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J e r u s al e m , A D 3 3
she had caught a glimpse of the boy across the courtyard, and it
was as if he too had been resurrected—a miracle that seemed like
a dream. The very thought brought tears to her eyes once again.
Jacob must have felt her looking at him, for he turned as though
seeking her. When their glances connected, he ran over to her,
concern in his dark eyes. “Why aren’t you dancing too, Abigail?
Are you not well?”
“I’m fine, Jacob.” And she was. Her injured leg hurt rather a
lot, but just then she could feel nothing save the joy in her heart.
Her beloved friend Leah danced with her new husband, Alban,
in the circle of believers, and her brother stood before her. Her
brother. “I am only a bit weary,” she assured him.
“Shall I bring you something?” He glanced at the wedding
banquet table spread with flowers and greenery, all ready for the
feast to come.
Suddenly she needed to touch him, just to assure herself he
was not merely an apparition. She reached up to his shoulder with
a tremulous smile. “Perhaps some water. Thank you.”
When Jacob dashed away, her attention returned to the jubilant
crowd filling the little plaza. Could it be only six weeks past that our
Lord died? The group of followers, already under suspicion, had
locked themselves away, whispering solemn and frightened words
to one another, checking anxiously about whenever they needed
to enter the Jerusalem streets.
And then Jesus had appeared to them, afterward rising up into
the heavens, only to have the Lord’s own Spirit descend among
them in a most stunning fashion—in wind and fire.
And now here they were, faces flushed, eyes bright, voices
blending into song. The music of tambourines and flutes swirled
upward once more, setting feet to dancing—a wedding festival
for sure, but also a celebration of their Lord’s resurrection and
his parting gift to them of his unseen but unmistakable presence.
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courtyard. “Jacob,” he called. “We need your help. Will you see
this lady safely and quickly back to the palace?”
The lad might have been young, but he responded immedi-
ately. He must have sensed the danger. “I know the secret passages.
Come!” He beckoned as he turned toward the gate.
“Good lad.” Stephen nodded and smiled at Nedra. “You were
right to come.”
“Tell them I am sorry. But they must hurry.” Nedra allowed
Jacob to grip her hand and pull her away as her last words trailed
over her shoulder. “Tell them to make haste. Give them my love.
And prayers.”
“Our own go with you. Now hurry.” Stephen turned to Martha.
“We must tell them.”
Abigail realized the music had stopped, and the group was
watching them. “Could we not hide them?” she asked, her voice
sounding choked in her ears.
Martha responded quickly, “Nedra is not given to undue panic.
She has risked her life to save her friends.”
“If Herod has already ordered his guards out, we must hurry,”
Stephen added. Not even the emergency could erase his innate
calm. “Alban and Leah are in grave danger. There is no place here
for them to hide—not from Herod’s ire, not in this city. Nedra is
right. They must flee.”
Abigail found strength she did not know she had. She turned
to Martha. “I will go to warn them. Would you collect some food
in a sack for them?”
Stephen was already moving away. “I will see if we can man-
age a horse.”
As Abigail rushed frantically up the wooden steps to the
chamber that she and Hannah called their own, the one they had
decorated and offered to the bridal couple, she heard a woman’s
soft laughter. She had never heard Leah laugh before. And now,
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how quickly the moments of joy must end. Her eyes filled with tears
as she stood at the room’s door.
She was about to call to them when the door opened. Alban
stood with his arm about Leah’s waist. “What is it, Abigail? I heard
running footsteps—”
“Herod.” The word tasted foul on her lips. “His troops are
coming for you. Now. There is no time—”
She halted because Alban was now gripping her arm.
“Steady,” he said. “Now tell me again.”
“Herod is sending his guards. Nedra slipped out from the palace
to warn us. He intends . . .” She could go no further.
Leah whispered, “What are you saying?”
“Pilate has left the city,” Alban explained, his tone grim. “Herod
sees this as his chance to retaliate for thwarting his plans.”
Abigail flung herself against Leah, the tears turning to sobs
as she wrapped her arms around her friend. “You must flee. The
troops—”
Leah’s arms felt warm as they tightened about Abigail’s shoul-
ders. “Grab your things—you and Jacob. We must hurry.”
“The guards are not after Abigail and Jacob, Leah.” The steel
in Alban’s voice helped steady both women. “It is far too danger-
ous for them to accompany us. We will move more swiftly, less
noticeably, alone.”
“But—”
“Leah, if the guards are already hunting, we must go now. After
we make it to safety, we will send for them.”
“Jacob has taken Nedra back to the palace.” Abigail wiped her
face. “Alban is right. And my leg . . .”
Leah gripped her more tightly still.
Gently Alban eased Leah away. “We must go.”
“We will send word as soon as we can,” Leah said over her
shoulder as she was hurried down the stairway. “I promise.”
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Abigail sank down on a step, face in her hands and tears run-
ning through her fingers. “O God, give them speed, protection”
was all she was capable of praying.
———
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the two now escaping for their lives, as he was with those left to
face the hunters.
———
Abigail was still reeling from the dramatic events of the last
moments when a panting Jacob tugged at her shawl. He could
scarcely voice his question. “Are they hidden?”
Abigail clutched his shoulders with both hands. “Did
Nedra—?”
“We made it,” he puffed. “I don’t think Enos knew she’d ever
left.”
“Thank God,” breathed Abigail.
“Where’s Alban?”
“Gone. They—”
“Gone? What do you mean? Where?”
“They’ve left. We can only pray that their escape will be
successful.”
“But . . . but how could he leave without me? I was to go. He
promised he’d never leave me.”
Abigail looked at her brother’s stricken face and realized what
he was trying to say. “He couldn’t wait, Jacob. Alban and Leah were
in danger. You know that.”
Even as she spoke, they heard the sound of horses’ hooves—
many of them—clattering upon the paving stones coming up to
the courtyard. The hunters had arrived.
“Quick!” Abigail pushed at Jacob. “We must hide before they
enter.” When he resisted she pulled him forward. “Run, Jacob!”
He half turned to look at her. “Run where?”
“Behind the wash tubs. Out back. There’s an alley that leads
to the back streets.”
They hurried across the courtyard just as prancing mounts
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snorted and stomped their way into the enclosure. Leah heard the
crude shouts of soldiers, the clanging of steel blades. She pressed
Jacob into the shadows behind her, afraid that any movement
would get unwanted attention.
“The man Alban. Where is he?” came an angry shout from the
obvious leader of the soldiers.
“He is not here.” It was Peter’s voice that met the demand.
“We were informed he is in this compound. You deny this?”
The voice was harsh.
“I do not deny that he was here. It is his wedding day. We
celebrated the claiming of his bride, and—”
“I am not interested in your celebrations. Where has he gone?”
“He did not say.”
The soldier released a volley of curses. “We’ll see if you know
how to tell the truth. Men, dismount. Search every corner of this
foul place from top to bottom. If this uncouth man here is lying,
he’ll soon mount a cross. Along with the rest of his followers.”
Abigail pulled in a deep breath and pressed more firmly against
Jacob. Amid the noise and confusion in the courtyard, they would
not likely be noticed. “This way,” she hissed over her shoulder. As
they ducked into a passageway toward the back of the compound,
she prayed. Please, Father God, help us . . . help us all. Lord Jesus,
direct our steps. Holy Spirit, be with us. . . .
Jacob, who knew the warren of back streets and alleyways of
Jerusalem like his own hand, soon took the lead in their headlong
rush to safety.
———
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headed? What were their plans? How soon would they send for
him?
Over and over her answers were the same. “I do not know.”
His patience quickly came to an end. “Then what are we
to do?”
“Wait,” responded Abigail.
“Wait!” Jacob attempted to scoff but was near tears. “It was
not to be this way. I need Alban now. I did not even get to say
farewell. To receive instructions of what I am to do. How can you
say wait? For what? For whom? What if they don’t make it? How
will we know?” His words tumbled over each other, a litany of his
frustration and grief.
“If they do not make it, Herod will be boasting of it from here
to Rome,” Abigail finally said, trying to rein in her impatience.
“Even if they do make it, he might claim they did not just to save
face. There is nothing that we can do, Jacob, but wait. They will
send word when they can. They will send for us when the time
is right.”
But Jacob failed to be convinced. Abigail could feel him with-
draw from her in the blackness of the night. It hurt deeply. Had she
found Jacob, merely hours ago, only to lose him in his sorrow over
Alban? She prayed not. But for the moment her heart felt even
colder than the night’s chilly arms encircling them.
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