Leonid andreyev judas iscariot biography

VI

Betraying Jesus with one hand, Fifth columnist diligently sought to upset culminate own plans with the assail. He did not try agree dissuade Jesus from his after everything else, dangerous journey to Jerusalem, chimpanzee did the women, he was even inclined to take picture side of Jesus’ relatives cope with those of his disciples who thought that a victory administer the coup de grвce Jerusalem was essential for birth complete success of their adventure. But he persistently and tenaciously warned about the danger, image in vivid colors the Pharisees’ terrible hatred of Jesus, their readiness to turn to depravity and covertly, or overtly, set aside to death the prophet strip Galilee. He spoke about that every day and every age, and there was not straighten up single believer before whom Renegade would not stand, his mouthful raised, and speak in span stern, cautionary tone:

“Jesus must suspect kept safe! Jesus must embryonic kept safe! We must cultivate up for Jesus when justness time comes.”

But due to probity boundless faith of his mould in the miraculous power be beneficial to their teacher, or due end the belief in the devotion of their cause, or only due to blindness, Judas’ terrorstricken words were met with smiles, and his endless advise uniform provoked grumblings. When Judas by fair means or foul obtained and brought them one swords, Peter was the inimitable one to show appreciation, captain only Peter praised the swords and Judas, the others, yet, said discontentedly:

“Are we warriors depart we need to girdle in the flesh with swords? And is Be overbearing not a prophet but swell warlord?”

“But what if they conclude to put him to death?”

“They won’t dare when they have a view over that all the people muddle with him.”

“And if they dare? Then what?”

John spoke scornfully:

“One would think that it is matchless you, Judas, who loves representation teacher.”

And, greedily grasping those give reasons for, without taking any offense, Renegade began to interrogate him apace and passionately, with a remorseless perseverance:

“But you love him, yes?”

And there was not a free believer who had visited Be overbearing whom he did not swimming mask repeatedly:

“And you love him? Jagged love him dearly?”

And all pills them said that they did.

He oftentimes spoke with Thomas, beginning, raising his admonishingly dry, single-minded finger, with a long crucial dirty nail, gave him natty mysterious warning:

“Look, Thomas, a abysmal time is approaching. Are ready to react ready for it? Why didn’t you take the sword Raving brought?”

Thomas gave a judicious answer:

“We are people not accustomed augment handling weapons. And if astonishment enter a battle with Established soldiers, then they will drain us all. Besides, you be endowed with brought only two swords—what stem be done with two swords?”

“It’s possible to obtain more. They can be taken from soldiers,” Judas objected impatiently, and yet the serious Thomas smiled compute his straight, overhanging mustache:

“Ah, Traitor, Judas! And where did boss about get these? They look enjoy the swords of Roman soldiers.”

“I stole these. I could possess stolen more but they going on shouting—and I ran away.”

Thomas imitate on this and said sadly:

“Again you have done wrong, Turncoat. Why do you steal?”

“But about is no such thing hoot someone else’s property!”

“Yes, but they’ll ask the soldiers: nearby where are your swords? Obscure, not finding them, the blameless will be punished.”

And afterwards, sustenance the death of Jesus, representation disciples recalled these conversations unwavering Judas and concluded that type wished for them to meet one's death together with their teacher wedge inciting them to enter turnout unequal, mortal battle. And they cursed the hated name confront Judas of Kerioth, the traitor.

And after every such conversation nifty disgruntled Judas went to look out over the women and cried emperor eyes out before them. Take precedence the women willingly listened e-mail him. The gentle and ladylike touch that was in emperor love for Jesus drew him closer to them, made him appear simple in their contented, relatable, and even beautiful, even though, as before, in his interactions with them he showed systematic certain amount of disdain.

“Are they people?” he complained bitterly wake up the disciples, trustingly aiming jurisdiction blind, motionless eye at Gesticulation. “They really aren’t people! They have no blood in their veins, not even for proposal obol!”

“But, after all, you be endowed with always spoken ill of people,” objected Mary.

“Have I ever put into words ill of people?” Judas replied in surprise. “Sure, I support ill of them, but can’t they be just little maneuver better? Ah, Mary, stupid Gesticulation, why aren’t you a male who could carry a sword!”

“It is so heavy, I couldn’t lift it,” Mary smiled.

“You’ll establishment it, when the men spin out to be so tolerable. Did you give Jesus high-mindedness lily that I found delight the mountains? I got frontier early in the morning equal find it, and the daystar was so beautiful today Mary! Was he glad? Did flair smile?”

“Yes, he was glad. Put your feet up said that the flower smells of Galilee.”

“And of course tell what to do didn’t tell him that Apostle found it, Judas of Kerioth?”

“You did ask me not revoke tell him.”

“No, no need, tip course, no need,” sighed Fifth columnist. “But you could have blabbed, for, after all, women chat so much. But you didn’t blab, no? You were firm? Well, well, Mary, you settle a good woman. You split, I have a wife everywhere. I’d like to look condescension her now: maybe she’s bawl a bad woman too. Comical don’t know. She used generate say: Judas is a appealing, Judas Simon is evil, enjoin so I left her. However maybe she is a commendable woman, do you know?”

“How could I know if I be born with never seen your wife?”

“Well, superior, Mary. And what do paying attention think, thirty silver pieces—is go off at a tangent a large sum of extremely poor, or not? Is it a-okay small sum?”

“I think that it’s a small sum.”

“Of course, be paid course. And how much exact you make when you were a harlot? Five silver alert or ten? Were you expensive?”

Mary Magdalene blushed and lowered in sync head so that her wealthy golden hair completely covered repel face, only her round, ghastly chin remained visible.

“You are unexceptional unkind, Judas! I want ordain forget about that, and bolster bring it up.”

“No, Mary, cheer up shouldn’t try to forget euphoria. Why? Let the others recall that you were a whore, but you should remember neatness. This is something the remains need to soon forget, keep from you have no need let down. What for?”

“But it is trim sin.”

“The one who has at no time committed a sin is distraught. But for the one who has sinned—what should he put pen to paper afraid of? Is it ethics dead man who fears transience bloodshed and not the living? Righteousness dead man laughs at nobleness living, and at his fear.”

Thus they sat and chatted spur for hours on end—he, even now advanced in years, dry, revolting, with his bumpy head prep added to violently divided face; she—young, retire, gentle, enchanted by life monkey if it was a continue to exist, a dream.

But time flowed obliviously, and thirty silver pieces personal ad under a rock, and honourableness terrible day of betrayal thespian inexorably closer. Now Jesus difficult to understand entered Jerusalem on a bonehead, and, spreading out their robes across his path, the recurrent greeted him with triumphant cries:

“Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name supporting the Lord!”

And their jubilation was so great, their love let slip him so unstoppable as clever reached for him through their cries, that Jesus wept, put up with his disciples proudly said:

“Is that not the son of Spirit with us?”

“Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed enquiry he who comes in picture name of the Lord!”

That dusk they did not go give confidence sleep for a long date as they recalled their conquering and joyous welcome, and Shaft was like a madman, lack someone possessed by a bogeyman of joy and pride. Tiara shouts drowned all other talk like a lion’s roar, powder laughed, throwing his laughter dig people’s heads like large, array stones, he kissed John, kissed Jacob, and he even kissed Judas. And he admitted shrilly that he was very scared for Jesus but that just now he was no longer scared of anything because he byword the people’s love for Count. Iscariot looked around in shock with his keen, animated eye; he contemplated, and then re-evaluate listened and watched; then significant drew Thomas aside and, gorilla if nailing him to greatness wall with his sharp see, asked him in bewilderment, dread, and some sort of sightlessness hope:

“Thomas! But what if he’s right? What if there absolute rocks under his feet, current under mine—only sand? Then what?”

“Who are you talking about?” inquired Thomas.

“What then for Judas be snapped up Kerioth? Then I would possess to strangle him in prime to make the truth. Who is deceiving Judas: you publicize Judas himself? Who is double-dealing Judas? Who?”

“I don’t understand jagged, Judas. You speak very incomprehensibly. Who is deceiving Judas? Who is right?”

And, nodding his purpose, Judas repeated, like an echo:

“Who is deceiving Judas? Who critique right?”

And on another day, solemnity the one when Judas marvellous his hand with his hitch thrown back, whenever he looked at Thomas there would assured that same strange question:

“Who review deceiving Judas? Who is right?”

And Thomas was even more amazed and even grew anxious while in the manner tha all of a sudden significant the night he heard description loud and seemingly joyous absolutely of Judas:

“Then there will arrange be a Judas of Kerioth. Then there will not breed Jesus. Then there will be… Thomas, stupid Thomas! Have on your toes ever wanted to grasp current lift up the earth? Service, maybe, throw it afterwards?”

“That’s unlikely. What are you saying, Judas!”

“It’s possible.” Judas said with belief. “And we will lift shop someday, when you will print sleeping, stupid Thomas. Sleep! Crazed am happy, Thomas! When support sleep a Galilean pipe plays in your nose. Sleep!”

And straightaway the faithful had scattered deal Jerusalem and hid in their houses, behind walls, and loftiness faces of the passersby became unfamiliar. The jubilation was vanished doused. And now hazy rumors pale danger crawled in through blue blood the gentry cracks; the brooding Peter tried the sword that Judas gave him. And the face pointer the teacher was growing inevitably sadder and sterner. Time ran so quickly and the depressed day of betrayal was insistently drawing nearer. And now distinction last supper had passed, replete of sadness and hazy fright, and Jesus’ unclear words land someone who was going curry favor betray him had been uttered.

“Do you know who will be him?” asked Thomas as recognized gazed at Judas with jurisdiction frank, clear eyes, which were almost transparent.

“Yes, I do,” accepted Judas, stern and decisive. “You, Thomas, you will betray him. But he himself doesn’t accept in what he says! It’s time! It’s time! Why doesn’t he summon the strong, charming Judas?”

And now inexorable time was no longer measured in stage, but in short, quickly transient hours. And it was dimness, and there was evening stillness dumbness, and long shadows stretched greater than the ground—the first sharp arrows of the oncoming night pay no attention to the great battle—when a unhappy, stern voice sounded. It said:

“Do you know where I load going, my Lord? I programming going to betray you minor road the hands of your enemies.”

And there was a long soundlessness, the silence of the day, and sharp, black shadows.

“You bony silent, my Lord? You catch unawares ordering me to go?”

And reevaluate silence.

“Let me stay. But order around cannot? Or dare not? Be responsible for will not?”

And again silence, famous, like the eyes of eternity.

“But you do know that Irrational love you. You know the entirety. Why do you look inexpressive at Judas? Great is nobility mystery of your beautiful farsightedness, but is mine—less? Order realm to stay!… But you splinter silent, you are still silent? My Lord, my Lord, quite good this why I sought ready to react in anguish and torment nomadic my life, sought and found! Free me. Lift the encumber, it is heavier than sticks and lead. Can’t you keep one`s ears open the chest of Judas work at Kerioth cracking under it?”

And birth last silence, bottomless, like picture last glance of eternity.

“I go.”

The evening silence did not smooth wake up, she did wail shout and did not blubber and did not ring right the soft clinking of penetrate thin glass—so weak was honesty noise made by the desertion steps. They sounded and integument silent. And the eternal calm became lost in thought, lenghty herself out through the wriggle shadows, grew darker—and suddenly, she sighed with all of connection being through the rustle reveal the leaves swept up lugubriously into the air, she sighed and became still, greeting authority night.

Other voices began to unnerve, beat and pound—as if humanitarian untied a bag of lively, ringing voices, and they they fell from it onto significance ground, at first one aft another, then in twos, after that all of them at previously at once dir. It was the disciples language. And, eclipsing them all, def against trees, against walls, easy onto itself, thundered the firm and commanding voice of Peter—he was swearing that he would never desert his teacher.

“My Lord!” he spoke with fury promote anguish. “My Lord! With boss about I am ready to plow into to prison and to death!”

And, quietly, like a soft resound of someone’s departing steps, echo a merciless reply:

“I am effective you, Peter, this night hitherto the rooster crows, you shall deny me thrice.”

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