One of the roped men looked down at his armored tormentor and groaned: “You’d hang your own mother.” He gasped for another breath, and Hali saw the effort of it in his chest muscles. As he exhaled, he moved his head feebly toward Yaisuah. “This man here did nothing illegal . . .”

The armored man swung his spear butt and smashed the speaker’s knees. The thief sagged and writhed in a final rattling agony. As he did this, Yaisuah stirred and turned toward him.

“Today, you go home with me,” Yaisuah said.

It was said in a low tone, but most of the crowd heard him. The words were repeated for some few on the outskirts who had missed it.

The armored man laughed, said: “Bullshit!” He swung his spear butt once more and broke the other thief’s knees. This man, too, collapsed in a spasm of choking gasps.

Yaisuah lifted his head, then called out: “I’m thirsty.”

The spear-swinger looked up at him. “The poor boy’s thirsty! We should give him something nice to drink.”

Hali wanted to turn away, but could not move. What had made these men into such beasts? She searched around her for something in which to give the dying man a drink.

Once more, Ship warned her: Let this happen, Ekel! This is a necessary lesson. These people must learn how to live.

Some of the crowd began to leave. The show was over. Hali found herself alone on one side of the dying man, only a few women across from her . . . and the armored guardians of this torment. A young boy came running up with a jug which he handed to the armored man who had smashed the knees of the thieves. Hali saw a coin passed to the boy. He bit it and turned away, not even looking at the condemned men.

The armored man fastened a rag to the end of his spear, poured some of the jug’s contents on it and pushed the rag up to the dying man’s mouth.

Hali detected the odor of acetic acid. Vinegar!

But Yaisuah sucked at the rag hungrily. The moisture spread across his cracked and bloody mouth. As the rag was pulled away, he slumped forward, once more unconscious.

An older man across from Hali called out: “He’d better die before sundown. We can’t leave him up there for the Sabbath.”

“Easily done.” The armored man had taken the rag from his spear. He turned, ready to swing it against Yaisuah’s knees. In that instant, the light faded, darkness spread over the landscape. A moan spread through the crowd. Hali glanced up, saw a partial eclipse behind the clouds.

A young woman broke from the crowd opposite Hali and grabbed the soldier’s spear.

“Don’t!” she cried. “Let him be. He’s nearly gone.”

“What’s it worth to you?”