counted!"
The Greek looked at him with lifted brows and led on.
They crossed the Tyropean Valley and approached a small new house of
stone, abutting the vast retaining wall that was built against Moriah.
A line of soldiers was thrown out from the entrance to the house and
his conductor, after whispering a word to the captain, led the way up
to a double-barred door. A long time after he had rapped, there was
the sound of falling chains and the door swung open. A second Greek
servant of no less beauty bowed the new-comer and his companion
within. The noise of the streets was suddenly cut off. Soft dusk and
quiet proved that the doors of Amaryllis had been shut upon unhappy
Jerusalem.
The second servant drew a cord and a roller of matting lifted and
showed a skylight. Philadelphus the pretender was in the andronitis of
a Greek house.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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