mers have to give part of
the wool at sheep-shearing; part of the wood at woodcutting; and the
best of the fruit at harvest." He looked around and spat on the ground.
"On top of that we pay for the schools and synagogues! Is it any wonder
we have hardly enough left to feed ourselves?"

"But religious taxes are paid for the sake of God, Gideon!" protested
James.

"Yes, yes ... I know." Gideon couldn't argue the point; for a moment he
was silent. Then he looked sharply at James and snapped: "Do the
landlords pay religious taxes? No!" His voice was bitter. "That
tax-gatherer who bought me out knew ways to get out of paying the Temple
tax!"

"Was it when you sold your farm that you became a fisherman, Gideon?"
asked James.

"Yes. I almost had to serve a term of bondage."

The gentile jerked up his head and said, "Were you a slave?"

"No, but my brother bound himself for twelve years," answered Gideon,
looking at the gentile curiously.

"Do the bondslaves make much trouble here?" he asked.

Zebedee looked at him very closely. "In Galilee the slaves do not cause
riots. The Jews do."

James explained. "In Palestine there are more free men than slaves.
Hunger causes most riots. But in a way, our whole nation is a slave to
Rome." His eyes challenged the gentile and no one missed his meaning
when he spoke again. "A nation can't run away from its master the way a
slave can."

The gentile started. He glanced swiftly around the group. The men were
looking at him suspiciously.

"Are you a runaway slave?" demanded Zebedee point-blank.

The man flushed and spoke shamefacedly. "Yes," he admitted.

After a moment's silence, Andrew said: "The Romans treat us all the same
way. No one here will betray you." The man's face showed his relief.

"Perhaps you will tell us where you are from," suggested Simon.

"I am a Greek; a fisherman from Corinth. I was taken captive and made
the slave of a Roman soldier. We were sent to Sidon." He waved his hand
toward the west. "I watched my chance and ran away. Here I want to work
and remain unknown."

John said: "Will you come with us to the synagogue? If you are going to
work with us, you should become one of us."

"I will worship any god who will give me a happy life."

"I can't promise that God will do that," answered John. "Our nation has
always suffered greatly." He looked at Andrew. "But we believe what John
the Baptizer tells us: God is soon coming to save us."

The gentile