Nepos: Judean Adventure

Tarquitius pointed to Nepos and said, “Come with me.”

Nepos followed Tarquitius into the inn. Tarquitius said, “I need a room for me and one for my friend. We will need large rooms. I will have one other person with me. He will have two with him.”

“Yes sir, I can accommodate you. Right this way.”

Nepos followed the inn keeper and Tarquitius out a door to an alley with doors on the right. At the third door the inn keeper looked at Nepos and said, “Here, sir, is your room,” as he opened the door.

Tarquitius looked into the room and said, “That is acceptable.”

Nepos looked in the room to see a very clean room with four mattresses lying on the floor. In the center of the room was a table with four chairs. On the table was a golden vase and basin, with several towels laying beside the basin.

When he looked back into the alley Tarquitius and the inn keeper were at the next door down. The inn keeper opened the door. Tarquitius looked into the room then looked at Nepos and said, “Let the others know where we will be staying.”

Nepos closed the door to his room and started to walk down the alley when he saw Varus standing at the end of the alley. Varus walked down the alley. Varus said, “They have gone to take the horses and chariots to the caravan.

“Which room are Tarquitius and Saul staying in?”

“The next door down.”

Nepos asked Varus, “Who will be staying with me?”

“Are you afraid?”

“No sir, I was just wondering.”

“I have the first watch, Saul has the second watch, and Scaeva has the third watch. Scaeva and I will be staying with you.”

At that time a man with a bushy beard wearing sackcloth that was trimmed in purple came out of Tarquitius’s room.

“Guard!” Tarquitius screamed.

The man looked at Varus and Nepos, and then ran down the alley away from them. Varus began to run after him.

Nepos ran in to Tarquitius’s room. Tarquitius was standing in front of a chair. He looked at Nepos and said, “Get me the inn keeper.”

Nepos ran to the room where the inn keeper had been, but no one was there. Nepos looked everywhere in that room. He then went to the next room to find a man. His hands were bound and his mouth was gagged. Nepos took the gag from his mouth. The man screamed out, “Barabbas!” Nepos untied his hands.

“Has anyone been hurt?” he asked in a very nervous voice.

“Come with me.”

Nepos ran out of the room and then to the alley.

Tarquitius was standing in the doorway. He was very mad.

“I thought I told you to get the inn keeper,” he shouted at Nepos.

“Sir, I am the inn keeper. Two men robbed me then bound me. I recognized one of them. It was Barabbas.”

At that time Varus came back up the alley. He looked at Tarquitius and said, “I am sorry sir, I could not catch him.”

“I want that man. He jumped me from behind and put a knife to my throat. He took my money belt. He told me to sit down. He then told me to pray because I was going to die. He pushed my head down then ran out the door.”

After a few minutes of apologies from the inn keeper, Tarquitius said, “No one was hurt. It is all right. Everyone just go to bed. It is over now.”

Nepos turned and walked toward his room.

“Goodnight sir.”

Tarquitius looked at Varus and said, “I want that man named Barabbas. I want him crucified.”