"What could we do, judge thou?" said Thomas, with a gesture of protest.

"Thou asketh that, Thomas? Very well!" and Judas threw his head back,
and fell upon him angrily. "He who loves does not ask what can be
done--he goes and does it--he weeps, he bites, he throttles the enemy,
and breaks his bones! He, that is, who loves! If your son were drowning
would you go into the city and inquire of the passers by: 'What must I
do? My son is drowning!' No, you would rather throw yourself into the
water and drown with him. One who loved would!"

Peter replied grimly to the violent speech of Judas:

"I drew a sword, but He Himself forbade."

"Forbade? And you obeyed!" jeered Judas. "Peter, Peter, how could you
listen to Him? Does He know anything of men, and of fighting?"

"He who does not submit to Him goes to hell fire."

"Then why did you not go, Peter? Hell fire! What's that? Now, supposing
you had gone--what good's your soul to you, if you dare not throw it
into the fire, if you want to?"

"Silence!" cried John, rising. "He Himself willed this sacrifice. His
sacrifice is beautiful!"

"Is a sacrifice ever beautiful, Beloved Disciple? Wherever there is
a sacrifice, then there is an executioner, and there traitors!
Sacrifice--that is suffering for one and disgrace for all the others!
Traitors, traitors, what have ye done with the world? Now they look at
it from above and below, and laugh and cry: 'Look at that world, upon it
they crucified Jesus!' And they spit on it--as I do!"

Judas angrily spat on the ground.

"He took upon Him the sin of all mankind. His sacrifice is beautiful,"
John insisted.

"No! you have taken all sin upon yourselves. You, Beloved Disciple, will
not a race of traitors take their beginning from you, a pusillanimous
and lying breed? O blind men, what have ye done with the earth? You have
done your best to destroy it, ye will soon be kissing the cross on which
ye crucified Jesus! Yes, yes, Judas gives ye his word that ye will kiss
the cross!"

"Judas, don't revile!" roared Peter, pushing. "How could we slay all His
enemies? They are so many!"

"And thou, Peter!" exclaimed John in anger, "dost thou not perceive that
he is possessed of Satan? Leave us, Tempter! Thou'rt full of lies. The
Teacher forbade us to kill."

"But did He forbid you to die? Why are you alive, when He is dead? Why
do your feet walk, why does your tongue talk trash, why do your eyes
blink, when He is dead, motionless, spe