Past Lives

Prologue

Jerusalem

September 2000

Ignatius stood motionless while Stroud slowly injected the contents of the syringe into the subject who was already heavily sedated and couldn’t quite keep his eyelids open for more than a few seconds at a time. Although it was quiet inside the room the muted sound of religious chant came from somewhere else inside the building. It contrasted with the distant sound of a muezzin calling the Muslim faithful to prayer at the end of another long, hot day — everyday sounds of Jerusalem.

‘You can begin now,’ said Stroud.

‘Tell me your name,’ said Ignatius. His voice had a calm hypnotic quality.

‘Saul... Saul Abe.’

‘What do you do, Saul Abe?’

‘I’m... a builder.’

‘Where?’

‘In Jerusalem.’

‘What are you building?’

The question seemed to cause the man distress. He started to fight for breath.

‘What’s the matter?’

‘The... stone!’

‘What about the stone?’

‘It’s falling on my legs!’ Abe let out a scream of pain.

‘What’s happened?’ insisted the calm voice.

‘The stone rolled off the cart... I couldn’t get out of the way... It crushed my legs.’ The painful memory seemed to put Abe into merciful white oblivion for a few moments then he stirred.

‘What’s happening now?’ asked the voice quietly but firmly.

‘Two men... They are trying to lift the stone off my...’ Abe let out another scream. He was unaware of a second needle entering his arm. The injection calmed him a little.

‘My legs are broken and bloody... They say they’ll have to cut them off!’

Saul Abe stopped breathing for a full thirty seconds, his eyes wide with horror as he relived the nightmare.

Stroud said, ‘We can’t hold him at this point. It’s dangerous.’

‘All right, take him back further,’ said Ignatius.

Another injection and Abe relaxed on the pillow in a seemingly content slumber but it wasn’t long before he became agitated again.

‘Leah! Leah!’

‘Who is Leah?’

‘My wife.’

‘Who are you?’

‘Isaac... I can’t find Leah! Where is she?’

‘Who are you, Isaac? What do you do?’

‘I’m a soldier. I’ve come home but I can’t find Leah!’

‘Where have you been, Isaac?’

‘Fighting the Romans. We set up an ambush near Bet Hakem but we were betrayed. I’m the only one left alive apart from my brother... Oh God, my brother...’

‘What about your brother, Isaac? What happened to him?’

‘The Romans have him.’

‘Take your time.’

‘I can hear his screams... The Romans are torturing him. He’s calling out my name and I’m doing nothing! I’m pretending to be dead down in the gulley. I’m too frightened to move. The sun is burning my neck. He needs me and I’m ignoring him!’

‘You can’t help him, Isaac. There are too many of them. It’s not your fault. Why are they torturing him? What do they want from him?’

‘They want to know where the Nazarene is.’

‘The Nazarene?’ said Ignatius, his voice almost a croak as his throat dried with excitement.

‘Where’s Leah? Why isn’t she here at home?...’

‘Isaac!’

‘What?’

‘Tell me about the Nazarene!’

‘I must find Leah.’

‘Listen to me! You know him, don’t you? You’ve met the Nazarene.’

‘Why does everyone want to know about him? He’s all mouth and riddles. The temple’s full of talkers. It’s fighters we need.’

‘But you do know him?’

‘Leah, Where are you? Why don’t you come to me?’

‘Try to relax,’ said the voice.

‘Leah! Leah!’

‘He’s becoming too distressed,’ said Stroud.

‘We need to know more!’ insisted Ignatius.

‘You’ll kill him!’

‘Tell me about the Nazarene, Isaac.’

‘Leah... Oh, Leah, you’re dead.’ Saul Abe started to shake all over as if he had suddenly become very cold. At first it was a gentle tremor but it gathered strength until the bed itself rattled on the tiled floor.

‘He’s fitting!’ said Stroud. ‘I warned you!’

Ignatius looked down at the tremulous figure on the bed, his expression betraying nothing but disappointment and annoyance.

Abe went into rigid spasm. Every muscle in his body locked solid. For a brief, frightened moment he opened his eyes wide then his eyeballs rolled slowly up in their sockets and he was still.

‘I warned you,’ said Stroud.

‘But it works,’ said Ignatius.