ed to a holy cause--yes, a holy? Do not the most sage people
now listen to Judas, and think: He is one of us, this Judas Iscariot; he
is our brother, our friend, this Judas Iscariot, the Traitor! Does not
Annas want to kneel down and kiss the hand of Judas? Only Judas will not
allow it; he is a coward, he is afraid they will bite him."

Caiaphas said:

"Drive the dog out! What's he barking about?"

"Get along with you. We have no time to listen to your babbling," said
Annas imperturbably.

Judas drew himself up and closed his eyes. The hypocrisy, which he
had carried so lightly all his life, suddenly became an insupportable
burden, and with one movement of his eyelashes he cast it from him.
And when he looked at Annas again, his glance was simple, direct, and
terrible in its naked truthfulness. But they paid no attention to this
either.

"You want to be driven out with sticks!" cried Caiaphas.

Panting under the weight of the terrible words, which he was lifting
higher and higher, in order to hurl them hence upon the heads of the
judges, Judas hoarsely asked:

"But you know... you know... who He was... He, whom you condemned
yesterday and crucified?"

"We know. Go away!"

With one word he would straightway rend that thin film which was spread
over their eyes, and all the earth would stagger beneath the weight of
the merciless truth! They had a soul, they should be deprived of it;
they had a life, they should lose their life; they had light before
their eyes, eternal darkness and horror should cover them. Hosanna!
Hosanna!

And these words, these terrible words, were tearing his throat asunder--

"He was no deceiver. He was innocent and pure. Do you hear? Judas
deceived you. He betrayed to you an innocent man."

He waits. He hears the aged, unconcerned voice of Annas, saying:

"And is that all you want to say?"

"You do not seem to have understood me," says Judas, with dignity,
turning pale. "Judas deceived you. He was innocent. You have slain the
innocent."

He of the bird-like face smiles; but Annas is indifferent, Annas yawns.
And Caiaphas yawns, too, and says wearily:

"What did they mean by talking to me about the intellect of Judas
Iscariot? He is simply a fool, and a bore, too."

"What?" cries Judas, all suffused with dark madness. "But who are
you, the clever ones! Judas deceived you--hear! It was not He that he
betrayed--but you--you wiseacres, you, the powerful, you he betrayed to
a shame