"It hath been done. What hath been done by slaves and men, might be
done again. It hath not yet outlived the memory of man how the slaves
in the Laurian silver mines arose, killed their guards, took the
citadel of Sunium to sleep in, raided the armory for weapons and laid
Attica waste for a great season. Nor was it because they were not well
enslaved. Naked did their men and women toil under the lash. Yet they
became as one man and, at the word, rose as one man. And was it not in
Macedonia at the gold mines of Pangaetus that another bloody uprising
took place at vast cost to the gold industry because they rose as a
man? Suppose you, that the silversmiths, gold-gilders, pearl and ivory
and filigree workers should secretly band themselves together, hast
thou knowledge to compute the loss to my profit?"

Herod Antipas had covered his sharp teeth with his lip and was
listening intently to Zador Ben Amon.

"Would it mean naught to thee if in thine own province thy hewers of
stone and builders of ships, thy tent-makers and herdsmen and corn
growers should secretly unite and rise against thee?"

"Thy words sink deep," Antipas said, taking up his cup. Finding it
empty, he looked behind him. The stewart who had been standing there
had gone out. "More wine!" Antipas shouted. "And keep thee by the
cups," he gave order as the stewart came hastily in. Antipas and his
guest drank freely. Then the Jew spoke again.

"Here is Herod Antipas," he said, holding up his left hand and marking
its first finger with the stubby forefinger of his right hand. "And
here is Pilate, Procurator of Judea, and here is the High Priest of the
House of Annas. And the three have much gold. But between them hath
Annas the greater portion. From the tax on all the world getteth
Pilate his. From Galilean tax getteth Antipas his, but from the Temple
getteth Annas his through the hands of Caiaphas. The tribute money
from all the earth, the Sanctuary half shekel and the Temple Bazaars
and money-changers bring riches untold to Annas. Did not Crassus when
he went out against the Parthians carry from the Temple gold uncounted?
Did Pompey not take one hundred million of shekels in gold beside the
beams of gold hidden in the hollow wood?"

"Yea, much fine gold," Antipas replied. "But thou art thyself a
money-changer in the Temple, and its riches cometh to thy hands also."

"Thou dost not know Annas. Bled I am of my lawful profits else anoth