Agrippa and the Roman legionaries passed out of the Praetorium and turned directly up the slanting street toward the palace of Jonathan, which stood a little above the camp. The Herod had lost little time and the progress of the arresting party toward the stronghold would not have been rapid with the resistance of Marsyas and the friends of the Nazarenes to retard the movement. After a quick walk of a short distance, the Roman group came upon the Temple's emissaries, entering from an intersecting street. Saul and Joel walked a little ahead of the broken-spirited prisoners who were centered in a group of armed lictors and a hooting escort of half a hundred vagrants. The flaring torch-light shone down on bowed heads and disordered garments, and showed fugitive glints of manacles and knives. Among them, unbroken and silent, was Marsyas, heavily shackled. He was marked with blows, but several besides the Levite Joel staggered as they walked, and Agrippa, lifting himself on tiptoe to point out his prisoner to the centurion, eyed the young man with approval. The officer nodded abruptly and broke through the crowd. The light dropping on his shining armor instantly displayed his authority to halt the group. His command to stop elicited almost precipitate obedience. The hooting vagrants scattered. The centurion laid his hand on Marsyas' shoulder. "Thou art a prisoner of the proconsul," he said. The halt and the dismayed silence caught Saul's attention. He turned back and pushed his way into the center of the circle. "Unhand him," he said to the centurion. "He is wanted of the Sanhedrim." The young officer smiled derisively and thrust off the hold of the apprehensive lictors. The four made way through the crowd and the officer passed Marsyas into their hands. "Make my excuses to the Sanhedrim," the officer said sarcastically. The Pharisee glanced over the Roman's party. Then he stepped without ostentation in the centurion's way--a weak, small figure in fringes and phylactery, living up to his nature as he fronted brassy Rome. "Show me thy warrant," he said quietly. The centurion drew forth the parchment and flourished it. Saul took it with a murmured courtesy, and, holding it near a torch, read it carefully. Then he passed it back. "After the proconsul hath done with this young man," he observed, "the Sanhedrim will claim him. Say this much to the proconsul. We shall wait. Peace!" He motioned his party to proceed and the crowd moved on, leaving Marsyas in the hands of new captors. "Back to the Praetorium," the centurion said to Agrippa. CHAPTER V AGRIPPA IN REPERTOIRE On the way two dark figures emerged from the shadows and halted to let the soldiers pass. Agrippa peered at them intently through the gloom, and raising his arm made a peculiar gesture. Both figures approached immediately.